Jumble Tool

Shortcut: J

The Jumble tool creates organic textures by randomly mixing nearby pixels. It copies pixels from random neighboring positions, perfect for adding noise, texture, or distressed effects.

Basic Usage

Select the Jumble tool by pressing J or clicking the jumble icon in the toolbar. Click and drag to randomly shuffle pixels within the brush area.

Jumble is an advanced tool, so it is hidden in Simple mode.

Adjusting Size

The jumble size is separate from the brush size, so the brush size shortcuts do not affect it. It runs from 1 to 64 either way:

  • Set the size in the tool options row while the Jumble tool is active
  • D + drag — Visual size adjustment (drag left/right)

Strength

Next to the size is a Strength field, from 1 to 100, starting at 100. It caps how far a pixel can travel from its own position, as a share of the brush size. At 100 pixels can land anywhere in the brush area; lower values keep the shuffle more local, for a subtler texture. Size and Strength are remembered separately from the brush's own settings.

How It Works

The jumble effect randomly samples pixels from nearby positions and places them at the current location. This creates a scrambled, organic look that's hard to achieve with regular drawing tools.

  • Larger brush sizes — More dramatic mixing with wider sample range
  • Multiple passes — Paint repeatedly for more chaotic results
  • Preserves colors — Pixels are swapped, not blended, so no color is lost or added

Common Uses

  • Grass and foliage — Create natural-looking vegetation textures
  • Noise and grain — Add film grain or static effects
  • Distressed surfaces — Make worn, weathered, or damaged textures
  • Breaking up patterns — Add randomness to repetitive areas
  • Dirt and debris — Create scattered particle effects

Features

  • Symmetry support — Jumble respects active symmetry settings
  • Selection aware — Only affects pixels within the active selection
  • Full undo support — Undo/redo each jumble stroke

Tips

  • Start with a small brush size and build up the effect gradually.
  • Use on areas that already have varied colors for best results.
  • Combine with the Spray or Scatter tools for layered texture effects.
  • Works great for adding texture to flat-colored areas.