Professional Photo Retouching for Perfect Skin

[anlocmedia]

In this tutorial I will be showing you how to create a composite image using various elements that will come together to make a unique Steampunk design. We will be using the Pen Tool, Layer Masks and Adjustment Layers, and doing quite a bit of Photo Manipulating throughout the tutorial. We have a lot to cover today so let’s get caffeinated and begin!


Final Image

Here is a preview of the image that we are going to be creating:

Step 1

First off we want to open up the model image from the Resources > Images folder. Once the image is loaded, double click on the “Background” layer to unlock it. After that, press Command/Ctrl + J to duplicate the layer. Turn the visibility of your original layer off, and then click on the Layer Mask icon indicated in the image below to add a mask.

Switch to your Brush Tool (B) and make sure that you have a large, hard, round brush with a solid black fill color selected.

Using your brush, begin to paint into the background of your image and you should see it begin to disappear as you mask out the larger, extraneous areas around the model.

In order to work faster, I usually go back and forth between this method of silhouetting an image and using the Pen Tool, which we are about to implement in the next step.
Step 2

Before we move on I just want to point something out about masks and working with them. When you observe your Layers Palette you will notice that there is a small frame that appears around the thumbnail icon of that particular layer that has a mask applied to it. In the image below, take note of the difference:

The image on the left shows that you have your mask selected, and the image on the right does not. This can trip up a lot of people when they begin to work with masks, and for the remainder of the tutorial I will refer to this as the layer mask thumbnail icon. After making selections you need to make sure that you switch to this if it isn’t already selected in order remove parts of that image and not end up simply painting black or white the on the image.
Next, switch to your Pen Tool (P) and zoom in closely to your image in order to begin to trace around the contours of the model.

Once you have finished tracing a section, close the path and while holding down the Control Key, click anywhere along your path to reveal this dropdown menu:

From here we want to choose “Make Selection” and when the next dialog box appears, simply click “OK”.

The marching ants will indicate the area that you have selected, and now you can switch back to your Brush Tool (B) and paint into the area to remove it from the image.

Step 3

Repeat this process for the remaining areas around the model in order to completely isolate the figure. In the image below you will see another selection I have made using the Pen Tool (P):

After making the selection active I simply painted in the area with a black round brush. In both of the screenshots you will notice the layer mask thumbnail icon is selected (indicated by the small frame that we saw in the previous step).

After masking out all of the background areas including he hair that we don’t want, you should have something like the image above. Take your time to make this selection in the beginning of the design, as it will only add to the professionalism in your work.

[Paul]

This is not your work, have you got the link to the original site please, or shall i put it up?

[anlocmedia]

This is not your work, have you got the link to the original site please, or shall i put it up?

It's just collecting and sharing

I have collected and published at my website.

Here: http://photoshopcs6tutorials.net/create-a-unique-steampunk-photo-manipulation-in-photoshop

[Paul]

Yeah theres no link back to where you had from there either?

[Bucket]

This a very good tutorial. I wished i could find a one for the Refine Edge Tool. I watched a video on it,but to me it was far too complicated. At the beginning he has already done 2 layer`s and a Mask,and i no nothing about Masks. I can only remember the guy`s first name Deke. He prattle`s on far too much about things off topic. I think if he did your tutorial on video,you would not understand it. I wished all tutorial`s were like your`s because it`s like ABC.
Bucket

[LolyCool]

this is a good one
thx alot ^-^

[sam123]

In this tutorial I will be showing you how to create a composite image using various elements that will come together to make a unique Steampunk design. We will be using the Pen Tool, Layer Masks and Adjustment Layers, and doing quite a bit of Photo Manipulating throughout the tutorial. We have a lot to cover today so let’s get caffeinated and begin!


Final Image

Here is a preview of the image that we are going to be creating:

Step 1

First off we want to open up the model image from the Resources > Images folder. Once the image is loaded, double click on the “Background” layer to unlock it. After that, press Command/Ctrl + J to duplicate the layer. Turn the visibility of your original layer off, and then click on the Layer Mask icon indicated in the image below to add a mask.

Switch to your Brush Tool (B) and make sure that you have a large, hard, round brush with a solid black fill color selected.

Using your brush, begin to paint into the background of your image and you should see it begin to disappear as you mask out the larger, extraneous areas around the model.

In order to work faster, I usually go back and forth between this method of silhouetting an image and using the Pen Tool, which we are about to implement in the next step.
Step 2

Before we move on I just want to point something out about masks and working with them. When you observe your Layers Palette you will notice that there is a small frame that appears around the thumbnail icon of that particular layer that has a mask applied to it. In the image below, take note of the difference:

The image on the left shows that you have your mask selected, and the image on the right does not. This can trip up a lot of people when they begin to work with masks, and for the remainder of the tutorial I will refer to this as the what is layer mask icon. After making selections you need to make sure that you switch to this if it isn’t already selected in order remove parts of that image and not end up simply painting black or white the on the image.
Next, switch to your Pen Tool (P) and zoom in closely to your image in order to begin to trace around the contours of the model.

Once you have finished tracing a section, close the path and while holding down the Control Key, click anywhere along your path to reveal this dropdown menu:

From here we want to choose “Make Selection” and when the next dialog box appears, simply click “OK”.

The marching ants will indicate the area that you have selected, and now you can switch back to your Brush Tool (B) and paint into the area to remove it from the image.

Step 3

Repeat this process for the remaining areas around the model in order to completely isolate the figure. In the image below you will see another selection I have made using the Pen Tool (P):

After making the selection active I simply painted in the area with a black round brush. In both of the screenshots you will notice the layer mask thumbnail icon is selected (indicated by the small frame that we saw in the previous step).

After masking out all of the background areas including he hair that we don’t want, you should have something like the image above. Take your time to make this selection in the beginning of the design, as it will only add to the professionalism in your work.

you done a great job