Photo Retouching - - How to get highly polished skin?

shellby · #1 10-17-2005, 01:34 PM

Hello

I am trying to find out how to achieve that highly polished look in retouching skin like the Dior adverts.

Have a look at this link to a hair salon and view their portfolio section:

http://www.rush.co.uk/portfolio.htm

If you look at my portfolio you can see that I am on my way to getting smooth skin, however I am not sure how to get this exact look.

I have used the method of median blur, and then bringing back detail with noise on a softlight layer. I also spend a lot of time using the healing brush to remove blemishes beforehand.

The pro's do not use any blurring.

Another method I have been trying out is the dodge and burn technique (thanks Conrad - from a previous thread) This does a good job of getting rid of blochy skin BUT just how do they get that polished look without blurring??

You can view my website to see the kind of work I do.

Panpan · #2 10-17-2005, 03:29 PM

Are you sure they're not blurred? I see no pore detail in those images.

Pierre

shellby · #3 10-17-2005, 03:43 PM

The guy who did it works with me as a Production Manager...

He said that he didn't use any blur so I wanted to see if I could / or anybody here could figure this out...

He mentioned channels... Does anyone know about retouching channel per channel?

Neve · #4 10-17-2005, 05:06 PM

See this link for samples and a tutorial by Phyllis Stewart...

http://www.innographx.com/forum/view...1128e6acf40edb

shellby · #5 10-17-2005, 06:59 PM

thank-you I have had a look and I don't think that is the exact technique. I actually used smudging in the following image:

http://www.retouchme.co.uk/home_03.htm

But the thing is that the pro's do not use any blur or smudge... or so I hear

suzzie12 · #6 10-18-2005, 12:47 AM

I have been getting a somewhat similar result lately bu using a new filter in Photoshop CS2. Its called surface blur and its the last item in the blur list.

I take the original, do levels correction and then blemish removal - then I make a new layer and do a surface blur which gives me a skin color gradient that is better than median. I then sogtly paint this soft idealized smooth skin over the original to get the right balance.

This techniue can also be used with blending modes for some further nice effects. Its somewhat close to what you showed. I always go back later and make sure that eyes, brows, lips and ears and hair near face is not covered up overly so.

Neve · #7 10-18-2005, 01:30 AM

Thank you for educating me - I'm intrigued!

linen · #8 10-18-2005, 01:43 AM

This may not be what you are looking for but
I like to smooth out skin by using a brush set to multiply 18% opacity color is a sample from the skin. I work on a new layer then adjust that layer when I'm done to taste.

NancyJ · #9 10-18-2005, 03:52 AM

Looks like median to me. But if you work with him - why not just ask him how he did it?

Cassidy · #10 10-18-2005, 07:12 AM

I cant help but wonder if a colour fill layer has been used

byRo · #11 10-18-2005, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shellby

The pro's do not use any blurring.

Quite a sweeping statement! For "normal" glamour retouching the "pro" wouldn't use any blurring so as to be sure that the skin texture is conserved. However, as you are asking about a polished look then I'd say that this isn't a case of normal glamour work.

suzzie12, welcome to RetouchPRO

.
I too find the CS2 surface blur superior to the median. The method you outlined here works just fine.
Lately I've been using the surface blur in LAB mode with different parameters for each channel - still learning but the results are getting better.

linen, welcome to RetouchPRO

.
Don't know if I understood correctly, but wouldn't the multiply be darkening the skin?

As to what was actually used - could be median, could be smudge, could be blur, could be air-brush.
Like eveything in PS, there are many ways to get to a result, sometimes it comes down to personal preference.

Rô

Cassidy · #12 10-18-2005, 08:49 AM

Unreal, have gone from PS7 to CS2 and never noticed a surface blur until it was mentioned tonight, obviously wearing blinkers

shellby · #13 10-18-2005, 10:06 PM

Well, with all of the high-end jobs you see advertised they always say no blurring. BUT if you look at the DIOR adverts and some Loreal adverts they seem sooooo polished. It is hard to imagine that they do not use blur. There must be a secret to it.

NancyJ · #14 10-19-2005, 09:09 AM

Theres also no skin texture.
You're comparing 2 different things here - job adverts that specify no blurring (btw where are you seeing these adverts?) are likely wanting to preserve skin texture - which blurring can remove or in cases where the skin is very textured - make it look blotchy.
These 'polished', as you call them, pictures are either blurred, airbrushed, recoloured, median/surface blurred or a combination of the above.
Theres no big secret - there are a number of methods to achieve that effect. But if you're not happy with our answers why not ask him how he did it?

shellby · #15 10-19-2005, 12:09 PM

He wasn't forthcoming when I asked, so I thought I should try here before asking him again... I will though.

There is acutally an advert on here for a retoucher that says no blurring or airbrushing:
http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/classifieds/11853-full-time-high-end-fashion-beauty-retoucher-position.html

Have a look at their amazing gallery:

http://www.markusklinko-indrani.com/...llery/main.htm

Looking through it, it doesn't look as if they do any blurring and there work looks really realistic (not like the example I posted above)

I just thought perhaps there was something I didn't know about...

I have also read a method by the glitter guru. It uses the clone stamp at a large size but on a low opacity:

http://graphic-design.com/Photoshop/glamour.html