photoshop burn problem

[gypsysnail]

Hey you guys,
I'd been working blissfully in photoshop 5.5 when suddenly the burn tool went wrong!! It started doing this (as show in image below) it burns in circles rather than smoothly. If any of you guys know much about this, that would be great tell me maybe some settings may have gone wrong some accidential tampering without my realising it! And its not really burning properly if at all in some areas. And sometimes I have to really 'rub' hard over the area a few times to even see a burn.

[pslim]

My guesses would be:

Did you change the brush to something irregular?
Did you change the hardness setting on the brush?

[Buckethead]

Why don't you created a new layer and paint on it with a dark colour and the normal brush. Then set the blending mode to multiple.

I always do it that way. I feel this way you have alot more controle over your darkening.

[gypsysnail]

hey thanks buckethead! I will try that. I love the layers they're really good!

Pslim, thanks! I dont know where the brush hardness would be? As I had selected the fuzzy soft one. I am using version photoshop 5.5 and the only 3 options for burn apart from brushs, is midtones, highlights and shadows. Hmmmmm.

I'm hoping to buy Photoshop CS3 the latest version soon, it has much more features and much better when I can find one cheap with fully all the features. If anyone has a copy they are selling, please let me know.

[Andail]

Avoid the burn/dodge tool like the plague, that's the best advice you can get.

You don't really need a newer photoshop for this, just vary the opacity, size and colour of the brush and you'll do fine.

[Ali]

I think pslim is right, the brush has a high hardness, so you can see the edges of the circular brush.

I agree that the burn tool is not so great. If you don't want to have a shade-layer you could use a coloured brush with a Multiply blending mode. That way you can paint tinted shadows.

[ildu]

Avoid the burn/dodge tool like the plague, that's the best advice you can get.

Ditto.

[Evil]

What's weird is that there are so many options to the burn and dodge tools, but they're designed just like a semi-opaque brush tool. Avoid them at all costs. Totally not worth it. But if you do decide to use them, fool around with the settings so they are working in your favor.

But seriously, don't use them.

[gypsysnail]

Wow so many say avoid the burn tool, I think you're right. I will, as it just causes problems! I like the brush tool idea best too, I've seen how it works beautifully if I dont allow it to bleed, by using the lasso tool and working in that with the brush and then smudging the edges so it looks softer. Cheers guys!