Step 6

Use the Spot Healing Brush to erase the wrinkles and blemishes. Reduce the opacity of the layer to bring back some of the wrinkles and blemishes then position this layer below the Flaws layer.

We’re pretty much done and as you can see in this before and after preview, the skin looks a lot better than before.

Before
After

Step 7

If you’re happy with the results, you can stop here. But if you want to continue with some more dramatic skin retouching techniques, follow the rest of the tutorial to learn how to airbrush skin and reduce discoloration in the skin.

Before we proceed, convert all your layers into a single Smart Object. To do this, Hold Ctrl/Cmd and select all the layers. Right-click on the layers then choose “Convert to Smart Object”. This will save you time by letting you make changes to the faces at a later time without having to undo and redo everything. Rename this layer to Original.

Step 8

Duplicate the layer then rename it to “Smoothness”. With the Smoothness layer selected, go to Filter > Blur > Surface Blur. Set the Threshold to 255 levels then adjust the radius so that you can barely make out the face.

Reduce the Threshold until you can just start to make out the details. The skin should still be very blurry. Click OK to apply the filter.

Step 9

Duplicate the Original layer then move it to the top. Name this layer “Details”. This layer will be used to restore the details lost in the Smoothness layer.

Step 10

Go to Filter > Other > High Pass. Adjust the radius setting until you can barely bring back the details.

Step 11

Change the blending mode of this layer to Linear Light. The skin looks cleaner, but it looks overly airbrushed and has a fake plastic look to it. This may work well for younger subjects with fair skin, but for skin with more complexions, you’ll have to reduce this for it to look realistic. Here’s what the airbrushing looks like before and after.

Before
After

Step 12

Now we’re going to mask out the color. Select the Details and Smoothness layer then press Ctrl/Cmd+G to group them. Rename this group to Airbrushing.

Pages: 1 2 3 4

64 responses to “How to Retouch and Airbrush Skin in Photoshop”

  1. Marisela Avatar
    Marisela

    nasty 🤢 🤮

  2. Jayden Avatar
    Jayden

    Hey what’s the name of the lady on the photo one of my friends are interested

    1.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      Creepy bro.

  3. Jayden Coaker Avatar
    Jayden Coaker

    Hey what’s the name of the lady

  4. Ethan Lilian Avatar

    Just amazing and its super and easy process for perfect image retouch., thanks boss

  5. Brian Jones Avatar
    Brian Jones

    Great tutorial. I come back to this one every so often

  6. shubham magar Avatar

    Nice way to represent photo retouching

  7. beauty retouch Avatar

    Portraits can be retouched in a number of methods.

  8. Haay Avatar

    One of the best tutorials about photo retouching with Photoshop… Great work ..

  9. Rajesh Sharma Avatar
    Rajesh Sharma

    well that was one of the relevant guide on retouching

  10. Muhammad Faisal Ibrahim Avatar

    Hello

    I m trying to install photoshop and illustrator cs5… but when i click on install it says

    Windows cannot found
    C:users-AppDataLocalAdobeOOBEPDAppDECoreSetup.exe. Make sure you can typed the name correctly, and then try again.

    Any one can help me sort it out

    Regards

  11. Carlos Avatar

    U are awesome, u explain it so well Thanks a LOT FROM MADRID!

  12. Tamie Avatar
    Tamie

    I’m having a few problems.
    When you say:
    Go to Image > Mode > CMYK. In the Channels panel, click on the Yellow channel. Copy this channel by pressing Ctrl/Cmd+A then Ctrl/Cmd+C.

    I can do this and when you say to:
    Go to Image > Mode > CMYK. In the Channels panel, click on the Yellow channel.

    But I can not past the channel in layers.
    Copy this channel by pressing Ctrl/Cmd+A then Ctrl/Cmd+C.

    I’m using CS5, Mac Book Air. Can you help me with this?

