One of the issues with photographing people is that cameras tend to pick up every imperfection and blemish on people's faces – far more than we tend to notice with the naked eye. While a lot of retouchers take things too far in the other direction, it is still a skill that any good photographer should have. How far you take that can then be judged on an individual basis suiting the context of the photography.
Below we have compiled some great little tutorials on the art of skin retouching in Photoshop. If you have any that you think should be added to the list, then share them in the comments!
There is obviously overlap in a lot of what the articles and videos cover, so choose the one you are most comfortable with and follow along!
How to Change Skin Tone in Photoshop – This is a very straight forward and step by step tutorial on making light skin darker or dark skin lighter.
How to Get Smooth Skin in Photoshop – This is a common technique to smooth the skin of your model in post production. Very worthwhile knowing.
How to Remove Freckles in Photoshop – If your image calls for altering the prominence of freckles or eliminating them altogether, then this tutorial will help you out.
Photoshop Skin Retouching Tutorial – As the title says! This is a basic tutorial on a common issue faced in retouching with Photoshop.
Retouch Photos With Realistic Perfect Skin – This is a cool step by step (one step = one page) tutorial. The layout of the tutorial makes it incredibly easy to follow along. Very worthwhile looking at.
Esily Smooth and Soften Skin With Photoshop – Another great tutorial that does't take things too far.
Skin Retouching Videos
There are also a heap of amazing videos online for anyone wanting to learn Photoshop and skin retouching videos applenty!
The Photoshop Skin Retouching Tutorial – This is actually the video to go along with the tutorial just above. Very worthwhile watching.
Glamour Skin Glo – This video takes you through getting that professional glossy model look with a photograph.
Retouch, Airbrush, and Smooth Skin Professionally in Photoshop – This one is from the folks at Retouch Mag. Don't be put off by the add at the front of the video as it's worth waiting for the meaty part. It's a very corporate type of video, but worthwhile.
Bonus Actions
While researching this list of articles, I also come across this great little donwloadable set of Photoshop actions by the folks at BrushEezy. Grab them here for free!
Don't forget to share your own tutorials on skin retouching in the comments!
