How to choose Shadow, Mid tones and High light colors?

[moonstone]

Hi,

Im having a problem when (Beauty retouching) choosing Shadow, Mid tones and High light colors? Are there any special colors in this categories? Hope Gurus help me.

Thank you!

 

[Tom Mann]

When you said in the title of this thread, "choose xyz", I immediately think of constructing luminosity layer masks that will select out the shadows, mids, and highlights, but I suspect that may not be what you have in mind. For example, there are some standard PS tools (ie, like the Color Balance tool) that allow one to separately work on these areas.

Also, to be honest, I'm a bit confused when, in the body of your post, you ask if there are any "special colors" for these areas. Are you looking for color palettes, tools, masking methods or what?

Perhaps it would be better if you describe exactly what you want to do, not methods or tools that you think may work, because there may be approaches you haven't thought of. For example, "I want to change the saturation of the shadow areas", or "I want to de-noise the shadow areas more than the mids and highlights", or, "I want to recover detail in the highlights", or, "I want to add a blue sky to the burned out highlights", etc. etc.

Tom M

 

[moonstone]

Thank you Tom. I need to know about the colors as I have no idea about those three. I have seen some of beauty retouching which have mixed those three perfectly. What I need to know is, any special colors for the skin.

 

[IamSam]

If done correctly, you should not be using colors at all, at least not in the way your thinking about. We need more information.

 

[Tom Mann]

Is the reason you are asking about specific colors to be mixed together because you are doing digital painting?

Can you provide the URL of a tutorial or discussion where you got this idea about using specific colors? I have been using PS since the early 1990's and photography (including portraits) for decades longer than that, and I've never once heard someone talk about using specific colors for skin, other than those folks who do digital painting, cartoon work, or something similar.

Tom M

 

[moonstone]

This is my own question which came to my mind when using the "Gradient Map" in portrait retouching.

 

[IamSam]

This is my own question which came to my mind when using the "Gradient Map" in portrait retouching.

What question?

What beauty retouching technique?

Why would you use a gradient map for beauty retouching?

Are the colors for the gradient map?

How are you using the colors?

 

[Tom Mann]

@IamSam - I don't know why this guy isn't giving us clear, unambiguous answers -- perhaps it's a language problem. That being said, to possibly answer one of your questions, I have used gradient maps for years when colorizing old B&W photos. Having the saturation, and even the hue depend slightly on the brightness of an area adds a sense of realism and speeds up the colorization process. I have also seen people doing retouching & restoration of damaged color photos recommend using gradient maps to help overcome skin color problems. Perhaps that is what the OP is talking about.

Tom M

PS - Attached below is a set of gradient maps from the library in the program AKVIS Coloriage which is used for these purposes.

 

[IamSam]

Tom Mann

Sorry Tom, my question was for Moonstone. I know why and how gradient maps are used in retouching.