[ChloeS]

Hi Guys,
I'm new around here, and so far have found some incredibly useful tips on retouching on the forum, so I thought I'd put my own question out there.

Below is a link for the site of photographer David Stuart.

David Stuart

You'll notice that the girl in the shot on the right has amazing skin to the effect of making it look like plastic.
I was wondering if anyone knows how to create this effect either in camera or in post with Photoshop.
I know there has been a thread similar to this about creating plastic skin but its really old and I thought there might be some fresh ideas out there.

Thanks!
Chloe

[Maroon]

It's pretty hard to see anything in such a small image. Have you found a bigger one? Obviously, there are a million ways to do everything, but if I were trying to get that look, I'd start out with some pretty severe healing and blurring, add a few highpass layers of different radii, and finish off with some manual blurred curves masks to clip the shadows and emphasise the highlights. Upping the contrast or adding a bit of HDR would also work, depending on your particular shot and how severe an effect you want. Of course, if you happen to have access to professional lighting, you can pretty much point, shoot, and print.

[mrbeagle]

Originally Posted by Maroon

Of course, if you happen to have access to professional lighting, you can pretty much point, shoot, and print.

lol just that easy huh?

[ruud92]

Originally Posted by Maroon

It's pretty hard to see anything in such a small image. Have you found a bigger one? Obviously, there are a million ways to do everything, but if I were trying to get that look, I'd start out with some pretty severe healing and blurring, add a few highpass layers of different radii, and finish off with some manual blurred curves masks to clip the shadows and emphasise the highlights. Upping the contrast or adding a bit of HDR would also work, depending on your particular shot and how severe an effect you want. Of course, if you happen to have access to professional lighting, you can pretty much point, shoot, and print.

never blur skin..

[Panascape]

I posted this tutorial for a method I created by accident while trying to do something else. It works best for creating a smooth base for further retouching of skin but in cases where the model has really good skin it is often all you need to do. It differs from most other techniques in that it uses the High Pass filter to target and remove blemishes.

http://www.mediafire.com/?cbjuonbj1vu

I have been refining it for a while and now find it works incredibly well once you learn how to manipulate it.

[ChloeS]

Thanks for all the quick responses!!

Maroon - this should be a bigger pic Skin Image.JPG(again, Picture is taken by David Stuart) I had thought about HDR, it just seems to be a bit more than just that...but I suppose he might just be really good at it!

Ruud - Thanks for the tip and please excuse my ignorance, but why should you never blur skin?

Panascape - Awesome tutorial, very detailed. I'll give it a go!

Again, thanks for the helpful suggestions...Keep 'Em Coming!

[karin l]

Hi Maroon
please excuse my ignorance, but what is HDR?
also, I am not sure I follow re the manual blurred curves masks. what does this mean? it it a curve masked to a particular ares that emphasises contrast?
is it the mask that is then blurred for blending purposes?
please explain.
karin

[saby]

Hi Karin l,

HDR means High Dinamic Range image, it's a picture created from several pictures of the same scene in different exposures, if U are interested in U can check our forum about it:http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/hdr-hdri-tone-mapping/

[karin l]

oh, ok, sabi, thanks
k

[superkoax]

never blur skin cause you loose skin texture/detail...the skin looks retouched with dodge and burn!

[ruud92]

the same as Gerry is saying, because when you blur skin the texture of the skin, and it look fake, as really fake. when you use the Dodge and burn technique, you have still the texture but a very nice skin. that picture you let see was definitely used D&B

[myfairies]

some of David Stuart's photos have a sort of metallic look, just as skin and also objects were made by bronze.
This kind of effect is also here (but in an stronger manner...) http://www.fotocommunity.com/pc/pc/p...isplay/7886820
I would really like to know how it is achieved.... any clue???

[ChloeS]

Awesome! Thanks Ruud and Gerry! Very helpful, I would never have thought to use dodge and burn.
Myfairies - I know what you are talking about with the bronze look, that's the next thing I want to try and achieve...someone I know seems to think that look is achieved by mainly using HDR...would that be right?

[toxic_snake]

My guess would be that they've used alot of d&b on the image, as well as maybe blurring, but I'm not really that sure about blurring there images, cause from what I know, a good retoucher never blurs they're images.

[superkoax]

Originally Posted by myfairies

some of David Stuart's photos have a sort of metallic look, just as skin and also objects were made by bronze.
This kind of effect is also here (but in an stronger manner...) http://www.fotocommunity.com/pc/pc/p...isplay/7886820
I would really like to know how it is achieved.... any clue???

that effect made the picture look really bad! the teeth looks dirty! the skin color is not balanced and the overall feel looks a bit weird to me! imo...