Portrait images retouching workshop II: Retouch hair like a professional

Ever completed a shoot and observed flyaways and gaps inside the hair of your topic spoiling the shot? Then learn to edit hair like a professional in Photoshop or related software program. This tutorial covers all the things from easy touch-ups to superior methods, so you’ll be able to improve your modifying expertise with ease.

Enhancing hair in Photoshop is like giving your topic a makeover after the shoot – it’s about making portraits look wonderful with out trying pretend. One problem is preserving edits pure – you wish to impress, not make it apparent. Use instruments gently, like brushing a unicorn’s mane, and keep away from overdoing smoothing or introducing unnatural color.

A standard mistake, simply as with pores and skin retouching (see half one in all this sequence), is popping hair into plastic. An excessive amount of smoothing or cloning can spoil it. My high tip is to follow. Experiment with totally different images, get suggestions and watch or learn tutorials. Enhancing is sort of a enjoyable puzzle – when you crack it, you’ll be a hair-editing professional.

Enhancing steps

Purpose to supply reasonable tones and even texture

1. Assess your pictures

I choose pictures that require minimal modifying, checking for sharp focus and robust composition. If these are acceptable and the hair wants changes, I can repair it later. This leaves me free to seize the essence of the second in the course of the shoot.

2. Determine challenges

Utilizing Seize One in the course of the session permits me to maintain monitor of pictures and evaluate them as I shoot. As soon as I’ve determined what pictures I wish to edit, I begin noting down issues that want modifying as this can assist me in my subsequent steps.

3. Organize layers

Begin importing pictures from Adobe Bridge, then create new layers. Pinning layers permits me to return at any level with out having to delete all the things and begin once more. As you get extra in-depth along with your modifying, begin grouping and naming them.

4. Take away flyaways

I begin with the flyaways and child hairs across the circumference of the top. I decide my Spot Therapeutic Brush (J) toggling between Regular and Substitute modes and experimenting with the Sort choices. As soon as I’m pleased, I’ll use the patch instrument to wash up any areas I’ve missed.

5. Fill in gaps

Gaps within the hair happen naturally however they are often distracting. I fill these in utilizing the Clone Device (S), with Opacity at 100 per cent and Stream at 40 per cent. Utilizing this instrument permits me to regulate how a lot additional hair I’m including. I additionally apply a round movement to assist the added hair to look extra pure.

6. Dodge and burn 

I take advantage of the Dodge and Burn method to govern the publicity of native areas of the photographs. I zoom into particular person strands of the hair, making use of the Dodge and Burn with a managed strategy, so as to add dimension to the highlights and shadows.

The key step

Sharpening is my secret step – I consider this actually brings all the things collectively. Irrespective of how cautious you’re with retouching, chances are you’ll realise that just a few of the hairs are barely softer than their neighbours. Begin with the Sharpen Device to go over these areas so as to add texture (with Mode set to Regular and Power at 30 per cent). Then, I’d normally apply an general sharpen by going to Filter > Different > Excessive Move. From there, you’ll be able to tweak the Radius and preview how a lot sharpening might be utilized earlier than clicking OK. Change the Mix Mode to Tender Gentle.

Earlier than and After

Jade’s bonus tip

Use Liquify