Matching colors after dodge and burn

[c0c]

Hi all!

Sure you all now that after D&B the dodge parts get over-saturated and burn parts undersaturated, getting as result a mix-colored (or must say mix-satured) skin.

This is very annoying and unaceptable in some works. I have been reading about it and the theory is clear: curves, tone-saturation and gradient maps. What I didn't found so easy was the way to put these theory in practice.

I tried but in some photos the colors didn't match at all, so I'm doing some thing wrong. I'm asking here for some tutorial or workflow that shows how to homogenize an image after dodge and burn. I know there's no rules about it, but still interested in see some of these.

Thank you in advance, and sorry for my english

PS: I do dodge and burn by curves adjustment layer

[rl-retouch]

Re: Matching colors after dodge and burn

If you D&B with curves all you really need to do is to put a hue/sat adj layer above the curve and click the clipping icon, the set the hue and sat to suit.

[c0c]

Re: Matching colors after dodge and burn

Do I really need to adjust hue? Which range of values are aceptable? between 0-10%? i know it depends of the image but when I change the saturation level the image looks pretty ugly...

I'm thinking of matching colors by curves, reaching the cmyk values from a near unretouched skin. Will it works?

Thanks for your advice.

[Aladdin]

Re: Matching colors after dodge and burn

This sounds strange. Usually D&B enhances the image, do you have a before and after example, just in case you are doing something wrong. Which technique are you using for D&B?

[klev]

Re: Matching colors after dodge and burn

PS: I do dodge and burn by curves adjustment layer

Not my preferred method, but there are a few things to keep in mind. First off is that you can build some amount of color correction into the curve if you like. If you're making a big change, it's likely that you will have to deal with colors that don't match. A problem there is that darker colors aren't necessarily a darker shade of the lighter ones. There's a lot more to it, but what's important is that you cannot count on one to be a darker version of the other.

There are a few methods I can suggest for dealing with this. Keep the curve layers to a specific region and build color correction into them. You can always use sampling and just move all 3 channels, and it's the easiest way to do that. You can make another layer in mode color then use the clone stamp to go over the really shifted areas. You can clip another adjustment layer for color correction to the curve layer. It can also be masked to a subset of the curve layer if necessary. You can pick a different method, but you are going to encounter this at some point no matter what you do. It's not something that is always avoidable.

[redcrown]

Re: Matching colors after dodge and burn

This video gives a good tutorial on color shifts in D&B.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h59iLvLMuOQ

The author is a frequent contributor on the ModemMahem forum, where you will find a lot more info on D&B than anywhere else.

[AKMac]

Re: Matching colors after dodge and burn

This video gives a good tutorial on color shifts in D&B.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h59iLvLMuOQ

The author is a frequent contributor on the ModemMahem forum, where you will find a lot more info on D&B than anywhere else.

That's a really informative video.

One other method which can be quick and effective is just to create a new layer in Color Mode and paint with colour sampled from adjacent areas, using a soft brush at around 20-30% opacity, and Fading (Shift/Cmd/F) to fine-tune.

I think it's important to know how far you want to take the correction of natural hue/saturation variations in the skin. It's easy to get too carried away and end up with a face that looks 'perfectly' monochromatic and unnatural.

[skoobey]

Re: Matching colors after dodge and burn

That's a really informative video.

One other method which can be quick and effective is just to create a new layer in Color Mode and paint with colour sampled from adjacent areas, using a soft brush at around 20-30% opacity, and Fading (Shift/Cmd/F) to fine-tune.

I think it's important to know how far you want to take the correction of natural hue/saturation variations in the skin. It's easy to get too carried away and end up with a face that looks 'perfectly' monochromatic and unnatural.

It'll look fine as long as you:

keep in mind that shadows, midtones and highlights each have slightly or not to slightly different hues

that areas of bright color such as shirts, leaves, walls etc spill color onto the model, and removing them will look odd

if the color loos odd, first check your shadding/luminosity. Often we perceive something as variation in color, but in fact it's variation in tone.

[AKMac]

Re: Matching colors after dodge and burn

It'll look fine as long as you:

keep in mind that shadows, midtones and highlights each have slightly or not to slightly different hues

that areas of bright color such as shirts, leaves, walls etc spill color onto the model, and removing them will look odd

if the color loos odd, first check your shadding/luminosity. Often we perceive something as variation in color, but in fact it's variation in tone.

Yes - it's crucial to understand how Hue, Saturation and Tone work together, and that Colour Mode is really a Hue+Saturation Mode. It can be very confusing, but you get better with practice.

[JDClosser]

Re: Matching colors after dodge and burn

There are many ways to fix this it just depends on the workflow you are using.
If you are using curves you can control the saturation within the curve. Just drag your white point down so you have a straight line this will desat your curve. The technique I use is a grey soft light layer so I usually address color shifts with painting on another blank layer set to color (as stated above), or painting on the grey layer with an opposite hue....takes some color theory and practice to nail that technique, or if your file structure permits for serious issues you can take the problem area onto another area with the original image....blur it until there is only color data and set to color while adjusting the opacity for the desired result.....same way you would correct color moire issues. There are too many techniques to list but these are what I find the fastest and easiest in my daily workflow.
Cheers,
JD

[dmeadows]

Re: Matching colors after dodge and burn

As mentioned it's good practice to clip hue/sat layers to your curves (covered here under Combating Colour Shifts), but apart from catching any further problems with masked curves it might be worth making a gradient map of the skin tones from a good area, setting it to colour blend mode and using that to paint over any inconsistencies, that should solve any colour issues.

[klev]

Re: Matching colors after dodge and burn

..takes some color theory and practice to nail that technique, or if your file structure permits for serious issues you can take the problem area onto another area with the original image....blur it until there is only color data and set to color while adjusting the opacity for the desired result.....same way you would correct color moire issues. There are too many techniques to list but these are what I find the fastest and easiest in my daily workflow.
Cheers,
JD

That's kind of why I suggest everyone do a little photoshop painting when they're really new. It allows you to pick out any color juxtaposition you want. Over time that would hopefully impart some level of practical recognition. Combined with good reference, it allows for some understanding of what is being visually conveyed to the viewer. Just to add this, a little noise often helps with moire. It also sometimes makes patchy color easier to spot if left temporarily on a layer set to soft light or overlay. You just have to be careful with it, as well as not overdo it. Things are sometimes hard to spot if the image feels a little flat, but what I just mentioned works as a visual trick.

[c0c]

Re: Matching colors after dodge and burn

Thank you everyone for your responses. Were very useful.