Highlights and shadows using skintones.

[crabtrem]

I'm not sure how useful this will be. Or even it is that good. But here we go.

I was reviewing a lot of tutorials talking about the in's and out's of burning and dodging. In an art class video, the base palette of skin tones was emphasized. So this got me to thinking. I would want to use the actual tones in the picture for skin to add shadows, midtones, and highlights. But I would want it to try and not disturb the skin features. So here is my attempt.

I have listed my process in text in the screenshot attached, but I will try and explain myself here.

First I wanted to create a swatch of just skin tones in the document.

        So I created a selection just covering the skin areas, saved that off into it's own layer with mask.

        I then selected that layer only, I unchecked all other layers, but I'm not sure if that is needed. You may just have to select the layer.

        From the color extended menu, the little drop down next to the brushes tab, I went to create palette from document.

        This gave me a palette of just my skin tones. You no longer need this mask, and can delete it.

        I then created a copy of my background image using CMD J. Went to Filters, frequency separation.

        I then selected the low frequency layer. I added a new Fill Layer, and from my skin tone swatch I selected one of the darker colors, changing the fill to that color. I named it accordingly, added a mask, inverted the mask.

        You can do this for any number of skin tonal ranges, just remember to place them between the high and low frequency layers.

         I used a brush with 0% hardness, a flow of 1%. and painted on the mask to add shadows, highlights, or midtones to my portrait.

This image is not mine. I used it from Flickr, I can't remember the name of the great photographer that took it, or I would give him credit.

 

So, if I am right on everything. This allows you a method of dodging and burning, or adding any tonal levels of skin from the photo, without interfering with the skin textures.  You could also paint directly on the low frequency layer, but I found that difficult to control for me.

 

Not sure if this is a new method, but I haven't seen anyone talk about it before. I hope you find it useful.

[CecilioMG]

I will try it to check results.

Thanks