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Burning/Dodging layers out of order


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Staffan Bengtsson

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Note: Normally I use the overlay function and have a separate shader-layer but I uploaded a simpler mockup image to explain the issue.

I am drawing a face and I decided to create face+hair in three layers. The top layer is the fringe that always covers the forehead of the face. The middle layer is the face itself. The bottom layer is the hair in the back of the skull.

I then did some shading on the face layer, begun with the hair and smacked into a brick wall. Simply using the dodge/burn tool in each hair-layer doesn't work well (as you can see by the image). After struggling with a way to do this properly I decided to ask for some help. I tried to work with a mask but I very recently learned how to use this function and I don't know how to use it properly. It seems that whenever I edit the fringe or face shape I have to redo the masks. I tried to link the two layers but that didn't help. I guess I could cut the bottom hair perfectly after the face or the face perfectly after the top layer but that takes a lot of time, rarely looks well and is messed up whenever I have to move the hair or face separate from one another.

I am looking for various solutions to this.
 

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  • Hair Question.jpg
    Hair Question.jpg
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I found a temporary solution to create a path by first selecting back hair (CTRL+Click Layer), Deselect face (CTRL+ALT+Click Layer) and select fringe (CTRL+SHIFT+Click Layer), then create a custom path then a vector mask out of that path. Then I used this on an Overall layer filled with 50% grey. I have to create a new mask if I decide to change the shape of the face or the fringe but otherwise it seems to do the trick.
 
Do your dodge and burn on another layer. Above the other 3 layers create a new layer go to edit > fill and select 50% grey and then set that layer blending mode to soft light. and then use a white soft brush of about 10 -20 % opacity to do the same as the dodge tool and a black brush instead of the burn tool.

This way you can effect every layer with more control.
 
Thankyou, I seem to start to get a hang of it even if I have to force myself of not shading in the wrong layer... The greater issue was how I could keep myself within the hair when shading so I could shade the corners without fear of going into the background. However, I have really begun to get the hang of paths and Clipping Masks today.
 
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