What skill level needed?

[Doug Nelson]

We all know learning retouching and restoration can be hard. But how hard is it? Which of these items comes closest to matching the skill and knowledge needed for retouching and restoration?

[Ed_L]

I wasn't sure if you wanted replies to this thread or not. If you did, I'll just say that I've been trying to cook for 40 years, and the dogs still won't eat it! But - I think I could learn Japanese if I have enough years left, so that's my choice.

Ed

[DJ Dubovsky]

I guess we think alike Ed. Sionara
DJ

[T Paul]

I chose police training, because only a few decide to do it. It is also a service that people want especially when they are in dire need. But most importantly although you can be trained to do the job, it’s the ones that have the natural talent that survive the longest! *grins*

[airubin]

skills needed

I think that cooking and R&R require a very similar temperament. Both require patience and a desire to experiment. One must follow certain rules and develop the required skills, but there is unlimited opportunity to experiment.

[vogonpoet]

brain surgery.. attention to detail, steady hands, and knowledge.

in a nutshell ~Vp~

[thomasgeorge]

Rocket Science--Part physics,part mathematics, ever evolving, exlposively fun. Tom

[chris h]

You didn't put in witchcraft as an option and with brain surgery you can kill the patient, suppose you could be killed by the Customer !!!!

I'll have to go with with cookery as my results rarely conform to the supposed recipe.

[Chris W.]

Well I went with gardening.

A little research, patience, and of course tender loving care and you will have a beauty.

Now if you just throw it in the ground or in this case up on the screen and just mess with it a minute or two chances are you'll have a sad looking thing staring back at you.

I just keep telling myself, patience is a virtue....and I'm feeling very virtuous..LOL.

[John Philip]

Hair Styling! most definitely.

You can never stop learning new creative solutions to make something look good.

... and there is so much opinion involved.

Its the unnoticed attention to detail that differentiates good from bad.

fickle?

[Vikki]

Amazing. Just yesterday I was having a discussion about this very topic.

I compared it to "woodworking". It takes a lot of patience, attention to detail, practice, and the proper tools. And if you can throw in some artistic talent, even better!

[FrannyMae]

I've never really thought about it, but I think the learning curve with R&R is similar to a foreign language. When you start out you are pleased as punch when you can utter a few phrases. Before long you think you're doing great because you can carry on a simple conversation. But then you realize it will be a very long time before you are anywhere approaching fluent! So you keep practicing and try to learn from the masters...sound familiar?

[ajcutler]

I'd have to agree with Vikki about wood working. First you learn some basic skills with basic tools, and your work is pretty basic. Then you gain experience, read some books, learn from others, and then you are able to use more tools, and with a lot of practice you are producing much nicer work.

[Neve]

Being tone deaf and learning to play the bagpipes.

Seriously though, I heartily agree with Vikki, she put it perfectly.

[Robt]

I like playing with images almost as much as cooking and I think R+R vs. Cooking a great match. Both require a certian amount of knowlege but both are forgiving and not at times.

In cooking there are who knows how many different ways to get to the more or less same place. Same with R+R.

If you pick the wrong choice it leaves a bad taste in your mouth in both.

But, If you make the wrong choice in R+R, you don't have to go out to eat.