Photo Retouching - - Skin Skin Skin!

c19h28O2 · #1 07-05-2007, 01:49 PM

Guys,

I'm trying to learn to d&b but with this photo i'm having no luck. I keep trying on the left side of her cheek with a 50% soft light layer (as per Eismanns's book) but there is a lot of yellow when i zoom in and i'm not sure how to tackle it. i've tried sampling colors and going over it stroke by stroke but nothing seems to be working.

Would someone mind d&b'ing her cheek, smoothing it out so it looks like there is no lines etc and show me what is possible with it.

Or could someone give me some tips on how to tackle the different spreads of colors on the cheek (see the image for what i mean!)

Obviously I realize this is a poor image to work to but I still would like to see what is possible with it.

Thanks for any info that you guys have...

http://server7.pictiger.com/img/3831...ktop-neat-.jpg

edgework · #2 07-05-2007, 02:51 PM

Why dodging and burning? That's not the optimum technique for an image like this. Dodging and Burning is not really useful for large areas. It's much more effective for smoothing out subtle differences and imperfections that remain after the larger moves you might make with the healing brush, which is the tool you should use for this image.

The reason dodging and burning isn't effective for large moves is that you can lighten or darken an area to match the surrounding values, but skin is a series of multiple gradients with shifting values, hues and saturation levels. Just bringing a dark patch into the same lightness range as the surrounding skin will leave you with an adjacent areas of greatly differing hue and saturation.

superkoax · #3 07-05-2007, 03:02 PM

use gaussian blur and mask out eyes, mouth...then add a small amount of noise on a new layer and mask out the whole picture except the skin...

Gerry

c19h28O2 · #4 07-05-2007, 03:02 PM

As i understood it you can give someone a brand new skin via dodging and burning (if done correctly)

Maybe i'm wrong, just what i've seen / heard etc.

c19h28O2 · #5 07-05-2007, 03:04 PM

superkoax,

Thanks, I have done that type of technique but using the surface blur, but i just wanted to see what a d&b could do on this type of photo. And if anyone is willing upload the psd file to study.

nyxxie · #6 07-05-2007, 08:50 PM

c19, there's tutorial of it on here: http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=272

irshgrlkc · #7 07-06-2007, 01:28 AM

Hi C19h28O2,

The tutorial nyxxie provided you is much easier (im my opinion) than the d&b method outlined in Katrin's book (I get yellow and gray spots with it).

I used those methods and started work on your photo, it's not done, but am just showing you a half-way there shot to give you some ideas.

Good Luck!

superkoax · #8 07-06-2007, 03:49 AM

the quality of the picture doesn't let dodge and burn with the same quality as a high res picture...I would just do this with smudging and cover it up good...

Gerry

c19h28O2 · #9 07-06-2007, 10:50 AM

I think everyone is missing the point of my question. Yes I have done the whole blur and touch up with this photo thats fine and it looks great but now I would like to dodge and burn it. I've seen some wonderful stuff that has been dodged and burned, so I really see no point why it can't be done on this picture. However I would like to see her left (left face on) cheek done so i can actually see what can be accompolished with a full dodge and burn treatment.

Obviously I value everyones input, but please stick to the original question.

Thanks

LESider · #10 07-06-2007, 06:38 PM

I think you are missing the point. dodge and burn is very effective in making flawless skin that doesn't look blurred over and it is best performed on photos that have the skin in FOCUS. If you read the tutoriols here you will see that people are working with brushes as small a 2px and images viewed at 200+%
we are talking about pore size blemishes, small freckles and small blemishes,
the photo you are showing just does not lend itself to the tecnique you are asking about you simply cannot see the skin clearly enough, you could do a few broad/large dodge and burns but its not what the tecnique is all about.

c19h28O2 · #11 07-07-2007, 09:20 AM

LESider,

are you saying it cannot be done?

LESider · #12 07-07-2007, 12:30 PM

on the photo that you have I really don't think you can dodge and burn to perfect skin because there is not enough information in the skin.

D&B works on skin that has too much information and you see every pore wrinkle and imperfection, your picture is a little soft and quite grainy so you can't see the small imperfections, you can see some large areas of imperfections and yes those could be dodged a little lighter but its not what the technique is all about.

leuallen · #13 07-07-2007, 01:54 PM

Extract
Add new background
crop
Color Balance
Adjust density around eyes and forehead to make darker - curves adj layer + mask.
D/B to even out skin and remove blemishes.
Some eye work.

Larry

c19h28O2 · #14 07-07-2007, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LESider

on the photo that you have I really don't think you can dodge and burn to perfect skin because there is not enough information in the skin.

D&B works on skin that has too much information and you see every pore wrinkle and imperfection, your picture is a little soft and quite grainy so you can't see the small imperfections, you can see some large areas of imperfections and yes those could be dodged a little lighter but its not what the technique is all about.

Cool,

The only reason I asked is, this is the type of quality i will be working with (family members asking for a retouch etc)

Thanks for the input

Michael

c19h28O2 · #15 07-07-2007, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leuallen

Extract
Add new background
crop
Color Balance
Adjust density around eyes and forehead to make darker - curves adj layer + mask.
D/B to even out skin and remove blemishes.
Some eye work.

Larry

Larry,

Thanks for that, looks great.

Do you still have the psd for it? or at least the d&b fase of it....

Thanks

Michael