Retouch

[Skitalez]

My first attempt. Work with a portrait. Took a girl with a problem skin, not model. Seems uncompleted. Probably... Any ideas?

[Ryogenetic]

Very good work Yegor! The only thing I can see that is missing is the definition/shadows of the facial features, making the final product look kinda flat.

Ryo

[cichlid]

Nice work.
My preference is the middle image. Though, I find her eye a little over worked. It stands out the most, almost too perfect.
I find this type of retouch so intimidating as there is so much attention to detail.
Yegor, take my above comment as just my thought. I definitely hold no influence in this area. I struggle with my own portraits for simple things like skin tones.

[Skitalez]

Very good work Yegor! The only thing I can see that is missing is the definition/shadows of the facial features, making the final product look kinda flat.

Ryo

Thank you! I really missed this

[Skitalez]

Nice work.
My preference is the middle image. Though, I find her eye a little over worked. It stands out the most, almost too perfect.
I find this type of retouch so intimidating as there is so much attention to detail.
Yegor, take my above comment as just my thought. I definitely hold no influence in this area. I struggle with my own portraits for simple things like skin tones.

thank you! I value any remarks

[Skitalez]

Nice work.
My preference is the middle image. Though, I find her eye a little over worked. It stands out the most, almost too perfect.
I find this type of retouch so intimidating as there is so much attention to detail.
Yegor, take my above comment as just my thought. I definitely hold no influence in this area. I struggle with my own portraits for simple things like skin tones.

thank you! I value any remarks

[Loose Canon]

Hi Yegor!

Looks like a pretty nice retouch to me.

For me, its always a continuous decision process as to how far I want to take it. Depends on a lot of factors. The model, the photo, how lazy I am at the time, etc.! Since I am not editing for a fashion rag I feel that I can pretty much do what I want (or not)!

So I’ll just toss out a couple of things simply as observations for consideration.

If, as Erik mentioned, you find the eye “a little overworked” it might be partly because the whites may be a little too white. I personally like it as you have done it. The enlargement/shaping looks nice to me and I like the contrast in the iris. I also like the way you have treated under the eye. I personally like reduction of lines, wrinkles, dark rings, etc. as opposed to elimination. At least in most cases. I probably would have trimmed the eyebrow back toward the eye from the bridge of the nose a bit.

One thing I would definitely do if this were mine is tone down the background. Either by partial vignette, or some burning, or maybe a little of both. But I kind of like your middle version best. Though the rage now seems to be the flare thing.

Usually along toward the end of a retouch I’ll bring out the mids in the skin a little by doing a low opacity burn (maybe 7%-midtones) with a large brush and long, sweeping passes and avoiding things like eyes, eyebrows, things like that. Being careful not to overdo it.

If, as Ryo mentioned, you find the lighting a little flat one thing that might be done is some burning in the facial shadow areas to emphasize them some. If I were really going to get down and dirty, I would try rounding out her chin and cheek just a tad to make the edge of her face in that area a little smoother. Though it appears to me (and I may be wrong here) that you may have done some shaping there already.

If I were working the middle image and not going to add the flare effect, I would consider doing something with the fly-away hairs. But this would definitely take some time and come under the category of “do I really feel like messing with it”! If I were going to go ahead with the flare version I definitely wouldn’t bother.

While I consider portrait retouching absolutely necessary Yegor, to what extent one takes it I consider totally subjective.

So please just take these thoughts with a grain of sand. I think you did a really nice job.

[Skitalez]

Hi Yegor!

Looks like a pretty nice retouch to me.

For me, its always a continuous decision process as to how far I want to take it. Depends on a lot of factors. The model, the photo, how lazy I am at the time, etc.! Since I am not editing for a fashion rag I feel that I can pretty much do what I want (or not)!

So I’ll just toss out a couple of things simply as observations for consideration.

If, as Erik mentioned, you find the eye “a little overworked” it might be partly because the whites may be a little too white. I personally like it as you have done it. The enlargement/shaping looks nice to me and I like the contrast in the iris. I also like the way you have treated under the eye. I personally like reduction of lines, wrinkles, dark rings, etc. as opposed to elimination. At least in most cases. I probably would have trimmed the eyebrow back toward the eye from the bridge of the nose a bit.

One thing I would definitely do if this were mine is tone down the background. Either by partial vignette, or some burning, or maybe a little of both. But I kind of like your middle version best. Though the rage now seems to be the flare thing.

Usually along toward the end of a retouch I’ll bring out the mids in the skin a little by doing a low opacity burn (maybe 7%-midtones) with a large brush and long, sweeping passes and avoiding things like eyes, eyebrows, things like that. Being careful not to overdo it.

If, as Ryo mentioned, you find the lighting a little flat one thing that might be done is some burning in the facial shadow areas to emphasize them some. If I were really going to get down and dirty, I would try rounding out her chin and cheek just a tad to make the edge of her face in that area a little smoother. Though it appears to me (and I may be wrong here) that you may have done some shaping there already.

If I were working the middle image and not going to add the flare effect, I would consider doing something with the fly-away hairs. But this would definitely take some time and come under the category of “do I really feel like messing with it”! If I were going to go ahead with the flare version I definitely wouldn’t bother.

While I consider portrait retouching absolutely necessary Yegor, to what extent one takes it I consider totally subjective.

So please just take these thoughts with a grain of sand. I think you did a really nice job.

Really many useful recommendations. I did this work first time. And it is so many to know! Thank you for Your comment.

[Loose Canon]

Hi Yegor!

I wanted to thank you for putting this up. I’ve enjoyed looking at your retouch.

I wanted to mention this in the beginning, but got distracted. I apologize for that.

What would you think about a little tighter crop putting her eye on the upper third? This crop is a 4:5.

This would cut out a lot of the background.

[Skitalez]

Hi Yegor!

I wanted to thank you for putting this up. I’ve enjoyed looking at your retouch.

I wanted to mention this in the beginning, but got distracted. I apologize for that.

What would you think about a little tighter crop putting her eye on the upper third? This crop is a 4:5.

This would cut out a lot of the background.

It distinguishes a face undoubtedly. I missed out a great deal. Probably, concentrated on a retouch and skipped other. Thank you!