Does anyone know of a tutorial that would step me through how to get skin looking like this:
http://www.hybrid.plus.com/files/sdb.jpg

Thanks for any help you can give.

On a duplicated background layer or a (merge all) layer with duplicate. What you can do to get smooth skin. Using the median filter or dust and scratches. Apply about a 3 radius (adjust to taste). Then use a gaussian blur, radius 1. Add some noise as well .6 (monochromatic) on a overlay layer(filled with 50 % gray). Adding the amount of noise will depend on the image. Merge this overlay noise layer into the smooth skin layer. With a layer mask (hide all) apply to the skin smoothing layer. Airbrush/paint white on (layer mask which wiil be black) it to reveal skin smoothing. You can adjust the opacity of the painting/airbrushing on the layer mask and adjust the opacity of the skin smoothing layer. Making a action for this will help in the speed dept.

John

The airbrushing/painting on the layer mask is to apply the smoothing to areas, you only want to apply to. White reveals/Black hides. You can "apply" the layer mask, after your finished. Or leave as is. Leaving as is, you can always go back to that layer and adjust, if need be. You can as well apply alpha channels to layer masks as well, using the apply image command or copy and paste. I like to use the apply image command. Using alpha channels based on your existing channels (Red, Green, Blue), can save time. Instead of airbrushing/painting on a layer mask. The downside to that is..........its not as accurate....... As manual airbrushing/painting the layer mask. Example: At times......if time does not permit me to manually paint/airbrush. I will use a composite mask (not to be confused with a luminosity mask) or a saturation mask, applied to the layer mask.


John

John,

Thanks so much for taking the time to explain the process.

Will go and experiment with those steps.

:)