  13. tabby Avatar
  14. Angie Avatar
    Angie

    this is so cool. However when I follow step 2 and 3, after cmd v the new layer is exactly the same as the original layer. what am I doing wrong?

  15. lin nay Avatar
    lin nay

    please , can i get this action pdf file

  16. PhotoTrims Avatar
    PhotoTrims

    It’s wonderful work specially on eyes. Thanks for sharing

  17. Schmitty Avatar
    Schmitty

    I’m getting so annoyed of all these wannabe retouchers putting out tutorials and gimmick like tricks online. It’s all crap. You just need to use the basic tools and keep practicing. Most high end, WORKING, retouchers have never learned from these resources. Look at Bianca Carosio’s work for example, she’s self taught!!!! Just practice on your own terms people.

  18. Maidul Islam Avatar

    This is one awesome collection. One of my favorites I have seen in a long time. Thanks for sharing.

  19. Ivo Avatar
    Ivo

    Awesome tutorial. Seriously, I have seen quite a few and this one is easily the best. This is what a tutorial should look like.

  20. ankit singh Avatar
    ankit singh

    very nice

  21.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    I like the tutorial….but

  22. TD Avatar
    TD

    it not helpful. too complex!

  23. imageexpert24 Avatar
    imageexpert24

    your voice just AWESOME. l like your video.very nice video tutorial.thanks you for this.

  24. imageexpert24 Avatar
    imageexpert24

    very nice post.i learn more about retouching in this article thanks for share with us.

  25. Hannah Avatar
    Hannah

    Hi, so i am fine on the first steps, but when it gets to the WRINKLES AND BLEMISHES layer, when i try to do this, wherever i click with the spot healing brush it makes it come up in a different colour?? Please help!

  26. anul Avatar
    anul

    I amusing cs6,while retouching my ctrl shift z is not responding. Plztell me what can i do?

  27. dbr_kaka Avatar
    dbr_kaka

    Nice tutorial.

  28. samsher Avatar
    samsher

    nice tips

  29. mandy butandin Avatar
    mandy butandin

    I really hate this tutorial, pls terminate this website

  30.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    So I’ve used your tutorial for my first ever try at Photoshop – I’m not new to photo editing but new to this program – so picked up most of what was in this tutorial. However, I went to edit a previous layer and it deleted all the layers after that one, and I can’t get them back. How do you ‘merge’ layers, so to speak? I think I have a long way to go with this program, or maybe actually need a ‘for Dummies’ book on this because I feel this tutorial is written for people that already know how to work the program in certain aspects. A little more detail on how to save would be good for people like me who are looking to move from Corel’s Paint Shop pro X5 Photoshop…

  31. Marie Avatar
    Marie

    Thank you so much. I got beautiful results!

  32. Kim Avatar
    Kim

    grate tutorial!

  33. Sebastian Avatar
    Sebastian

    having a problem with the airbrushing. after I group the details and smoothness layers and add a mask, I then selected a brush tool with opacity of 50%. the airbrushing is not working I see no adjustments at all. I went back and followed the steps again about three times and I am not getting any results. what am I doing wrong

    \

  34.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    having a a problem with the airbrushing- after i group the smoothness and details layers,add a layer mask and rename to airbrushing then i select the brush to airbrush the skin with a soft brush opacity 50% but I am not seeing any airbrushing. what am i doing wrong I completed all the previous steps as directed

  35. N Avatar
    N

    Thank you! Super Helpful :)

  36. 丸子 Avatar
    丸子

    授人以鱼不如授人以渔,i like this tutorial ,tks~!

  37. maya Avatar
    maya

    Very cool, I use madian sometimes, also grey channel
    Great work, love the retouch
    Maya Kreskin

  38. Andie Avatar
    Andie

    Thats cool, how did you do that before and after sliding?

