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Enhancing skin texture for beauty ads. how?
ricbuchner
Registered Users Posts: 17 Big grins
Hello,
Im new here, and yes I searched before posting, and nothing came...so, now Im asking for your kind help!!
Im quite impressed with some fashion glossy magazine ads (of cosmetics and fashion... from Dior, Lancome, Prada, etc...) The skin is always flawless, very uniform (but not smooth or plastic). You can see very clearly all pores (with specular highlights) and almost liquid shadows.
I asked in many lighting forums and they told me that just lighting is not the answer. Mostly the light is pretty flat (a beautydish, umbrella or softbox overhead).
Ive been persuing this effect for quite a while, and is tough to find this secret...
Maybe edgework might have the answer (hes a pro retoucher).
As examples of what Im asking for, here it goes:
http://philippesalomon.com/v2/beauty1/photo.html?photo=20
as you can see, its not noise filter from PS, but real skin texture...
Maybe some LAB workflow could bring this detail up to an image.
Thanks a lot and Im really glad to find this place - great for advanced retouch info!!
Ricardo
Im new here, and yes I searched before posting, and nothing came...so, now Im asking for your kind help!!
Im quite impressed with some fashion glossy magazine ads (of cosmetics and fashion... from Dior, Lancome, Prada, etc...) The skin is always flawless, very uniform (but not smooth or plastic). You can see very clearly all pores (with specular highlights) and almost liquid shadows.
I asked in many lighting forums and they told me that just lighting is not the answer. Mostly the light is pretty flat (a beautydish, umbrella or softbox overhead).
Ive been persuing this effect for quite a while, and is tough to find this secret...
Maybe edgework might have the answer (hes a pro retoucher).
As examples of what Im asking for, here it goes:
http://philippesalomon.com/v2/beauty1/photo.html?photo=20
as you can see, its not noise filter from PS, but real skin texture...
Maybe some LAB workflow could bring this detail up to an image.
Thanks a lot and Im really glad to find this place - great for advanced retouch info!!
Ricardo
0
Comments
You could also look here.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
The healing brush is your best friend. Be wary of any blurring techniques, and only use them as an additional step after you've done the major work with the healing brush. It behaves strangely if you move it too close to an area of significently different lightness or color, sucking the nearby pixels into the area you're trying to fix. I don't know if that's a bug or a feature, but I hope they don't change it because nothing works as well to create smooth transitions over a sharply defined edge.
Start with the brush very small, just slightly bigger than the artifacts you're trying to remove. Sample often from areas nearby. It's the nature of the tool that it tries to preserve the color and lightness of the target area while applying the texture from the sampled area so you won't always get the result you want on one pass or ten passes. What happens is that it will split the difference in values and eventually arrive at a median result. When you are trying to blend an edge, scribble randomly over it, several times with different sample points. The pixels will spread over the gaps. It takes many applications, but you'll never get that blurred out look that straight cloning can't avoid.
Start in close with a small brush and zoom out in progressive steps. Keep your screen resolution to even multiples of 100: 50, 25, 12.5. Areas that look good up close can sprout odd artifacts as you move out. This is not just a trick of the screen; usually those artifacts will print that way. Increase the size of the brush as you zoom out and deal with any new imperfections that show up in the same way.
This sounds complicated but usually it's a 10 minute session that's mostly repetitive moves, smoothing things out, getting the tones to blend. Look for anything that seems to be a line, a shape, a sudden transition. Smooth skin doesn't have sudden transitions. It's all even curves and gradual blends of light. If you notice anything, it shouldn't be there. Smooth skin doesn't call attention to itself in any specific area.
Many magazines (Elle, FHM and the like) are adament about this being the only thing to be done. No blurring. The samples you provided might well get bounced by many art directors. They want it natural. It needs to look like a real-world photograph, just of someone who was born with flawless skin. On the other hand, they're usually too cheap to spring for models who were born with flawless skin so you have to cheat anyway.
One technique that can be useful (it takes practice to get a feel for what works; can't just put it in an action) is to dupe the retouched version twice. Blur the first layer with something besides Gaussian Blur: Median is effectifve in that it retains edges; smart blur and Surface Blur can also work. Blur just enough to ease the transitions. Don't worry if the pores go south, though you don't want to turn things to a total wash.
Set the second layer (the one on top) to Hard-light mode (Overlay and Soft Light are options as well, with less intense results). Now run the High-Pass filter on the layer and adjust the radius slider to taste. It's pretty straigtforward: higher values give more texture. You'll probably get some halo-like artifacts in places but don't worry about them. The only thing you're looking at is the skin.
Now create a layer set out of both layers and add a layer mask. Paint out any areas that need to be clear: lips, eyes, eyebrows, any place where a defined line would be expected.
