Need some advices for pictures edition

[Sadkiel]

Hey there guys how's it going? Well, is anyone so kind to give me a short tutorial or advice about how to edit some pictures?

I would like to know some techniques to improve the skin quality, right now what I do is create a new layer, set it to overlay, set the fill to 50% and paint the layer with gray. Then all I do is use different sets of brushes with different tones of gray to create shadows and a more realistic skin. I also use gaussian blur in certain zones. That gives me a pretty decent finish , still not what I would like to achieve. I wanna know how can I get that skin with brilliant shades on it, like if it were covered with clingfilm, it looks so more realistic and with better graphics, the textures are way smoother aswell that way. It's one of the most used techniques used by photographers in Second Life. 

This is what I can do so far with the technique I use http://www.flickr.com/photos/charliebrownstudio/8561787303/in/photostream

 

 

Thank you all, hope the replies soon. 

[MuffinUnsane1488303563]

Grey isn't a good color to shade with. It makes the picture look FLAT and just strips away color. For shading, always choose a color that is slightly darker than the color you are shading. Just don't make it too grey. 

Just look at your skin for example. The shadows aren't grey but instead are colored. It also helps to be very light and build up. And keep in mind your light sources!

I suggest looking for shading and digital painting tutorials. While you aren't exactly doing that, they can have great tips for blending and shadowing. 

Basically, skin is tough to work with and I suggest using references heavily till you get the hang of it.

Lastly, be easy on blur. Its too easy to mess up and overdo. You seem to be okay with it but just a word of caution. 

[Celena Galli]

You can use many techniques. I will show you one of those tequniques that is very easy to learn.

In 1st picture I shoot myself (my avatar) At 5.000 x 2619 Resolution with Ultra (without shadows and lights) and WL Sky preset [Analu] Studio 5.

I do not change the light in photoshop because i like the way that Studio 5 looks

 

• I use the polygonal tool to select the neck area and i use the smudge tool to fix the bad sides of my neck..After this I use the Burn tool in Midtone 50% (without Protect Tones checked). I drag the brush from one side to the other only one time. I change the brush from midtone to Highlight and i do it again one more time. (Also you can do this with brushes or with Mask). I do the same with shoulders and chin.
• I use the Smudge tool to "paint" my skin... The smudge tool can move and blur the skin... You can test it by using the smudge tool on your skin. Drag the brush from the left to the right and from right to the left 3-4 times or more.
• I use the Polygonal Lasso to select some parts of my chest and i use the smudge to blur them..Also i use some cuts with lasso and Burn/Dodge tools to make it more artistic and with more chest/neck details.(I draw a shadow or light very closed to the selected area).
• I made the last picture with the polygonal tool/Smudge Tool - Burn/Dodge/Shadow Tool Only.(I select the lips and i use Smart Sharpen on them. I used to draw the hair and skin with my stylus/ Graphic Pen but i made them all with mouse so i used some addon ready made hair to do it more quickly.I also use white simple brush 1% size on her eyes,a little Skin tone color to smooth some parts of her face and at the end i change the tone of picture a little bit to looks more ice vintage.Of course if you want to make the picture perfect and more good looking,you need more hour than I spend to make it to show you this technique.
  

 hmmm maybe she need smoother nose and smoother neck but ok doesn't matter xoxo!

If you want to make more realistic skin, you can use brushes like small dots for skins (you can find a lot on internet)

If the previous information confused you or not helps you, i can make a quick video and post it here to show you how i do this!

 

[Sadkiel]

Hey there, really thank you. I appreciate you're willing to help others!

That is very usefull, although a short video would be great.

 

Thanks!