New to beauty retouching

[Little Fisher]

Hello,

I've been trying to build my portfolio and am new to beauty retouching with Photoshop. I attached a before and after of a shot taken by a make up artist who needed a retoucher to help her out. I did this one as a test for her, but she never contacted me afterward. (I did it through Craigslist. She probably flipped a coin to pick a retoucher). I think it looks OK, but maybe I'm missing something. An honest opinion would help here.

As far as technique, I used the rubber stamp and heal tools to get the dark hairs and ect. out of there. Then I used a technique I learned from a Scott Kelby book (The Photoshop CS2 Book for Digital Photographers) for skin softening. I highly recommend this book, it's easy to follow, and gives a lot of information. Maybe I'm giving too much info, but I don't know how else to describe what I did...

1.Basically I made 2 duplicate layers and set one to darken and one to lighten in their blend modes. The darken layer is underneath the lighten layer.
2.Gaussian blur the darken layer by 40 pixels.
3.Gaussian blur the lighten layer by 60 pixels.
4.Lower the darken opacity by 40 percent
5.Hide the background layer by clicking on the eye icon and create a new layer. Drag the new layer to the top of the stack.
6.Press and hold the option key (for Mac) and choose Merge Visible from the Layer palette radio button. This combines both darken and lighten layers into the new top layer.
7.Make the backgound layer visible again and keep the new Merged layer on top, also visible.
8.Get rid of the lighten and darken layers.(Or keep them around with the eyes checked off to make them invisible,... in case you want to tweek the Gaussian blur on either the lighten or darken layers.)
9.Lower the opacity of the top layer to get the overall softening effect. (to each their own... some like more texture, some like the film noir effect)
10.Add a layer mask (bottom of the layers palette) to the top layer. Press the letter X until your Forground color is black and press B to the brush tool.
11.With a nice soft brush, bring back the areas that you want full detail (eyes, lashes, nose, etc.)

[Ant]

Please stop. EVERYONE - DO NOT BLUR. eom.

[KR1156]

Ant is right, and definitely set the tone.

Look up the Dodge & Burn method.......different retouchers have different approaches to D&B that come up with the same result. Learn it. Love it.

Here's a quick fix that i did to your file, spent about 1hr on it.
Very akward crop to begin with, so that doesnt help!

[Little Fisher]

Thanks for the input. You're right, KR1156, the crop is strange, but I wanted to show an example of some pretty rough skin. I like your approach, but doesn't her skin still look look like sand paper? Or does it just take more time with the dodge and burn technique to soften it out a bit more? (Please don't be offending by my questioning, I'm still new and just want to understand everything. Especially if what I'm doing looks too much like an old Doris Day shot.)

I did a search for the dodge and burn method and found a pretty good discussion on the topic...
http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/pho...ge+burn+method

I feel a bit confused about how to go about smoothing skin the correct way, though. Some say don't blur, and use the dodge and burn method. Others say that dodging and burning only lightens and darkens and makes a grayish cast, then mention the de-grunge method...
http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/index.php?m=show&id=213

And some use a combination of both methods. I'll play around with both methods and see where it takes me.

[KR1156]

basically, you want to look as natural as possible,,,as if the picture was never even retouched. Blurs are a very obvious sign of retouching. Sometimes they come in handy if done properly.

Subtlety is a virtue.

[rnbluvva]

Originally Posted by Ant

Please stop. EVERYONE - DO NOT BLUR. eom.

Please show us some tutorials and pointers so we don't have to blur!

Thanks!

[rnbluvva]

Originally Posted by KR1156

Ant is right, and definitely set the tone.

Look up the Dodge & Burn method.......different retouchers have different approaches to D&B that come up with the same result. Learn it. Love it.

Here's a quick fix that i did to your file, spent about 1hr on it.
Very akward crop to begin with, so that doesnt help!

I started a thread about using dodge and burn asking how to do it... so far no one really wants to give a full length, in depth tutorial or share secrets...
http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/pho...ght=dodge+burn

It's a conspiracy! LOL

[KR1156]

D&B is more than just a filter or quick fix, to me it's a painstaking process that you only get better and quicker at with practice. I haven't been doing for too long myself, so i cant offer any real guidance.

the basic principle is there in your threads, you just need to practice it and become comfortable with it.

and secondly, i really love to help people out as much as possible, but i have to RESPECT the very talented retoucher who has been cool enough to let me in on some of his industry secrets and not spread 'em around!

Now, that may sound like i'm being an ass, and this is supposed to be a forum to share practices, but like i said the methods are in the threads on the site already, i am just starting to get comfortable with the process and building confidence. Just be subtle and try not to over do anytghing.

p.s.......go over Godmothers post in that D&B thread.

[rnbluvva]

Yeah I agree that there is no quick way to great skin and I think I just have to put in more time. But it does help to have people share how they do it. I know it's all secretive and stuff, but it just makes it harder to learn if you aren't fortunate enough to apprentice.

OK, off I go to make more light and dark splotches and try, try again! LOL

[Little Fisher]

All right, I came back to it and gave it a different approach. I cleaned up around the eyebrow and the blue smudge by the corner of her eye, also. Man, that Ant makes me feel so bad about trying. But I guess I do try harder because of it. If only Ant had advice to make it better. I'm going to start looking for entry level retouching work in NYC and just pray I don't have to go through an Ant-interview, or discover that my desk would be next to Ant's.

[Ant]

much better. if you want to learn you might do some grunt work for me in the future. i need an intern of sorts.