Keep in mind that all this should be restricted to the skin only. If you're comfortable with blending sliders, you can further restrict the blurs to the ranges that are most in need of smoothing. You might also create a selection from the entire image (Cmd-click on the composite channel of whatever color space you're working in) and set a layer mask with the selection active. That will reducce the effects in shadows and dark tones whis is where the detail lives. In short, blurring works, if you target it properly.
If you've been following any of the LAB discussions here, you'll understand why I suggst that you do all your work in lab. (If you haven't been following, treat yourself to some lively discussions that will revamp your thinking about color and images). The product in these techniques is smooth transitions. LAB is far and away the color space of choice when it comes to keeping unwanted tones out of the transition areas. Also, there are some pretty nifty tricks with the A channel that can help you with seriously blotched skin, but that's getting into other areas.
—Korzybski
How about writing a tutorial for this for our dgrin.smugmug.com tutes?
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
Agree with you! :-D
Edge, this is the best idea I've heard all day
DavidTO can give you all the info you need
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
—Korzybski
I will look forward to the tutorial!
Sam
Im so glad I started a thread that would interest so many folks here!!!
Edgework, thanks so much for your time explaining such small details about this matter, you have no idea how you cheer me up today (maybe Im close to an answer, finally!!!)
You are right, maybe the example I provided is not a perfect one (maybe I could find a more updated one) it looks kinda too "80'ish" or "90'ish" for my taste (gloosy dark lips, etc), anyway... Im sure you undestood my intention here... nowatdays the look is more natural one, and thats just I'm looking for (i think now we all are)!!
The LAB thing is a total new subject to me... I never tried to find out why this mode was in my PS menu (my fault!!) and in one of my afterhour searches i just stumbled on this: LAB
And here I am posting for the second time, and reading every chapter review from Rutt (great source of info)!
Its a total new thing, which I want to get used to, just takes a bit of time to understand all this load of info!!
I look forward for your tutorial, even though I think you did more than you should, explaining all this for me/us - And I am very thankfull for that!!!
Thanks everyone - and specially Edgework and David (for posting those links)
thanks for your help David!
Im afraid its not exactly what Im looking for, since the blured skin is an effect I want to avoid on this matter... Note that my example shows a very focused skin (with specular highlights and creamy transitions to midtone and shadows). I think edgework pretty much nailed it.
I appreciate your effort on helping me anyway, and Im gratefull for that!
Ricardo
I think I'll second Rutt's suggestion here. The high-res images in my own portfolio all would most likely have copyright implications of one form or another. (If these folks wanted their "before" versions published, there wouldn't be a need for jerks like me.)
Anyone wish to offer a real-world face, imperfections intact, for a make-over? The higher the resolution, the better.
—Korzybski
[URL="D:%5CDan%5CSites%5Cquantum.bu.edu%5Cphotos%5Cdgrin%5C0431.jpg"]
"It is a magical time. I am reluctant to leave. Yet the shooting becomes more difficult, the path back grows black as it is without this last light. I don't do it anymore unless my husband is with me, as I am still afraid of the dark, smile.
This was truly last light, my legs were tired, my husband could no longer read and was anxious to leave, but the magic and I, we lingered........"
Ginger Jones
Hello again!
I took my girlfriend as "mouse lab" made her UP (we did make up ourselves) so if it sucks, dont look it too hard...
How do you want me sendind this? ca I publish here , or do you want in a private email?
Ricardo
Here's how I see this unfolding: while contrast and color issues are going to be a part of any image discussion, by themselves they are being discussed quite handily in numerous other threads here. For this exercise, I'd request that, as best as possible, the shots be in "ready-to-show" condition, however you define that. Detail is crucial so the larger, the better. Close-up examples will require a nice quantity of pixels to push around.
Rutt, your suggestion is good. I tried my hand at a few of those myself, though I refrained from any retouching per se, since the context at the time was all about color in LAB.
I'll try to make this something useful.
—Korzybski
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
Hi, everyone.
I just sent 5 photos to edgework deal with on his upcoming tutorial. I hope its good enough.
Ricardo
Challenge for challenge ...
I did hue & color & lighter & darker painting +gauss on the skin then color adjustment then dodge & burn
... all lab-work is done on the jpeg image of dandill's post
http://www.lunacore.com/photoshop/tutorials/tut020.htm
using the median blur, you don't get as much softness on edges as with the gaussian blur.
David
ps. My quick-n-nasty attempt...
Before:
After:
SmugMug API Developer
My Photos
"It is a magical time. I am reluctant to leave. Yet the shooting becomes more difficult, the path back grows black as it is without this last light. I don't do it anymore unless my husband is with me, as I am still afraid of the dark, smile.
This was truly last light, my legs were tired, my husband could no longer read and was anxious to leave, but the magic and I, we lingered........"
