Cloning tips

[fstr21]

I have an issue I am sure a good percentage of you have run into in the past. When you clone a decent size area and something doesnt look right you see its just a little (or alot depending on how many alt click, alt click, alt click in a small area you do) too smooth and perfect. Your eye is immediatly drawn to the area as it sticks out like a sore thumb.

Does anyone have any tips other then hand painting in flaws or shadows (which in my case would do more harm then good) or lessening the pressure.

I have tried cloning then healling the edge of the clone area, and that is not too bad as long as its away from another color that the heal blends into.

*if this doesnt make sense let me know and ill upload an example, my explanations sound right in my head most of the times....*

[slash-5]

Patch tool is your friend. Know the patch. Love the patch. Be the patch.

[fstr21]

Hmm I havent really played around with the patch, I was under the assumption thats its basicly copy one pattern past pattern alot. I shall google uses for patch

[fstr21]

hmmmmmm I like it, good work slash

[TommyO]

fstr21,

Other suggestions may include:
- experiment with the spot healing brush in other blend modes.
- the healing brush already adds a 12 pixel spread, so in restoration work always use a hard edged brush.
- the clone brush adds no spread, so in restoration work always use a soft edged brush.
- the patch tool works very well with areas of little to no detail. It is similar to the healing brush in that it maintains the color and luminosity of the source. It works best with smaller selections.

[Florin]

This picture...
http://i46.tinypic.com/95ykk6.jpg
...was completely restored /painted with PhotoshopCS3´s clone brush (S key), using variations between 15% up to 75% of opacity. Only the hair needed the paint prush (B key) and a special brush (like points) for the hair texture. Is the only way to show something decent taking this mess, I think. Too much damage can´t be solved using only plugins and tricks.
Cloth was not restored, is made new with the path tool (P).
Actually I can paint really fast with this clone brush, about 5 clics per second and is still a heavy work. The fact is, when you´ll learn how to deal with this tool you´ll have a better final quality and money benefit.
More practice, better you´ll do it. Keep on going.
Regards

[fstr21]

thats disturbingly good, yea im a fan of the clone. ha i have to be ive seen some the other people here that have restored hair and other parts by painting and im just amazed. i think that takes more artistic talent and touch then just cloning which is really my crutch. but paining on a place that has no data in the first place i might as well use mspaint....and poorly at that.

[Florin]

Work, work and work, son. Everything in this world has its price. If you want to reach the top forget about the easy way. 5-6 work hours daily, a lot of concentration and self-criticism, reading books and magasines about will help you. Try to do it at once. The beginning is ugly, my restorations some 5-6 ago were horrible but the perseverence and the practice, a lot of practice will improve your work.
Have luck, go on. Anything you want to ask, be my guest.
Regards

[Kraellin]

the key to cloning is opacity. as florin said, 15 to 75% is roughly where i fall into also, though i do go a touch higher and lower at times.

the second key is working from different angles to the spot you are cloning. in other words, dont just clone from left to right to your spot, also clone right to left, top to bottom and bottom to top. you want to match up all sides, not just one, at least in a lot of case. but, there's always exceptions and so again, i agree with floring... practice, practice, practice!

the third key is distance and overlap. sometimes i SET my clone tool quite close to where i'm cloning and other times i set it quite far away. at low opacities you may want to set it close to avoid clone marks, but other times you may want to set it distant to pick up a large area and transfer it to another area in whole.

there is no one technique. it's a matter of learning the tool. learn the tool and you can do the work practically blindfolded...sort of... ok, you cant do it blindfolded, but maybe with just one eye while the other is looking through a sheer blindfold. ok, maybe not. the point is, learn your tools!