Using the brush tool

[drapeman]

I have been following a tutorial from Jacks corner on lighten a dark area on a photo using the brush tool.
I open the photo in full edit, make a background copy and then click on the adjustment layer and click levels, then click OK.
(I'm following jacks video)
Then I do a control I to change the mask to black. Them I click on the brush tool and start painting over the dark area. Nothing happens.
I notice that on jacks video, the black area on the mask becomes white
where he has painted. This does not happen when I do it.
Can anyone explain to me what I'm doing wrong?
Thanks

[Simenon]

Switch the foreground color of your brush to white when painting on a black mask in order to reveal the parts you wish to be visible.

~ Simenon

[drapeman]

Switch the foreground color of your brush to white when painting on a black mask in order to reveal the parts you wish to be visible.

~ Simenon
I did that and it now shows up as white on the black mask where I paint with the brush but it does not lighten the dark areas on the photo where
I paint with brush.

[Diana]

Maybe you just left this out when typing your steps, but you didn't mention that you made an adjustment when you created the Levels adjustment layer. To lighten parts of the photo, on the histogram you would need to drag the right slider to the left.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1iuEMlprycM2UR6labQdyfCMVYNX_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1iuEMlprycM2UR6labQdyfCMVYNX)

When you Ctrl-I to convert the mask to black, it will hide the lightening of the photo. Then painting on the mask with white in the dark areas will allow the lightened parts to show through in areas you paint on.

Diana

[drapeman]

That worked
Thanks