First try at dodge and burn skin!

[ruud92]

Hey folks

because everyone is saying that D&B the best way is to retouching skin, tought I to give it a try because i never did it before, I usually use the surface blur and than get a high pass filter over it.

my question to you guys is what you are thinking about it.. but only about the skin, because this is just a try to it so if it looks good and natural etc or just bad, let me know. its only D&B, so no blur, healing brush etc. only in the 2d retouch version i corrected the color of the skin I did really my best for it and i wanna do this technique more because i like the result! so if any one tips has to improve it? you're welcome.

thanks

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER + color correction

Originally Posted by ruud92

okey here is the new improved one, i did more D&B so the skin is now really smoother, and i did the nose also with D&B and on that way to shaping it, if you understand what I'm saying. let me know what you think about it now

AFTER, improved one

Originally Posted by ruud92

thanks i cleaned and darked that nostril, haha and that 'starting to look like the Dr. evil scar' on her left smoothed I out now with the healing brush, and faded it out to 50%, And I make her yellow shadow and skin tone more pink like, not to much, but look by yourself ten you will see it

after fixing nostril + scar like thing

after fixing nostril + scar like thing + subtle fixed shadow& skin color

[KR1156]

i think you did a great job at keeping it subtle, and not going overboard with your smoothing. it still need some work, but great first try.

i think the new skintone you applied needs a little more yellow.

[ruud92]

Hi KR1156

thanks for you're opinion, can you say what has more work needed so i can improve it? I agree with the skin tone thing you Set.

also i have a question about that 'bumpy' like skin on the eye bags, chin, and some on her fore Head, I tried to get them more smooth, but it doesn't succeed me, only them on her chin looks good for me.
so if anyone know? thanks

[Syd]

Way to go Ruud! I think you have made a good start. Now just keep on practicing. Don't zoom in too close at first. Keep the image at 100% zoom in the beginning (sometimes I go down to 50% or 25% on a big image). Later you can zoom in more and sometimes you will want to zoom as far as 1200% and use a one pixel brush for fine lines or that one pixel that is messing everything up. Desaturating the image helps. With the image desaturated you will only be looking at the contrast between the light and dark areas and will not be distracted by colour contrasts. Use a curves adjustment layer to create contrast so you accentuate the contrasts. Frequently zoom in and out - looking at it at different zoom percentages will show up new areas that need attention. Stand a distance away from you monitor for yet another perspective. Importantly give you eyes a break. Go and do something else and come back and hour later (if you can bear to stay away that long) with fresh eyes. Once again you will have a new perspective.

You don't have to D&B everything. Judicious use of the clone tool or healing brush is also reccommended.

Hope this helps.

Syd

[Ant]

Syd gives excellent advice above. It's very important to look close AND far, take breaks and get second, third, and fourth opinions and comments.

Ruud, once you get it down, you can move on to really sharp, large files.

[KR1156]

syd pointed out what i was explaining to you about the B&W and contrast layers.

place these 2 images over each other, the contrast will help bring out where you need to smooth your transitions, and working in a desat. mode will make it easier to see tone that gets hidden by color.

but like ant also said, keep going in and out of the photo as you progress, and keep turning off your contrast & desat layers to make notice of any weird color shifts or to see if you're reshaping her face in a way that you don't want to.

try not to kill too over work the shadow areas, because that will lead to reshaping and often flat contour.

-hope i helped.

[ruud92]

Thanks all, yes i did already what you're all saying about that zoom in to 100% etc, and i was started yesterday and 'finished' it today, so thats okey

but those tips about B&W and contrast layers is very help full thanks! and syd haha yes i know that not everything has to be done with dodge and burn but i tought that i only wanted to let see what i had done with D&B. and thaks for the helpfull advice

ehm, one thing KR1156 that attached files i know what you are meaning but that second picture look way better than that first and i 'holted' my after retouch next to it(the second) and that looks not so smooth as that second picture from you, did you self something to it?

and Ant, thanks, i hope i will get better in it, so i can move on to really sharp, large files

[KR1156]

the second pic i posted was a little D&B i did to smooth the forehead and nose just to illustrate smoothing the tone a bit.

[ruud92]

all right thanks, i think i have tomorrow the improved one?!

[ruud92]

okey here is the new improved one, i did more D&B so the skin is now really smoother, and i did the nose also with D&B and on that way to shaping it, if you understand what I'm saying. let me know what you think about it now

AFTER, improved one

[KR1156]

looks like a nice job rudd....don't have time to look at it in detail at the moment, but the inside part of her nostril is very distracting....darken it or clean it up. and watch that sharp shadow you got going on HER left side of the face, starting to look like the dr. evil scar!

[ruud92]

thanks i cleaned and darked that nostril, haha and that 'starting to look like the Dr. evil scar' on her left smoothed I out now with the healing brush, and faded it out to 50%, And I make her yellow shadow and skin tone more pink like, not to much, but look by yourself ten you will see it

after fixing nostril + scar like thing

after fixing nostril + scar like thing + subtle fixed shadow& skin color

[ruud92]

oke, because nobody response anymore i tough to set a link with the final one, now with some healing brush actions (that i faded out for 50% ) , but for the rest is every thing done with D&B, I also did the eyes give more, 'life' and corrected the skin color. let me know what you think now

thanks

To see, click on 'final one'

final one

[SchlinkyMalinky]

Hey Ruud, Nice work there, seriously. If I was being hyper critical I would say the skin seems a little flat now, just lacks a little contour. Might be worth using a large brush (DnB) to get a bit of the lost depth back.

Overall really good tho and definitely an improvement from the first attempt. Keep it up!!

[ruud92]

Originally Posted by SchlinkyMalinky

Hey Ruud, Nice work there, seriously. If I was being hyper critical I would say the skin seems a little flat now, just lacks a little contour. Might be worth using a large brush (DnB) to get a bit of the lost depth back.

Overall really good tho and definitely an improvement from the first attempt. Keep it up!!

hey SchlinkyMalinky

thanks! hmm you're right, you mean something like this? (see link) i did only a subtle change..

more highlight