even

[Kirsty]

ive got photoshop CS, and is there a quick or better way to even out a skin tone with using cloning or by some other method?

[Stemmy]

when you say even out skin tone what do you mean - post a sample if you can. You could use the healing brush but it depends what you are doing.

[DennisB]

Not much of a people photographer, but I have tried a free utility from Mediachance called CleanskinFX. Worked not bad on the few occasions I used it, but I got the best effect by layering the cleaned skin over the original image and changing the opacity of the top layer, or selectively erasing parts of the top (cleaned) layer by use of a low opacity soft edged eraser tool in Photoshop. I found I preferred to bring some of the original sharpness back to the eyes , nose and lips.

http://www.mediachance.com/digicam/cleanskin.htm

[Kirsty]

I was trying to make it look natural and smooth, and non edited(well not totally obvious)

[DennisB]

Here is what you get using cleanskinFX

[Kirsty]

thats pretty good ill have to ask my dad if i can download it though!

[storm7]

Try this...

Select an area using the lassoo tool (Cheek / Forhead / Chin)

Copy / paste

Gaussian Blur - adjust opacity in the layers palette

Flatten image

Repeat for each areayou wish to smooth out ...

Voila - if it works for Yervant, it'll work for you...you could also try ...

Duplicate Layer

Filter - Distort - Diffuse Glow
Alter opacity as mentioned above ...

Flatten image ...

[Kirsty]

what exactly do you mean by flatten image? im fairly new to photoshop!

The gaussian blur is good too, ive just tried that one out!

I tried the diffuse glow and that worked, is there any way from stopping it looking yellowy?

Thanks so much! :D

[DennisB]

what exactly do you mean by flatten image? im fairly new to photoshop!

:D

Images which have layers are just like the system used for making animated movies before the days of computers. The different components were painted on clear plastic sheets (gels) and then placed one on top of the other to make up the complete image. Where the gels were clear, you could see right throught to the layers (gels) below.

Photoshop layers are similar.

Now to answer the question, flattening the image is just the process of combining the separate layers and making them into a single non-layered image. Flattening can be applied to all the layers, or only to selected ones.

[StagePhotography.co.uk]

Weird.... but the skin tone to me looks like it's not the actual skin that's
the problem... It's quite "liney"...

Like the camera isn't as behaving...

Not sure....

I guess some make up might have prevented this a little.
A little powder to take off the shine...

You might find this helps.....

Using Paint Shop Pro 9... (Yeah I know....)

I use the CLONE Brush...

Size it quite large... say 40 to 80...

Set the Opacity to about 30 or 40%...

And copy from a non-shiney area to a shiney
area..... Even click gives it a better clone..

[StagePhotography.co.uk]

Here's a few examples and different methods...

[tonymidd]

Using Paint Shop Pro 9... (Yeah I know....)


http://www.wedding-photography.org/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gifnowt wrong with PSP, in fact I think it's better than Elements in some ways. I used it for ages and only went down the PS route after a windfall from the tax man, now costs a small fortune as upgrades come along ever 18 months or so and there always seems to be a feature you can't live withouthttp://www.wedding-photography.org/forum/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

[Stemmy]

Hi George

I like the clone sample it looks the most natural.

[Kirsty]

Thanks george? ( that is your name i dont want to keep calling you stage?! all the time) i shall have a go

[Kirsty]

thanks storm, your method is very easy to do but i found i kept having to save it and open it up again everytime i wanted to do a new section . is there way to avoid that? But im finding the gaussian blur the best one at the mo.