Okay, so I accidentally discovered a weird way to fix my muddy color values

I was working on a fantasy landscape piece last week and the whole foreground was just a flat, gross brown mess. I'd been trying to fix it for like two hours, adding highlights and shadows, but it just looked dirty. In total frustration, I grabbed the color picker and sampled a random, super bright green from a different layer. I then set my brush to 'Color Dodge' at like 10% opacity, which I never use, and just lightly brushed over the muddy areas. I swear, it was magic. It didn't turn the brown green, it just lifted the shadows and added this subtle, warm glow that made the dirt and rocks look way more alive. I felt like I'd broken a rule, but it totally saved the piece. Has anyone else stumbled on a weird, 'wrong' blending mode trick that actually fixed a big problem for you?

2 comments

2 Comments

angelafisher9d ago

That "broke a rule and saved the piece" feeling is the best. I've had those moments where a weird brush setting just clicks.

barnes.shane9d ago

Broke a rule and saved the piece" is the best kind of hack.