Yet Another Skin Retouch Method

[duwayne]

I have been working to master the dodge & burn technique for retouching skin but just can’t get to where I’m satisfied with the results. This is especially difficult when dealing with “blotchy” skin. I have been working on three images previously posted on this site. I don’t recall who the original poster was but thank a million for the practice material.

I started playing with an alternate approach that would remove the blotches and retain the skin pores. The following URL shows the three images after the retouch.

http://oosterbaan.us/Retouching-skin/

The following are the main step in the process.

Step 1 – Duplicate the background layer and run Filter-> Other-> High-Pass. Watch the preview window until you have a reasonable definition of the shin pores. Click OK and set the blending mode to Linear Light. Turn this layer off (click the little eyeball).

Step 2 – Duplicate the background layer again and run Filter-> Blur-> Gaussian Blur to smooth out the pores and skin defects. I used something around 10. Click OK

Step 3 – On this same layer, run Filter-> Noise-> Median to smooth out the blotchiness. I used something around 40

Step 4 – To this layer, add a Layer Mask Reveal All. (At this point, I turn the High-Pass layer back on go I can view the results). With the layer mask selected, choose an appropriate size brush and black paint to paint over the non-skin areas such as eyes, lips, shadow areas of the nose and anywhere you want to protect. I use brush opacity of about 25%. Note: The High-Pass layer will actually sharpen the image. Set to linear light blending mode gave some unexpected (and pleasant) results in the hair. If you don’t want to change anything except the skin, put a layer mask on the High-Pass layer.

Step 5 – A nice side effect of the process is that you can reduce the intensity of the result by reducing the opacity of both the High-Pass and Blur/Median layers. I think I changed them to around 70%.

I don’t think the results from this approach are in the same class as much of the work the Pro’s on the forum have shown and I wouldn’t send it to a publisher on a magazine. But hey, it only takes two minutes to do.

Comments and critiques welcome on the results and the method. I’m curious to see how the method will work on a larger sample of images. If it not worthwhile, tell me and I’ll go back in my closet and work on something else.

[edgework]

Originally Posted by duwayne

I have been working to master the dodge & burn technique for retouching skin but just can’t get to where I’m satisfied with the results. This is especially difficult when dealing with “blotchy” skin. I have been working on three images previously posted on this site. I don’t recall who the original poster was but thank a million for the practice material.

I started playing with an alternate approach that would remove the blotches and retain the skin pores. The following URL shows the three images after the retouch...

...Comments and critiques welcome on the results and the method. I’m curious to see how the method will work on a larger sample of images. If it not worthwhile, tell me and I’ll go back in my closet and work on something else.

Dramatic transformation, no doubt about it. The problem with the technique is that it is so obvious that it was used. The skin is smooth and blotch free, but it's not real. It screams "Retoucher was here!" After all, the whole point to retouching is that no one knows you were there.

A couple of suggestions: go ahead and keep practicing the grunt work stuff—healing brush, dodging/burning—as a precursor to any algorithmic smoothing approaches. It will eliminate the need to do everything through the blurring/texture replacement step. For example, despite the profound shifts elsewhere, the middle image still has the obvious hair showing through the shadows.

And check out these two articles:

http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=147
http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=149

If you want to do an automated smoothing that yields perfection, one that really lets you hide your tracks, this is the ace of techniques. It's working more or less on the same principle as your approach, but it's far more effective. More complicated, but infinitely flexible. They have the added advantage of having been written by one of the moderators here, byRo, and you will find no better approach, or explanation.

If you want a quick fix, try this shortcut version, which you may have seen referenced as the Degrunge Technique:
http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=213

These are the preferred methods here, with good reason. They work. But don't try to make them do everything. Judicious application within a fullly realized workflow can produce great results.

[duwayne]

edgework - Thanks for your helpful comments and encouragement. I've always view high-end retouching as an art form and I can't seem to make the transition from technician to artist. I think it's like playing the piano. When your fingers develop a mind of their own and you get the brain out of the loop is when you become a true master.

I have used byRo's degrunge method on many occasions but was unaware of the other two tutorials. I’ll check them out. He does some excellent work.

Most of the work I do is photo restoration and repair. Because of what you are starting with, you never get to the world of perfection the retouches live in. I’ll keep practicing D&B and maybe someday it will “click”. Thanks again.

[edgework]

Originally Posted by duwayne

edgework - Thanks for your helpful comments and encouragement. I've always view high-end retouching as an art form and I can't seem to make the transition from technician to artist. I think it's like playing the piano. When your fingers develop a mind of their own and you get the brain out of the loop is when you become a true master.

I resolved the art/craft issue for myself quite some time ago. While I certainly acknowledge that a creative element is involved in any decent retouching job, I've worked with artists, designers, and great photographers. I know what they do, and it's not what I do. And I'm cool with that. For the most part, retouchers are the anonymous mechanics behind the curtain; creative mechanics, to be sure, but mechanics nonetheless. While you have to develop a good eye for detail, this is primarily a learned process, a discipline that, when exercised in the service of artists, becomes part of the creative flow and part of the result. Mostly, it requires patience, the ability to remain in one position for several hours at a time and not go postal or swallow your tongue, and to not go comatose repeating the same task over and over and over and over. It also requires restraint, knowing what not to do, but that, too, is a learned discipline. The most important quality is the wilingness to resist the temptation to tell yourself that you can get away with a sloppy job. Once you start getting ruthless with yourself, the craft follows naturally.

[aaRonology101]

looks like an orange peel more than it does skin ..

[Oh_Heck]

Duwayne, have a look at this tutorial as well. Never hurts to have a multitude of approaches for a single problem. I personally like the control you have over different elements with this process.

http://www.photoshopsupport.com/phot...is_202-215.pdf

[duwayne]

Thanks for the link. I briefly looked through the tutorial and it look like it has possibilities. I'll try to get through it this weekend. Thanks again.

[aquariusbg011]

Very useful tutorial.
Thanx