Photo Retouching - - How to get highly polished skin? - Page 9

Ziaphra · #**121** 08-16-2006, 11:44 AM

Megl is right...cloning, smudging, dodging and burning...I also work with different layers so I can adjust the saturation and erase what I don't like.

BTW that eugeniorecuenco link doesn't work for me...I would love to see his work...!

MrPatch · #**122** 08-16-2006, 12:24 PM

[quote= BTW that eugeniorecuenco link doesn't work for me...I would love to see his work...![/QUOTE]

Here you go Ziaphra
http://www.gianfrancomeza.com/18Euge...0eugenia/0.htm

This is the actual site:
http://www.eugeniorecuenco.com/

thanks

Ziaphra · #**123** 08-16-2006, 12:38 PM

Ooh, thanx for that...his work is stunning...I particularly love this series...

http://www.gianfrancomeza.com/18Euge...E%20RUSO/0.htm

bella · #**124** 08-16-2006, 07:22 PM

Usually I lurk in the background and just absorb all the knowlege that the artists here share...but today I thought I would try my hand at polished skin (before and after). Please give me your critiques and/or suggestions.

snook305 · #**125** 08-17-2006, 11:45 AM

Good ole smudging going on there.. Funny I saw that in a magazine and thought to myself.. Some one actually used the smudging technique for a fashion campaign...
Snook

bella · #**126** 08-17-2006, 12:19 PM

Actually, I didn't do any smudging. I used a technique that I found on a tutorial where you paint the skin with a color lifted from the skin to even out skin tones. Here is the link for that http://www.onemodelplace.com/newslet...ticle7_pg2.cfm

Then did some dodging and burning, added some pores to the cheeks, and a little noise to the entire photo.

Trystero · #**127** 08-20-2006, 04:59 PM

Just throwing a work in progress on top of the pile here....I found some interesting results applying the median filter at varying opacities and blending modes [primarily darken and normal]---then re-blending select elements from the original (after a session of dodging/bleaching).

-T-

TheVeed · #**128** 09-17-2006, 03:37 PM

From what I've been taught, you are to never use blur, smudge, or clone. They change the pixel, which is what you're supposed to avoid at all costs.

But, I guess it depends on how you were taught.

I took this image: http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/213/jancikelq5.jpg from a thread and turned it into this:

http://theveed.com/pages/challenge_print_after.html#

I used only dodge and blur on her skin, and a tiny bit of the healing brush, but almost none. I'm guessing the very 'Rush' look has a lot to do with the photographer, too. But, like I said, I really don't know.

miguel · #**129** 09-17-2006, 04:38 PM

veed, nice work, only the skin looks a bit flat and has an odd texture to it -- also the eyes are too white -- just my opinion.

TheVeed · #**130** 09-17-2006, 04:45 PM

Thanks! Except, I didn't whiten the eyes, actually, just a couple of veins.

Quote:

Originally Posted by miguel

veed, nice work, only the skin looks a bit flat and has an odd texture to it -- also the eyes are too white -- just my opinion.

KR1156 · #**131** 09-17-2006, 05:19 PM

nice work theveed......i started out cheating skin with blurs and such....now strictly D&B.....takes a couple of hours to do my skinwork, but the result is worth it and can't be matched by any shortcut.

Syd · #**132** 09-17-2006, 11:35 PM

Great work Veed. I like what you have done you have done with her lips. That was a problem for me with this image. Do you use the dodge and burn tools or do you use a Soft Light layer? Also just how long did it take you to do that? I started this image using D&B but it was taking ages...I use a Soft Light layer with a 4 - 8% opacity brush and I zoom right in close (at least 600% and upwards). Eventually I gave up and started to use the clone tool and the healing brush.

Syd

lkroll · #**133** 09-18-2006, 12:02 AM

Tried to achieve this look with Flaming Pear's Mr. Contrast, but can't seem to get the shimmer that I would like.

Edit: Thought I changed the title as well; I originally posted this one thinking I was on another thread. I still haven't tried some of the other techniques outlined, but I will.

TheVeed · #**134** 09-18-2006, 01:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syd

Great work Veed. I like what you have done you have done with her lips. That was a problem for me with this image. Do you use the dodge and burn tools or do you use a Soft Light layer? Also just how long did it take you to do that? I started this image using D&B but it was taking ages...I use a Soft Light layer with a 4 - 8% opacity brush and I zoom right in close (at least 600% and upwards). Eventually I gave up and started to use the clone tool and the healing brush.

Syd

Well, I can't speak for everyone, but this is what I do. I was taught this in a 3 hour tutorial from a specTACular retoucher.

Regarding Soft Light, I literally just found out about doing it that way TODAY, and tried it. It's the same result, though. You can do D&B on a Soft Light layer, or you can just duplicate the layer. Personally, I like duplicating the layer, because I like to even out the skin color.

I use the Dodge set to Midtones, anywhere from 5-10% opacity (depends on your pen tool settings.)

Now, Syd, what I would say you did wrong was that you zoomed in. DON'T zoom in, at least not right away. Start big first. Zoom out so the face fits the screen, and that's it. Start that way, then slowly zoom in.

Here's a BIG tip: Once you feel you did a good job, then use a Curves Adjustment Layer to really bring out the shadows. You'll see all sorts of new things to go over. Then use another layer to bring out the highlights, and you'll see more things to smooth out.

There is also a tiny bit of Dust & Scratches that I'll use.

The whole thing took me about 2 or 3 hours, with many breaks taken in between. If I had applied myself, it would have taken maybe 40 minutes.

Like I said, Syd, I'm not perfect, but I personally didn't encounter at any time, a need for the stamp tool. From what I've learned, the stamp tool is very destructive, and you pretty much NEVER want to use it. The healing brush is better, but even then, you RARELY want to use it, and if you do, try to set it at Replace instead of Normal. And the most you want to use on a blur, is 1.0%. Seriously.

I hope this helps. This is just one way to do it.

Syd · #**135** 09-18-2006, 08:28 AM

Veed, thanks a lot. I shall try it out immediately. I think you are right. My problem is that I have been zooming in too close, too quickly. It takes forever to do a square centimeter. And thanks for the tip about the curve adjustment. Sometime back Shelby mentioned that in this thread somewhere but I never really understood it until now. One further question: What size is your brush? If I am zoomed into about 700% I might use a 2 pixel brush and sometimes I use a 1 pixel brush when I am even closer. (Now you know why it takes me so long)! I have never had anyone to teach me this and I have just had to fumble my way along. What is the hardness of your brush? I use a 0% hardness.

Sincerely Syd