My very FIRST (High End) Retouch - please SHOOT!

[zeeakawanted]

Ladies & Gentleman, Boys & Girls,

My name is Zee and this is my VERY FIRST (High End) retouch! After about 2 months of watching PS CS5 tutorials and practicing on friends and family portraits I dare to go one step ahead and ask your opinion. So don't hesitate to comment and feel free point out any mistakes I made - I am fairly NEW to this retouching business but I am willing to learn!

Thanks in advance,

Zee

ORIGINAL by trb75: http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/5093/trb75before.jpg

RETOUCH by me: http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/7388/trb75after.jpg

[Boneappetit]

Hi Zee:

First, for a starter in retouching you did a great job. I like the fact that you left her looking very natural. BTW that photo is an excellent choice for retouching practice ... It was taken by a very good and professional photographer.

In retouching taking care of every small detail makes a big difference. The many marks I made here are just small details you should take in consideration. They are not huge mistakes, but if you take them a tiny bit further, your work is going to look great. I guess it is just a matter of even the transitions a bit more and clean a little bit more. If this was my work I would liquify the bumps of her shoulders bones, but that's me. There is also a 2nd tiny wrinkle below her right eye that should be clean, the other one looks perfect. And last, the stray hair on her ear.

Keep up the good work...

[Repairman]

Boy, you sure learned a lot in 2 months. Well done for sorting out the hair which is never easy. Bon has covered the ground and I would add that the nape of the neck has a dark line left over from the original hair which needs correcting. That said, you are very talented.
R.

[Pari Retouch]

Good start, I must say!
These are some critiques I noticed:
1. Eye lashes got too think, looking fake especially of her right eye
2. edges of hairs are looking fake add some strays
3. I see a black fringe on her ear and neck, evidence of hairs
4. Highlights in the eyes gor too white or shiny
5. Skin is blotchy in some areas, I would work on skin on face even more
6. lips are too chapped, I would smooth them out my healing and d&b
7. Some hairs on forehead are distracting
8. I would liquify the pointed edges of her collar bone on the shoulder and give a nice curve to her neck as well
9. Face needs d&b, sculpt the highlights and shadows
10. Skin tones could be evened out.

[zeeakawanted]

Boneappetit, Repairman & Pari Retouch,

THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH for taking the time to look at my very first work and reply!

All your comments and opinions are very encouraging and valuable to me.

I believe in self-education - speaking of, sorry about my not-so-good English! - so unfortunately I do not have a formal education in graphic design, but I'm a quick learner who works hard and is willing to take on any challenge! Also, I have a careful eye, an empathetic heart, and a patient mouse...

I am well aware that there is still a lot of work ahead of me, but as I said previously, I am willing to learn! My personal favorite in THE business is Natalia Taffarel - I admire her work and dedication and I'm a huge fan of hers. Most of my knowledge and inspiration came from watching her DVD.

Once again, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

I 'll try to follow your advices and I'll get back to you... :smooch:

[Siciliana]

Wow, nice work for two months of training! I'm also a graphic designer who is just starting in retouching so I am no authority, but I can offer my point of view as an artist who has painted and drawn the figure for years. I don't like the transition between the shoulder/nape and the background--it reads artificial. That is always something that is harder to achieve when you are painting in traditional media. Fixing the fringe from the hair will help, but I also just feel it needs more shading to draw out the contour and pull the neck from the background. Also, in my opinion, it really isn't necessary to have quite as bright of a light on the shoulder anyhow because it draws away from the face.

The other thing that stands out to me overall is the shape of the back of the head--it doesn't quite read as realistic--seems a too flat. Also, the vertical line of the head with the vertical line of the neck is just not appealing to me personally because I think it takes away from the flow of the composition. I agree with all the points made by Boneappetit and Pari Retouch, especially the one about the mascara. To me, the eyes are overdone--too bright.

I've attached a thumbnail where I pushed the head out and made a quick light burn down the neck--not the way I would do it for real, but just a quick visualization so you can see if you think it looks more realistic or not.

Keep up the nice work,
Amy

[Siciliana]

p.s.
My comments are purely my personal taste... you may have a different opinion and that is equally valid when it comes to some kinds of aesthetic decisions. I'm just offering what I see to give another perspective.