Enhancing skin and jpg

[Erik]

I reveal a secret here, a tip to enhance skin colours and make lousy jpg's a little better, used by some demigods like Deke McLelland and His Transparant Grace Swami Markananda el Magnifico:


1/ make a copy of the background layer and work on this copy.
2/ increase the saturation a lot (up to 90) (image> adjust >hue saturation brightness) this gives really overheated skin colours.
3/ give this a median (Filters>Noise>Median) of some 6
4/ and a Gaussian Blur (Filters>Blur>Gaussian Blur) of some 3
5/ choose the Color Blending mode
6/ use the transparancy slider from the background copy layer to set your perfect skin colour, somewhere between paleface and instant melanoma.

 

[Rick Miller]

Extending off of Erik's post, what I like to do first - while targeting all the channels - is to turn the eyeballs off of all the color channels, except for the blue channel, as this allows me to see the noise artifacts usually associated with the blue channel due to things such as (but not limited to):
1. The insensitivity the CCD has towards blue.
2. Artifacting introduced when bringing in an image from a digital camera that has gone through the 3 phases of the jpeg process (division into the 8x8 blocks/adaptive discrete cosine transform applied, quantization, and entropy encoding).

Viewing the blue channel autonomously (with all the channels targeted), I'm able to dial in the correct amount for the both the median and/or gaussian blur filter. The correct amount being that neccessary to remove the objectionable artifacting/noise without softening my image too much.

The net benefit of dialing the numbers in to the individual image, instead of relying on one setting, is that:
1. Since all images are unique and present unique problems, you're addressing the specific needs of a particular image.
2. Too high of a setting will A) Shift the colors (irrespective of the color blend mode), and B) soften the detail too much.

To best illustrate this, place color samples on key tonal areas of your image and try an individual approach to the image. Notice the color values before and after.

Then try the higher numbers approach and notice the larger spread of color shift and softening associated with this method.

On my 300 PPI images, I've usually gone no higher than Median setting 3, and Gaussian Blur 1.5. Although your freeway mileage my differ.

Erik, I just checked out your site, your work is amazing!!


I love the Mod Squad reference, way cool. which Mod Squad tv show member do you best associate yourself with?


This is a great site, everyone's very friendly!

Cheers!

Rick Miller

 

[Erik]

Hi Rick,

Of course your method offers far more possibilities. Me too, I always start with the blue channel when the image is of low quality or has artifacts or is noisy. To control the blurring I use an edge mask.

I do my best to keep the tips on this section of the forum simple but effective because they're meant to help people who start with PS (I have a strong dislike for the word "newbie").

Please don't think that your posting is not appreciated. On the contrary: I'm shure that I and many others here can learn a lot from you, and I hope you can post some tricks and tips for the intermediate and the more experienced users. Filling this section all on my own is too big a task to accomplish.

About that "Modsquad": that's an idea of the great Markananda himself, our Guru. Mod means to me the London WestEnd music scene with groups like the Who and the Small Faces.

So please keep on posting, adding and even correcting or showing other ways to get the same results: it is much appreciated.

Bizarre that you're called a junior apprentice. Mark should do something about that.

 

[Rick Miller]

Erik.

You wrote:

Mod means to me the London WestEnd music scene with groups like the Who and the Small Faces.

Yes, I love the Who!! An amazing band.


The work on your site is beautiful, how long do you usually spend on a piece. Your work is very awe-inspiring.


Rick Miller

 

[Osakajo]

Thanks for the tip Erik, and the extrapolation Rick. Erik, be warned about Rick if he shows up on your doorstep one day with a blender and starts mentioning something about blue channels, or was it Hawaiians. I think we should leave Rick a Junior Apprentice to give him that added incentive before he takes over the whole show. Seriously, though, sometimes I can get serious, Rick is an excellent educator and really takes the time and makes a genuine effort to help those of us who need it.

 

[Erik]

Yeah, I'm shure Rick is the Yoda of our Forum and I'm an aspiring Jedi like Obi-Wan.
Makes Mark Qui-Gon Jin and Stu Chewbacca. (hahaaa)

Rick, You can find a reply to your questions about my work on the General forum, topic "for Erik" .
Thanks for visiting and the kudos.

E.

 

[kiwi]

Rick excellent info



Erik...Woooooooor {Wookie noise [excited]}.......where can I get this fur cleaned?


Stu.

 

[sfm]

Rick excellent info



Erik...Woooooooor {Wookie noise [excited]}.......where can I get this fur cleaned?


Stu.

don't try the dry cleaners you'll frighten them to death ha ha ha [tease]
sfm

 

[Rick Miller]

Aw, gee thanks Osakajo (now where do you want me to send you the money?)


Or would a delicious Blue Hawaiian do the trick?


Rick Miller
Got the blender and Blue Curacao ready to go!

 

[kiwi]

Oh so is that why they keep on going really white and transparent and falling over for a really really long time Sue? [confused] ......I thought it must have been the bits of KFC stuck in the fur.



Stu + full moon = Wolfy ....is that what you are trying to say

 

[sfm]

Stu + full moon = wolfy yep and bone digging ha ha ha
sfm

 

[kiwi]

Ok I think we have hijacked this thread enough .....it was about skin color and jpeg artifacts,now it is about the best method for removal of KFC from your fur and Stus nocturnal habits


Stu.

 

[Tracy]

Agreed Erik your work is fantastic! tHANKS FOR THE TIPS ON BOTH PARTS, ERIK AND rICK. Crap the caps lock and me to lazy to fix it, lucky I spelled everything right.