My level is all bright, how do I fix this.
This is probably because you have no lights. When a level has no lights it defaults to what is called “Fullbright” mode. Add some lights, and compile with VRAD to get lighting. Please check out the tutorial below to learn about lighting in the Source Engine.
After the compile, you may need to force Fullbright off by using “mat_fullbright 0” in your console.