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Information

  • To create a vignette in Photoshop create a Levels Adjustment Layer, and take the bottom highlight slider right down to the middle. Dab once on the mask with black with a hard edged brush to stamp a light circle. Transform this to the shape you want, which can be extreme. Increase the feathering of the mask to soften the edge and reduce the opacity of the layer. (Ref 47:20)

Location

Shortcuts

  • CMD + R toggles rulers on and off.
  • CMD + : (Colon) toggles guides on and off.

Location

Shortcuts

  • Right Click brings up the brush menu and allows you to select the eraser shape.

Location

Introduction

  • The Pen Tool is the most accurate way to make a selection but it must be done by hand, tracing around the part of the image to cut out.
  • It produces a vector mask with points and curves, all of which can be edited.
  • The vector path can be turned into a selection by right clicking inside the mask with the Pen Tool and selecting Make Selection, which brings up a dialogue box. It is best to check Anti-Aliased to smooth the edges slightly and Feather Radius of something like 1 pixel to further add a little smoothness to the edge.

Shortcuts

  • P selects Pen Tool.
  • CMD + CLICK - Brings back the path, and the points on it, select the Pen tool, select the Path if necessary.
  • CMD + CLICK & DRAG edits a point or a control arm.
  • Holding ALT converts the Pen Tool to the Convert Point Tool.
  • ALT + CLICK on a curve point changes the point to be an angle rather than a curve, then use the handle to show the corner shape.
  • ALT + CLICK & DRAG on an angle point converts it to a curve.
  • Hovering over a point converts the Pen Tool to a Delete Anchor Point Tool.
  • Hovering over part of a curve converts the Pen Tool to a Add Anchor Point Tool.

Information

  • The vector shape shows up in Paths, with Work Path as the one you are currently creating. Save this by double clicking it in Paths and giving it a name.
  • You can also create a new Path by clicking on the icon at the bottom of the Paths panel, which calles it Path 1 etc, which saves automatically.
  • Clicking from one point to another produces straight lines between points.
  • Clicking and dragging produces a curve between points.
  • You can produce a stroke along a path using several tools, such as the brush tool.

Top Menu

  • Pen Icon - Can have other pens included. Peanut Dash is there by default.
  • Path - Can also have Shape or Pixels.
  • Selection - Creates a Selection on the current Layer.
  • Mask - Creates a new Layer with its own Vector Mask. Or clicking this with the Path active creates a Mask with that vector path as a selection.
  • Shape - Creates a filled shape with a defined stroke for an outline.
  • Sample Size - Can be Point Sample or a larger size. It opens this dialogue box -  
  • The Properties Panel also displays further options.
  • Paths can be added to, subtracted from or aligned, and changed stacking order.
  • Rubber Band Function is turned on and off from the cog wheel, which makes the pen path predictive.

Training

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General

  • Dodging is brightening and Burning is darkening parts of an image.
  • Use a Black and White adjustment layer to work in mono so that you only see tomes.
  • Rotate (R) the image so that you don’t look at the picture, just the tones.
  • Use Dodge and Burn to even out skin, emphasise and contour skin highlights and shadows to add dimension, emphasise hair highlights etc.
  • Always work on the midtones setting for skin and hair for best results (Sue Bryce Experimental Portraits 27, 8:00)
  • PixImperfect uses an extreme curves adjustment and 1% flow on a mask to produce an extreme effect, which he then dials back with the curves adjustment and opacity of needed. (Ref 37:43)

 Using a Grey Layer

  • Create a new layer (CTRL+SHIFT+n), fill it with grey (Edit > Fill or SHIFT+ DELETE and chose 50% grey from the menu), change the blending mode to Soft Light (or Overlay for a stronger effect).
  • Can use a separate, named layer for dodge and burn or highlights and shadows.
  • Phlearn Retouching uses opacity 100%, flow 10%, or 5% for larger areas. Digital Photography uses opacity 15%, flow 10%  (Ref). I find Phlearn’s settings can be too harsh.
  • You can use default black and white colours (Press D to go back to this) to paint on this layer, or use the sampled coloured from a shadow and highlight to be even more accurate. Use the X ket to swap between the foreground and background colours.
  • Zoom well out for evening out tones and contouring.
  • Add Gaussian blur when finished (20-40 pixels) and reduce the opacity as required. 01.
  • Set the range to Highlights, Mid Tones or Shadows to get more control (Lara Jade, Experimental Portraits Lesson 22)

Using Curves

  • Using Curves - Use a blend mode of luminosity (Aaron Nace Q&A video)

Using a Blank Layer

  • This is probably the easiest way. It is the same technique as using a grey layer but much easier. However, be sure to label the layer, as it is almost impossible to see the new pixels on the layer afterwards and you may delete it inadvertently. 
  • Add a blank layer and set the Blending Mode to Soft Light or Overlay for a stronger effect. Use a black or white brush at 100% opacity and very low flow. One big advantage is that you can just press E to use the Eraser Brush to delete any areas. 
  • Grey Layer for Dodge & Burn is STUPID! - Video by PiXimperfect. 

Select Highlights and Shadows Automatically

  • Use Blend If and Apply Image to automatically select areas to make the process more automatic, and then separate the dodge or burn separately. Can also change the colour of shadows separately. - 01***, 02, 03, 04, 
  • Use Channels to automatically select highlights or shadows, then use blend modes - 01 24:52,

Using Luminosity

  • Using 3D Luminosity on Portraits with Photoshop - Video by PiXimperfect. This uses a Black and White Gradient Map, applied in Luminosity Blending Mode, and adjusts the points along the grey scale to control the luminosity. 
  • Can use an adjustment layer set to luminosity to sample and paint at 10% to even out difficult transitions. (Phlearn Retouching 101 Section 9, 48:00)

Using Apply Image

Resources

  • Phlearn Retouching 010 Section 5.

Colour Dodge and Colour Burn

Dodge and Burn - Paint over with white or black at 10% flow and use Blend IF in Normal mode to only lighten or darken the area using the bottom sliders. Adjust the Opacity to suit.

Videos

Links From

  1. Crop Tool
  2. Clone Stamp Tool
  3. Quick Selection Tool

Subcategories

Patch Tool