Photoshop Tutorials

Blown out skin can be an annoying problem with daylight photos. Learn how to use Photoshop to fix overexposed skin areas without creating a gray color cast. This Photoshop tutorial works with all versions of Photoshop and will introduce beginners to the Burn and Blur tools and the Color blend mode.

Before and After Fix Blown Out Skin Photoshop Tutorial

Original Image

Fix Blown Out Skin Photoshop Tutorial

Fix Blown Out Skin Photoshop Tutorial

Step 1: Open a photo into Photoshop

Run Photoshop and open the photo you would like to retouch.

Step 2: Create a new layer

Click on the Create a New Layer button. This should create new layer called Layer 1.

Step 3: Get the skin color

Select the Eye Dropper tool from the toolbar. Then click on an area of the skin that isn't blown out or too dark. This will record the color of the skin as the foreground color.

Step 4: Paint the blown out skin

Before we begin, make sure that you have Layer 1 selected. Select the Brush tool from the toolbar and paint over the areas that are blown out. You don't have to be too precise with the painting but keep the paint inside the skin. When you're done, you should have a blotchy paint effect that covers the highlights of the skin.