At first I want to apologize for my bad english. I´m from germany and my english skills are even worse than my photoshop skills.

Could you please take a look at the pictures and give me some tips how to improve my technique?

Thanks a lot from good old germany.

Lostboy, Welcome! Your English is fine. Your retouching is super fine.
My only comment is she's a bit yellow. This is what I did:
Duplicate the image
Change dup image mode from RGB to CMYK
curves to adjust problem channels. I lowered yellow and added a little cyan
select all
copy
paste on top of rgb image
I think that's it

kiska

Hello kiska,

thanks for the cool hint. That really does improve the image a lot!

Want another cool hint??
Above her ear there is a red cast in her hair.These darn casts show up from time to time.
create a new layer>mode set to color
sample good color from hair
paint over cast area on this new layer> adjust opacity if need be.

This one has come in REAL handy.

kiska

Whoop...thanks a lot again...
I didn´t see the red spot at first, but after you told me, i´m wondering how i could ever missed it...

Thanks!

In addition to Kiska's excellent comments, it seems to me that the skin is a little too smooth, too plastic.
Try the following:
Alt + click new layer icon in the Layers palette. Check group with previous, select Overlay and check Fill with Overlay neutral 50% gray.

Choose filter>Noise>Add Noise and use 4% Gaussian distribution and Monochrome.

Choose filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur with a radius of 1.3

Apply filter>Stylize>Emboss and use height of 1 and amount of about 190.

Add a layer mask to the textured layer and with a soft black brush set to 25%, paint back areas that should be more stretched and less textured, like the nose, cheeks and forhead.

Compliments of Katrin Eismann's book Photoshop Restoration & Retouching.

Cheers
Dave

As an alternative to DUV's method, try pasting a copy of your retouched version over your original, then adjust layer opacity till skin texture is as you want. I did this after also adjusting levels on each channel of original.

Thanks a lot all you guys for all the great hints. I tried all of them and i was able to improve my skills. Thanks again from good old germany!

I hope you don't mind my doing some stuff on this. I was just too good of a shot not to try.
I brought out her eyes by dodging the highlights and increasing the contrast to make them pop. The used an action I wrote that simulates the Carl Ziess softar filter. I did not do anything with color or skin tones.
Els

Just lighten the image and make the edges softer

http://kentdesign1.com/images/softer_touch.jpg

where are you in Germany ?

Thanks again for all your hints.

I´m located in frankfurt by the way...

cu

Lostboy

In addition to Kiska's excellent comments, it seems to me that the skin is a little too smooth, too plastic.


I'm affraid i am going to have to disagree with you DUV, i think the skin texture is spot on. Any adjustment either way would harm the overall effect.

One thing i will point out though is the fingernails. There seems to be some excess red on th edges of the nails, might be a good idea to just clean this up a little.

I think the picture is SUPERB !!

Depends whether you want your subject to look like a woman or a china doll.

Well i dont think his subject looks like a china doll ?

In appearance, the skin would maybe be guilty of a little bit too much makeup and yes that qualifies as a little too smooth perhaps but I but i think he has done a terrific job with the glamour work, i just dont see the resemblance to fine china porcelain ?

I think the important thing is that Lostboy has taken all suggestions above and by his own admission has improved his picture and capabilities.

Cheers
Dave

Point of view I guess Axle, my comment is not a criticism of Lostboy's effort or your opinion. I'm not a lover of the "Glamour" look, I have never yet met a woman who's skin was that flawless, and I think it raises unacheivable expectations. Dave, I agree with you Lostboy was looking for criticism and help, and has received both, and as you say learnt in the process.