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Dodging and Burning with Blend Modes and Colors
If you have spent any amount of time with me you know that I am always trying to come up with new ways of using Blend Modes. I have recently started experimenting with the Color Dodge and Color Burn Blend Modes. At first I thought they were trash at best! That was before I figured out how to use them effectively.
The Color Burn and Color Dodge Blend Modes do not use the Opacity slider to control their effect. These two blend modes use the FILL adjustment to control how much they apply themselves to the image. You can use Opacity to subdue the effect, but the real magic with these blend modes and their algorithm is tied to Fill.
They are beautiful blend modes when you give them a chance, but they do require a bit of finesse to use. Try these settings for each Blend Mode:
Color Burn
Adjustment Layer: Color Fill (any color)
Fill: 15%
Opacity: 50%
Blend If to protect the shadows
Color Dodge
Adjustment Layer: Color Fill (any color)
Fill: 15%
Opacity: 50%
Blend If to protect the highlights
What colors should you use for your Color Fill Layers? Any colors really, however, I prefer to use colors that are harmonious. These colors are typically Complementary Colors on the color wheel or colors that are directly across from one another. Try using Blue and Yellow, Green and Magenta, or Red and Cyan.
In today's tutorial, I will show you how I use them and hook you up with some actions that do it all for you. Before you start running those automated techniques, please watch the video so you can understand why the blend modes act the way they do.
3 окт 2024
