This will be our first tutorial on the subject of re-touching a photograph in photoshop.
We will be working on a photo of a model and using a few techniques to smooth and even out the skin.
Photo re-touching is a fine art used mainly in the media for magazines etc, that doesnt mean though, that we cant get good results fairly easily using a few photoshop techniques.
The starting photo we will be using :
The first technique we will be using is the clone stamp tool :
You use this tool by holding down ‘alt’ , selecting an area of the skin that is unblemished but near to the blemish so the skin tone is similar. Click on the clear skin, let go of ‘alt’ and click over the blemish - this will replace it with the area you ‘alt’ clicked with:
Have a play around with this, zoomed in to the image and go around removing the big blemish’s.
Once you have removed them, duplicate the layer you are working on and click Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.
Blur this layer by around 0.6 pixels :
Now staying on that layer and selecting the eraser brush, delete around the eyes and lips so these stay sharp :
Next, take the opacity of the layer down slightly, (right click on the layer, select blending options) :
Now we will create an adjustment layer, on your layer pallete window click this button :
And choose ’selective colour’
This step is a bit harder to explain as you will need to play with the settings by eye, these are the settings used in this example :
Once that’s done you should have something like :
As you can see from this comparison, a few simple touches can improve the skin texture quite a bit:
Related Link: Chicago Children’s Photography Amazing child photography and baby photographs from Chicago-based Shalimar Beekman.
Nice tutorial! And you didn’t overdo the retouching, which is so often the case. I would have erased the edge of the nostrils and the nose stud from the Blur layer … but that’s just me being picky. Good job.
Whats about surface blur ?
thank you for it help .
When retouching - yes, you should always duplicate the layer and then selectively remove things you don’t want to retouch.
The way you suggest doing it - using the eraser tool - is absolutely wrong.
Use a layer mask. This allows you infinitely more flexibility in how you select what you do / don’t want to retouch.
Using a layer mask has no downsides (aside from increasing the image size ever so slightly) - but has thousands of upsides.
I found PS’s patch tool to do an easier job of fixing blemishes. It maintains the texture of the skin, diminishing wild variances in luminance and averaging out the color variations.
Excellent way of retouching a photograph with Photoshop. It’ll probably take a little practice to make perfect.
You have really ruined details. Very poor tutorial.
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Nice one !!!
First time in your site.. worth the click.
nice tutorial, but i’d like to have Model’s phone number
she looked so fine until you photoshopped her …
needs more lens flare
Great tutorial. How did you decide what changes to apply to the adjustment layer?
Personally i also prefer the patch tool, I also prefer to remove hair and background from the blug asthis helps keep some of the detail.
I posted my effort here…
Nice tutorial, but why would you want to make the image look more plastic? How are women eve supposed to come to terms with thier own self image if people keep offering up doctored images as being “better”
Always fun photoshoping images. I gave the girl some lipstick, a new eye color and toke away some minor skin imperfections.
http://img79.imageshack.us/my.php?image=shoppedgirl8yt.jpg
howto:
* lipstick: photo filter
* eyes: color balance and brightnews/contrast
If you’re going to erase some of the blur area, you need to be careful. Her hair comes into focus then falls back out, because it fell right at the eyelash. It makes it really obvious of the photoshopped emboldened areas. If this happens, and you’re using this technique, you may want to lower the opacity of your eraser. Remember, the best Photoshopping looks like no Photoshopping at all.
I agree with Ryan Gardner…never use the eraser. I try to get the people on my design team to forget that the eraser tool exists. Use the layer mask every time. It will save you hours when a file needs to be tweaked later on.
Here’s tutorial for you:
Step 1. Don’t give any more Photoshop tutorials.
Step 2. Step away from your computer.
I’m with John and Ryan.
This is a great introduction tutorial. There are more advanced steps that can be done, but this is great at giveing a taste of how to do it.
Some of these posters need to take some mother’s little helpers.
complainers: lives may be required
seriously, given that you are evidently the masters of all things touch-up, spend 10 seconds and do something better, link to it, and make your point without appearing lame.
kthx
@Willy:
Waste time and effort to show that doing something better is possible? No chance mate!
I agree with the complainers. This is truly amateur at best. All the detail has been lost, it just screams Gaussian blur with some basic and pathetic erasing.
There are far better tutorials out there.
It’s just cheap and probably only here to give the author some hits to boost up his google adsense.
Hey great tutorial! Thanks!
