Skin Retouching Tutorial Pt. 2 Discsusion

[DavidTO]

Discuss this tutorial here.

[hooyah]

Originally Posted by DavidTO

Discuss this tutorial here.

I got the blurring down already...but i'm still stuck with the sliding options in layer styles, takes me a while to comprehend it really. can anyone share with me their knowledge on it?

Also i'd just wish to know how to get that skin glowing a little more. That i know lies in channels and as edgework has kindly shared. Does anyone else have insights?

Kudos David for starting this!

[edgework]

Originally Posted by hooyah

I got the blurring down already...but i'm still stuck with the sliding options in layer styles, takes me a while to comprehend it really. can anyone share with me their knowledge on it?

Also i'd just wish to know how to get that skin glowing a little more. That i know lies in channels and as edgework has kindly shared. Does anyone else have insights?

Kudos David for starting this!

Are you referring to the Blend If... sliders in the Layer Styles dialogue? I don't believe those are a factor in this operation, though there's no reason why they couldn't be, if called for. I'll be discussing them in the next segment; they definitely figure in there.

The "sliding" options in the smoothing/sharpening procedure are the various opacities you choose for your different High Pass Filter layers.

[hooyah]

Originally Posted by edgework

Are you referring to the Blend If... sliders in the Layer Styles dialogue? I don't believe those are a factor in this operation, though there's no reason why they couldn't be, if called for. I'll be discussing them in the next segment; they definitely figure in there.

The "sliding" options in the smoothing/sharpening procedure are the various opacities you choose for your different High Pass Filter layers.

hey edgework, my post was a little vague, what i meant was using the blend if for restricting the effect to areas of the skin.

The second part was where i sought your advice regarding how the skin can be glowering and shiny...that i've already am trying to decipher from your very valuable post to me in the original thread...just thought if someone could help me further in understanding this.

[G_D]

You messed up a few steps in the tutorial which made it very confusing.

The part about high pass. One sentance you're saying to use "linear light", and then the next setance you're calling it "hard light", and then "linear light" again after that.

Linear light and hard light are 2 different blend modes. And hard light looks closest to what is in your screenshot.

[edgework]

Originally Posted by G_D

You messed up a few steps in the tutorial which made it very confusing.

The part about high pass. One sentance you're saying to use "linear light", and then the next setance you're calling it "hard light", and then "linear light" again after that.

Linear light and hard light are 2 different blend modes. And hard light looks closest to what is in your screenshot.

You're correct. At the bottom of page one I refer to a "hard light layer" when I should have identified it as the High-Pass Layer.

Thanks for pointing that out.

[hooyah]

Originally Posted by edgework

You're correct. At the bottom of page one I refer to a "hard light layer" when I should have identified it as the High-Pass Layer.

Thanks for pointing that out.

so which do we use edgework, hardlight or linear light, will both instances work?Which is preferred actually

[hooyah]

http://ayrusis.multiply.com/photos/album/23

check this link out, this is the shiny texture i was trying to get.. anyone got any suggestions to this secret?

[edgework]

Originally Posted by hooyah

so which do we use edgework, hardlight or linear light, will both instances work?Which is preferred actually

As I mentioned in the tutorial, Soft Light, Overlay and Hard Light have all traditionally been used with the High Pass filter, with decent sharpening results.

The benefit of using Linear Light, at 50%, is that it is the closest thing Photoshop has to a perfect Additive function. Recall that a 30 pixel Gaussian Blur topped by a 30 pixel High Pass layer in Linear Light/50% will return the image to its original state. This provides you with a measurable starting point, and a way to gauge the various High Pass settings that will emphasize different levels of detail.

The point is not just to sharpen, or, even, to sharpen at all. It's to obliterate detail so that you can selectively replace it. Linear Light at 50% gives you a predictable way of doing that. Hard Light, Overlay and Soft Light all act with less intensity than Linear Light. It's qutie possible that you might prefer to set one or more layers to those blending modes, if you find the detail is too harsh. These are choices you will arrive at through your own trial and error process, discovering what works for your own style.

The problem with this technique is that grasping the mechanics is really just the first step, and a fairly easy one. Juggling the infinite possibilities that rise out of those mechanics is the real trick and the only way to get where you want to be is to try as many variations as possible. But you might as well start with the approach I outlined in the tutorial, for no other reason than that it will give you a reference point against which to measure your variations.

[edgework]

Originally Posted by hooyah

http://ayrusis.multiply.com/photos/album/23

check this link out, this is the shiny texture i was trying to get.. anyone got any suggestions to this secret?

Yes. I'm working on a tutorial right now that should answer enough initial questions that you'll be able to work out the rest to suit your own needs.

[hooyah]

my greatest thanks edgework, i hope everything has been smooth for you so far. I've got to figure out the most basic of basic stuff first, that is-to get the right numbers in those figures-do you have any specific recommendation as to what to do for a basic 8 megapixel file?You mentioned 25 pixels as a starting point in your tutorial.

I've tried it somewhat on a file, but it still leaves much to be desired for now. Somehow the effect seems to be more of softening, rather than getting rid of blemishes-is there a ballpark figure for what to input depending on the resolution and file size or a one size fits all solution?

I really appreciate your input and patience with me.

[edgework]

Originally Posted by hooyah

my greatest thanks edgework, i hope everything has been smooth for you so far. I've got to figure out the most basic of basic stuff first, that is-to get the right numbers in those figures-do you have any specific recommendation as to what to do for a basic 8 megapixel file?You mentioned 25 pixels as a starting point in your tutorial.

