Select a Shade of Gray

10) Select a shade of gray from the Default color swatch.

When you do so, make sure the cursor looks like an eyedropper, not a paint bucket.

Which Shade of Gray?

When you dodge, you're lightening the photograph.

When you burn, you're darkening the photograph.

The amount of dodging and burning varies according to the shade of gray.

Dodge (Lighten)

Grays that are lighter than 50% dodge your photograph

Darken (Burn)

Grays that are darker than 50% burn your photograph

Erase

50% gray erases what you've done with the other shades of gray.

Dodging					Erase	Burning
White	10% Gray	20% Gray	30% Gray	40% Gray	50%Gray	60% Gray	70% Gray	80% Gray	90% Gray	Black
Most Dodging				Least Dodging	Erase	Least Burning				Most Burning
-5	-4	-3	-2	-1	Erase	+1	+2	+3	+4	+5

11) If you haven't already, select a shade of gray from the Default color swatch.

Again, when you do so, make sure the cursor looks like an eyedropper, not a paint bucket.

Zoom

12) Enlarge your photograph, if needed, with the Zoom tool.

Use the Overlay Layer

13) Make sure the overlay layer is active (highlighted) before continuing.

If it isn't, click on it.

Whew!

Now You Can Dodge or Burn

14) Click, hold, and drag to "paint" the area in your photograph where you want to burn or dodge.

When you release the mouse button, the burning and dodging is seen as marks in the overlay layer.

Example of Dodging

Here are two brush strokes on a forehead.

A 10% gray brush made the top stroke.

A 30% gray brush made the bottom stroke.

10% Gray Brush

30% Gray Brush

50% Gray = Erase

Don't use a 50% gray brush to burn and dodge.

You use a 50% gray brush to erase any burning and dodging that you've done.

Overexposed & Underexposed Areas

If your photograph has over- or underexposed areas, they need to be painted.

You can't burn and dodge these areas.

Go to Painting Overexposed Areas.

Create Several Overlay Layers

You may want to create several overlay layers.

Then, you can use a separate overlay layer for each part of the photograph.

For example, you can use one overlay layer to burn the sky.

Then, you can use a second overlay layer to burn and dodge a face.

With separate overlay layers, you can fine tune your burning and dodging.

Let's say the sky is a little too dark after burning it.

Simply lower the opacity of the overlay layer.

To make more overlay layers, select the overlay layer you made above, and press Ctrl + j.

Be sure to rename the new overlay layers as you use them.

Download a Burning & Dodging Swatches

If you wish, you can download the Burning & Dodging Swatches.

In the default color swatches, 5% Gray is absent.

The Burning & Dodging Swatches includes 5% Gray.

The orange and rust-colored swatches isolate 50% gray, and separate the dodging colors from the burning colors.

The zip file also contains a file called _Empty in which you can put other color swatches as you work.

There are seven steps.

They're easy!

Step #1 - Close Photoshop Elements

1) Close Photoshop Elements.

Step #1 - Download

2) Click Burning & Dodging Swatches.aco.

3) Select Save.

4) Save the file to My Download Files (XP), Download (Vista), or Downloads (Windows 7), or Desktop (Mac).

Step #2 - Copy

5) Go to the above download folder.

6) Select the file, Burning & Dodging Swatches.aco.

7) Press Ctrl + c, to copy it.

Step #3 - Browse

8) Browse to the folder in which Photoshop Elements stores swatches, which is called Color Swatches.

Windows

Go to My Computer (XP) or Computer (Vista & Windows 7), and browse using the path below.

If you can't find the folders below on your computer, go to Hidden Files & Folders.

C: > Program Files > Adobe > Photoshop Elements > Presets > Color Swatches

Mac

Open Finder, and navigate using this path:

Applications > Adobe Photoshop Elements > Presets > Color Swatches

Step #4 - Open

9) Open the Color Swatches folder.

Step #5 - Paste

10) Press Ctrl + V, to paste the file, Burning & Dodging Swatches.aco.

Step #6 - Restart

The Burning & Dodging swatches will appear in the Color Swatches menu after you restart Photoshop Elements.

11) Restart Photoshop Elements.

12) Open the Color Swatches panel (Color Swatches palette).

13) Select _Burning & Dodging Swatches.

You're done.

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