Skin colour

[Erik Heyninck]

I found a great way to improve skin colours. IT IS NOT MY IDEA, but based on a trick by Deke McLelland (see "the practice side")

I have some portrait photo's that are almost colourless. This is an incredible way to enhance them. It might well be known to all you "pro's and experienced users", but I dare post it (stop me, stop me!!!):


1/make a copy of the backgr layer and work on this copy.
2/increase the saturation a lot (up to 90) this gives really overheated skin colours. And if it's a JPEG, your subject'd better visit a hospital asap.
3/give this a median of some 6 (made me think of Pink Floyd's The Wall)
4/and a Gaussian Blur of some 3 (too much wine)
5/apply mode>color
6/use the transparancy slider from the copy layer to set your perfect skin colour, somewhere between the too paleface and the badly sunburnt.

Let them say what they want:
Photoshop is great, and fun. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

by the way why are there no images here?

[Erik Heyninck]

I found a great way to improve skin colours. IT IS NOT MY IDEA, but based on a trick by Deke McLelland (see "the practice side")

I have some portrait photo's that are almost colourless. This is an incredible way to enhance them. It might well be known to all you "pro's and experienced users", but I dare post it (stop me, stop me!!!):


1/make a copy of the backgr layer and work on this copy.
2/increase the saturation a lot (up to 90) this gives really overheated skin colours. And if it's a JPEG, your subject'd better visit a hospital asap.
3/give this a median of some 6 (made me think of Pink Floyd's The Wall)
4/and a Gaussian Blur of some 3 (too much wine)
5/apply mode>color
6/use the transparancy slider from the copy layer to set your perfect skin colour, somewhere between the too paleface and the badly sunburnt.

Let them say what they want:
Photoshop is great, and fun. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

by the way why are there no images here?

[Mark (theKeeper)]

Hi Erik,

I've been using that same procedure for a long time myself. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

I also use a few others to produce various types of "lens effects" on photos. I'm working on a tute for this, but haven't had the time lately to complete it. Hopefully real soon though. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[Erik Heyninck]

Miss Photoshop?
Great.

I've been experimenting a lot with the same technique but other settings. The intention is to work away faults like Jpeg artifacts etc, but you can do a lot more with it.

Another thing: When resampling and you choose the most common values, the software (not only PS) simply lets pixels out. Example: 50% means half the pixels when resampling, 25% one out of four, etc. BUT when you choose ie 51%, the whole thing has to be recalculated and this should give a much better result.

[pduggan]

Hi Erik

Did you get LE or the full version in the end? Curious, because I've got LE myself, but I haven't really used it enough yet to be aware of its limitations (and I have access to the full thing, but not version 6, at work).

Peter</p>

Peat Stack or Pete's Tack?</p>

[Erik Heyninck]

I bought LE and, o surprise, they gave me an epson photo scanner with it. Adobe is sooo friendly. Unluckily I had to pay the full price of the scanner... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

LE has lots of possibilities and seems to be limited for print (CMYK) and, unfortunately, UNDO. Also the vector and text capabilities are very limited. But I cannot compare wit a full version. I once played an afternoon with 6, but that seemed to cause problems as it froze after working on some 4 photos. LE is OK, but I'd like the full version of 6. (Software Collecting Syndrome?????)

I downloaded the PDF Classroom in a book for LE and I'll include it with the other downloaded biggies. On the LE CD is a PDF Manual in full colour.

Greetings and Inspiration from ERIK.

[mikeius]

6/use the transparancy slider from the copy layer to set your perfect skin colour, somewhere between the too paleface and the badly sunburnt.


Two questions Erick.

What happens to other areas that are not skin?

A saturated shadow will print fine? What about Total Ink there?

Regards

[Erik Heyninck]

Michael,

I am a painter, and am used to work with middle aged techniques liuke egg tempera.
My enthusiasm made me forget that there are also people who use PS for their nerve-wrecking job (working with printers etc.)
I saw and see it as a tool to create art, and, yes, err, you remember perhaps from long ago, the wow-effect...

As for the other colours, of course you have to mask and make selections.

It won't happen again, this was my last post. I leave the stage to you, professionals.

[Mark (theKeeper)]

Hahaaa Erik!

Don't go plunging your head into the sand man! If you're an experienced printer, then i'm sure there are dozens of folks here that need/will need help with that end of using Photoshop.

Me included! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

So stick around and keep on keepin'-on!

Mark...

[Beth]

Erik, that is a good suggestion. I will have to try that some time. Both Michael and myself have a fair amount of experience in print and we have to worry about total ink coverage and colour calibration. If the total ink for the darkest areas is above 300 percent, we know the presses will have problems. Print people have to be careful about colour manipulation. And if you dont have to worry about it...great.

Another kind of related thing I do is to achieve similar effects is to apply an effect or do a curve manipulation and then fade it using a blending mode. Multiply or screen and even sometimes the color burn or dodge and fade to achieve the look desired. But here again, if you are going to the presses though...you have to be careful as you do not have the control you have with curve/level manipulation. (but you also dont have as much flexibility)