# photoshop smooth skin



## RichardsTPF (Apr 17, 2012)

What tools in photoshop do you use for smooth and change skin tone?

I used retouch, blur and layer mask.


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## tingeliM (Apr 18, 2012)

Well my retouch process starts with getting rid of the most noticeable blemishes with the spot healing brush and/or the patch tool. Then, if needed, I create a stamp visible layer and blur it with surface blur and then add black layer mask and add smoothing where needed. I recommend being really careful with the blur and if the pic will be going online in web-size, then apply the blur in web-size view also. I used to retouch in a very close view and large size and afterwards the skin looked almost like plastic when viewed in web-size, even though there was hardly any details lost in closer view. Of course the level of smoothing depends on the over-all look of the image also. Sometimes the plastic-look works if the whole image goes along with that style.


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## Big Mike (Apr 18, 2012)

Sometimes I just reduce the clarity in Lightroom.  Other times I use a gausian blur layer in PS and paint it on via a layer mask.  I usually don't take it much further than that...but this is something that be taken to the umpteenth level. That the title of this thread and do a Google search...I'm sure the first 100,000 hits will be a good start on this topic.


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## KmH (Apr 18, 2012)

In ACR/Lightroom you can use the Adjustment brush to somewhat selectively reduce the Clarity. The Clarity slider controls mid-tone contrast.


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## 12sndsgood (Apr 18, 2012)

I am just starting to do this so im sure my first few sets will be heavily overdone. I'm finding a little will go a long way. It's really really easy to overdo it.


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## Kolander (Apr 18, 2012)

For smooth skin: Filter < Noise < Dust & Scratches, Gaussian Blur, Layer Mask, invert mask, white brush.


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## Big Mike (Apr 18, 2012)

Also, whenever I do skin smoothing in PS, I do it on a separate layer.  Then at the end, I adjust the opacity of that layer so that the effect is not overdone, and that some of the original texture is allowed to show though.

Of course, if you're going to do this, you probably want to get rid of the bigger issues (pimples etc) first, before you duplicate the layer for smoothing...because you don't want those to show when you reduce the opacity of the smoothing layer.


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## RichardsTPF (Apr 18, 2012)

Thank you for your advice. I Google and practiced it before starting this thread. Most tutorials use healing brush, and/or clone stamp, and gausian blur with layer mask. So I am wondering what other people on the forum do.

Milla, 





> then add black layer mask and add smoothing where needed.


When you add smoothing after the layer mask, do you apply same surface blur on where needed, or use different tools?



> For smooth skin: Filter < Noise < Dust & Scratches, Gaussian Blur, Layer Mask, invert mask, white brush.


Never heard of invert mask and white brush. New stuff to learn. Going to google it.


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## RichardsTPF (Apr 18, 2012)

Adjusting the opacity of that layer is a good idea. Thanks Mike


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## ghache (Apr 18, 2012)

I clear up blemishes using clone, spot removal and use a Frequency separation technique,


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## Big Mike (Apr 18, 2012)

RichardsTPF said:


> Adjusting the opacity of that layer is a good idea. Thanks Mike


That tip can apply to practically everything you do in Photoshop Elements or CS.


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## Kolander (Apr 18, 2012)

RichardsTPF said:


> ...Never heard of invert mask and white brush. New stuff to learn. Going to google it.



Really? It's my daily bread


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## Kolander (Apr 18, 2012)

RichardsTPF said:


> Adjusting the opacity of that layer is a good idea...


Of practically _any _layer, always.


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## RichardsTPF (Apr 18, 2012)

Ghache, nice job. It's aways good to learn a new method.


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## Mach0 (Apr 18, 2012)

Peano said:
			
		

> Applying Gaussian blur directly to skin will wipe out desirable skin texture. Here is a method that avoids that problem.
> 
> If you can afford it, Imagenomic Portraiture gives even better results.



Awesome PDF!


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## EIngerson (Apr 18, 2012)

I just take blurry pictures and the skin is perfect.


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## o hey tyler (Apr 18, 2012)

EIngerson said:
			
		

> I just take blurry pictures and the skin is perfect.



Best advice in the thread.


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