Professional Portrait Retouching Techniques

Getting rid of blemishesHealing Tool (looks like a Band-Aid)

1. Hold ALT on your keyboard and click a starting point in the photo with your mouse.

2. Release ALT.3. Paint over the blemish.

Smoothing skin1. Create a copy of the portrait layer by dragging that layer to the icon that

looks like 2 pieces of paper (bottom right of your layers palette)2. Add a layer mask to the top layer by clicking the icon that looks like a

rectangle with a circle in it (bottom left of your layers palette)3. Click the eyeball icon next to the top layer to hide that layer4. Click on the bottom layer so you can work on it5. Click Filter Blur Gaussian Blur and blur the image so the skin is smooth

but you can still see features such as the eyes and nose. Click OK.6. Click on the layer mask (the white box on the top layer in the layers palette)7. Use the paint brush tool with black paint to paint the parts of the skin you

want to be blurry.

Eye and Teeth Whitening1. Use the paint brush tool with white paint to paint over the whites of the each

eye and the teeth. Be sure to do each eye and the teeth on 3 different layers.2. In the layers palette, adjust the opacity (upper right corner) until the eyes

and teeth look enhanced but still realistic.3. You can also use this procedure to add tiny white highlights in the pupils of

the eyes.

Enhancing the Eyes using the Dodge and Burn Tools 1. The dodge and burn tools are located with the sponge tool. On the toolbar

they are 7 tools down on the right. To find them, click and hold on whichever appears there and the others will pop up, too.

2. Use the dodge tool to paint over the irises in the eyes. This will lighten them. Be sure they still look realistic.

3. If needed, use the burn tool to darken the pupils and the black circle around the irises. Be sure they look realistic.

4. Use the burn tool to darken the edges of the eyes where they meet the eyelid. This will create a look similar to mascara. Be sure your subject doesn’t end up looking like a raccoon.

Mouth Retouching1. Try darkening the lips using the burn tool or other tools you think will be

effective. Be sure they still look realistic.

Using the Clone Tool to Alter Images (like to copy and paste parts of the photo)1. The Clone Tool looks like a rubber stamp.2. Press and hold ALT on your keyboard and click with your mouse at your

starting point. This will copy that point.3. Release ALT.4. Paint with the tool. This will paste what you just copied.