Photoshop Tutorials: The Dodge Tool

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In our previous article in this series, we tackled the burn tool; what it is, what it is for, and how it can help you with your images when you take them in Photoshop. Now, we are going to discuss its counterpart which is the dodge tool. Just like the burn tool, the dodge tool also does something with selected areas in a photo, object, or layer; the difference is that it does not darken the area, it lightens it.


What is the Dodge Tool?

Hovering over the toolbar, you will encounter tools, a lot of them and one of them is the dodge tool. Its icon is like the lollipop icon along with the burn tool. The dodge tool is a feature which helps you lighten the image to conceive brighter, more naturally-lit areas inside your image.

While it is selected, you will see different options at the top bar which controls how the Dodge Tool behaves:

Burn Tool Range

  • Midtones – Selecting Midtones changes the middle range of grays.
  • Shadows – Selecting Shadows changes the darkest areas of your image.
  • Highlights – And selecting Highlights changes the lightest points of your image.

What does it really do to my image?

As said earlier, the dodge tool helps you lighten areas of your layer that you want modified. Dodging and burning are techniques done to mingle and to modify brightness; helps give your images more impact and appeal.


When you see an image, your focus or your vision automatically gazes upon lighter, more glowing parts of the image – this is what the dodge tool is for. Capturing the attention of viewers, making images more appealing and attractive by lighting up dark or uneven spots in the art, and a lot more concerning light.

**TIP: Dodging and Burning are best done to a copy layer, not the original layer that you want modified. Why? Because these techniques are destructive edits meaning, change will be done heavily depending on how you want it to be; maybe more than what you expect. Be sure to pin it down first to a copy layer to avoid the hassle of remaking a new layer all over again.

How can this help me with my work?

Dodging can help you out in a lot of different ways, and most of the ways concern improper and dark shots of images, or just plainly dull ones. Here are a few of the ways in which the Dodge Tool can be a huge help:

  • Brighten certain parts of the image entirely; there are images that are captured under low-levels of brightness and the dodge tool can cure that.
  • Make angles shallow – increase the appeal by not making viewers focus on dents, shadows, and rough patches.
  • Sceneries, buildings, and other types of photos without you or your friends can be a little imperfect at times. Dodge and Burning can do the trick.

So now that you know the basics of what Dodging and Burning can do for you, experiment and see how well they go with each other. Interested in learning Photoshop? Stay tuned for more tutorials in this series.

 


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