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 11/29/2005 05:52:09 PM · #1
I was wondering how, in Photoshop CS, you create a very gradual burn like this one (one of Heida's pictures): //dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=135209

I know how to burn, dodge, etc...but I can't figure out how to make it so subtle and gradual.
 11/29/2005 05:53:42 PM · #2
Masking using the gradient tool in Photoshop.



Read tutorial on Dodging and Burning for those that are new to it.

Message edited by author 2005-11-29 17:58:20.
 11/29/2005 05:59:19 PM · #3
I'd like to know myself.

Heres a tutorial on the burn tool anyway.

Dodge, Burn
 11/29/2005 06:00:32 PM · #4
Originally posted by bandit:
I'd like to know myself.

Heres a tutorial on the burn tool anyway.

Dodge, Burn


Whoops, beaten to it. Link also below in faidoi post...
 11/29/2005 06:02:48 PM · #5
Originally posted by faidoi:
Masking using the gradient tool in Photoshop.

I'd be interested in hearing more about this. Are you saying that you apply a gradient layer and then use the mask to reveal or hide portions of it?
 11/29/2005 06:08:13 PM · #6
Originally posted by xcharrier:
Originally posted by faidoi:
Masking using the gradient tool in Photoshop.

I'd be interested in hearing more about this. Are you saying that you apply a gradient layer and then use the mask to reveal or hide portions of it?


Pretty sure by the time I start up my Photoshop that someone will have it posted already.

The gradient layer helps with selecting portions of the picture in which you can dodge and burn. Using a graphics tablet helps too.

There's possibly a better method but I'll wait for a PS Guru to show up.

Message edited by author 2005-11-29 18:11:02.
 11/29/2005 06:14:56 PM · #7
What I do is select the sky, then apply the gradient to a duplicate layer from BG with the sky selection loaded. The gradient will restrict itself to the selected area, and you can fade the layer to fine-tune the effect, then merge it down into the BG. Here's a fairly extreme example. I do this a LOT in a more subtle way, sometimes even with radial gradients. The key is to select a "foreground to transparent" gradient, and use the color picker to set the foreground color precisely.



Robt.

edit to add: this one also has a FOREGROUND gradient applied to it. After the sky was done and I merged down, I made a new dupe layer from BG and ran the foreground gradient on that and faded it. No selectionw as needed because the gradient wasn't extended enough to make a difference.

Message edited by author 2005-11-29 18:16:31.
 11/29/2005 06:18:00 PM · #8
Don't use the dodge and burn tools - they will introduce black or white into the image. There is a much much better way .....

Add a new layer above your original
Fill the layer with 50% gray
Set the Layer mode to 'Overlay'
Paint on that layer with a brush using either balck or white, keeping the brush opacity to about 7%

Try it - much better and doesn't destroy the original.

If you want you can fill the layer with a grad instead of 50% grey to get the gradual burn

Heres the tutorial Dodge and Burn Alternative Method

Message edited by author 2005-11-29 18:30:03.
 11/29/2005 06:37:54 PM · #9
Originally posted by Falc:
Don't use the dodge and burn tools - they will introduce black or white into the image. There is a much much better way .....

Add a new layer above your original
Fill the layer with 50% gray
Set the Layer mode to 'Overlay'
Paint on that layer with a brush using either balck or white, keeping the brush opacity to about 7%

Try it - much better and doesn't destroy the original.

If you want you can fill the layer with a grad instead of 50% grey to get the gradual burn

Heres the tutorial Dodge and Burn Alternative Method


And you can fill the layer with a color as well, at 50% or whatever, and add subtle color gradations that way. This is essentially what I do with the gradation tool, btw.

R.

Message edited by author 2005-11-29 18:38:27.
 11/29/2005 08:17:17 PM · #10
And here's the method I use for a gradual burn (or dodge):

- Enter Quick Mask mode (hit the "Q" key)
- Select the gradient tool
- Choose "foreground to transparent" for the gradient
- Choose the type of gradient (linear or radial) to fit the area to be masked
- Make sure the foreeground color is black (it will be either black or white in Quick Mask mode, should be black by default
- Click/drag to create the gradient. Create multiple gradients if desired. The areas that will be selected will remain clear, the deselected areas will be painted red.
- Type "Q" again to exit Quick Mask mode
- Use curves to adjust the selected areas

While in Quick Mask mode you can also use the paintbrush to make more localized changes to the mask. Painting with black masks out areas, painting with white brings them back.
This technique is "destructive", since you can't go back and tweak the mask after making the curves adjustment. An alternative is to create a curves adjustment layer with a layer mask, giving you the ability to tweak both the mask and the curves adjustment after the fact.
 11/29/2005 09:10:37 PM · #11
i work it similar to kirbic - just started to figure out this was better (for me) than dodge and burn. Dodging and burning didn't seem to get the results i was after. So i make layers and use a mask to show the underneath (be it the dark or lighter one, does not matter) and you can adjust the effect by adjusting the exposure/transparency. I have lightened 1/2 a face very successfully and here is an extreme example.