  39. COBY Avatar
    COBY

    AWESOME video tutorial! Just one thing! When you say CTRL+C then CTRL+Z, they sound almost the same so you should use ZED instead of ZEE even if you are Amurrikaa

  40. buthainah Avatar
    buthainah

    I like video

  41. bryzoned.com Avatar
    bryzoned.com

    Interesting and nice tutorial. The final results look blurry and very fake.

  42. Michael Arzola Avatar
    Michael Arzola

    Interesting tutorial thank you. What is the point of creating the flaws layer if you will be removing all the wrinkles and airbrushing later? Is it not redundant?

  43. Ray Avatar
    Ray

    Thank you for the tip. As a beginner these type of video helps new jacks understand what PS has to offer.

    1. Landi Avatar
      Landi

      As a follow beginner I have to ask you how the hell those something that’s end product looks fake be off any value?

  44. NazerBE Avatar
    NazerBE

    Your voice sounds so good!!

  45. Valen Avatar
    Valen

    You cannot simplify the steps into a 10 minute video with shortcuts. High end retouching is an ART that takes years to master. I spend at least 2 hours per photo and I know that you cannot retouch it in 10 minutes. You might think that your doing the world a favor with this video, but you are only springing up more faux-retouchers who dilute the jobs and put the real beauty & fashion retouchers out of business.

    1. Anonymous Avatar
      Anonymous

      Sorry but I don’t think any “faux retouchers” can actually put you out of business. I know that sounds harsh but if you’re really that good, then you wouldn’t be effected by them.

    2. anon Avatar
      anon

      jealous….jealous everywhere

    3. Landi Avatar
      Landi

      Hi I’m only starting to learn photoshop and can only do the basics of the basics for really slow and stup beginners. Enough of me I don’t know much but I can see from a mile away the end product looks fake so sorry but a quick short cut ten minute so called tutorial are useless if the end product looks fake. Btw I didn’t even try this tutorail because I want to learn about photoshopping that’s end product looks like the real deal and not supper doeper fake!

    4. Nick Avatar
      Nick

      I can only agree with you! This is, i’m sorry – but horrible. The goal within ‘high-end retouching’ is to make the skin look ‘perfect’, if there is such a thing.

      This tutorial (i didn’t even look thru it, saw the ‘result’ which was enough) isn’t going to help anyone.

      Using the old ‘Gaussian Blur’-retouch method would be adviced before using this tutorial, and the ‘Gaussian Blur’ method is somewhat.. bad.

      I’m not just going to complain, as it will serve no purpose at all. Instead, i wan’t to help you out, to become better.

      So, my advice, google for ‘Dodge and burn’. That’s the method we use when retouching for magazines or w/e.

      It takes time, just like Valen says. Some images can take more than 2 hours.

      If you are going to do it – do it right! =)

    5. Wesley Avatar
      Wesley

      In reply to Valen: I am a full-time professional fashion and editorial photographer and I agree with you that it is possible to spend hours on a photo. But you should not discredit this tutorial in that manner.

      I have read through this tutorial thoroughly and watched the video and I have nothing but compliments for the author. The video was outstanding and the author has the best voice and clear instructions. If the instructions are in question, then my suggestion is to try it out for yourself.

      I know many of these techniques already. It is the basic high and low pass retouching that “every” professional retouching artist use. They briefly go through dodging and burning too. But the video is fast-forwarded. I think they should teach more about dodging and burning but it is hard to describe because every photo is different.

      In reply to Nick: Your comment doesn’t make sense. Maybe you didn’t see the next page? The last photo on this page is blurry but it is not the final image. Click on Page 2 to see the results. There is “no” gaussian blur used here. Dodging and burning is taught here too. There is a Next Page button which you should click.

  46.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    how do you post a comment

    1.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      lolwut

  47. Samira Avatar
    Samira

    I can’t see the video…. It says ‘This video is private’

    1. Photoshop Tutorials Editor Avatar
      Photoshop Tutorials Editor

      Sorry about that! Video should be working now :)

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