PS Elements: burn tool on sepia image looks gray, why?

[bill.akstens]

I'm beginning to use Elements to convert a color image to monochrome

sepia. After doing a conversion I use the burn tool to try to darken

some areas. When I do, the burned area turns darker grey instead of

darker sepia. It seems the burn tool is in a black&white mode but the

image is in sepia. Am I doing something wrong? Does the burn tool

work with color casts or strictly in a grayscale mode? Thanks.

[mendel_leisk]

Workaround: burn first, sepia-tone after?

[beno_t_marchal]

You might have more luck working with an adjustment layer (curve, level or contrast/

brightness in that order) and painting on the layer mask.

 

--ben

[kris]

Try using Lasso tool and play with level for that selected area. Feather the selected area to avoid sudden changes in brightness. You need to play around with the feather setting to determine how smooth the transition is.

[beauh44]

Hi Bill, I don't *think* Elements supports adjustment layers, but it's been a while since I used it. I don't use the dodge and burn tools anymore. I'm not sure if Elements will support this technique, but I think it will, and if so, I like it better. You might give it a spin:

 

1) Click on Layer>New Layer, but don't hit enter yet

 

2) Set the blend mode to Overlay

 

3) Check the box (hope it's there!) that says something like "Fill with Neutral Gray"

 

4) Now press enter

 

 

You should have a layer sitting on top of your image that's just a gray-filled layer, but the image is still perfectly visible beneath.

 

Select the paintbrush tool with a soft edge brush. Set opacity pretty low - I use about 10 percent. Paint white on the gray layer to dodge; paint black on the gray layer to burn. Finally you can adjust the opacity of the entire gray layer to taste.

 

I hope this works and is of some help! Best wishes . . .

[sean de merchant httpw]

Use the burn tool in <b>Luminosity</b> blending mode should reduce color shifts.

[brandonhamilton]

The problem is that you are working in the wrong order. Sepia is technically a two toned RGB image. So if you do a normal burn/dodge, its goign to go between white and black.

 

What you need to do, is finish the image completly, then convert to sepia as the very last step.