Fixing the Skin Tone

[kewldude]

This was a studio shot...I cleaned her face (healing brush + high pass), but I noticed the color cast on the models left arm (the one with the watch). The color is seemed to be yellow to orange...I think that was suppose to be the shadow of her arm...How do I cleaned this one? It seems that Im getting a lot of this with my image especially when post processing(usual workflow is do layers + brightness/contrast) with CS3.

[Flora]

Hi kewldude!

Welcome to RetouchPRO!!

• Loosely select the 'offending' part ... here the arm ...

• Create a Selective Colors Adjustment Layer and correct Reds and Yellows: decrease the values of black and yellow in both of them.

[xxxmen]

When you state that you would create an adjustment layer; are you creating it via using "Hue/Saturation" in the pulldown menu. I basically correct in CMYK so I'm assuming you are correcting in RGB? Can you explain which method you use to adjust in photoshop. I'm a little confused on which method was used here when stating the decrease of yellow and black.

[kewldude]

Originally Posted by Flora

Hi kewldude!

Welcome to RetouchPRO!!

• Loosely select the 'offending' part ... here the arm ...

• Create a Selective Colors Adjustment Layer and correct Reds and Yellows: decrease the values of black and yellow in both of them.

Thanks Flora...never really had the opportunity to use Selective coloring. Its my first time to use it. Thanks again.

[kewldude]

Originally Posted by xxxmen

When you state that you would create an adjustment layer; are you creating it via using "Hue/Saturation" in the pulldown menu. I basically correct in CMYK so I'm assuming you are correcting in RGB? Can you explain which method you use to adjust in photoshop. I'm a little confused on which method was used here when stating the decrease of yellow and black.

Hi xxxmen. I used Layer-New Adjustment Layer-Selective Color...

[Flora]

xxxmen, kewldude,

thank you for your feedback!!

Originally Posted by xxxmen

When you state that you would create an adjustment layer; are you creating it via using "Hue/Saturation" in the pulldown menu.

Not exactly... By create an Adjustment Layer I mean:

• Go to the bottom of your Layers' Palette

• Click on the 'Create a new fill or Adjustment Layer' icon

• Select the kind of Adjustment Layer I want to use from the cascading Menu (in this case Selective Colors). Attachment 1

Originally Posted by xxxmen

I basically correct in CMYK so I'm assuming you are correcting in RGB? Can you explain which method you use to adjust in photoshop.

Yes, I prefer to do my corrections in the RGB Mode as the only one which allows the usage of all the filters, adjustments, etc. .... I use L.a.b. and/or CMYK when I don't find what I'm looking for in the RGB's Colour Channels or for some colour boost/corrections and for specific sharpening.

In this case, you can stay in CMYK for the correction as Selective Colors Adjustment Layers work perfectly there as well...

Originally Posted by xxxmen

I'm a little confused on which method was used here when stating the decrease of yellow and black.

Once selected, the Selective Colors Adjustment Layer will open its Dialog Box Attachment 2 ...

Selective Colors is a very powerful and incredibly useful Tool

from Ps Help Files
"You can modify the amount of a process color in any primary color selectively—without affecting the other primary colors. For example, you can use selective color correction to dramatically decrease the cyan in the green component of an image while leaving the cyan in the blue component unaltered."

...and that's exactly what I did ... selectively decreased yellow and black in the REDS and YELLOWS while leaving everything else exactly as it was....
You can do this on the whole image ... or, like in this case, on a selection of it ..

Attachment 3 ... the values I tweaked... (you'll probably have to change these values if you are working on different size/resolution.)
Attachment 4 ... snapshot of the arm only.

Hope this helps...

.
.

[xxxmen]

Than you Flora,

I did not realize you can use selective colour to extract in more detail certain percentages that make the selected colour. Thank You. Very helpful.

[bazza64]

Hi Kewldude,

Your getting good advice from Flora as usual, she's always on the ball.

Here is a simple method I use when I get trouble spots like this one, I use a layer mask to isolate the problem area.(I'm working in RGB)

Duplicate background layer
Create a levels adjustment layer. click OK
In the levels adjustment layer you have a white mask, wer'e going to change that to black.
Edit->Fill, in the popup make sure black is in the "use" color selection. OK.
Now magnify to approx 100%.
Select brush tool (soft brush- brush approx 80) adjust opacity to 50%.
Make sure foreground is white.
Now starting up near her watch, hold the mouse button down and trace the brush tool along the inside of her forearm, down to the elbow and then up to her shoulder, only cover the yellow area's (you can see where you've been with the white in the black mask)
Double click on the layer thumbnail, this will bring up your levels histogram,
now just slide the middle slider to the left untill the yellow is gone. (mine was 1.85). Then if you want to you can adjust the opacity of the layer to fine tune. You can change any of the settings to suit yourself, layer masks of all types can get you out of trouble, it just a matter of knowing which one to use and practice.

Bye the way, nice photo.

Hope this helps,
Barry.

[kewldude]

Originally Posted by bazza64

Hi Kewldude,

Your getting good advice from Flora as usual, she's always on the ball.

Here is a simple method I use when I get trouble spots like this one, I use a layer mask to isolate the problem area.(I'm working in RGB)

Duplicate background layer
Create a levels adjustment layer. click OK
In the levels adjustment layer you have a white mask, wer'e going to change that to black.
Edit->Fill, in the popup make sure black is in the "use" color selection. OK.
Now magnify to approx 100%.
Select brush tool (soft brush- brush approx 80)
Make sure foreground is white.
Now starting up near her watch, hold the mouse button down and trace the brush tool along the inside of her forearm, down to the elbow and then up to her shoulder, only cover the yellow area's (you can see where you've been with the white in the black mask)
Double click on the layer thumbnail, this will bring up your levels histogram,
now just slide the middle slider to the left untill the yellow is gone. (mine was 1.85). You can change any of the settings to suit yourself, layer masks of all types can get you out of trouble, it just a matter of knowing which one to use and practice.

Bye the way, nice photo.

Hope this helps,
Barry.

Thanks Barry for the reply. I tried your workflow and I just wanted to know if you prefer to change blending modes in this one like use Lighten mode instead of Normal mode then just adjust opacity?

[bazza64]

I forgot to mention to set the opacity of the brush to 50%, and if you 'over' adjust the slider in the histogram you can fine tune it by adjusting the opacity in the layer. I have added this to the tut in case someone else reads it. (That's what I get for trying to write a reply at midnight).

I try to keep to keep the blending modes set to normal as much as possible, if you want to change it that's fine, in the end it's the way that you want to do it that counts.

With this method of using layer masks, you can use other adjustment layers as well like curves, selective color etc. in this case I found it easier to use levels. I use it a lot with curves when I'm retouching.

Barry.

[Daviskw]

Hi there

There is also a simple method...not as good as Flora's but it often works.

Just open a layer set to color mode...sample some good color and paint over the offending area.

Flora is an expert with selective color..I have seen her perform miracles...but I'm terrible with it...lol

Butch