Before


After

11/29/2005 09:42:25 PM · #12
Originally posted by Falc:
Don't use the dodge and burn tools - they will introduce black or white into the image. There is a much much better way .....

Add a new layer above your original
Fill the layer with 50% gray
Set the Layer mode to 'Overlay'
Paint on that layer with a brush using either balck or white, keeping the brush opacity to about 7%

I just tried that. It's a good way to do non-destructive dodge/burn.

But why are you adding the 50% grey? - That slightly lightens the whole image. If I just create an empty 'Overlay' layer, and paint on it with a black/white brush I get dodge/burn effects.

What's the reason for the 50% grey fill?
 11/29/2005 09:44:41 PM · #13
Originally posted by jhonan:
Originally posted by Falc:
Don't use the dodge and burn tools - they will introduce black or white into the image. There is a much much better way .....

Add a new layer above your original
Fill the layer with 50% gray
Set the Layer mode to 'Overlay'
Paint on that layer with a brush using either balck or white, keeping the brush opacity to about 7%

I just tried that. It's a good way to do non-destructive dodge/burn.

But why are you adding the 50% grey? - That slightly lightens the whole image. If I just create an empty 'Overlay' layer, and paint on it with a black/white brush I get dodge/burn effects.

What's the reason for the 50% grey fill?


After dodge/burn, fade the layer to 50% and watch what happens. Change layer modes and watch what happens. It's very versatile.

R.
 11/29/2005 09:49:57 PM · #14
Originally posted by bear_music:
After dodge/burn, fade the layer to 50% and watch what happens. Change layer modes and watch what happens. It's very versatile.

Ah! - Okay, cheers!
 11/29/2005 10:59:59 PM · #15
Hey bear,

What do you mean by "merge it down into the background". Being a PS neophyte, I have no idea what you mean by this. What are the steps to do this?

Thanks
 11/30/2005 12:39:04 AM · #16
Denis, the base (original, bottom) layer is the background. He's just telling you to merge the layers, a normal step after you complete some action (though often, I'll save a copy before the merge).

There's an action on the web called "Paint with Light II" which I have been using for a while which basically sets this up for you. One difference, it sets the layer mode to "Soft Light". Works great.
 11/30/2005 02:01:34 AM · #17
Originally posted by Beagleboy:
Hey bear,

What do you mean by "merge it down into the background". Being a PS neophyte, I have no idea what you mean by this. What are the steps to do this?

Thanks


To elaborate on what Neil just said, look at it this way: Let's say you open your image and decide it needs sharpening throughout. So you make a new layer from BG, a copy of the BG, and you do your sharpening on that. Now THIS layer you can fade the opacity of if you wish; so you can overcook your sharpening, and then fade down to like 80% opacity, whatever, you can fine-tune it, magnifying certain portions of the image to check for halos and other artifacts etc.

So you finish that and you have your sharpening on a less-than-100% opacity layer. Now, sometime later, you decide to run a filter on this image; let's say, neat image. If you run neat image on the duplicated and faded layer, you are running it on an 80% opacity layer, and it's not easy to judge. So you can (after saving as an interim file, or after making a snapshot ΓΆ€” see PS help for this) merge the sharpening layer into the BG, then pop a new layer duplicating THAT, and run your neat image on this, and then you can play with layer mode & opacity on the NI layer.

As a matter of course, my workflow often leaves 3-6 copies of an image at various stages of development where the pixel-containing layers branch off in new directions. I do this because I can keep them all open and later on I can drag layers between them to mix-and-match my effects as I fine tune. When I get something that looks like a nominal basic image (sharpened just right, contrast balanced to normal, whatever basic filtration is needed) I will save that as my working master in a flattened form (I still have the original, remember) and then I do all my fine-tuning on top of this once-flattened image.

In the end, when I'm done, I keep one layered master version and the original, and toss all (or nearly all) of the interim versions to save space.

I hope this makes sense to you? YOu can do it in "layers/flatten image" or "layers/merge down" or "layers/merge visible" depending on what best suits your need at the time.

Robt.
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