@Chris:
Spot on. This is for people who want to make photos of the girlfriend nice. this offers no real tips at all.
the dude should learn about layer masks.
anyone can do this. this is bedroom retouching. you would lose your job if you did this for anything close to a pro level.
Please no more blurring=retouching Photoshop tutorials.
Humans have pores/texture/skin.
I don’t like the result. Tutorial is fine, but the result doesn’t look human
ah! erase the mouth and eyes - why didn’t i think of this before?
Here’s my Take
I don’t know anything about Photoshop, but this should be a useful tutorial
I liked this tutorial. It is simple easy, and works well. Not everyone needs to retouch there photo’s like glamour magazine. I just like to erase noticble blemishes.
To all the people flaming this tutorial:
Why not post how you would do it better and link here. Other wise, you look pretty stupid.
[...] Photo Retouching Skin [...]
Not such a good tutorial :/ have seen far better ones about this
im not a pro but i do know what is good and what isnt.. this tutorial is sending people in the wrong direction. why would you erase all detail. you forgot a few things that are very noticible. for one the earing looks like crap. and so does the nose stud. you should really look at other sites for tutorials and stop making them. even if this was just supposed to be something for my grandma to do (which she can do better) its still the wrong direction. like others have said.. delete that eraser
Oh please, those complaining sound really silly and stupid. Post something better if you can, if you can’t just GTFO and STFU.
Calm down people, as I said at the start, Retouching is a fine art - this is just a simple way that a beginner can get a decent result.
[...] This will be our first tutorial on the subject of re-touching a photograph in photoshop. We will be working on a photo of a model and using a few techniques to smooth and even out the skin.read more | digg story [...]
Here’s what i’d do if it were up to me…
http://www.chrismillerstuff.com/images/retouch-tutorial.jpg
Thats pretty good Chris, Im not sure about the change of background, it kinda takes something away. But i like what you did, especially with the hair to the left.
I do agree that the blur kinda messes up the final image … but sheesh people, for the most part this is a ok tutorial on how to retouch a blemish, unless you are going to have this image appear on some billboard it serves it purpose - give the guy some credit for taking the time to do somehing to show people ONE of the ways it could be done…
What about an example NOT using white skin??? It’s always white skin used for color correction, etc. Not all my photos have white subjects… Asians and Latinas more and more…
Thanks
All these people are complaining how this method is no good and what not… well post some “proper” method tutorials then…
Sadly I don’t find this a good tutorial at all. Many people think they know photoshop when they really haven’t a clue what they are doing. Here’s an infinitely better example.
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/3303/retouch2zh.jpg
This tut is obviously flawed. And the ppl who made the effort to make their versions evidently made a better job.
Still they all failed in being On Topic. I don’t see anywhere someone explaining how they did ! So I don’t see any better tutorial here. I just see better results, which is pointless. So -8 points to the critics for bragging and not helping.
On a side note, if the autor of this tutorial just wanted to have his girlfriend’s photo retouched… he made it !
I used a different background because it’s fun, i’m bored and i’m avoiding real work. I thought the lighting was better suited, and the color was appropriate. A fence is boring.
The main things I do:
Use a tablet.
Work on a copy over the original. Anything that you screw up and want to revert to the original, either erase out of the copy with a soft brush or clone back from the original.
Look at your copy over the original with different blend modes. Multiply, overlay or screen will sometimes blend better when cutting out hair, etc. If so, create an edge layer that uses that blend mode.
Try and keep your blur/sharpenss values even throughout the image, or across depth levels. That’s the main problem with this tut. The whole image is blurry except the eyes and mouth.
Blur manually with the blur tool and a large soft brush. This gives complete control to even out the skin/makeup texture. Near edges and details like the eyes, use quickmask mode to paint a quick and dirty mask. Hide the mask while you work with CTRL+H.
Try adding 1.0-2.0 of monochromatic noise to the finished image or individual layers to add life to any blurred areas. You can quickmask this as well if you want to avoid adding noise to details like the eyes.
Use the healing brush to even out blotchy skin.
Remove wrinkles and shadows under the eyes with the healing brush.
Enhance ambiguous shadow/highlight edges with the dodge/burn tools and quickmask.
Remove any overly whispy hair. Looks like she needs a trim or she’s been rolling in the hay. Ok, maybe it’s windy.
Use smudge and a 1px soft brush with a tablet to fix hair. Drag into, then out of the existing hair in different directions to create overlapping strands.
Play with hue/saturation. Sometimes +1 saturation makes an image come to life. I pulled the green midtones back and increased saturation about +2.
Satisfied? Let’s see more examples!
Chris.
