Preserved Topic: What is Your Favorite Complexion Correcting Tute

I have several grainy scans and just low-grade photos/technique in general and I haven't been satisfied with the results from any of the tutorials I've been using.

Does anyone have a really fine portrait-correction tutorial?

ThanX
Billie

Well, this may be off topic, but -

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haven't been satisfied with the results from any of the tutorials I've been using

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Well, see, that's the start of the problem right there.

Rather than having learned techniques that may be useful, and applying the different techniques you may have learned to this situation, you seem to be hunting down a tutorial when you have a problem. Using the tutorial for that problem and then hunting down another tutorial when you have another problem.

Which basically means you'll never really learn much about the program, and is just - in general - a very poor way to go about anything.

Now, perhaps I've inferred too much after reading your post, but I get the feeling I haven't.

.

So, back to the question - No. I can't point you to a tutorial to solve your problem, but I can suggest some tools/methods that might get you started.

1) Get know your Curves adjustment

2) Use quick mask mode to mask off areas that are grainy and use your gaussian blur (sparingly of course)

3) Use your clone tool to cover up blotches

4) Don't be afraid to use your paint brush

5) Be sure to check through your RGB channels for one that seems less damaged than the composite image - there are a variety of things you can use that for.

The methods for correcting photos (portraits or any other) are as varied as the photos themselves. Each poses different problems, requiring specific solutions.

In the same vein, specific questions will elicit more useful responses. If you can post an example of what you need to fix, maybe we can offer a solution that you can use.

Sorry if that came off as smart-assed, but hey, I`m a smart-ass.

quote:

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Well, see, that's the start of the problem right there.

Rather than having learned techniques that may be useful, and applying the different techniques you may have learned to this situation, you seem to be hunting down a tutorial when you have a problem. Using the tutorial for that problem and then hunting down another tutorial when you have another problem.

Which basically means you'll never really learn much about the program, and is just - in general - a very poor way to go about anything.

Now, perhaps I've inferred too much after reading your post, but I get the feeling I haven't.

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Mad Scientist, Mad you may be--a scientist you certainly are not. Your sense of tact is also over whelming.

All I've done was ask a friendly question.
Some techniques are more limited in results than others. I don't really want to use a lot of time experimenting with something that's never going to be the best way to go.

I came here to get advice from experts and from those who enjoy imparting their knowledge--those of you who have already traveled the road which I currently trod. I never meant to insult anyone or cause any flames. Just merely asked what I perceived to be a friendly question. Peace and harmony is the strength of any fraternity.

Billie

Hello DocileBob,

"What is Your Favorite Complexion Correcting Tute"

Do you have a favorite technique that you wouldn't mind sharing for removing, grain, moire, and wrinkles from a complexion

ThanX
Billie

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Just merely asked what I perceived to be a friendly question

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Uh....and all I did was offer an anwser.

And there was nothing rude in it whatsoever.

As someone who has "traveled the road which you currently trod" I gave some very sound advice. The first part was not an answer to your question - it was advice that you would do well to heed.

The second part *was* a pretty damn good answer to your question - now it's your turn to try it out.

Well you`re asking a very general question about sometimes specific techniques, but for wrinkles, the clone stamp is the way to go (in some cases) and in others, the healing brush/patch tools (PS 7) do very well. Sometimes you can get out the brush tools, and sometimes you can take info from another image.

Grain...depends on why it`s there. Is it in the image itself, or a result of the scan ? Is it more prevelant on one channel, or spread throught ? Very different problems.

Moire...See Grain.

If you can post an example of what you need to fix, maybe we can offer a solution that you can use.

:::krets.net:::

Okay... well I throw this out there for you... :FAQ: (psst.. click that image)

However... while those techniques will brush the surface (pun intended... woo... I so funny) of methods that you may find very useful to what you are trying to accomplish..
I whole-heartedly back up everything that DL has said.

oh.. and another thing...
I think you should post the image you want to adjust....
you're much more likely to get specific advice that way.

If you don't have webspace then email it to me and I'll post it.
michael@formclot.net

weee... yer all out of excuses... =)

[This message has been edited by Michael (edited 03-20-2003).]

yeah, grainy pr0n sucks.

Hello everyone and thanks for your help.

I found two tutorials that produce favorable results if applied sequentially .....
http://www.b-man.dk/tutorials/ps_hightlights.asp

followed by
http://graphicssoft.about.com/c/ht/00/11/How_Smooth_Skin_Photoshop0974085331.htm

I'll be posting the pic a little later--soon as I figure out the FTP address to my web page.

