Please stop by and critique!

psdbunny · #1 09-19-2008, 07:02 PM

Hi everyone,

I posted these before/after photos some odd months ago...it's my very first photo retouch and I'm in serious need of feedback and critique. Unfortunately, I didn't get any feedback from anyone, but I'm hoping if I repost them that someone would be so kind as to stop by and help a newbie out with some feedback? :ol Please? :o(

Many thanks in advance...

Sincerely,
Bunny

BEFORE Shot

AFTER Shot

TommyO · #2 09-19-2008, 08:26 PM

It would appear your intention was to just work the skin, which is fine.
With that said, it is just a bit soft for me, especially on her left side.
Otherwise, not bad for someone just starting out. I am pleased that you did not go too far with it. Finding that perfect limit is hard. Everyone has differing taste, and in the end our opinions matter not... it is the opinion of your client that is important. Hence, best not to go too far at first.

BagLady · #3 09-19-2008, 08:42 PM

Not bad at all for a first retouch! I find it a bit too soft as well... I would clean up the flyaway hair.

psdbunny · #4 09-19-2008, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TommyO

It would appear your intention was to just work the skin, which is fine.
With that said, it is just a bit soft for me, especially on her left side.
Otherwise, not bad for someone just starting out. I am pleased that you did not go too far with it. Finding that perfect limit is hard. Everyone has differing taste, and in the end our opinions matter not... it is the opinion of your client that is important. Hence, best not to go too far at first.

Tommy, I think you were actually the only one to reply to this when I initially posted it, lol. :o) Glad to see you back and thanks so much for your feedback. I did a bit more than the skin here, though. I reworked her jawline and raised her cheekbones. I also lifted her eyes a bit and moved her hairline back just a touch...I also did a bit of work on her mouth to make it a bit poutier. Oh, I also changed her nose a touch. I didn't want to take it to far...I would like for her to have more visible pores or skin texture, I just don't yet know how to do that. :o/ I'm hoping to figure that out soon, but many thanks for your feedback. I appreciate it.

psdbunny · #5 09-19-2008, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BagLady

Not bad at all for a first retouch! I find it a bit too soft as well... I would clean up the flyaway hair.

I didn't even think about that, I'll have to give cleaning up her hair a try, as well. I often think that retouched hair often ends up looking like a helmet when the hairstyle is flat, but maybe there's a way for me to do it successfully. I'd also like to add more skin texture so that it's not too smooth or glowy, but golly, I don't know how to. :ol

Verywierd · #6 09-20-2008, 08:51 AM

I didn't see you post the first time around, but here are my comments for what they are worth. Always remember that what people tell you is usually subjective and if it doesn't match your particular artistic vision, ignore it.

You have done some nice work in re-shaping the jawline and nose. It looks very natural.

Some specific comments:

1. You have overdone the highlights a bit, which is both distorting the outline of her face and making it look slightly soft and blurred or washed out, especially next to the nose on her right, on the forehead and her lower lip.
2. Tidiying the hair does not mean you have to cut off everthing in a neat line around the head. Just clone away the most random looking strands so that it looks a bit more tidy.
3. A very slight increase in contrast and colour saturation, especially in the hair and her clothes makes the image less flat and makes the gold chain look more "golden".
4. A slight sharpening with a high pass layer brings back some of the texture both in her skin and hair, as well as the fabric.
5. A very slight graduated darkening of the lower right corner helps balance the image and frame her face. I did this using a blank layer painted with a graduated black to mid grey and applied using soft light blending mode and adjusted by changing the opacity of the layer to taste.

I attach a very quick touch up of your retouched image to illustrate the above. As I said at the beginning, you may be aiming at something totally different, in which case ignore my comments.

BagLady · #7 09-20-2008, 09:28 AM

Hello Psdbunny,

Verywierd gave you some nice tips! I thought you might be interested in viewing the following tutorials on skin correction:

The first link provides information on the most natural, but time consuming method...

D&B technique: http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=272#
Degrunge technique: http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=213
Other techniques: http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=209

TommyO · #8 09-20-2008, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psdbunny

I did a bit more than the skin here.....

Yep, sorry about that. When the two are not side by side, and we're in a hurry, it can be hard to see all the changes.

Now that I have looked closer, I agree with your additional changes and think they look just fine.

bazza64 · #9 09-23-2008, 03:18 AM

Hi Bunny!
I'm stopping by as you requested, also when I saw that TommyO, Baglady and Verywierd were involved I had to stop, they always give good advice.

If this is your first retouch then youv'e done a pretty good job, I agree with the others, it's just a touch to soft!!, cut back on the opacity on that particular layer and then re-adjust to suit. There are only a couple of things that I could see that have'nt been mentioned, the light to the right on her bottom lip is making that part of her lip look it's got a blister on it, I would suggest you soften it a touch.
I would also suggest that you lighten her eyes slightly.

The adjustments to her cheek, jawline and nose are very good (I liked her original nose, it's very cute!

).

In the photo i've uploaded, I just thought I'd show you how I highlighted the models cheekbones with some d&b, I think it gives the photo a better depth, I've also lifted the corner of her mouth so that there is a hint of a smile. (to compliment her cheeks). The other things I mentioned are there to(lips and eyes).

I hope i've helped you Bunny, keep up the good work.

Barry.

p.s Did you take the photo?

psdbunny · #10 02-14-2009, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bazza64

Hi Bunny!
I'm stopping by as you requested, also when I saw that TommyO, Baglady and Verywierd were involved I had to stop, they always give good advice.

If this is your first retouch then youv'e done a pretty good job, I agree with the others, it's just a touch to soft!!, cut back on the opacity on that particular layer and then re-adjust to suit. There are only a couple of things that I could see that have'nt been mentioned, the light to the right on her bottom lip is making that part of her lip look it's got a blister on it, I would suggest you soften it a touch.
I would also suggest that you lighten her eyes slightly.

The adjustments to her cheek, jawline and nose are very good (I liked her original nose, it's very cute!

).

In the photo i've uploaded, I just thought I'd show you how I highlighted the models cheekbones with some d&b, I think it gives the photo a better depth, I've also lifted the corner of her mouth so that there is a hint of a smile. (to compliment her cheeks). The other things I mentioned are there to(lips and eyes).

I hope i've helped you Bunny, keep up the good work.

Barry.

p.s Did you take the photo?

Yikes, I'm just now rediscovering this thread! I really like the dodge and burn on the cheekbone...I've asked the model to send me more of her photos that have yet to be retouched so that I can practice more. I didn't take the picture, but she is a client of mine.

Hopefully I'll have more interesting images to upload soon.