Real World Studio Retouching Experience...

[heyrad]

Hey Guys!

I've been working as a pro retoucher for over 15yrs. When I say "pro" I MEAN pro... my work is found in most magazines and billboards today. In my 15+ yrs I've been asked more times than I can count if I could show how I retouch skin. Well...


I finally got around to recording some long awaited tutorials. I've been asked so many times to demonstrate the techniques I use to make great skin. I posted a short comparison video...


Hope you're all getting what you want/need from this site. It's a great resource

Conrad
ConradDigital.com

[franko60]

Re: Real World Studio Retouching Experience...

So where's the video?

[heyrad]

Re: Real World Studio Retouching Experience...

sorry guys...

conraddigital.com/tutorials is where the comparison video sits

-conrad

[santoro80]

Re: Real World Studio Retouching Experience...

I like your work, but $299 (for your one hour tutorial on Vimeo) is really to much for me. :-(

[heyrad]

Re: Real World Studio Retouching Experience...

I understand... I guess it all depends on what you want to learn and why. If you're interested in working as a retoucher or having your work published, then $299 is a ridiculous price. If you're just a hobbiest, then no... not worth the money.

I add videos to the series when need be to help people understand the process a bit more. nobody's getting rich here. BUT... 15yrs of experience has to be worth something.

Thanks for the kind words!

[Rust]

Re: Real World Studio Retouching Experience...

Nice work! Looks interesting. Wish there also was some info on color toning images, setting the mood. I rarely see that topic in tutorials.

[heyrad]

Re: Real World Studio Retouching Experience...

Hey Rust...

Those ideas are pretty subjective and depend on the lighting and subject of each image. Not like skin where you KNOW what has to be fixed. I'm going to be placing more videos up very soon. i did a down and dirty version of "intensifying" an image.. TOTALLY changing the mood of the image- if that's what you're referring to...http://conraddigital.com/tutorials/mood.jpg

[santoro80]

Re: Real World Studio Retouching Experience...

Heyrad, I understand, but I saw many retouching tutorials and most of them are about the same techniques. That is why I am a bit cautious about investing money in any retouching tutorials. I think there are no secret techniques and everything you need to know about retouching is all over the internet. Your retouching looks great, because you are very talented. I dont you use any secret techniques, but maybe I am wrong. However, it could be interesting to see a professional at work.

[heyrad]

Re: Real World Studio Retouching Experience...

Hiya Santoro...

Far be it from me to try and convince anyone to buy my tutorials.. However, if it were so easy to find out how to retouch professionally then I doubt I'd see as much schlock out there.

I guess it depends on what you're after... I'm gearing my tutorials towards the up and coming retoucher who wants to earn a living doing so. Or the photographer who's trying to work in the industry. My stuff is really not for those who want to work on actor's headshots or grandma's vintage picture- all worth while endeavors...

I'm sure you can find all sorts of things on the internet... But sifting through thousands of videos looking for proper technique is a lot more of a project than I care to take part in. Yes... there are no secrets. Take Bruce Lee, for example. He did nothing secretive... he threw kicks, punches just like every other fighter who ever walked the planet. however, he did it BETTER than everyone else. Now I don't claim to be the Bruce Lee of retouching. I'm simply trying to say that a qualified teacher who knows what it is that the student needs to succeed is hard to come by and should NOT be charity.

Again, I'm not trying to force my videos down anybody's throat... I'm merely trying to meet the time and expense it takes to produce the product and believe me... My time is worth a great deal of money- just ask my clients

I'll be posted all sorts of free stuff to help educate the masses(you included) because I believe in giving back. If I put together a specific lesson plan and take the time to organize it and deliver it in a way that's easy to understand, then it's worth charging a small sum for. There are people offering DVD's for the same price and as far as I'm concerned they really don't know what they're doing.

Either way, I hope you enjoy the tutorials that I DO offer for free... I hope they help you in some way my friend

heyrad
ConradDigital

[Conradicus]

Re: Real World Studio Retouching Experience...

I look forward to seeing some of your tutorials. Will you be covering hair retouching as I noticed some hair commercials within your portfolio?

Thanks,

Conrad (that's right, another Conrad) :-)

[kav]

Re: Real World Studio Retouching Experience...

