Photoshop; skin retouching?

Question

Photoshop; skin retouching?

Answer 1

This is the skin smoothing algorhythm I use:



1. Create a new empty layer, and label it "blemishes"

2. Use clone/healing with it set to "sample all layers" to remove major blemishes

3. Select the entire canvas

4. Use the "copy merged" function

5. Create a new layer and label it "smoothing"

6. Paste the merged copy on the new layer

7. Run filters-noise-median at 10px or so

8. Select the "create layer mask" function from your layers menu.

9. Select the color black and the paintbucket tool, and black out the layer mask.

10. Select the white paint-brush and mask in the areas that you want smoothed, avoiding the eyes, lips, and other key detail areas. Make sure your brush is soft-edged. This allows you to selectively apply the smoothing effect.

11. Adjust the opacity of this layer to control the amount of smoothing that you desire. I typically use 30-50%.



This way, you control exactly what is smoothed and how much. If executed properly, this will not look blurry. There are commercial filters available, but most of them execute something similar to what I've just described.

Answer 2

I use a variation on Evans approach. I duplicate the background layer and work with it. This is so I always have the background layer to fallback on if I need to.



I sharpen the copy and then duplicate it. I then blur this layer until it shows the a little more smoothness than I actuall want. I have a variety of ways to do the blurring and I choose the one that works for the image and the intended effect. It's different for men v women, dark v light skin, etc.



This is more complex than what Evan does, but

I blend the blurred layer with the underlying sharpened layer using the 'blend if ..' of the blend layer options which you can get to by right clicking on the blurred layer in the layers pallete. This gives me very good control of the blending by tonality. Like Evan, I use a layer mask to get even finer control of the blending.



When I have that the way I want it, I use the eraser tool to erase the eye area and any other areas that need to be sharp so the underlying layer comes through. This could be done with the layer mask too, the way Evan does. It's simply a matter of style.



I then collapse these layers and take care of any skin touch-up using whatever tool will do what I want. It varies. I do the touch-up at this point because the smoothness I have already created makes any of the other touch-ups blend much better. Done right, it's virtually undetectable.



The reason I sharpen the image first is because of the way sharpening works. It gives me a very clear idea of the amount and kind of blurring and blending I need to do and in blending, it makes the details come through the blending with the blurred layer while 'leaving' the broader, less defined, blemishes behind . The result is a very sharp image with smooth skin tones.



Between my approach and Evans, which are actually very similar, the better approach for you to try would be his. It should produce very good results for you and is much easier to learn and would be more practical. I work the way I do because there are other enhancements to an image I may want to do and I have setup the foundation for them this way.



I think the main things to learn is that dramatic changes can be created with a very light touch and knowing what you are going for. Most of the retouch I see is ham fisted. If you want to achieve the quality that seems to impress you, be prepared to work for it.



Vance

Answer 3

clone stamp is your friend :) blurring will reduce the quality and make it look rubbish

Answer 4

Use the clone/rubber stamp tool. I'm sure that's what the page means by "blemish removal". Blurring the skin only works with long shots... though the smear tool can give you some good results.



...Both tools give you better results if you use the "darker/lighter/normal" options.



Most good editing programs have some version of the clone/rubber stamp tool.

Answer 5

Retouch by cloning with a soft brush or "healing" brush, then adjust the hue/saturation to get the same effect. You can also try variations, instead of the H/S. It may need a contrast adjustment or an unsharp mask afterward.

Answer 6

There are a few ways to touch up skin, depending upon which version of Photoshop you have.



In the Toolbox on the left, you have a tool that looks like a band-aide. It's the 4th tool down on the left (may be under the red-eye tool). This is good for small blemishes.



For larger areas you can use the patch tool. This is under the same tool.



If you are not familiar with this, you have put your cursor over the tool and hold the left button down to view all the selections under that button.



The 5th tool down in the Toolbox is the famous clone tool. To use this, select it, then hold down the alt-key and select and area to clone. Then move over the area you want to fix or remove. I'd suggest you start the clone tool at 50% opacity (set this in the menu bar at the top of your screen).



It takes practice to do skin touchups, but things like this are not that difficult. You have to play around with the different tools and their settings.



Good Luck!