[Flint123]

Hey everyone,

I'm new here, and I have been reading a lot on RetouchPRO. I like to retouch as a hobby, but one of the things I have noticed by reading these forms is my way of retouching skin is outdated.

When I retouch, I like to use the clone brush at a low opacity, while using a Wacom Tablet to brush the new skin on. But from what I have read, a lot of the people that work for the high end retouching firms frown upon it. So I’m just curious what is the new way of retouching skin.

I cant help but think that there are models out there that don’t have perfect skin to begin with, maybe a bit sun damaged perhaps. So if your not covering it up with a new layer of cloned skin, or perhaps a slight blur, how do you still achieve that model perfect skin?

[Markzebra]

Do a search on the forum Flint. "I cant help but think that there are models out there that don’t have perfect skin to begin with" - no actually they are all perfect specimens with pefect complexions, dont do drink, coke, and completely unaffected by the sun

[Flint123]

Ya, I was being sarcastic, when I wrote that.

[Lenny]

Originally Posted by Flint123

Hey everyone,

When I retouch, I like to use the clone brush at a low opacity, while using a Wacom Tablet to brush the new skin on. But from what I have read, a lot of the people that work for the high end retouching firms frown upon it.

?

news to me... I've been a retoucher for 8 years (low level) and the hi-end retouchers I know use the method you describe!

I've used the duplicate layer and blur only a couple of times to try out.. it can be okish if used very gently - mostly on poor quality images that have been scanned from textured prints.

[aaRonology101]

its all about dodge and burn, baby ..

[mayday]

dont do drink, coke, and completely unaffected by the sun[/quote]

You must be talking about Kate Moss Mark?

[wtowle]

This woman takes it a bit furthe rthan that, check it out.

[SteveB2005]

Originally Posted by aaRonology101

its all about dodge and burn, baby ..

Yes, I have seen ads that are looking for high end retouchers and they will specify "no blurring", pores have to show through and it takes hours of retouching to work on hi-rez images going to press especially, most shot digital med format.

I learned the easy 3 step blurring trick in a NAPP day seminar, which is fine for a fast fix, but not good enough for the high end files or magazine work

I have looked on youtube for a D&B how to video and so far, nothing has come up. Sometimes, I have to see things in real time and in video rather than following along in books

The D&B technique can takes hours of fine tuning as well and can go pixel by pixel to get a uniform look

steve

[wtowle]

I actually do some of that work for some high end new york beauty clients. What I do is a bit of a cheat , but it saves hours. Don't get me wrong , it still takes hours, but I first run Imagenomic Portraiture software(takes some learning on this software) then I do the remaining blemishes pixel by pixel. No one has ever known the difference. This software is amazing, but something I like to keep as secret as possible. We don' twant soccer mom photographers getting ahold of it.

[Flint123]

The 4 steps you attached, is the way I retouch. I think it’s still used a lot still, because I see in a lot of fashion ads (PRADA, D&G) that are still using that heavy plastic look.

[mayday]

Originally Posted by Flint123

The 4 steps you attached, is the way I retouch. I think it’s still used a lot still, because I see in a lot of fashion ads (PRADA, D&G) that are still using that heavy plastic look.

A long time is spent on those ads, they use D&B to even the skin.
You can't destroy pixels and get that sort of result on files of that size
and quality. Considering how much it costs to place a ad in one of those magazine they dont mind spending some time and money on the retouching

There's nothing wrong with retouching the way your doing it but thats not the way its done in a high-end environment.

[Ant]

Originally Posted by Flint123

The 4 steps you attached, is the way I retouch. I think it’s still used a lot still, because I see in a lot of fashion ads (PRADA, D&G) that are still using that heavy plastic look.

You must look at fashion ads heavily under the influence... Not blurred, ever. Like stated, say you want to run a full page ad in, say InStyle, it's costing them $116,400. The photographer and makeup artist are paid well as well as the others on the team to make the ad, including models. So, paying $40,000 maybe 40-60 hours in retouching and release fees is a drop in the bucket and nobody is accepting blurred images. These images are often repurposed also and made into point of purchase displays and billboards so the file has to look right and well printed in a mag as well as 10x lifesize....

[wtowle]

Imagnomic is an amazing software, and leaves all the wrinkes and texture if done right, then to go in and remove by hand. I do use it for mag print.

[Markzebra]

because I see in a lot of fashion ads (PRADA, D&G) that are still using that heavy plastic look. ! crikey. One way or another its evened out manually. There are sometimes plastic fantastic (mens mag) stuff where we still airbrush the hell out of everything and then drop it back, but its still done manually, no quick fix. You'll rarely find that crap on the pages of Vogue (even US Vogue! ). If you do see it there, everyone who knows anything is taking notes "where the hell was that done, Ill try and remember never to work with them". Skin has a complex pattern and you got to paint it in generally

[wtowle]

http://www.jeffstephens.com this guy is a skin god. And hey look at his client list ... Spanish Vogue! HA!