Newbie looking for smooth skin tips

[jace112]

Hi !
I'd like to create a really smooth skin for my portrait (as seen in ads for make-up). I had a look into the forums (search); but I couldn't find anything.
Can anyone help ?
Thx
[email protected] 112

[Mike Needham]

Simplest (whilst not the MOST efective) - duplicate the layer, add a gaussian blur of between 3 and 20 (really is to taste) then set the layer blending mode to soft light or overlay.

This will not get rid of blemishes and the like, but will create a translucent glow (fashion model look).

I cant remember the thread id now, but look under "Jennifer" in the retouch challenge section - also "Lisa" in the same section may provide some useful techniques.

If none of these are suitable, then if I dont answer first, there will be many more here willing to pitch in

[jace112]

Thx !
"Lisa" gave me some useful tips, but nothing was found with "Jennifer"...

[TheTexan]

Try this. http://www.texramp.net/~dcsas/teresa

She had very bad scars from acme. If you like this one let me know and Ill write the tutorial.

Tex

[winwintoo]

Please write the tutorial Tex - I would like to know how you did that.

Margaret

[DJ Dubovsky]

Hi Jace
Welcome to Retouch Pro. The challenge page you are looking for is not actually called Jennifer it's called Cover Girl and can be found here I think you'll find alot to offer in information looking through the entries there as well.

Texan,
I think a tutorial on this would be a welcome addition to the tutorials listed here. Please do write one if it's not too much trouble. We'd love it. You did a great job on her.
DJ

[TheTexan]

Here is how it's done.

I have used the overlay blending trick many times and I have never really been completely satisfied with the results mainly because there is very little control over localized blending or effects. That is why I use blur. Yes the secret is blurring.

first correct the image for blemishes and any other irregularities. Smooth with the clone tool, color correct, anything. It doesnt even matter if you get unnaturally smooth like a porceline doll face because you are about to fix that. Once you do add a small amount of noise within a feathered selection around the face area. Be sure to leave out the eyes and anything else that doesnt have pores. Use just a small amount of noise at about 50%.

Now duplicate the repaired layer. Gausian blur until there is a subtle and soft lense effect over the entire picture. Easy, you can easily overdo this. Place this layer over the original at about 50% opacity (suit to taste). Now what you see is a blurred picture. Take the eraser with a highly feather brush using pressure sensing and erase around eyes and lids, mouth and facial lines such as the edge of the face etc. If the person is wearing rings or jewlry, that too. What you are doing is removing the blurred image to reveal the clarity of the layer below where you want clear crisp lines and sparkle. This leaves the entire image with a glamour look.

The other technique is the reverse. Place the clear layer on top of the blurred and erase the clear layer to reveal the blur below. I use this technique where there is large areas the I want to "paint" the blur onto (by erasing). It gives me more control that the first way. It is what I used with teresa.

Each has its own uses. Somes times I blur the face and the hair differently to get different effects but the erasing techniques remain the same.

Be sure to add a specular highlighed sparkle to the brilliant points of diamonds, eyes and such.

You will find this is a great way to correct old photos also. I used it with http://www.texramp.net/~dcsas/nick

The entire lower layer was corrected severly. More so than you would normally do. What you are doing is really creating a painting pallet that your erase brush will use. I even colorize this overly blurred and corrected layer. Then I lay the original over the blurred layer and "paint" onto the original from the colorized, corrected layer below. You will find, after practice, that this gives you a artist paintbrush level control over the correction process which delivers much more sublety without the investment in meticulous masking.

Just another tip from Tex.

[jace112]

What a cool forum

I'm so glad I've just discovered this awesome forum !!!
You Guys are giving some really nice tips. I sincerely thank you all.
I hope some day I'll be able to answer to newbies as you do...
Thanks again to Tex for his tutorial ! I am just wondering if you can post the old pic...
I'll let you know if I manage to deal not to bad with this tip
THX

[TheTexan]

Here is the original teresa picture.

http://www.texramp.net/~dcsas/original

[DJ Dubovsky]

Oh Wow, she must have loved that picture when you finished with it. Such a difference.
DJ

[Mike Needham]

I almost feel 'cadish' to dare mention this Tex, your retouches are great and show lovely attention to detail, however (hate that word), the acne retouch might just benefit from a touch more noise in her face.

I feel churlish and petty saying this when you have done such a marverlous job

Look forward to seeing more of your work

[Blacknight]

Churlish? Now THAT's a word not heard in common conversation. I wonder how many grabbed for the dictionary when they saw that? Confess!!

[TheTexan]

I never mind critisism. I can always use as much as I can get. The problem I had with this one was that I had to do so much large scale retouch that I didnt find a good way to reproduce the pores from other areas. Usually I can create a "pore brush" that has the same texture as the normal skin then use it to add pores back in. In this case noise was the only real way and noise is never as good as brushed texture. I probably didnt get as much as I needed. I would have had to sample down to get a small enough pixel sized to make the noise less noticable and I didnt want to do that so I skimped on the larger pixeled noise. Clearly I should have paid more attention to that.

A funny story about this one. After making her look 20 years younger there was something wrong still and I just couldnt put my finger on what it was. After staring at the pic for a long time I reallized that I hadnt done anything to her 40 year old hand. After I did that it all looked the same.

Tex

[Jakaleena]

I normally use Dust & Scratches with the history filter to smooth skin. I didn't have any skin problem photos to work with, so I borrowed yours Tex (hope that's ok... )

Anyway, this is all I did:

1. Made a snapshot of the original photo
2. Ran dust & scratches, added some noise and made another snapshot.
3. Activated orig snapshot, pointed history brush to D&S snapshot @ 50% opacity and painted over problem areas.

I did this twice, and my sample here took about 5 minutes.

It's not quite as smooth and painterly looking as Tex's wonderful cleanup job, but it's simple, effective and very easy to do... Just a different approach.

[jace112]

Very effective indeed !!!
And fast too.