Hi: when retouching black skin I keep getting light marks left behind wherever I use the healing or spot healing brush to take out blemishes even in areas free of surrounding shadows. I've tried adjusting my brush to make it softer, the angle, changing the opacity, etc. But I still get a mark left behind. I'm wondering if I need to make an adjustment on my Wacom tablet? Is there a recommended pressure or something for cloning, healing? Just wondering.

Also, if I had to make an adjustment to it I wouldn't know where to begin.

I've shown a really good retoucher how I use the clone and healing tools and she says I'm not doing anything wrong, but she's not very helpful in suggesting what I could do to improve this situation. Am I just no good at this?

solution: stay away from the healing brush. i wish there was a way to "lock" that tool so retouchers-in-training couldn't use it.

booooooo on the healing brush, especially if you find yourself leaving footprints. and even if you aren't, you probably are but just aren't noticing them. stick with d&b and adjustment masks. even the stamp tool is better

BodegaGo, I must disagree.

There are times when the healing brush works quite well, and can even be the best tool for the job. I use it for a number of things. But, like most things in photoshop, it does take practice, to learn how it works, and how to best use it. When using the healing brush, you need to make sure that you sample a good source, from which to heal from. If there is a pattern, you need to match the pattern as much as possible from the source to the destination. If you are healing where the pattern changes, such as across a color change, you need to heal sample from on top of the change, to on top of the change, or you will get a heal spot.

The spot heal tool is also quick and fast for healing dust spots in areas that are not overly complicated. It should not be used though where the pattern is complicated.

If there is any interest, I could put together a tutorial on how and when to use these tools.

Dave

There is interest...

Yes Dave,
I would be very interested in the tutorial.

MarieParis, welcome to the site. I am sure you will find a lot of information here that you will find valuable.

First off, The problem most likely is not with your tablet or how you are using it.

Without actually seeing how your approaching the work it is hard to determine what the problem is. A couple of suggestions: make sure you are working without adjustment layers (i.e. curves layer, levels layer, etc.). If you are, try (saving your work and then) flattening the image first. Be sure you are using the clone stamp and/or healing brush on blank layers with "sample all layers" selected. Also make sure your sample is the same tone as where you are making the repair.

As promised, here is a short video on using the healing brush. I need to put more, but I'll try to do an additional one later.

http://davesdfr.com/Media/HealBrushTool.htm

Good hint about the precision cursor. Nice tip.

Hi: when retouching black skin I keep getting light marks left behind wherever I use the healing or spot healing brush to take out blemishes even in areas free of surrounding shadows.

One thing you might want to check is that you are only sampling the current layer and below or Current layer as opposed to All Layers mentioned above.

If you have any adjustment layers above the layer you are healing, then it will very possibly leave light marks behind.

For example, if you have lifted the exposure using a curves adjustment, then by sampling all layers you are actually putting lighter skin tones underneath your curve layer, which in turn will lighten it even higher.

Anway... just thought I'd mention.