Thanks again.
Billie

Here's a picture--Is there any hope for it?
http://www.angelfire.com/oh4/midnitejam/images/PS1.jpg

ThanX
Billie

In short - no.

It would take a hell of a Photoshop job to get that picture looking decent. It could be done with a lot of patience and a lot of the brush tool. If this is your first try, I'd go with something easier first...

:::krets.net:::

Lee Varis has an excellent tutorial on glamor and beauty retouching. It's a PDF file. Grab it at: http://www.varis.com/Navigation/Steps.html

(along with some other pretty fabuous articles as well)

Note that he started with a pretty high quality capture. If your originals are of sketch quality to begin with, this may not be a whole lot of help.

My problem with most of the complexion tutorials out there (including the one you linked to) is that they tend to wipe out the sense of skin. Even "good" skin has texture. Blurring to eliminate flaws also eliminates any realism.

My problem with the clone tool is that, unless you are VERY careful with it, it too either calls attention to itself or eliminates realism. Clicking (NOT dragging) with a hard edged clone brush is a good way to eliminate localized moles or blemishes; the healing brush in PS7 is good too. But these don't do real well with wrinkles.

Katrin Eisman has a good book on retouching. One of her approaches to wrinkles is to use a layer set to overlay blend mode and very gradually "dodge" the wrinkles using a soft brush at low opacity, and starting at the "younger" (outer) end of the wrinkle, gradually working inward. Yes it is slow and painstaking. No, there is not a simple one-click answer.

I'll share one other tip, by Dan Margulis, my personal PS god. This sounds very confusing, I know. You'll get it if you play some.

starting with your portrait on the background layer, make THREE copies of that layer (so you end up with three identical layers PLUS the background). Hide the top two temporarily.

- on the layer directly above the background: blur slightly (amount varies depending on the file size), lighten slightly with curves, and set the layer blend mode to DARKEN. Sounds odd, but it slightly darkens the textured part.

-on the next layer up, again blur slightly, darken slightly with curves, and set layer blend mode to LIGHTEN.

- finally, on the top layer, hide all with a layer mask (option/alt click the layer mask icon) and paint back in the parts that should be sharp: eyes, hair, jewelery - basically everything but the skin.

Give it a try. There is no EASY way to smooth complexions in a believable way. It's judgement and skilled hand work. That's why the folk who do the glossy magazine covers get paid a lot.

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http://www.varis.com/Navigation/Steps.html

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WOWEEE!

THANK YOU STEVE!

This is the kind of stuff I was looking for. Haven't tried it yet, but reading it was eye candy.
Gonna try it tomorrow

Billie

Here's a snapshot of my Son While home from the Navy last Christmas.
I used an Olympus C-3030 Zoom (3.4 megapixel) to take the snapshot. No other lighting except for the built-in flash.
I did the complexion with Kia Photo Soap;
the cutout was with MicroSoft's Image Composer;
the gradient background was the first time I tried using PhotoShop
http://frontpage.tripod.com/midnitejam/FilesForDownload/Mike121301-f.jpg


This forum has helped me throw away all of my other photo-editing applications.

Billie



[This message has been edited by billiewebbjr (edited 03-23-2003).]

Shoot! I'm really sorry about the web page in the above post...
Here's another attempt.
http://www.angelfire.com/oh4/midnitejam/images/Mike121301-f.jpg





[This message has been edited by billiewebbjr (edited 03-23-2003).]

quote:

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This is the kind of stuff I was looking for. Haven't tried it yet, but reading it was eye candy.
Gonna try it tomorrow

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Disappointed
I tried to follow the two above tutorials. I had difficulty relating the Pre-PS V.7 Macintosh instructions.

My cat could follow the tutorials found elsewhere on this forum. I just need more experience, huh?

Yep. But the good news is, it sounds like you're motivated (and have a cat of superior intelligence), so I think it's fair to say you will prevail.

I've learned more stuff by "making mistakes" while following a tutorial than I have by getting it exactly "right" the first time.

another tutorial,

a quickie guide to that: glamour shot look


edit:you may have to join (free and no spam mail)



[This message has been edited by tomeaglescz (edited 03-24-2003).]

try this one: http://epaperpress.com/psphoto/index.html

click on the color correction tab...also check out the others. good stuff.

I took a shot at your posted pic, but I`m not pleased.
I`ll try again soon.
Also , another great resource is RetouchPro . Lots of good people there and tons of tips and practice challenges and stuff.

Hey, that's not bad bob! If you scanned this picture in then there are some things in the FAQ about moire.

Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~