onOne Software Blog

Portrait Retouching with Perfect Layers

April 28, 2011 by Mike Wong • Comments Off

We've been very excited about the feedback we've received so far on Perfect Layers. Especially in the webinars that we've been hosting this week - there's something about seeing it in action that shows you just how this new product can be used and really allows people to see what you can do with it.

As an additional example, here's how you can retouch a portrait with Perfect Layers. The image used in the following screenshots was provided by Scott Kelby and the image copyright belongs to him. He was gracious enough to shoot this image specifically for showing off Perfect Layers and we are using it here with his permission (thank you Scott!). Click on any of the images below for a larger version and then click anywhere off the image to return to the rest of the article.

Step 1 - Launch Perfect Layers and Open an Image

After opening the image, I selected the layer and renamed it to Base and then with that base layer selected, I clicked on the Copy button just below the layer. That gave me a duplicate of the base. On to step 2.

Step 2 - Increase contrast in the Iris

To increase the contrast in the iris, I changed the blend mode to Soft light. I then did some masking using the brush and adjusted the opacity of this layer to 72%. There is no right or wrong number to adjust the opacity to - just whatever looks right to you!

Set the blending mode to Soft Light to increase the contrast of the Iris

Step 3 - Darken the Eyelashes

To darken the eyelashes, I duplicated the original base layer and then changed the blend mode to Multiply. With a very small brush, I then painted in this effect on each of the individual eyelashes. This took a little time, but it's not too bad.

Darken the eyelashes with a Multiply Blend mode and a tiny brush to paint them in!

To darken the eyelashes, I duplicated the original base layer and then changed the blend mode to Multiply. With a very small brush, I then painted in this effect on each of the individual eyelashes. This took a little time, but it's not too bad.

Step 4 - Darken the Eyebrows

Darkening the eyebrows is very similar to the eyelashes. I just duplicated the original layer, changed the blend mode to Multiply and with a medium sized brush with a large feather, I painted in the effect just where I wanted it on the eyebrows.

Another Multiply blend mode and a brush with a large feather was used to darken the eyebrows

Step 5 - Whiten the whites of the eyes

This next step really makes the eyes stand out. I duplicated the base layer and set the blending mode to Screen. This lightens up the entire image but I just masked/painted in the area of the eyes to have the whites of her eyes stand out. One tip to keep in mind when you do this, I would recommend painting in the entire eye with the lighten blend mode and then adjust your brush size to the size of the iris and then with a soft feather on the brush, set the brush to paint out and then click (repeatedly if necessary if your brush is not at 100%) over the iris. You'll get a much more natural looking result than if you try to just paint the whites back in.

I actually used two layers on this step - one for each eye. I lowered the opacity of the effect eye that is slightly out of focus so it wouldn't draw as much attention as the sharper eye.

Step 6 - Another Screen mode for the Catch Light

Using the same technique, I duplicated the base layer, set the blend mode to Screen and then painted over the catch light to enhance it as well.

Use a Screen blending mode layer to enhance the catch lights.

Step 7 - Enhance the ring around the Iris

The final step in our portrait retouch is to darken the ring around the outside edge of the iris. To do this, we duplicate the base layer using the Copy command and then set the blend mode to Multiply. Again, I used a brush with a soft feather to affect only this part of the image. My brush was about the same size as the iris and I painted the effect in. Of course, this set the entire iris to be darker, so I reduced the brush size just a bit and then changed my brush setting to paint out and then clicked inside the iris being careful not to hit the edges.

A very subtle, but nice touch to darken the ring around the iris using a Multiply blend mode.

Hopefully, this gives you an idea of what you can do with Perfect Layers. Download the Public Preview today and be sure to let us know what you think!

Here is a final before/after comparison so you can see the results better. Grab the slider and move it back and forth or click on the image to the approximate location where you want the before/after line to go to. You can also use the Show Before Only or Show After Only links below the image.

[edit - you may have to refresh your browser a time or two to get the before/after to show up]

Image copyright Scott Kelby. Used with permission.