Smooth Skin Photoshop Tutorial

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So, i said i would post some tutorials for those who like photoshop, i think it's interesting to learn from other people's techniques, this tutorial is NOT one of mine, i dread having to make tutorials because they take so much time to make and explain in detail.

So here is one, from one of my favorite websites.

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Smooth Skin Photoshop Tutorial

A quick, effective way to create blemish-free skin in Photoshop

In this tutorial we will go through the steps of a simple technique I've used to reduce skin blemishes using Photoshop. This subtle effect can be the difference between a bland picture and a professional-looking portrait.

First off, open your image with Photoshop. I will use Photoshop CS2, but the same process applies to Photoshop 7 and Photoshop CS3. I will be using this photo:



Step 1: "Healing" away major blemishes

The first thing we must do is get rid of any major blemishes on the skin. The easiest way to do this is by using the healing tool. (The band-aid button on the Photoshop toolbar) To use the healing tool, simply alt-click (option-click) on a clean area of skin, and then brush over the flawed skin. Photoshop should cause the blemish to dissapear before your eyes.



Step 2: Duplicating the Background Layer

Next, duplicate the background layer either by dragging it to the "new folder" button on the layers pallete or going to "Layer->Duplicate Layer" on the Photoshop Menu. When the dialogue box appears, hit "ok" to duplicate the layer.



Step 3: Smooth the skin with the "Reduce Noise" filter

Now comes the fun part. There are many filters in Photoshop that have a softening effect, but I've found that in Photoshop CS2, the Reduce Noise Filter is especially effective. Go to "Filter->Noise->Reduce Noise" on the Photoshop menu to access the Reduce Noise filter.



When the dialogue box appears, set "Strength" to 10, and "Preserve Details" to 0. Don't worry if this makes your picture look too "plasticy", we'll deal with that later. Hit "ok" to apply the filter.



Step 4: Masking out the unnecessary areas

Now we need to "un-soften" the areas that don't need it, such as the eyes, mouth, and background. If these areas are left softened, the whole image will look out of focus and fake. First, add a layer mask to the "background copy" layer. To do this, simply click the button on the bottom of the layers pallete that looks like a white circle in a gray rectangle.



With the layer mask selected, select the "Brush Tool" from the Photoshop toolbar and set the foreground color to black. Now simply paint over the eyes, lips, mouth, and background to un-soften them. Note: it is best to use a very soft brush for this. To get a soft brush, hold shift and press the "left bracket" button on the keyboard (next to the letter "p") several times.



Step 5: Reduce opacity to fine-tune the effect

Now all we have to due is adjust the opacity of the "background copy" layer to fine-tune the softening effect. This will further reduce the "plasticy" look. Simply select the "background copy" layer and adjust its opacity using the opacity drop-down box on the top of the layers pallet. I used a setting of 75%, but you should experiment with your settings to achieve the desired effect. The goal is to maintain the softened effect while removing the plasticy look.



That's it! We're done with the tutorial! Now you should have a photo with nice subtle, soft skin and sharp, detailed eyes. Continue to experiment with the layer mask to further fine-tune the overall look. Here is the before and after of my picture:



Source:Photo Correction/Retouch Photoshop Tutorials - Tutorial Kit

 
dude! you are awesome, thanks so much for posting photoshop tuts...

i suck at photoshop.. lol..

Mabey now i'll start trying again :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
Haha, no prob, i used to suck at it too, it takes practice, i will be posting more tutorials later on, hope they help :D /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
i love photoshop! and tuts! =]

great tut. i may have to use this tut for my own pictures. eeks! lol.

 
thank you, i love photoshop but dont really understand it so thank you and i look forward to your next tutorial! x

 

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