Honest Opinions Needed :)

[DivaShots]

Hi all, I have lurked here off and on for some time. I admit that I forgot about the forum for a long time.
A bit about myself, I am completely self taught....I LOVE everything about retouching and graphic design. I have been supplementing my income with it for the last 3 years but am in a position to make it my full time income (Hopefully lol) So it is time to buckle down and get serious about the ins and outs (well correctly anyway)

This is an image I worked on with some of the techniques I have learn here.
1st I used the healing tool and cloning tool(at a very low opacity. Then I did dodge and burn where I felt it was needed. I copied the lips and changed the color a tiny bit and then dropped the saturation of the skin on the neck and shoulder. I am currently using Photoshop CS2.

Please give me completely honest critique (It is the only way to learn and I have tough skin)

Thank you, Heather

[Swampy]

Welcome, Heather!

Excellent! I like that you kept the retouch very natural. The only thing I see that troubles me... I can still detect the furrow lines in her forhead. Other than that... Beautiful.

[yelhsaneerg]

looks nice...maybe needs a little more of something for a little bit of "pop" to it. but it looks good the way it is also

[duwayne]

Very nice retouch. Just a couple of things I noticed. There is a red cast to the results. I don't know if this was intentional or not. The eyelashes could use some help (especially the lower lashes). I'm not very good at but put some on her anyway. The hair below her left earring seem too dark and over saturated. l lightened it and added highlight to hair using the dodge tool.

[DivaShots]

Thank you for your replies. Ok I worked on the forehead some more and also added lashes (maybe to much) I hadn't messed with the lashes before. Also worked on the color some. I do like some warmth but not to much. I have a new monitor and am still working out the kinks UGH!! duwayne I like what you did to to the color but it seems a bit blown out (maybe my monitor though) Please tell if it is.

Here is the new version.
Thanks

[yelhsaneerg]

much better

[Mchilly]

I like the one retouched by duwayne
The color is awesome

[Maroon]

The eye on the left seems a bit dull compared to the other one, and I notice her face is lighter than the rest of her body, probably because of uneven lighting. Here's a super-quick example where I sharpened the eye, darkened the left lashes, and lightened the body with a bluish curves layer.

[DivaShots]

Originally Posted by Maroon

The eye on the left seems a bit dull compared to the other one, and I notice her face is lighter than the rest of her body, probably because of uneven lighting. Here's a super-quick example where I sharpened the eye, darkened the left lashes, and lightened the body with a bluish curves layer.

Would you mind explaining how you did that? I like what you achieved.
Thanks

[Maroon]

I used a highpass sharpening layer on the eye and a curves layer with RGB pulled down on the eyelashes, though I'd recommend just using the burn tool on the lashes instead. For the body I masked in a curves layer with both RGB and Blue pulled up. I don't know your model's skin tone, so it might be the color of her face that's off while her chest and shoulders are correct, in which case you'll probably want to add a bit of a tan.