Critiques - - critique please

aussie · #1 01-28-2007, 05:58 PM

I have just been made redundant so I have to put a folio together.

To cheer me up, I went out an purchased a new Mac Pro

Anyway back on track. I've decided that I would like to do more retouching so I thought I would put some examples in my folio but i would appreciate your opinions.

Attached is a picture - before and work in progress. My first request is how do you think my skin is going (as that is all i have done so far)? The only method I have used is D&B. Do you think the skin is even enough? or does it need more work?

aussie · #2 01-28-2007, 08:13 PM

just to let you know I haven't gone as far as removing/minimising the facial hair from her cheek & jar and hair on arm- that's my next mission.

Also, does everyone like to add a bit of grain to their images at the end to give them a little more of a film feel? if so how much?

roger_ele · #3 01-28-2007, 10:46 PM

Hi Aussie,

-Don't know if you meant to change the shape of her face, the ridge of her nose does not have the square edge to it that you gave her.

-I think the iris is too dark - has lost it's transparency

-dodgeing on arm is a little too much too hot, but my laptop monitor runs a little light so maybe that is just me ;-)

hope some of this is a help,
-Roger

aussie · #4 01-29-2007, 04:37 AM

roger - thnks for your comments. The more defined nose is apparently in but i have toned it down a bit. I have also toned the arm highlight down a little bit even though i didn't do much to it. The eyes - I was in the middle of doing when I posted the pic (as i wanted to run down and pic up my airport card

) that's why I just asked for skin critique as i was in the middle of the other items - but thanks. I have uploaded a new pic with the changes - but it is still WIP.

Lasa · #5 01-29-2007, 07:45 AM

Nice picture to work on..I'd take the skin smoothing further.

I smoothed out the skin, mellowed the freckles, smoothed out the black mascara inside/bottom, heal tooled the eyebrow, added a little more highlight to the eyes, matched the color tone in the arm to match the face (arm seemed a little yellowish)..added slight make up.. dark over eye, white under eyes, color on cheeks, mascara and lipstick, then added a overall hue/sat to add a little tan and saturate the colores.
Then finally added a slight unsharpened to the whole image it made the eyes pop and the skin regained its texture.

Yes I sometimes add grain (slight monochrome) if I over smoothed skin..

Lasa

PS: Are the lashes on the original part of the original image?

aussie · #6 01-29-2007, 06:20 PM

Thanks Lasa. I will retouch the skin a little more today - haven't got around to doing the extras that you have done yet. And yes thay are the original eyelashes. The only thing I have done to the image so far is D&B.

aussie · #7 01-29-2007, 06:24 PM

I have just realised there is a critique forum...sorry if i posted this in the wrong area even though it is retouching...just a newbie to the site

aussie · #8 01-30-2007, 05:00 PM

i have done some extra work on the skin then cropped + attached it so you can see it close up. (before & after shots). Comments please

duwayne · #9 01-30-2007, 07:27 PM

I think the skin looks GREAT! You have retained the pore structure (even enhanced it). And NO BLUR! Can you give us a step-by-step?

prizo · #10 01-30-2007, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lasa

Nice picture to work on..I'd take the skin smoothing further.

I smoothed out the skin, mellowed the freckles, smoothed out the black ...
Yes I sometimes add grain (slight monochrome) if I over smoothed skin..

Lasa

PS: Are the lashes on the original part of the original image?

That looks great, Lasa.

aussie · #11 01-30-2007, 09:32 PM

okay. i've done a little more work but still a 'work in progress' - please see attachment.

Duwayne - all I have done is D&B... apparently that is all that is acceptable by the pros! It takes forever

aussie · #12 01-30-2007, 09:36 PM

just looked and the link i just posted and it looks patchy...maybe it's the jpg compression?? Also i haven't added the facial makeup/highlights/shadows yet...spending too much time with my two little boys (4 & 18 mths)

imagae · #13 01-30-2007, 11:04 PM

Hi aussie,

This is a great image to work with. One rule I have learned, and this applies to life beyond the camera as well. When the eyes are really dramatic, focus on that and let everything else sort of come second. Most notably the lips. Her eyes are the draw in this pic...so pale out the lips. It actually helps quite a bit! If everything is painted up the viewer doesn't know where to land. It ends up having a "clownish" look...

I used the healing tool to smooth out her skin and soften shadows (her nose). Burned the heck out of her eye make-up. cloned her lips and dodged them a bit. Also, eyebrows. Eyebrows will make or break a womans face..I swear by that! I groomed hers a bit with the cloning stamp. Thanks for your upload!

imagae

imagae · #14 01-30-2007, 11:07 PM

Hmm..weird. My attachment looks all blurry and wacky...not sure how that happened...

aussie · #15 02-01-2007, 10:43 PM

okay, i think i'm nearing the end of my retouch unless anyone would like to suggest changes

Would appreciate any input whether it be positive or negative