I have been trying to learn how to do this, and have had some people send me photos to use for practice. Here is one of the photos sent to me, but I have no clue where to begin, I have looked at some glamour tutorials, but they look like jibberish to me :(

Can someone please help me or point me in the right direction on where to start and how to do these?

Cheryl

What part of the child are you trying to enhance? Whiten the eyes, change the iris color, colorize the cheeks? What's the goal?

I have to make the skin look smoother, light makeup, whiten the eyes, everything that is required in a pageant enhancement. I just don't know how to do any of it :(

What software are you using?

She gave me this to use for practice. I just really want to learn.

I have Photoshop7, PSP7,9,X - which ever is great.

Thank You :)

The experts here are truly amazing. But if you want some superb books, I would definately purchase anything by Katrin Eismann. TRUST me on this! www.digitalretouch.org is Katrin's site. But I think you can get them used on Amazon. Also, check out "the glitterguru on Photoshop From Concept to Cool" by Suzette Troche-Stapp.

I have heard great stuff about her work and books, money is just way tight right now that I can't get one.. not even from Amazon, atleast not for another month or 2.

Thats part of the reason I came here. Is there an easy to understand tutorial on the internet? even if its only covering one thing at a time?

Cheryl

If so, you can start by masking off the different sections of the baby's face and outfit. You're going to have to work on each one of those sections separately anyway.

But it looks a little better. Iris's a little bluer, skins a little smoother, lips a little pinker. Don't want to go too far with a little one. Would look "fake".

I am still new with Photoshop, but I think I can figure out the masks, I am a fast learner.

How did you do everything to her photo? like the eyes and the skin and the lips?

by dragging it down to the new layer icon. It's at the bottom of the layers palette. (Looks like a piece of paper with the bottom corner folded up). Then click the square with the circle in it (the icon that is the third from the right of the new layers icon). You will see a small white thumbnail appear next to the layer you just duplicated. (by the way, that's the layer you should be on when you click the "mask" icon). Make suer your foreground and background colors are at default by pressing the letter "d". then go to your paint brush and start painting making sure it's the mask you are on, and not the image thumbnail. The photo should start turning a translucent red for every place you paint with black. If you make a mistake, switch the foreground and background colors by pressing the x key, then paint where you goofed. There's a quicker way, but I have to go to work now and if no one else has answered you, I will send you more steps when I get back after 2:00 PST. Bye!

A quickie just to give some ideas

You might try some tips from this thread for Pageant Retouching.
http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10136&page=1&pp=15 Also Grafx is a pro at pageant retouching, you could look over her website/posts for some great pointers.

Here's what I got from this today-

~Amber~

Someone mention my name...LOL!

Here's some pageant pointers:

Remove all shadows/glare (they're all rather flat)
Brighten eyes, but they cannot look painted.
Eyelashes - some like more natural, others way fake.
Symetrical lips, and smooth edges - no crusties or drool depending on age.
Clone hair (I didn't have time to do this) - background should not peek thru.
Arch eyebrows - once again depends on look required.
Smooth that skin, but maintain the texture. I paint with "light" often using a separate layer on soft light.

Thank You for all your help so far.. I haven't had time to try yet, things got really busy here, I am hoping to get in to Photoshop when the boys go down for a nap :)

Cheryl

Thanks Grafx for the pointers! I have always thought that in pageant photos they didn't want any texture of the skin? Can you explain what you mean by smoothing the skin by using soft light? That is a technique I haven't done before and I would really appreciate some new info! Thanks!

~Amber~

Dreamypix,

It works really well with the children that already have smooth skin (most do) You still work out lines and blemishes with heal, light airbrush etc, but you can get rid of dark area like under the eyes without having the paint over them. You set up a new layer and set it to "soft light" The select a light skin color and paint over the dark areas at 100%. It will look really harsh. Then you go into hue/saturation and adjust the color/darkness to where you want it. You might need to mask out areas to make some lighter and some darker. Then clean up the edges with the eraser. I use this to try to keep a more "natural" pageant look (If thats possible...LOL!) You're supposed to have skin texture, but it must all be even. Lightening up dark areas helps with this and cuts back on healing and cloning. Pageant moms and photographer scream when you get too plastic.

Wow, that is a wonderful tip! Thanks so much for sharing! I haven't had the privilege of working with/for pageant moms or photographers. But I like to learn about it because alot of the tricks and techniques can be applied to glamour. One of these days I will get my name out there and drum up some business ( wouldn't that make the hubby happy?) until then I am just learning as much as I can. Everytime I think about jumping in with both feet- I find something else that I didn't know how to do and lose confidence. So, thanks again for sharing your tips! That was a really long winded thanks, wasn't it?

~Amber~

grafx,

i swear that if you tilted her head forwards or backwards, her eyes would open and close accordingly ;)

Craig

Kraelin,
You asked for it! :tongue:

(click on image and view in browser window)

rofl. well done :) now, make her head tilt as the eyes open and close ;)

nice anim :)

Craig

Graphix that is AWESOME!!!!!! Just another thing I need to learn....

Cheryl

Tried to bring out some contours in her face using overlay, multiply and screen layers. Smoothed artifacts with healing brush. Blurred a layer in soft light mode at 60% opacity. Used a diffused glow layer at 45% opacity.