photoshop dodge and pen tool

[crazylady]

I just started learning photoshop and is learing to redraw art. I usually redraw art with the pen tool on a separate layer (new layer). After the redraw is done I sometime want to make the line lighter so that it fit with the art. I try using the dodge tool but it seem to never work even if I have the exposure rate to 100 it never seem to make a different. I try to use other tool such as the burn, blur and erase tool on the same layer and seem to work fine so I was wondering why doesn't the dodge tool work. Am I doning it wrong can someone please help me out and also when I try to redraw with the pen tool, the line sometime look really jaggit like, is ther a way to make the line more smooth.

[Buzz]

Well.. the pen tool creates vector shapes or paths so generally they can't be changed via pixel editing.

Are you really using the pen tool?

[crazylady]

Yeah, I select the pen with the option path and of course rubber hand then do the line and then afterward I see what I want to fix. But what you say before does that mean I can't use the dodge tool on that line I drew with the pen tool

[Buzz]

You need to describe exactly what you are doing. What tools you are using, what options are set for those tools.

From your posts, I can't make heads or tails about what it is you're trying to do. As I posted, the pen tool doesn't create "lines". It creates paths that have no strokes or pixel data so you shouldn't be able to use any pixel editing tool such as the burn/dodge/blur/sponge tool.

[simplyg123]

Originally Posted by crazylady

Yeah, I select the pen with the option path and of course rubber hand then do the line and then afterward I see what I want to fix. But what you say before does that mean I can't use the dodge tool on that line I drew with the pen tool

The pen tool doesnt draw lines, it can draw shapes. But not a line. Perhaps you should try the line tool