I think those who are complaining about the complainers are missing the point. The value of the tutorial is not necessarily correlated with the quality of the specific image used as an example. A retoucher can achieve good results using a variety of different tools.
The broader questions are: when retouching skin, should you eliminate blemishes with the clone stamp tool, and should you blur out all detail in the pores. The answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT on both counts. It’s bad advice; following it will limit your Photoshop proficiency rather than developing it.
For skin and many other surfaces, the clone stamp tool has been almost completely superseded by the Patch tool and the Healing Brush tool. These tools are easier to use, faster, and give better results. Yes, you can simulate their effects with careful, laborious use fo the clone stamp, but you are better off just using the right tool.
As others have noted, skin has pores. You can’t just turn them into mush and expect to get a believable image back. The target appearance is not a featureless, blurry surface but the appearance of fine, shallow, barely-noticeable pores.
Simple enough and works for me!! who’s the cute chick ?
[...] Photo Retouching - Skin (tags: Photography photoshop tutorial howto retouching) [...]
[...] Photoshop & Design Tutorials Photo Retouching - Skin (tags: photos) [...]
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i must agree with Gsnyder. A clone, blur job is what one had to back in the day with photoshop 3-7. The heal tool is quick and clean enough to use directly on the image once you get a bit of practice. If you are really afraid, make a snapshot before you do any huge repairs, and selectively erase/blend your mistakes with the history brush. If you don’t know what i’m talking about, read the help file.
http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/928/21op1.jpg
5 minutes. smart blur owns.
Makistar, Ures is ok, It looks better than mine ne way. But it still seems a bit “plastic”. More “Vogue Covershot” than real person!!
Chris, thanks for the tips, ill have another play when i get home i think!
[...] Photo Retouching - Skin (tags: howto Photo Photoshop skin tips tools tutorial tutorials) [...]
[...] Photoshop & Design Tutorials » Photo Retouching - Skin (tags: photoshop retouch) [...]
hhhi whats your problem
I can understand that some Photoshop users and I’d be inclined to say, the more experienced Photoshop users are going to have a problem with the technique described in this tutorial. This being said, they probably all adhere to a ‘non-destructive’ way of thinking and working, which in a production environment is vital, because there is not much time to re-start a job if the source image[s] have been modified too exentsively. Therefore, if we consider other techniques, such as using layer masks, the patch tool or healing brush and so on, then this particular tutorial seems to fall short. So, if you’re new to Photoshop and this is the first time you have come across such a tutorial, don’t fret. You may learn some new techniques that you can apply elsewhere to your art work. Experiment with what’s here and if you are curious to see what else you can achieve, then certainly try out what has been recommended here and see the differences. At the end of the day, just have some fun! Is that not what Photoshop and design should be about?
Ficou só um pouquinho artificial, memos gausiano
makistar: I’m sorry but that’s so horrible wow. You made her look like a burn victim.
nice job TheKak, best touchup of all…
this tutorial is about the same that most girls do to their photos, blur out detials… my gf is obsessed with the blur tool, which is a pretty crappy technique, though not as bad as blurring out everything, as suggested above…
”
06/05/06 - 7:46 pm
Sadly I don’t find this a good tutorial at all. Many people think they know photoshop when they really haven’t a clue what they are doing. Here’s an infinitely better example.
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/3303/retouch2zh.jpg
“
Never understood those web designers who only reserve a 500px wide column for the main content…
put me down with the ones that liked the tutorial.
I don’t do this for a living, but like to touch up photos of friends sometimes, when they need it.
I use Corel Photo-Paint (older version) and had never used the clone tool effectively.
It’s tiring to listen to people who have never put anything up on the web to help unexperienced users do something and are complaining that it wasn’t what they would have done.
Thanks, again!
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Thank you so much for doing a kind thing!
I think its lovely of you to take the time to put an easy to use tutorial together for others on the net to enjoy and use.
I think its a shame all of those negative people had to write such nasty replies. I think the internet (sadly) serves as a place for horrible people to say smart and mean things to someone else to make themselves feel better. I’d like to see them say that to someone in person when they don’t have a computer and made up log in to hide behind!
I would much rather be nice and positive. It makes everyones day much more enjoyable.
Good on you for sharing ‘your method’ of doing photo retouching. Everyone has their own way and rules of using photoshop. We all do things the way we find works best for us.
You have done a very nice thing by sharing your ideas with people and that is a much more noble thing than tearing someones kindness down with rude comments on a forum.
Thank you so much and have a wonderful day!
