Help! Color Dodge

[UsagiKage]

I feel very lame for asking this but what is color dodge and how/when do you use it when you make your images?

More or less I've recently started using digital media. I've heard other people mentioning they use color dodge in their works but I have no idea what it is or why some people love it so much.  

[Errol McGillivray]

Dodge is a term that comes from photo processing. You dodge by putting something infront of the light you're shining thru the film on the paper. Those areas will be more white. Burn does the opposite. (It's been several years since I've used a dark room, but I remember well enough.)

In the computer, it just adds white to your image. I don't recommend using it. It's made for photo editing and not for painting. It looks obvious, amateurish and fairly crappy.

I think you'd be a lot better off using an overlay of white. Set it to soft light. It still looks pretty obvious and hacky, but it's better than that dodge tool. Personally, I think you're better off using the brushes as though you're painting and not just using tools because they're there. (Like filters.)

There are some color theory tutorials in the Tutorial thread, and a lesson on light in the Figure Drawing Workshop. Reading those may help give you a better idea of how light actually works and better ways of recreating it in your digital art. (This is my opinion of course, but I'd like to think you'd want to avoid the crappy "cg" trap that many gaian artists fall into.)  

[UsagiKage]

Nope, I'm big on being able to do work traditionally because you have the basic talents to translate what your learned to different medias. Thank you. I was always curious to see what was color dodge but If all it does is add white to it, it's better not to complicate my coloring by trying to use it.  

[Viceregal]

I don't think anyone should stop themselves from experimenting just because there is a stigma attached to the tool they want to use. Color dodge and burn will not teach color theory or shading but they can be really fun to use.

I'll just show you some basic uses.

Here is a small example of a backround you might be working on. You have the designs set to their own layer.


Now you switch that layer to Color Burn:


Or Color Dodge. Hey look everything is all glowy. Neat!


Or say you're working on a painting. Serious business!


But you don't feel like manually using the color slider to make your own colors. Color Dodge to the rescue. Use the paint dropper tool to pick up the color from the surface you'll be painting on. Example: doing highlights in the hair? pick up a color from the hair. Painting highlights on the skin? Pick up a color from the skin. Highlights from the lips - eyes...whatever you need lighter areas on.

Then make a new layer and switch it to Color Dodge. On that layer you dab your color. Just dab! Then use a smudge tool to blend it out. Color dodge mixes the colors for you.


(lol it's ugly. But you get the point)
It's not the best method - and if you don't understand where your light source is to determine which spots should be highlighted, you're just going to end up with a big bright glowy mess. But if you just want to have fun, or need a little boost. Use it. It is as valid as using layers in my opinion.
It's just another tool.  

[UsagiKage]

Oh my god.... I love you....

I tested that highlight thing on my current pic and it just made it pop out in a good way with such an easy stroke. Does anyone else have more fun tricks?!?!?!  

[katkarkri]

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[Errol McGillivray]

Can0py

bump

What the hell are you bumping here for? Read the rules and do not do it again.