First Retouch - What do you think?

[ste.vidali]

Hello! I discovered this forum searching for techniques mainly for photo manipulation, but in the process i discovered retouching and it seems i enjoy it a lot.

This is my first attempt at retouching. I would be happy to have your opinions. It's a basic retouch of the model, that probably i will use as a base for a photomanipulation. Took about six hours.

To my (non expert) eyes it seems good, but i work on a non-calibrated laptop monitor, so colors may be a bit off, as the dodge and burning. However an orange red tint in the shadows is done on purpose.

Tell me what do you think!

Original: http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/3962/anyaf.jpg
Retouched: http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/6828/anyamod.jpg

EDIT:
Revised retouch: http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/5984/anyamodb.jpg

Images are best viewed on a browser that support color profiles.

The photo is from a great user of deviantart: http://dxlogic.deviantart.com/

[ste.vidali]

Oops i just noticed i left a pretty big halo on the left of her head from the fluidify tool... I spent so much time on the details that i seems i lost bit of the whole picture! Just pretend the halo isn't here, in the meanwhile i will fix it

[iunika]

It is not that bad as for first attempt.
I see u lost details on nose, cheeks and forehead.Looks like glowing "thing".

[ste.vidali]

Yeah, actually i lost them with an unsharp mask with high radius. It improved contrast but destroyed my detail on the highlight. I thought i could trade off detail on the birghter highlights for a better overall contrast, but maybe more detail it's better. Might turn it off in the psd. How about everything else? How do you find the added volume? Too much, too little?

[ste.vidali]

I had another go. Now i healed the halo i had forgotten, i recovered some detail in the highlights, in particular on the forehead, i smoothed some transition and redone another D&B layer on top of it all to regain a little contrast. Overall i think now it looks better.. What do you think?

Second revision: http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/5984/anyamodb.jpg

[skoobey]

Quite good.

[LloydM]

I believe I would have cleaned up the white stuff (dandruff) mostly from just above the forehead from her hair and also got rid of one of the stray hairs, other wise not bad for first try..

[ir0nma1den]

how did you add the color under the eyelids and cheeks?

[srphotography]

Pretty good for a first try. You managed to keep quite a bit of skin detail, which is good, and I generally like the D&B you did. The highlights are a little too blown out for my taste; I think I'd knock the exposure down .5-1 stop (or use a curve adjustment). Personally I would have also removed stray hairs and the white make-up that's in her hair, as LloydM mentioned. I'd also do a bit more work on her lips (the little hairs on right side, the "mark" on the left side, etc.). There's also a string by the flower on her dress. Some of these things you probably wouldn't notice depending on the final print size. I'm still relatively new to the world of retouching, but those are my "opinions".

[Ollielynch]

it looks nice! i agree with LloydM loose that dandruff, oh and you have picked up some of the fabric detail and cloned it on to her to the top left of the big rose!

[Mike Needham]

Don't go so macro, do a more general d&b without getting hung up on the smallest of pores. It looks a little scratchy in texture at the moment. It is a clean retouch though and commendable in so many ways. It also looks over-sharpened, perhaps just for web purposes, I realise.

Only a few things like stray hairs, white 'fluff' in the hair and eyelashes. Threads on the dress, slight peachfuzz on the chin. Makeup marks below the right eye and a crease in the neck that could be got rid of (the one nearest the jawline).

[Ben Retouch]

Nice Job! I like it. Thanks for sharing.

Ben