Nicky:)
Thanks for that tutorial. Really helped and was easy to follow.
Toate frumusetile sint fiicele fotoshopului
http://glennferon.com/portfolio1/index.html
sry, but looks a bit unnatural
bra
really not a great way of achieving this, possibly the most basic, and certainly lacking in finese, like a sledgehammer,
i try what yu say to .. but they make a duplicate.. i dont understant.. like i take a * place of the skin* and when i click on it to clear some place they make a duplicate.. like 2 noise.. 2 smile.. appear…
Can yu help me.. why they so that?
[...] Retouching Skin - Remove blemishes and generally smooth out someones skin. [...]
Geez…. picky little bunch aren’t they? You guys out there who are profess to be the experts are quick to put a downer on a guy for trying to help. Don’t you realise that most of us are rank beginners when playing with PS and any constructive and easy instruction is better than listening to a bunch of whiners as you ppl appear to be. Give the guy a break and commend him for trying to do the right thing. Nit picking doesn’t do anything but demoralise.
lol I’ve never seen so many people complain and whine about a guy trying to help and people trying to learn…
I commend your efforts and I have used your technique to touch up many pictures of my girlfriend. She’s very pretty in digital photos but there are so many inconsistencies in lighting that some touchup makes the final image much more pleasant, and if a zit is removed, she’s not complaining.
Frecuencia Latina
quiero encontrar en linea nombre de jab n de esta pagina
me equiboco chicas . mundo del a o” por su constante apoyo de
esas cosas aqui retransmitida via tvca
Thanks for this nice page for CS Retouching
[...] Retouching Skin - Remove blemishes and generally smooth out someones skin. [...]
[...] less than jazzed about your photo, applying these simple techniques can take care of it for you. Photo Retouching - Skin [...]
[...] less than jazzed about your photo, applying these simple techniques can take care of it for you. Photo Retouching - Skin [...]
another tutorial, showing major steps of portrait retouching
Portrait Retouching: Glamour lips, Porcelain skin, Teeth form, Hairdo. Tutorial #4
http://www.half-lime.com/faq/?fid=937d16bb-1e6c-47a3-af9a-bc01b171568f
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[...] » Photo Retouching - Skin Photoshop Tutorial (tags: photoshop tutorial) [...]
the tutorial isn’t that good, but if someone is just starting out then i don’t see the problem?
if you want a photo touching up, do it.
i’d apply blurs and some noise on a duplicated layer, add a layer mask and go over the bits that need doing.
[...] Basic - photo-retouching-skin [...]
here’s my stab at it
http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=retouchnv0.png
THAT’S MY BEST FRIEND!!!!
use the clone stamp tool
This tutorial is very rudimentry and does not give the best technique for something so simple.
You have lost all detail in the hair and everywhere else. I do not use this method, and as a result, my final image is much better looking than yours!
puzozuhatocagicn
nice post
Jessie
Will you post on my comments too? Trying to make my site look popular lol
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How are things?
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Thanks, nice tutorial!
Hi. My doubt is in colour replacement. I would like to know how to replace the colour of a person whos fair to a person whos dark. Lik say the colour of an American replaced to an African. Can u pls help me out in it?
I totally agree wiyh Ryan. Ever use layer mask instead of the eraser tool. It’s more flexible.
just my take on things I like the picture myself to look alittle more real, this was done with image masking, hue saturation, heal brush, and brightness and contrast. take your time and you can get nice results just cause its a beginners tutorial doesnt mean it has to be a rush threw tutorial, all things done to this image here http://img292.imageshack.us/my.php?image=justmytakeonthingsub9.jpg
good try on the tutorial tho
djslide69@gmail.com
well now that pisses me off I went to the trouble of leaveing the damn pores in the picture and takeing my time to touch up this photo and upload it and the quality is lost when you view it on image shack god damn it
Not really the greatest tutorial in the world… For a start you blurred out a lot of the finer details of the image. Secondly you didn’t tidy up her hair at all, i know this was only a skin tutorial but to make it look half decent you do need to pay attention to other areas, and yes, NEVER use the eraser tool, layer masks are amazingly more versatile.
dave
Thnxss
Thank you Sir for this nice tutorial
i agree with john & ryan.
but,
the tutural, was good
[...] People Retouching Skin - Remove blemishes and generally smooth out someones skin. [...]
I have a touch-up tutorial that takes another approach other than gaussian blurring. You can link to it by clicking on my name.
Kool you are all lame and gay!!!!!
This site is truly a great resource thanks for all your hard work
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