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PORTRAIT RETOUCH

Here you will use precision to alter the appearance and content of a digital photographic portrait.

This lesson will utilize several new tools and techniques to accurately remove the flaws in a digital portrait.
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  • The WORKSPACE
  • Using TOOLS - particularly the CLONE TOOL, BRUSH, HEALING TOOLS
  • Begin to explore making selections using the different SELECTION TOOLS
  • The HISTORY PANEL and HISTORY BRUSH
  • BRUSH BLENDING MODES
  • DODGE (Lighten) & BURN (Darken) TOOLS
  • and SAVING your files
Retouch the Photograph using selected tools, filters, styles, etc.
  • ZOOM in and work very closely (if I am grading this zoomed in, you need to work zoomed in).  
  • Avoid making a major change; instead try several smaller changes that collectively will add up to a major change
  • Double check the list of common pitfalls to make sure you are avoiding easy grade deductions - most common are stretched pixels and clone patterning - do not attempt any hand-drawn, self-created elements.

Correcting Mistakes
  • sometimes it is better to redo an area from scratch than try to correct a bad alteration make good use of the HISTORY BRUSH and HISTORY PANEL
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REQUIREMENTS
  • significant enough alterations are made to create a very different image than original.
  • alterations are undetectable (clean edges and transitions).
  • portrait must be successfully retouched to remove blemishes.

STUDENT WORK

​​​​1. HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGE 

Find a "Head & Shoulders" portrait to use for the assignment
and bring your downloaded image directly in PHOTOSHOP to begin - I like when you use your own photographs for this assignment (take a picture and email it to your school account to download)

Drag & Drop your chosen portrait directly into Adobe PHOTOSHOP

Use the CROP TOOL
  • Choose W x H x Resolution 
  • Use 4 in x 5 in & 300 ppi​
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Choose W x H x Resolution and make sure you are using inches by typing "in" also make sure that "Delete Cropped Pixels" is checked

2. COPY YOUR BACKGROUND LAYER

Next, you want to copy your BACKGROUND LAYER - there are many ways to COPY a layer - here are two on the right.
Make sure to rename your RETOUCH layer
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After you COPY your layer, name it RETOUCH by double clicking on the text (Background copy) in the layer
Drag you layer to the ADD NEW LAYER button on the bottom of your LAYERS PANEL
OR you can use the LAYERS PANEL OPTIONS button and choose DUPLICATE LAYER

3. ENLARGE YOUR CANVAS 

Now you need to enlarge your CANVAS so that you are able place each image next to each other in the file
Go to:
IMAGE > CANVAS SIZE...
  • Your file should be 4 in X 5 in after you cropped it
  • Double the width of your canvas to 8 in
  • Leave the height the same (5 in)
  • In the grid on the bottom, choose the left middle box
  • Use the MOVE TOOL to slide your RETOUCH layer to the right

4. COLOR CORRECT YOUR IMAGE (AUTO)

In this step. try some basic color correction commands to improve your RETOUCH image and it's TONE, CONTRAST, & COLOR
IMAGE > AUTO TONE
IMAGE > AUTO CONTRAST
IMAGE > AUTO COLOR​
If your image looks worse after auto adjustment just
EDIT > UNDO

Or you can use the HISTORY BRUSH and HISTORY PANEL
5. HISTORY BRUSH & HISTORY PANEL
The HISTORY BRUSH and HISTORY PANEL allow you to "go back in time' to fix things or make adjustments in your image
  • The HISTORY BRUSH can be found on the TOOLBAR on the left
  • The HISTORY PANEL is found on the right
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The HISTORY tool and panel locations

6. SPOT HEALING BRUSH

  • Choose the SPOT HEALING BRUSH to remove flaws and blemishes​​
  • Use the ZOOM TOOL to see small details and zoom out to get the whole picture.
  • The HAND TOOL allows you to move your zoomed image around the WORKSPACE
7. OTHER HEALING TOOLS
Try some of the other healing tools to improve your image quality
  • HEALING BRUSH The Healing Brush works similarly to the Clone Tool. You need to select the target area
    from which you want to sample (Alt+Click like with Clone Tool). Next, brush over the
    area that needs repairing and check the results to see if it worked properly.​
  • PATCH TOOL (fixing large areas)
  • When using the PATCH TOOL you will make SELECTIONS and move to a new area - to remove your selection you can go to
           SELECT > DESELECT or (CTRL-D)
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8. CLONE STAMP TOOL
The CLONE STAMP TOOL copies digital information exactly as it is and when used in RETOUCHING it is often in a very subtle way to copy textures and other elements - here I am using it to replace some of the texture of the skin and to smooth out the hairline.

To use, you must first tell PHOTOSHOP what it is you want to copy by pressing the ALT KEY (you will see a target appear) and click with your mouse. ​Then, move your brush over to where you are going to clone over and
start using the brush.
9. BRUSH BLENDING MODES
10. DODGE & BURN TOOLS
Use the DODGE TOOL to lighten areas of your image such as TEETH or the WHITES of the eyes (sclera)

Use the BURN TOOL to darken areas of your image
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  • Set the RANGE to Shadows - Midtones - or Highlights
  • Set EXPOSURE to control how quickly the tool works

SAVE yOUR FILE AS A jpeg

TO SAVE AS A .PSD (Photoshop Document)
In the MENU commands -
  • Choose FILE
  • then SAVE AS... (FILE > SAVE AS...)
  • Choose ON YOUR COMPUTER
  • then NAME your file properly RETOUCH_yourlastname
  • then choose "Save as type" .PSD​
TO SAVE AS A .JPEG (Image File)
In the MENU commands -
  • Choose FILE​
  • Now choose "Save a Copy"
  • Choose ON YOUR COMPUTER​​
  • then NAME your file properly RETOUCH_yourlastname
  • then choose "Save as type" .JPEG (*JPG;*JPEG;*JPE)
  • CLICK SAVE
  • JPEG OPTIONS window choose 8 HIGH with the slider
BE SURE TO CHECK THE FOLLOWING WHEN YOU ARE DONE...
Make sure to name your file:   RETOUCH_yourlastname

Make sure to SAVE your file as a JPEG

Make sure to SUBMIT both your .PSD file and your .JPEG file in SCHOOLOGY for assessment!
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Before you turn in your file check the RUBRIC in Schoology to see what will be assessed!