How to add hair...

[P!NK]

HiHi... I'm currently working on a project where I have to create a fuller, longer head of hair...then change the overall color. I'd like to know if there is a better way of going about doing this!

I have been using the lasso tool and selecting chunks of hair--copying them onto new layers and running a slight twirl filter on them. I also apply layer mask to the individual selections to help blend the new pieces of hair in. I then add a gaussian blur to the layer mask itself to help blend even more.

How can I add realistic pieces of hair around the edges without it looking fake?

Is there anything better/easier?

-Brooke

[BagLady]

Hi Brooke, I've had the exact same problem and used the same technique (except for gaus blur to layer mask)! On a new layer, I tried painting in hair strands around the edges with a 1-3 px hard, round brush... It still looked fake to me. Maybe there's some kind of blending mode for the painted strands layer.

I've often spotted retouched hair edges in fashion mags, so I don't feel so bad!

I would love to try a new technique... Hopefully someone can give us a bit of advice!

[snook305]

your smudge tool is your friend here..:+]
Snook

[Juergen D]

Use the Clone Stamp on the transition area between two pieces of hair chunks.

Juergen

[0lBaldy]

Bert Monroy method (here)

[P!NK]

thanks so much for the video seem's helpful! i will have to try out that technique and see how it looks... -Brooke

[BagLady]

Thanks for the input!

[snook305]

Don't give up on it.. once you get the settings right you can make really realistic hairs.. I do it all the time now with that technique (the Smudge tool)
Make sure you have it where is fades out the point (end) of he stroke. That makes it look more like hairs.
Also doing lighten and darken modes has it's use also...:+}
I know a guy that does not worry about masking all those hairs. He just cuts them and makes his own with the same technique..
Snook

[BagLady]

Ciao Snook,

More info on the smudge tool technique would be greatly appreciated

BagLady

[Artoucher]

Many professionals have other photographs of hair from the model they are retouching, or photographs of similar hair they dragged into the photo.

It's not plastic surgery where you must take the part directly from the subject you are working on.

[P!NK]

thanks art that makes sense... haha I never really considered using someone else's hair... I'm still "green" at this

[0lBaldy]

Remember what Artoucher said:

Originally Posted by Artoucher

Many professionals have other photographs of hair from the model they are retouching, or photographs of similar hair they dragged into the photo.

Hair textures are different.. if her hair is fine you need fine hair! the stolen hair should match in texture, flow and color to keep the headaches down..

[snook305]

Originally Posted by BagLady

Ciao Snook,

More info on the smudge tool technique would be greatly appreciated

BagLady

Sorry but it was already linked here..
They are on Bert Monroys's site:
http://revision3.com/pixelperfect/page/all/
All kinds of good stuff there..;+}
Check out making hair.
I would be curious if some one talking about using other parts of hair and putting it into another image? That sounds very interesting.. How do you do it..
Can some one post a link to some kind of tutorial?
What do you guys do.. mask out hair then warp it to the shape you want?
In any case would appreciate further info.. how do you blend it in etc...
Thank you
Snook

[BagLady]

Thanks Snook,

I've seen the tutorial... It's great! I thought that using the smudge tool was a different technique

I'm always open to new ideas!

I've used the copy, paste and mask hair method (have yet to find tutorial!):

1. Look for the right piece of hair within a group of photos from the same shoot (same model, same background). It's a bit like finding the missing puzzle pieces!

2. Select, feather, copy and paste many pieces of "good" hair to a new document (same size as image you're working with).

3. Drag selected pieces of hair to the image you're working on.

4. Adjust the pieces to fit (color, size, alter, warp, etc...).

5. Apply a hide all layer mask to each piece.

6. Reveal as desired.

This is my method... I'd like to learn others!

BagLady

[albatrosss]

Not sure if this applies but I found this method excellent. It seems to work nicely if you need to add hair to someone completely bald or else add onlya patch of hair. As you do the tutorial you will swear that it will never work. The results will probably surprise you.

http://www.worth1000.com/tutorial.asp?sid=161271

[P!NK]

Wow! Thanks so much...this can come in very handy! It looks like a mess, but indeed, it does turn out nicely if you have some patience! Heh It will be a great method to fix little problem areas Thank you so much alb! -Brooke

[BagLady]

Thanks for the tutorial Albatrosss!