Picture from Pixentral...

[Sepiana]

Hi janeybabes,

Although you said you had the brush set to Content-Aware mode (mode available to the Spot Healing brush only), I am thinking you may have the Brush tool activated instead. That was the only way I could replicate what you did -- by using the Brush tool. (See my screen shot of the Spot Healing brush and the Healing brush.)

[Hankw]

OK then try the Reset tools in the upper left ( I Think )

Your healing Brushes will have no color in them other than the color that's sampled. If that don't work Hang in there a MAC person will be along shortly, they are smarter than me anyway.

[Preeb]

Originally Posted by janeybabes

Thank you so much - I've done what you said and I'm about to put a picture up - you will see what happens when I brush - I am dragging the brush in a squiggle motion and dark brown appears all over the area and when elements then accepts it, it is there but not as dark. I am making a duplicate layer, and I even changed the foreground colour a couple of times to see what happens. I am set to content aware mode - why oh why does it look like this??? :/

Read Sepiana's post above. You don't use a regular brush, and the foreground/background never comes into the formula. Using the spot healing brush with Content Aware mode selected at the top of the main edit panel automatically uses the colors and textures adjacent to the area you are repairing. I used a brush size of 20 pixels for the healing brush. It's one of the neatest features in Elements 9 and 10.

Note where the arrows are pointing in this screenshot.

[Sepiana]

Originally Posted by janeybabes

Thanks Hank - I am def using the healing brush selected via the bandaid and it still looks like that

janeybabes,

I didn't see this post of yours until after I had posted my reply wondering if you were by any chance using the Brush tool.

I agree with Hank. Let's try to reset the Spot Healing brush -- in the left end of the Options bar click on the down arrow and select Reset Tool.

Let us know what happens!

[janeybabes]

After sitting at my computer basically all day and starting again (and again) and again and following the steps and taking my time - this is the finished product! what do you think???!!!

[janeybabes]

A HUGE thank you to you guys - I am humbled at the time you have all taken to help me with screen dumps and explaining it all - finally I get it I even made her lips a bit mored red!!

[Sepiana]

janeybabes,

You got it! I knew you would. Good job!

[janeybabes]

I can't thank you enough! she had a hair band on her right wrist so you can see that is not great but hey - compared to ugly brown marks on her face from before - this is not bad!!!!!

[Preeb]

Good job. Glad we were able to get it straightened out.

[janeybabes]

I haven't been on any sites where I've had this much help - and managed to get it in the end! thank you, thank you, thank you.