Ginger Jones
Hi, folks...
the image posted below is the image I sent to edgework for his tutorial about skin retouch.
I followed his directions on his first post of this thread (cant wait for his tutorial on it) and it came out very nice! The pores are visible, and the skin is smooth, but with detail and focus.
I have to thank him for the enormous help he is giving me, and thanks to my girlfriend Irene, who very nicelly and patientelly posed for me on this sunday afternoom.
The makeup was made by her too.
Here it goes, and hope to hear your criticism!
Ricardo Büchner
http://retouchpro.com/
Its pretty useful.
Chris
Detroit Wedding Photography Blog
Canon 10D | 20D | 5D
Thats exactlly where I came from....
I was lurking their forums, and saw a link to a lab discussion here.
And here I am.
Ricardo
Hi,
Edgework,
how can I eliminate that facial hair, since its contrasting to the shadow of her chin?
Thanks!
Ricardo
edgeworks, I'm so sorry, I completly missed that you worked with my image in the 'Portrait practice'-thread. Unfortunatly, I can't see your result, it seems you moved the file. If you still have it, could you please post it somewhere, or send it to me? I'm very interessted in the result.
I must confess that I only know the healing brush / gaussian blur methods, but they don't give me quite that result I'm looking for, which seems exactly what the OP is looking for.
what I mean is this:
This is perfect, the skin texture is so beautifull! I would love to know how 'they' did this!
(Original: http://nordic.smugmug.com/photos/53718482-O.jpg )
Regards,
Andreas
Nordic,
Its all explained on Edgework's first post of this thread. I tried it, and came to a similar result (I posted a picture above your post, maybe its not quite visible due posting filesize limitations in here).
You have to be VERY patient and zoom the image real BIG. use your heal brush just a tad bigger than pores or imperfections and start healing/cloning. Its going to take a while, but the result is good! follow strictly what he says in that post and you wont regret.
GOOD LUCK
It's true, I'm working on a tutorial that deals with some of my preferred retouching techniques, and this image is one that I am deconstructing. I thought I'd post it now, as well, since it's going to take a bit of time to get the whole project completed.
Ricardo, as I will explain, one of the advantages of the healing brush is that it tends to split the difference between sampled area and target area, over several applications. However, it also tries to leave the target lightness and color intact. Sometimes the blending aspect will cause the hairs to smooth away, but in this case, preserving the lightness essentially preserves the hairs no matter what. The sad truth is that you will need to zoom in close and treat them one by one.
That, actually, is the sad truth about most skin retouching. While there are techniques and "tricks" in terms of contrast, color, sharpening, smoothing and blending, those constitute a small portion of the time invested. Most of it involves small strokes at low opacity to slowly build up the effect. Nordic, you're not far wrong at all, though I prefer Surface Blur (CS2) or Median to Gaussian. But the healing brush is the primary tool. Ricardo is correct when he says move in close, and deal with each imperfection separately. Then zoom out and be amazed at the whole new set of blotches and unwanted transitions that show up at each new magnification level. They need to be dealt with in the same way.
Don't rely on blurring to get rid of something that catches your attention. If you fill a channel with noise and then add a Gaussian Blur, you see what happens: it doesn't smooth out, it clumps. Any smoothing operation will be both preceeded and followed by extensive fine-tuning.
You don't have to be compulsive, but it helps, and if you're not that way going in, you will be before you're through. In a different thread, Rutt addressed the question "How far should we go?" in terms of color correction. That question is a bottomless pit when trying to get rid of skin imperfections: each time you "finish", just look away for about five minutes and you'll find yourself wondering "What was I thinking?" (Now that I've posted this image, I see dozens of spots that I'd like to have dealt with. Sometimes you just have to be like the Marines: declare victory and pull out).
—Korzybski
Not sure why it's not showing up. However, that post was in the context of the portrait recipe from Chapter 16 of Dan Margulis' LAB book, so I specifically did not address any retouching at all. I was thinking of using it for the tutorial I'm writing, and if you're will, would be glad to do so.
—Korzybski
I am doing right now that facial hair healing (one by one)... this is insane. But the results worth it...
I "erased" them all in a merged layer over the image already retouched (but with that hair on), completelly masked this upper healed layer (with no hair showing), and starting painting back on this mask with a low opacity brush.
It gave me the control over how much hair I want to show, leaving a touch of "unretouched" skin - of course it was retouched but made it believable, as Edgework said previously, like the model was born with that flawless skin.
I know I need to get aquainted with this LAB workflow, but dont know where to start from. Since its a total new info to me...
I tried to read that chapter 16 thread (portrait Workflow), oh boy...
Im sure I can follow those steps, apply an action, but later on, that discussion turned out to be a very complicated info to absorb (for my undeveloped brain, lol)!!
Ricardo