Beauty of Dodge & Burn in Photoshop

Credit the photographer and study her images to practice dodge and burn techniques in Photoshop. Explore Model Mayhem and the artist's portfolio for more images, information, and practice challenges.

Explore dodge and burn in photography and Photoshop, lightening or darkening areas to add 3D perspective, improve contrast and dynamic, and distinguish microlevel versus global techniques.

Explore how a graphic tablet enhances dodge and burn retouching with pressure sensitivity, natural control, and faster, more fluid workflows compared to a mouse.

Learn the difference between opacity and flow in Photoshop dodging and burning, showing how opacity fixes color while flow builds color with repeated strokes for a natural result.

Explore how to optimize a brush for dodging and burning in Photoshop by adjusting opacity, flow, pen pressure, minimum diameter, hardness, transfer, and airbrush build up.

Learn raw conversion fundamentals for dodge and burn in Photoshop, adjusting shadows, highlights, and contrast with curves and global edits to prepare for retouching.

Perform a clean raw conversion by balancing skin tones, desaturating reds on the legs, and using duplicated smart objects to isolate edits before dodging and burning.

Learn to clean up skin before dodge and burn in Photoshop by using a new layer, sample all layers, and tools like healing brush, clone stamp, and patch for texture.

Learn dodge and burn in Photoshop using a 50 percent gray or blank layer, with soft light to brighten and darken, and compare gray versus black layer techniques.

Use a help layer to perform local dodge and burn, convert to black and white for contrast, and fine-tune with curves, opacity, and grouped layers to reveal detail.

Master local dodge & burn using a 50 percent gray layer to preserve skin texture while removing shadows and refining micro transitions for a natural, flawless complexion.

The lecture demonstrates local dodge and burn using a gray layer, showing two examples, before-and-after comparisons, and how masks, curve adjustments, and color corrections improve symmetry and skin tones.

Learn how dodge and burn affect color, identify color shifts, and fix them with color corrections using skin tone sampling, soft blending, and controlled opacity.

Learn to apply global dodge and burn in Photoshop to enhance facial contours, shadows, and highlights, creating a subtle 3-D effect with a soft, layer-based approach.

Master gray layer dodge and burn in Photoshop by splitting layers into global and local adjustments, applying color corrections, and enhancing contrast and brightness for lifelike detail.

Learn how to use curve adjustment layers for dodging and burning in Photoshop, including inverting masks, painting with white on the layer, and using clipping masks for precise tonal control.

Explore using a curve adjustment layer for local dodge and burn to enhance portraits. Master black-and-white prep, 50 percent gray foundations, and precise brushwork to refine shadows and highlights.

Learn color corrections for dodging and burning by applying hue/saturation adjustments with clipping masks, reducing oversaturated shadows, and refining color shifts across the image.

Master global dodge and burn in Photoshop using curve adjustment layers to brighten and darken selectively, refine contours, color correction, and masks for natural, enhanced portraits.

Master eye dodge and burn using curves to brighten key areas while preserving natural shadows and contours, then refine color for a subtle, realistic result.

Learn to speed up dodge and burn workflows in Photoshop by using and extending actions, loading action sets, and applying visual helps; explore global actions and frequency separation techniques.

Discover a dodge and burn workflow in Photoshop using a low and high layer setup to blend textures and subtly adjust color and shadows.

Master final corrections for beauty retouching by color correction, color grading, and controlled dodging and burning, then create a blueprint stamp, apply selective sharpening, and refine contrast with masks.

Balance skin tones and overall color with selective color, then boost contrast with curves and levels. Use hue/saturation and dodging and burning on soft light layers to refine the image.

practice your dodging and burning skills in photoshop, and stay in touch for future lessons or extensions of this technique.