The symbol on the dodge tool button looks like a ball on a stick. To use the dodge tool, first select it from the tool box, and then configure its options in the options bar.

 

 

As with the previous tools, you can configure the brush qualities or choose from a preset brush type by using the Brush drop list. With the dodge tool, however, there is an option called Range that the previous tools did not have. You can use the range drop list to select what kind of colour tones will be altered. For this option you can choose from Shadows, Midtones, or Highlights.

 

Shadows are the darkest parts of your image, while Highlights are the lightest parts of your image. Midtones comprise the large range of colours in your image that are lighter than the shadows, and darker than the highlights. With the dodge tool, you cannot lighten all tonal ranges with a single stroke of your mouse pointer. Instead, you must select the particular range you want to modify and then drag your mouse over the area you want to lighten.

 

With the Exposure slider switch, you can adjust the intensity or power of the lightening effect of the dodge tool. Basically, if the exposure value is higher, the lightening effect will be stronger. Use caution when using the dodge tool with a high exposure value. If the exposure is set to a high value, a single stroke with the mouse pointer can make a drastic difference in the image. It is normally best to work with low exposures (5% -15%) and small to moderate brush sizes, but this will depend on the effect that you are trying to achieve. If you want to create the effect evenly over a larger area, use a large brush size (60 pixels) with low brush hardness.

 

If you click the air brush button (the button with the pen symbol on it) at the right of the options bar, you can hold your left mouse button down and the spot beneath your mouse pointer will continue to lighten. If this button is not on, you would have to click your left mouse button to lighten the spot your pointer is over incrementally.

 

In the following images, you can see the effects of the dodge tool applied to the eagle on the left. Darker areas on the eagle’s head and around the eye have been lightened, as well as the beak.

 

 

As with the tools in the previous lesson, choosing Edit ->Fade Dodge tool from the menu bar will let you adjust the opacity of the effect.