Any idea on how to do this...?

[backygirly]

Hi everyone!

I love the look that the person that has retouched this photo has done with it. I think I am fairly good at retouching, but I'm not sure how to make the person have a "tan", as it is in this "after" picture. Any ideas? I've tried color balance, selective color, even hue/saturation. All of them look too red and not as nice as this one. I've always wondered how to do this. It looks so professional and I would really love to achieve this look with the pictures I retouch!

Any thoughts?

Before
After

[CJ Swartz]

Hi, Welcome to RetouchPro!

We have a few true makeup artists as members who can answer this question better than I can, but I can get you started.

One way would be to select those areas of her skin that you want to add "tan" to and add a layer of an appropriate tan color over it - set layer blending to Color. You can add a layer of red and a layer of yellow and play with the opacities on both until you find a color you like or just find a color in the color well that you want to use. You can then add another layer to add the rouge on her cheeks, and a layer to change her lipstick to a look you like -- you can paint over part with white or a color to look at the effects you can get. Again -- use the layer blend modes to get a different look.

[Jakaleena]

Looking at the entire picture, it seemed to me that the overall image was adjusted to be less blue (I can see it especially in the gizmo to the right of her hat).

All I did here was add a curves adjustment layer and remove some blue overall. I used the eraser on the layer where her lips, eyes and necklace are. I think whoever did the finished image you posted did some additional work to her lips, eyes, cheek highlights, etc. but this is where I would start on this one to improve the skin tones overall.

[backygirly]

Thank you two for your awesome suggestions!

Jak - I think your suggestion may be how this guy retouched the picture, as I noticed the rest of the picture is a different tone as well.

CJSwartz - I think your idea is a very good one. I've tried doing the color mode blend layer, but I didn't think about using two different layers. Good idea!

You are all so smart! I am going to play with it now. I am all excited! Thank you!!

[Flora]

Hi backygirly!

You've had very good tips already... but it was too nice a picture and I couldn't resist 'playing' with it ...

Like Jak, I used the curves to remove the bluish cast.

I used Selective Color to give a nice golden tan to her skin, careful to keep her eyes blue and the pearls white.

I balanced the make up on her right (my right) eye as, because of the lighting, it seemed smaller than the left one.

Finally, instead of darkening her cheeks, (which in my opinion made her face look heavier), I slightly highlighted her cheek-bones

[backygirly]

Oh, Flora!

I absolutely LOVE what you did with her photo! It looks so good. That is definitely the kind of look I am trying to achieve. I hate using curves though, I am so curves-stupid! Selective color is such a great tool to use, I can't believe you were able to achieve such a nice tan to her skin with it. Do you happen to have the values that you used? If it's not a problem to post them...I am just curious, I can never get the right look with it!!

Thanks in advance. I appreciate all of your wonderful tips!

[backygirly]

Also, I should give credit to the person that did the original of this photo. Their website is http://www.lilacdigital.com. Their retouching techniques are fabulous, although this image [http://www.lilacdigital.com/images/update_b.jpg] could use some work. I am always going there looking for ideas!

[Flora]

backygirly

...thank you so much for your words ...

I'm very glad you liked my retouching ... and here are the first two steps I took to get there:

1) Curves

Open the Curves dialog, click on the 'Set Gray Point' , place the Gray Point Picker on the spot shown in the attachment, click OK and you'll see an immediate big colour improvement ....

[Flora]

.... and here are the 'Selective Colors' values .... while working on the picture, I used Selective Colors other two times ... but that depended on the other corrections I made ....

Have fun ....

P.S. I tried the links to the site you provided... the first one led to this: No web site is configured at this address. .... and the second one to one picture.... Is it right or am I doing something wrong? .... Thank you in advance ....

[backygirly]

Oops, I apologize. It's because I put a period in the link. Try this!

http://www.lilacdigital.com

Thank you again for helping me out here!

[Flora]

....You are very welcome ....

Thanks for correcting the link .... You are absolutely right .... they do beautiful restorations/retouching!!!

[backygirly]

Okay, here is my final version after messing around with the original of it! I like it, but maybe it's too airbrushed looking...? I am so glad I got the colors right!! I messed around with curves mostly and selective coloring. It looks exactly how I wanted it to! I had to make her have smoky eyes and pretty pinkish lips. I'm a girly girl. Now I'm going to go home (yes, I admit I've been doing this off and on at work) and play with all my pictures and try it. At least I am getting the hang of curves!

Thank you all, you've been a very big help!

[Flora]

Wow!!

It's absolutely stunning!