15/07/13 How to do Professional Facial Retouching in Photoshop

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How to do Professional Facial Retouching in

Photoshop
By Photoshop Star, 28 April, 2011 with 28 Comments and 0 Reactions
(Photo Effects)
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Today i decided to create one new tutorial where you can learn how to do professional facial retouching that
professionals use for photo processing in fashion magazines.

Final Image Preview

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15/07/13 How to do Professional Facial Retouching in Photoshop

Resources

Portrait of a girl

Step 1

Open photo and resize it by using Image > Image Size to 1500 px width and 1000px height.

Step 2

Let’s start by correcting color on photo. Copy layer by using Ctrl+J. Blur photo a bit using Fliter > Blur > Gaussian Blur
with following parameters:

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15/07/13 How to do Professional Facial Retouching in Photoshop

Step 3

Change layer blending mode to Color for this layer.

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Step 4

Go to Layer > Layer Style > Blending Options and on Advanced Blending remove check marks from R and G
channels.

Now adjust color slightly to your taste on this layer using Image > Adjustments > Curves.

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Step 5

Now we are going to remove skin defects. Create a new layer. Choose the Healing Brush Tool, then select Sampled in
Source parameter and select All Layers for Sample parameter. Choose the part of the face, that we’ll be using as a
sample.

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Step 6

Using the Healing Brush Tool (choose soft edges of the brush) and holding the Alt button we choose the most clear skin
area, then overlay the sample image on the problem skin area to remove the defect.

Step 7

Then go to forehead area and remove defects by using the same method.

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Step 8

We also remove small wrinkles that possibly annoys the eye (still working with the Healing Brush Tool).

Step 9

In the end we should have the following result:

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15/07/13 How to do Professional Facial Retouching in Photoshop

You can see on photo below where i applied Healing Brush Tool:

Step 10

Up to this moment we should have three layers – bottom layer (original photo), layer with color correction and the
upper layer, on which we have carried out skin cleaning. Copy all the three layers twice by using Ctrl+J for each layer,
then move the copies of the three layers grouping them like on image below. Finally merge both new layer groups
together, using Ctrl+E and you will have five layers. Temporarily turn off visibility of the upper layer and work on the
other layer (Layer 1 copy).

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Step 11

We are going to work on creating the perfect skin texture. Choose the Polygonal Lasso Tool and select the face (it’s
not necessary to select regularly).

Step 12

Invert the selection using Select > Inverse and delete everything that is situated in the selected area by pressing Delete
button. On the layer you should only have the face now. Select eyebrow area using the Polygonal Lasso Tool and delete
it using Delete button.

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Step 13

Press Ctrl+D to deselect selected area. Remove the second eyebrow and start deleting eyes on the same way.

Step 14

Now do the same thing to the lips area.

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If you turn off visibility on all other layers you can see we should have something like a mask on layer. Turn back on
visibility on all layers except upper layer.

Step 15

Apply Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur to this layer with following settings:

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Step 16

Change layer opacity to 65%.

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Step 17

Turn on visibility of the upper layer.

Create Clipping Mask for this layer using Layer > Create Clipping Mask. Apply Filter > Other > High Pass with
following settings:

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Step 18

Change blending mode on this layer to Linear Light.

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Step 19

Change layer opacity to 50% for this layer.

Step 20

You can stop here if you’re satisfied with the result. But there are too many red and yellow color tones on the portrait,
sometimes it can be noticeable on the last steps, as in this case. It can be easily corrected, for this purpose merge all the
layers into one using Ctrl+Shift+E and apply Image > Adjustments > Color Balance with the following parameters to
newly created layer:

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15/07/13 How to do Professional Facial Retouching in Photoshop

Final Image

Now this tutorial is complete. You can make extra color correction as well or convert photos to grayscale or sepia
mode. Hope this tutorial was useful to you.

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28 comments ★ 0

Leave a message...

Best Community Share ⤤ ⚙

invit at ie-nunt a • 6 months ago
Werry helpfull and easy to follow tutorial. Great job. There should be more like this.
1 △ ▽ Reply Share ›

Jim • 2 years ago

This is a very nice "quick and dirty" method which is great for web resolution and TF shoots with
inexperienced models. It's well worth knowing, and I use a workflow that's very similar from time
to time.