Hiya Santoro...

Far be it from me to try and convince anyone to buy my tutorials.. However, if it were so easy to find out how to retouch professionally then I doubt I'd see as much schlock out there.

I think a big problem is that people are often viewing commercial projects without understanding the cumulative goals or what is feasible in a given step. That could explain a lot of the schlock. I'm not sure how much commentary is offered there, but professional illustrators often put out their own videos. In the end they typically devolve into a "watch me paint" thing rather than offering much insight as to how certain choices were made or how far ahead they're thinking on a given step.

On a side note, I'm going to try to put together one later this year, as I want to see how much work it really requires. I suspect it will be an unpleasant surprise.

[heyrad]

Re: Real World Studio Retouching Experience...

Teaching others has it rewards Kav, so do it if that kind of thing brings you gratification. The "shchlock" I'm speaking of is the laziness... leaving warp trails or simply sand blasting skin. Poor color moves that block up shadows or blow out important highlights. Missed color casts. Simple things that come from learning the right way.

I strive not to simply sit and paint, but to explain what it is that I'm doing and why I'm doing it. I've been studying martial arts for about 10yrs now and I teach every weekend. Often times to small children... so I'm constantly trying to hone those skills. Whether I'm explaining the art of knife defense or how to dodge and burn a model's skin I always find a parallel.

My goal was to start a complete site dedicated to the digital arts, but it's taken a lot longer than I'd hoped for since I'm also very busy working in the industry. So, I place some stuff up on Vimeo to get the ball rolling and get a feel for who's out there and what they'd want. I'm beginning to see a lot of "gimme, gimme" attitude- prevalent on the net since the beginning I guess.

Either way, the people that want to learn and want to work will find what they need. I lose nothing by trying. I don't think you'd lose much either

-conrad

PS... My real name is Corrado, so I guess Conradicus... you're the only one
I'll be covering anything that people want to see. However, hair retouching is a daunting task and will take some time. I can't promise it'll be available for nothing

[Conradicus]

Re: Real World Studio Retouching Experience...

I'll be covering anything that people want to see. However, hair retouching is a daunting task and will take some time. I can't promise it'll be available for nothing

I'd be more than happy to pay for a great hair retouching tutorial. :-)

[kav]

Re: Real World Studio Retouching Experience...

Teaching others has it rewards Kav, so do it if that kind of thing brings you gratification. The "shchlock" I'm speaking of is the laziness... leaving warp trails or simply sand blasting skin. Poor color moves that block up shadows or blow out important highlights. Missed color casts. Simple things that come from learning the right way.

I initially contributed some of that schlock. I don't think I do today, but I know exactly what you mean. That doesn't include sand blasting skin, as I'm neurotic about texture. I probably used to gauge sharpening poorly though.

I strive not to simply sit and paint, but to explain what it is that I'm doing and why I'm doing it. I've been studying martial arts for about 10yrs now and I teach every weekend. Often times to small children... so I'm constantly trying to hone those skills. Whether I'm explaining the art of knife defense or how to dodge and burn a model's skin I always find a parallel.

Hey that sounds awesome.

My goal was to start a complete site dedicated to the digital arts, but it's taken a lot longer than I'd hoped for since I'm also very busy working in the industry. So, I place some stuff up on Vimeo to get the ball rolling and get a feel for who's out there and what they'd want. I'm beginning to see a lot of "gimme, gimme" attitude- prevalent on the net since the beginning I guess.

Either way, the people that want to learn and want to work will find what they need. I lose nothing by trying. I don't think you'd lose much either

It happens. I think part of it can be an issue of confidence in what they're really buying or possibly poor differentiation with other commercial products. I would think the people most likely to have both the funds and the desire would be photographers and graphic designers. Both have a lot of working individuals with vested interests and terrible retouching skills.

[heyrad]

Re: Real World Studio Retouching Experience...

So what exactly is it that you're looking for in regards to "hair" retouching? Mostly, hair ads consist of the photographer shooting about 100 plates and then it's up to me to "frankenstein" different plates of hair into the main "hero" shot to create the new "hero" shot. Then It's time to clean up strays, perform all shaping and spotting, beauty retouchig and then finishing. It's a long process and NEVER the same for every image

C