Hey guys - quick question here. I've been learning Photoshop / Painter lately and blending colors has been the first step. I've gotten the hang of it in Photoshop but Painter is another story.

Here's my question - I've noticed a lot of artists speaking their opinion on the smudge tool in photoshop, and the blenders in Painter. The majority i've heard downplay the smudge tool, and say it's better off to learn to blend without having to use it (which I have, using the eyedropper and low opacity brushes).

Moving on to Painter, I've noticed a lot speaking about the blenders also, saying that they hate them and rarely use them. Are the blenders pretty much like the smudge tool in Photoshop, and should you learn to blend your colors without using them?

Painter's just giving me a tough time since I haven't gotten used to the settings, but slowly but surely