Skin texture- Help

[novella]

I am new to this retouching business, and I have serached this forum but I can't seem to find anything that helps me recreate a real type of skin texture.


I have attached a picture of a photo i smoothed the skin out on, but it looks a little plastic.

[0lBaldy]

novella, , welcome to RetouchPRO! Nice to have you aboard and hope you enjoy the learning.

click here then scroll down to "STEP 5. Adding Skin Pores and Texture Back Into The Image"

[novella]

Thanks 0lBaldy! That should help a lot!

[jimlafferty]

Another option is to not remove it in the first place -- just d&b out the blemishes.

[novella]

her skin was really lumpy :S

[jimlafferty]

Well... nothing d&b can't help... it's just a lot more work

Nothing great comes easy, as they say.

[sidhebeauty]

degrunge. http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=213

My technique varies a little but play with it.

[ray12]

I have developed a skin pore texture mask that allows you to paint in perfectly captured skin pore textures where ever you want them. You control the strength and the placement of where you want the pores to appear. Since the mask comes from a NYC model...the textures are also accurate for each area of the face.

You can PM me if you like and I can send you a mask that is sized for web sized images.

Ray

[ray12]

Had a few minutes today.

Here is a quick before and after... adding in just a little skin pore texture. One trick is to add in some "Token" skin pore textures in some key places (like the cheek area for example). This gives the viewer the "Sub-liminal Impression" that there is skin texture in the image... without having to do the whole face. They expect texture to be there...and when it appears to be there...then they accept it and move on. Often visible texture comes in and goes out of prominance throughout an image...because of actual skin, focus, lighting etc....so there does not have to be texture "everywhere". Obviously if you have scrubbed an area smooth with the clone tool...then just adding back in a hint of texture in those places...makes your smoothing work less visible and noticable.

Small detail is sometimes hard to see here in small file sizes. We'll see how the attachment comes out.

Everybody has their own judgement on how much texture and where to put it...so using layer adjustments...it can be totally adjustable to your own tastes and needs.

The attachment turned out a little bit subtle because of the 100k limitation...but id rather be a bit subtle here rather than crank the texture up...and be trounced on!!! LOL Its just enough here to see that its not overly smoothed.

Ray

[ashphotoart]

Hi ray,

really interested to know the technique you used to add skin pores. it may be different to mine method. Pls tell here step by step process.

Thanks.

Ash

[ray12]

Hi Ashphotoart,

The skin texture workflow is somewhat kind of guarded at this point. It involves using skin texture masks that have the accurate pore details imbeded in them...and then the details are selectively applied to different areas... in different strengths... as desired. There are full screen skin pore patterns, skin pore masks for the different areas of the face, and skin pore retouch brushes.

There are several retouchers here in NYC that have devised the methods after being frustratated so much and having too many hours at Dodge and Burn. Several of us are teaching it...and soon there may be a web site up with a full training DVD...but its not up presently. A couple of times every month or so I have held occasional on-line internet training sessions in the techniques...and also do hour long techniques and principles of glamour retouching at some other times.

[amora]

you should try high pass filter and history brush

[Stephenbyron]

Ray let me know when you'll be giving training sessions....im in NYC as well.

[ray12]

Hi Steve,

I do a daily... live... on-line training broadcast... on the techniques of "The New York Style of Retouching". Its usually at 12pm EST for us guys on the East Coast and 7Pm PST for the West Coast. You can PM me here and I can give you a course description and connection details if you like.

Ray 12.

[Daviskw]

Below is another quick try..a little rough for now. I exaggerated the pores for this example.

I just quickly found a model..with pores.

I made a rough selection of her skin...then desaturated and altered with the Highpass filter.

Then I pasted over the original and changed the layer mode to overlay.

Then a little masking.

Butch