I've tried it somewhat on a file, but it still leaves much to be desired for now. Somehow the effect seems to be more of softening, rather than getting rid of blemishes-is there a ballpark figure for what to input depending on the resolution and file size or a one size fits all solution?

I really appreciate your input and patience with me.

The easiest way to figure out what works is to just let your eye tell you.

When you blur, don't think TOO much about the numbers. Look for that point where all the regions of color and shade blend smoothly into each other to form a broad color foundation without any detail.

Then open your High Pass Filter on the layer above the Blur layer. It should be in Linear Light Mode at 50%. Play with the slider. Note the different regions of detail that show up at different radius settings. You know that the radius that matches your Gaussian Blur will return everything to its original state. So work down from that. If you note the numbers that I used in the tutorial for the layer settings, you'll see that the larger the radius for the High Pass Filter, the lower the opacity. That makes sense, since you're trying to minimize the big, grungy stuff and raise the level of the small, fine details. Usually, I find that the largest settings take no more than 10 or 15% opacity. The finer details take more. Anywhere from 40% to 80%.

Once you get a sense of what areas of detail are emphasized at different settings, then use several settings on different layers. It will work, I promise.

[photodoug]

Originally Posted by DavidTO

Discuss this tutorial here.

dunno, seemed to go from hairy to leather.

[Nordic]

Hi!

After some very busy weeks I finally have the time to try out the workflow that edgework shared with us in his great tutorials.

I post this for all to see, maybe some of you are interested and would like to comment and offer tips. :)

I found this older photo which is in desperate need for some help:

Retouche me!

I want to preserve the warm, saturated colors, as the scene was lit only by the settling autumn sun.

Concentrating on the skin only, the first part of the workflow suggests the following:

1) Clean up the skin using the healing brush. (Tutorial 1)
2) Even out the skin tones with a dodge/burn layer (Tutorial 1)

So here we go....

Regards,
Andreas

[Nordic]

After spending some time with the healing brush, I ended up with this:

Healing Brush

First question: Is this enough? Should I start to dodge and burn now? Or continue with the healing brush?

(Link to the original-sized files:
Original version: http://nordic.smugmug.com/photos/59067773-O.jpg
After healing brush: http://nordic.smugmug.com/photos/59067758-O.jpg )

Regards,
Andreas

[Stustaff]

First thing i notice is the 'scratch' on the left shoulder a reddish line get rid of that, Also still a fair few blemishes/spots/discolourationdon on the forehead.

looking good but a touch more needed before the next stage in my opinion.

[edgework]

The only thing that I notice, at this point, is the complex curves along the side of her nose. It looks, at first glance, like a double exposure on the lit side. The side in shadow has the same shape, but it doesn't stand out. You might want to smooth that out simply for the purposes of this particular pose. (From other shots that I've seen, from other angles, it's not an issue.)

Her skin exemplifies the whole point of this process, which is to blur the big stuff and keep the small stuff crisp and clear. She has a bit of color variation in her skin, even after healing out the blemishes, but her pores are almost delicate. You'll want to preserve that texture, while smoothing out the color and shadow shifts.

Beautiful image to work with!

Crawford

[Nordic]

Thanks for your comments, guys! :)

As suggested, I added a few strokes with the healing brush, and then began with the 2nd stage: Dodge and burn. I nearly went crazy with this! Let me tell you something: Real men dodge and burn with a mouse!
As you can see, the directional lightning in this picture accents every uneven part of the skin, and even her eyebrows cast a little shadow.
I tried to even all this out, without loosing skin texture.
The first tries with the D/B-layer were not very successfull: I always got serious color shifts. Then I sampled the brightest and darkest skin color and used these instead of black and white. This really helped a lot! I found out that I can brighten the skin more before I get color shifts than I can darken it. Don't know why and if this is only true in this picture.

Dodge and burn

When I couldn't stand one more d/b-stroke, I tried to lighten the shadows under her eyes. This is an area where I regulary make my pictures worse instead of better. But not this time!
I tried out the color correction with curves that is in the first of edgework's tutorials. This was totaly new to me, and it was amazing. You can see the result here. It's only subtle, but I think it definitly helped a lot.

Color correction with curves

Again, here are the original files:
D/B: http://nordic.smugmug.com/photos/59183789-O.jpg
Curves: http://nordic.smugmug.com/photos/59183815-O.jpg

Ok, any comments so far?
What could I do next?
What are the remaining problems?

Thanks a lot!

Regards,
Andreas

[edgework]

If you compare where you are to where you started from, the change is dramatic. Still, there is much left to do. The question is, how much of it do you actually want to do, and how much do you need to do? Your original and your latest:



I added another Dodge/Burn round and followed up with some more spot healing and got this result.



And guess what? There are as many imperfections left in my version. They've become smaller, is all. The eye gets used to focusing on one level of problems and tends to overlook larger or smaller varieties.

This is a sample using the smoothing techniques from Part II, starting with your latest version.



Too perfect? Quite possibly. Before and after comparisons of this version seem to show the small skin texture at about the same intensity as your version, but with the underlying colors smoothed out completely, along with the larger imperfections. Keep in mind, it's just another tool, not a fixed prescription. You can mix and match any or all steps along the way, as well as creating more, or less, detail in the skin texture, to taste.

Often I'll get it as good as possible with standard retouching, then add a layer of impossible perfection, which I then blend back into my retouched layer. The result is still far cleaner and smoother than i could have achieved by standard retouching (in under three weeks, anyway), but with enough subtle imperfections that the brain doesn't scream "ALIEN!!!"

[cadderly]

there are anyone form to explain the tutorial for the no english readers? My english is no so good and its very dificult to understand the tutorial. Anyone can help with a psd example?
Thanks alls.