Photo Retouching - - Need help creating "flawless" skin (glamour) - Page 2

Syd · #16 10-09-2006, 12:48 PM

Okay here is my completed (well, is it ever complete?) D&B effort. All the skin work was done on one Soft Light layer. No clone tool, no healing brush, no blurring. I did however, color correct, sharpen and add contrast.
I will attach the D&B layer for you to see. Copy it and Shift-Click-Drag (this will ensure that is centered) it over the original. Change the blend mode to Soft Light and switch it on and off to see the results.

Sincerely Syd

bullys1974 · #17 10-09-2006, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syd

Okay here is my completed (well, is it ever complete?) D&B effort. All the skin work was done on one Soft Light layer. No clone tool, no healing brush, no blurring. I did however, color correct, sharpen and add contrast.
I will attach the D&B layer for you to see. Copy it and Shift-Click-Drag (this will ensure that is centered) it over the original. Change the blend mode to Soft Light and switch it on and off to see the results.

Sincerely Syd

thx syd that was exactly what i asked for ... it is brilliant... u did an awesome job !!! how long did it take you ?

it is really just this grey layer... i will practice a lot on this to achieve the same result...

thx
mario

Syd · #18 10-09-2006, 01:22 PM

It's my pleasure Mario. It took about three hours. I forgot to add I only have a mouse and I use mostly a clicking action but sometimes use a 'swiping action'. It's not easy but it is very rewarding. It leaves the pores intact but smoothes out the tones. You want to smooth out the transitions between the light and the dark areas. You DONT want to flatten them entirely! otherwise you will be left with a homogenized 'wall' of skin which will hardly resemble a face. Don't try and do it all in one go. Do some and then rest. Go and do something esle. Come back the next day (if you can possibly hold back the excitement), just take a break. It is really important.

I include a slightly more 'contrasty' version side by side with the original for comparison. It doesn't need this much contrast but when I looked how it came out in Explorer it just didn't have the punch it did in Photoshop.

Syd

Gary · #19 10-09-2006, 03:28 PM

Such a great shot to work with, I continued more into the 'glamor' look using my #2. I softened her skin a bit more, added sharpening so that her eyes and lips, contrast and color to her lips to brighten, PWL II action to reduce some of the shadow areas further and reverse unsharp mask to a duplicate layer for 'punch', using settings of Amount=20, Radius =80 and Threshold =0

bullys1974 · #20 10-10-2006, 01:42 PM

looks also really fine and even more glamourous

thx mario

TheVeed · #21 10-10-2006, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syd

Okay here is my completed (well, is it ever complete?) D&B effort. All the skin work was done on one Soft Light layer. No clone tool, no healing brush, no blurring. I did however, color correct, sharpen and add contrast.
I will attach the D&B layer for you to see. Copy it and Shift-Click-Drag (this will ensure that is centered) it over the original. Change the blend mode to Soft Light and switch it on and off to see the results.

Sincerely Syd

Woohoo! Great job Syd

Brian2 · #22 10-10-2006, 03:01 PM

Whenever I use D&B to retouch skin, I keep switching between shadows, highlight and midtones to get the desired results. As this takes some extra time, what is everybody's preferred mode? Or do other people also keep switching?

TheVeed · #23 10-10-2006, 03:49 PM

I only use midtone. That's it.

SteveB2005 · #24 10-10-2006, 03:55 PM

Hi Steve here. I have been going through the same mystery about the D&B retouching technique and haven't had too much success, but now after reading all the posts here and the grey mask, I have some direction to go now. Thanks

Lithodia · #25 10-10-2006, 06:00 PM

I dont know if someone already answered this for you but here I go. Before doing all the filter stuff its best to do the dodge and burn or clone or heal to get rid of all the big stuff. Now the dodge and burn techique is a simple idea. Always set the dodge tool to midtones at 1% if your brush size is under 10, you might want to boost it up to 2% the highest. Create a duplicate layer to see your progress or to bring back things (its annoying to get use to i know!) for every time you dodge an area u must burn the surrounding area and vice versa. At first it seems like it does nothing. click on your orginal layer and you will see the difference. Dodgeing and burnning cant really be done that effectively using a mouse. I learned about this technique when I worked for a retouching firm that required me to use the wacom tablet and pen (now i cant even retouch with a mouse if i tried!). Also its important to note that u want to change the brush size for different blotchy ness. small blotches or texture on the face use brush at 5 and expousre of 2. always look far away then close up with the pic, that way you wont get lost in blotchy skin....anyway...I hope that helps somewhat.

Syd · #26 10-10-2006, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheVeed

Woohoo! Great job Syd

Thanks Veed. Quite frankly I owe it all to you. I had all but given up on D&B as too time consuming and a technique only for the incredibly talented until you gave me some very valuable pointers. Thanks so much for your help.

Sincerely Syd

suzzie1234 · #27 10-16-2006, 10:50 PM

Used the soft dior tutorial on site to smooth the skin and paint in shaded countours. Shading was done by creating a new clear layer and painting in black where I wanted shadows. Be sure to change blend mode to soft light or the effect will not work. Gaussian blur this layer so it smooths out and blends in real smoothly. Adjust layer opacity to control the darkness of the shadow. Do this where ever you want the darker toned shadow looks. Do the same with a blank layer (and a white brush) to paint in highlights, soften ,and then adjust intensity. This is one other way.

Suzzie

shellby · #28 10-22-2006, 09:11 AM

Once you have completed the dodge and burn

Do a Filter > Other > High Pass Sharpen

A small amount on a new layer, change the layer to Softlight, Then lower opacity

Anybody else have some issues with areas on skin that go from light to dark? You have to be so careful not to change the lighting.

scott watson · #29 10-23-2006, 07:36 AM

Hi All, Does anyone use the d&b technique for retouching cars.
I think this could be a great way to bring out the best shape and form of cars.

Thanks, Scott

Lasa · #30 11-22-2006, 04:47 PM

Started by cloning (at 60% opacity) and healing any imperfection...after healing I almost always fade back to 75%.
Then ctrl+alt+tilde, copied/paste. then smart blurred...again fade back..
then lightened (big white brush set to 2%) under the eyes, and darkened under the checks (big brown at 2%)..ran some curves to brighten the picture..
here it is.

Lasa