That said, this is NOT the way photos are retouched for magazines! My typical workflow for
magazine submission includes 35 to 40 layers and takes from 9 - 12 hours to complete. It includes
pixel level dodging & burning, individual hair adjustments (yes 1 by 1), 3 separate RAW conversions
(hair, skin, eyes/lips). It includes a lot of operations that most people have never played with in
photoshop (like "apply image" instead of "high pass").

A quick tip too: Learn to name your layers in a meaningful way, it will save you HOURS if you
have to go back and re-adjust something later!
1 △ ▽ Reply Share ›

mamali • 8 months ago

could you please tell me , how to merge those layers exactly ? i have a problem in this unit . help
me please .
thank you .
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

Mic hlle • 10 months ago

:-( I found it to be very confusing (beginner)
△ ▽ Reply Share ›
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15/07/13
△ ▽ Reply Share ›
How to do Professional Facial Retouching in Photoshop

boran • a year ago

in my opinion should always display layers that are active and it would be easier to follow ....
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

t ope banabas • a year ago

God bles you for this. thanks a lot
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

blue • a year ago

Am I the only person who thinks she looked better before getting the treatment? Just because you
can 'shop out every little defect and blur the hell out of a pic doesn't mean you should.
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

2lit s • a year ago

thanks duds... this is helpful for the new beginners like me.
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

S ogdiana • a year ago

Great! I couldn't imagine that by means of photoshop it is possible to gain such effects. I love this
tutorial. I will use it in my works. Thanks to the author.
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

Thawma Ralt e • a year ago

So great, I'm gonna use it so often.. I know it.. Thanx, great Tuts..
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

s abeer • a year ago

this is awsum.... a must say great tutorial..!!
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

aina • 2 years ago

great tutorial! thank you photoshopstar!
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

alex y s • 2 years ago

I saw many tutorials until now about retouching, but far this is the best and with better results
then others.
Thx a lot !
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

ot odelux e • 2 years ago

Very great tutorial. I have been surfing all this while looking for something like this
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

Luk e wat t s • 2 years ago

Wonderful tutorial..step by step presentation really easy. Thanks for posting
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

Al • 2 years ago
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15/07/13 How to do Professional Facial Retouching in Photoshop
Al • 2 years ago
Very nice and easy...Thanks. It provides a simple way to retouch a photo and also opens the door to
develope other methods. Keep up the good work.
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

Invit at ii Nunt a • 2 years ago

I've followed this tutorial step by step on my own picture, and i really looked great at the end of my
work. Thank's for the tutorial.
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

M. S rinivas Gupt a • 2 years ago

Naturally tutorial rocks...

Thanks again
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

V enk at es h • 2 years ago

Nice Tutorial!!!!!!!
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

Ris s a • 2 years ago

I can't do it in Photoshop elements 9, i can only go to level 4 Layer style, no blending options unless
i am doing something wrong.
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

Mac y • 2 years ago

Thank you for taking time, this tutorial is a fab! I'll take this one.
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

phot os hop fan • 2 years ago

Cool
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

Reji K os hy • 2 years ago

Nice very good
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

k us haldeep • 2 years ago

I was waiting for this bt im not gttng da results maybe bz im still using photoshop7.I hv put layers
as shown above bt wen i merge down my layer order isnt da same as shown nd the 2 background
copies are still visible.I sit on da top most layer n merge down-tht means da top two would merge?
As i merge these two blue color appears in da image.Plz tell how i shud merge, n wat bout
bkground copies,step by step..
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

Devendra • 2 years ago

Its really great thanx.
Pls help me how to create a glass effect in photoshop
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

c ojix on • 2 years ago

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15/07/13 How to do Professional Facial Retouching in Photoshop

Well done. Catched another retouching skill.

△ ▽ Reply Share ›

Graphic Des ign Ohio • 2 years ago

Great tutorial, what would these supermodels do without the fine tuning of photoshop. It really is
amazing how far this program as come. Thanks for the tips!
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

s ai > Graphic Design Ohio • 2 years ago

nice tutorial..
△ ▽ Reply Share ›

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