question about a Katrin Eismann method

[jenjen]

Hi everyone. i am trying to learn how to retouch a persons face (wrinkles, skin, eyes etc..) and am stuck on a Katrin Eismann method she uses in her book. I was hoping someone could tell me where i am going wrong. I am have Photoshop 6.0 and am working from her 1st book "photoshop Restoration and Retouching" on page 212. IT explains how to add a foundation to her face using history brush. She says to keep repeating the process and build it up but i don't notice a thing. Is there some trick to it i don't know? This is what i do:

1.Apply Gaussian Blur
2.History snapshot
3.undo
4.with history brush (darken-13%) select source and brush skin.
this is where i might mess up at. when it says select source does it mean to select that whole layer of the new snapshot or just put the paintbrush icon on the left on that one and leave the original highlighted? I hope i said that right!

5.change blending mode to lighten and brush on face and repeat that process.

So my question is am i doing that right or does anyone have another method of smoothing out skin from wrinkles, freckles and blemishes. i use her other method in that chapter but it doesn't look natural.

[Kraellin]

jen,

an image would help here. if it's something you cant post or dont wish to, perhaps just the part in question would be ok. just make it large enough for us to see and work on.

craig

[steve21]

When she says "select source" it means selecting the new snapshot you created to use with the history brush. So, once you create a new snapshot and then hit undo, go to the history pallete and find your new snapshot and click on the little indentation just to the left of it's thumbnail. You'll see the history brush icon appear there. Neither of the two snapshots should actually be selected and highlighted at this point. Just make sure that the history brush icon is shown next to your blurred snapshot. Now once you choose the history brush tool in the tools pallete and paint, you'll be painting with that blurred snapshot. I haven't read this part of her book, but I'm almost positive this is what she means.

[OnAir]

Jen, as I can understand, it means, that you select your new snapshot as a source for the history brush tool, but you work on untouched layer, using history brush from its blurred state. I use similar methode, but I do mix with blurred state (I also add noise to it with fade luminosity option) 40% brush opacity and oversharped state 20% opacity, to bring back some skin poires, where it neccesary. Switching to multiply and screen option for the history brush gives to you full control over the skin structure, so you can darken and lighten some unwanted patches.

P.S. Try search, there are a lot of threads about this

[jenjen]

Here is the picture i was working on. It's a picture of me and my daughter so don't laugh! I wanted a picture for my portfolio to clear ones face of freckles, which is something i wanted to do my whole life. But thats a different issue all together. Everytime i try to do this it looks like a tan glow. I don't even want to post it, it isn't very good. Thanks!

Thanks for the info on how to do the history snapshot it always confuses me!

[OnAir]

It is too small to work on. Could you upload bigger picture?

[Nanls]

Originally Posted by jenjen

1.Apply Gaussian Blur
2.History snapshot
3.undo
4.with history brush (darken-13%) select source and brush skin.
this is where i might mess up at. when it says select source does it mean to select that whole layer of the new snapshot or just put the paintbrush icon on the left on that one and leave the original highlighted? I hope i said that right!

5.change blending mode to lighten and brush on face and repeat that process.

So my question is am i doing that right or does anyone have another method of smoothing out skin from wrinkles, freckles and blemishes. i use her other method in that chapter but it doesn't look natural.

Hi,
Not familiar with the book but I am with the technique. The snapshot attached should help.
1.Apply Gaussian Blur
2.History snapshot
3.undo
When you undo you will notice that the "Gaussian Blur" state is no longer in your history. Your history brush icon should be next to the snapshot, but make sure your layer is selected, not the snapshot of the blurred state. (see snapshot).
From there select your history brush from your tools and set the oppacity to 13% and the blending mode to "darken" (mine is set to lighten, sorry) and use the brush on the image to get rid of light spots, then set the blending mode to lighten and go over just the dark spots. Don't get carried away or you'll end up with the same image as in your snapshot.

Because there are always more ways then one to do the same thing you might find it easier:
1.Apply Gaussian Blur
2. Go back one state in your history pallet.
3. Put the history brush icon in the gaussian blur state (now grey)
4. Same thing with the history brush and settings.

Hope this clears it up.

~Nancy~

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[jenjen]

How about this? I don't want it too big and seen my face blown up big!

[jenjen]

Oh yeah and this is the untouched version of my picture and yes those are all freckles!

[OnAir]

If this picture was bigger, I would use more blur/sharp mix, as I described above. I did some screen/multiply brushing with small history brush 2-5%, set on his blur state. Did not touched colors and sharp.

[maureeno]

I used PhotoImpcat's "Beautify skin" tool, then the "touchup" tool. I also used Xero's free "porcelain" filtre.

Maureen

Let's try this instead:

http://img202.imageshack.us/my.php?i...ymom0094vu.jpg

[jenjen]

I want to thank everyone for their help. I think I got the hang of it now. According to the book she says to use a low opacity for the history brush and redo it back and forth. Well I was too inpatient because I didn't see any results right away. But now i understand how to do the history brush. Thanks!

Any Remarks, good or bad it will help.
I redone Her skin, eyes(a little), eyebrows, teeth and darken hair.