How do you make even gradient skin transition?

[nebulaoperator]

Originally Posted by Siciliana

Tom, I hate to say this but I liked your original better. The new one looks too obviously retouched and that angular line down the nose is too much for me. She looks a little too space-alien now. I also think it looks too obviously dodged or painted over. This is just my personal opinion but I think you went too far. It is easy to do... I know I have been guilty of this in my own attempts. You have managed a smoother tonal transition in the cheeks and forehead, but pull back on the reins.

not a problem I will look into it with fresh eyes today. I believe it was to much og blurred 50 grey. It is so easy to fall in to trap. But one thing for I know more pixel level DnB gave me smoother transition before my exaggeeration took place . Thanks

[nebulaoperator]

Originally Posted by adtechniques

Thks Jonas and Siciliana, I like your idea. I have to play with this.

@nebulaoperator
Well from adding B&C layers I am getting lost there. How clipped lighten can influence mine (let's say) IHP21.?? <<< make B&C adjustment layer, change blend mode to Lighten and put IHP layer above it and clipped.

Don't get me wrong I know how to clip layers

[adtechniques]

Originally Posted by nebulaoperator

Don't get me wrong I know how to clip layers

I thought it looked like this

[Der_W]

I just came up with this idea for this discussion :-).
Personally I don't use bandstops very much, so I had never looked into developing those techniques before ;-).

As far as blend if is concerned, you can still use it in combination with the B/C layers :-).
I'll upload a PSD file that will hopefully explain the basic concept a little better than my previous explanations: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7124285/Fore...O/Bandstop.psd (photographer: Aesthethe Studios)
Also make sure to check the layer options for the individual bandstop filters - they are further masked by blend if.

Edit: Uploading may take a while so if it doesn't work, try again later :-).
Edit #2: Should be up now :-).

[nebulaoperator]

Third try: http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1322843770
this one was back to square one . more pixel DnB Little bit of curving and a touch of IHP.

[nebulaoperator]

@Der_W
In fact It was quick upload. Thank you very much for taking time and making it..
What do you do with image layer before you convert it to smart object. Followed your steps from psd but got a strange effect doesn't look like IHP.
And that's me it takes me a bit longer with numbers

[Der_W]

Before converting the image to a smart object it is just inverted :-).

You can of course set up predefined values for IHP in actions if you're slowed down by entering a few numbers, for me the benefits are bigger than the downsides but to each their own as they say.

[nebulaoperator]

@Der_W
I got it working this time. It gave me more realist look/transition on the skin.
Are you willing to explain how it works and how much of this filter to apply?
Thanks Tom

[Der_W]

How it works?
I thought you already knew about how IHP works, this is nothing different :-).
Instead of halving the contrast with Brightness/Contrast in legacy mode I used the custom filter though, but otherwise it's exactly the same as the usual IHP.
The radius for the high pass should be high enough to clean up your transitions, the radius of the Gaussian blur should be about 1/3 of it, sometimes more or less depending on how much texture you want to preserve.

[nebulaoperator]

I know how IHP works just never saw how custom filter works and how it fits into IHP. :_)
I was curious how do you determine what colour values to choose for 50 grey layer when you do carving? Or is it just black and white.

[Der_W]

For carving I mostly use standard black and white colors. In rare cases where there is discoloration, it can also help to pick up a bright and a dark skin color and desaturate them to do your dodge & burn, but for carving I don't think, I ever needed to do this :-).

[Siciliana]

I like the third attempt! I think you struck the right balance there.

[nebulaoperator]

To resume this thread for now I found that DnB is most important step to smooth skin gradient transition. And only on top of that can be applied other short cuts/help with reasonable consideration in order to preserve natural skin. Still way to go but happy to come to that conclusion my self.
Thank you very much Der_W Siciliana taking your time and guiding me.

[Siciliana]

I never did get back to this, but I should say that I tried using Jonas' idea. Using a channel as a mask, I created a mask for part of the face that was lighter than 50% luminosity, and used that for the B/C layer that was set to lighten. I inverted the mask and created a mask for the parts of the face that were darker than 50% luminosity and used that for the B/C layer set to darken. Playing with the effect/opacity produced an effect that was better than the regular IHP.

I personally do not like the IHP. I see a lot of retouchers that use it and it is obvious to recognize because it leaves a sort of repeating pattern in the pores. The way that Gry Garness uses it is more appropriate. She calls it "digital powder". To begin with she slides the "blend if sliders" in order to get a more realistic effect without the weird edges, than she masks it completely. From there she uses a low flow/low opacity brush to apply it lightly, as you would apply a make-up powder, just a little to tighten the pores, that's all--after you've already done the d&b.

[nebulaoperator]

To be honest I like using luminosity masks every where fro changing light to colouring. Luminosity is my very good friend
I have Gry's book and her methods amaze me by her simplicity and of course if slider thing.
)

[r*po]

Originally Posted by nebulaoperator

Thank you everyone and here is my second try: http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1322786667

I agree that theres a lot I like about the original version and teh latest is too much for my taste. I like that it holds more of the natural skin. I don't think it needs a whole lot more, fix the hotspot. go a bit further with evening the tone in spots but not as far as you did. I also think cropping this image would make it a lot stronger and then playing with the color.

I personally like some things Francesco Carrozini is doing in this regard. some of his images have spots/ smudges that other retouchers wouldn't leave. Maybe its a mistake but I think it has a nice effect in his images.

http://www.thing-of-beauty.com/heidi...-vogue-germany
I think the clone stamp was used here a lot for the film like skin texture.
but this is a softer retouch, more portrait style than the glamour style I think you are going for.

this color one maybe more along what you are going for and shows the same thing
http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/4...arrozzini9.jpg

its the image on the right and I know this is too small to tell but I just saw this image the other day and I dont see it online anywhere now that Im searching for it.

his sites a bit cumbersome but you may find itthere, ill keep looking
http://www.francescocarrozzini.com/

as far as skin goes for beauty Amy dresser is a great retoucher obviously but I tend to look to Rankin's work for nice skin and I have no idea who does it.
http://rankin.co.uk/beauty

I wish I could tell you how to get closer to these guys but Im just not there, or closer to what I want to do anyway.

a look I think you are going for that could also be really nice is this that terry richardson "did" for YSL
http://womenmanagement.blogspot.com/...fall-2010.html

again I wish I could get you there from what you have and I'm confident its possible but I just havent gotten there either and maybe someone else will be able to guide you better. It 'd be helpful for me too.

hope its good inspiration anyway.

cheers
rp

[r*po]

Originally Posted by nebulaoperator

Third try: http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1322843770
this one was back to square one . more pixel DnB Little bit of curving and a touch of IHP.

I posted without seeing there was a second page that had your third version.

I think that's really nice skin. You still may want to do something about that hotspot on the forehead if Im looking for things. Also, still think cropping would make the image stronger. I like the idea of the feather background color and texture but its too blurred to add more than it takes away from so much space.

[nebulaoperator]

@r*po

Thanks for input and lots of links. It is the hardest part to translate ideas . I find it not very easy. Talking about crop I don't find right crop for this image. I tried quiet a few times just doesn't feel right to me. How would you crop it?
Hotspot starting to annoy me though but still feel chillax about it