I'm sorry I'm not here to give advice. I'm rarely here at all. Retouching is hard work, disciplined and there are no quick fixes, no buttons to push, no magic. It's not how you do it. It's the end product. This is supposed to be a non evident or at least real-ish looking discipline where art can come into play. One needs to be as critical of their own work as possible - that is the work.

[Little Fisher]

I might take you up on that offer, depending on who your clients are. This industry in NYC seems so incestuous. For all I know, our studio is your client. Or our client is your client, also. I manage a photography studio... and am looking to step into freelance retouching... and the photographer I manage doesn't know it, yet. If I showed up on your doorstep to help on images we shot last week... well, I'm sure you know how that goes (right?) (and I might not be opposed to it).

Also, interns in NYC could mean that I hang out in your apartment and dust and organize your shoes while you sit at your computer in your fuzzy slippers looking for your next gig. (This has happened!)

BTW, that photo I retouched is not from our studio, but is from an amatuer who posted an add on Craig's List for a cheap retoucher. Yes, I do need to get my practice in somehow.

[Lasa]

Just having fun...
Lasa

[pixeltek]

i thought i'd play too and get my feet wet with this retouch; i hope you don't mind. this is my first retouch post here. this was a great image to work with in terms of toning down the skin imperfections but still keeping it real.

little fisher, i think your second attempt was much improved.

[Bojin Taylor]

well little fisher. can you tell me what you learned in this process?

retouching is about seeing. really looking into an image and seeing it.you can start by collecting tear sheets from magazines and keeping them in a folder for reference.

there are many types of styles of retouching. One thing to keep in mind is that if you start using a technique use it through out the image. Don't stop at the jawline for example go all the way through it. It is like a women who uses a strong foundation and concealer on her face and doesn't blend it down her neck line.

In your image you missed the highlight around the mouth and the texture in the eye showdow area isn't as smooth as you made the rest of her face.

But really any make-up artist using that image for their book isn't getting work and won't be for a while at the very least. So they have no budget. She like most of the people on craigs list should be put on a train with pagent retouchers and a video should be made of it as it wrecks . I know it's hard not to look.

attracting a clientel through craigs list is like trying to bring down a jet plane by throwin a tennis ball at it, while it flys by. Most posts on craigs list are not real. i.e. (seeking Hi end retoucher with advanced experience in Photoshop,illustrator Quark and Go Live, pay $7.00 an hour).

Practice and get real pictures of models to work on. when the time comes to show your retouching book you will be judged on how professional the whole shot looks. That means Model, Wardrobe, Hair & Make-up, Lighting ect.

[Little Fisher]

What have I learned? To take the good critiques with the bad and not take anything too personal. I've learned to seek out new techniques make the next attempt at least a little better than the last. Outside of my Craiglist retouching experience, I have learned never to lie about my abilities. I am a beginner.

Bojin, if you would like to donate a few real pictures for me to practice on, I would be grateful. Perhaps I could also suggest that you go see Little Miss Sunshine, seeing how you feel about pagents.

[Bojin Taylor]

I don't know how to upload an image bigger then this. But this image has everything I spoke of. Professional model, wardrobe, hair & make-up and because I shot her on a blue screen you can remove the background and import whatever.Which makes it a great masking test! There is wardrobe clean up to be made, some complexion and veining in her hands that can be cleaned up.



Bust a Move

[prizo]

Do you have a bigger version?
Thats so small that I can't really make out the veining.

[KR1156]

Bojin Taylor....are you just doing a save-as in ps in jpeg format, or are you doing a save for web? with save for web you can get a much larger image under 100K.

[CJ Swartz]

KR1156 is correct -- you can usually upload a file 800x600 pixels at less than 100k using "Save for Web".

[Bojin Taylor]

I tried saving for web and getting it to come in as close to 100 as possible.
I have seen some large things posted here on this site but not sure how it was done.

[solitear]

Here's a link to Flora's instructions for sizing images for posting......
Image Sizing

Just thought I'd barge in here......


Beth

[Little Fisher]

I haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth, yet. I've heard a few say it was disturbing (so I'll probably like it). Anyhow, isn't it some sort of dark fairy tale involving Nazis, a princess, and woodland creatures? I think I have 2 out of the 3.

[lxgalang]

I gave this image a shot if you dont mind Bojin.

I'd like to know what you think,

Lex

[Bojin Taylor]

I like the treatment inside of the yellow circle. I feel you could bring more of this quality to the rest of her skin.

Also this is a great mask test. I shot this to see how easy I could replace the background.

I would like to see how realistic you can drop a background in to this picture.

[sunfly]

Glamourizing is not my area, but this photo looked like an excellent place to give it a first try. Thanks for posting it.

Sherry

[Bojin Taylor]

Good job on the clouds sunfly!

[sunfly]

LOLOLLLL hey thanks! I worked long and hard on them. Wasn't too sure about the blue.

Sherry

[CJ Swartz]

Sunfly, looks like a good job on your selection/masking also -- Bojin said the image could be a good "mask test", and so far I haven't "passed the test".

[sunfly]

Hehe.. good one C.J. ;-) I don't think my mask quite 'cuts it' either. Perhaps a tutorial would be in order. There must be one in the archives.

All that glam stuff... eeeesh! A whole 'nother world I really don't share anything in common with. I'm a running shoe and baseball cap kinda girl.

I must say though, I do admire the retouch artists who excel at it. My cap is off to you all!

Sherry