How to edit selection and 'blend' it with the rest?

[Nnbveh]

Hi!

 

Just got an ipad and bought Affinity photo right away. Trying to figure out if it's for me...

 

What i usually do in photoshop is develop from raw, and then if a face of a person is too dark i select it, adjust it with curves, and afterwards apply gaussian blur to blend it with the rest(it works great, although i'm not sure how exactly). 

So i make an adjustment layer from selection, apply curves operation to it, and then gaussian blur it(face doesn't become blurry, just more natural looking)

 

I've figured how to edit the selection only in affinity photo, but i can't figure out a way to 'blend' it afterwards. 

 

I'm not very good at explaining it so i'll show it on example:

 

 

So, how do i do this on ipad with affinity photo?

 

Thanks a lot!!

 

[Alfred]

Welcome to the Serif Affinity Forums, @Nnbveh.

 

If I understand your question correctly, the Feather Selection Tool is the one you’re looking for. It’s about halfway down the toolbar in the Selection Persona.

[Nnbveh]

6 hours ago, Alfred said:

Welcome to the Serif Affinity Forums, @Nnbveh.

 

If I understand your question correctly, the Feather Selection Tool is the one you’re looking for. It’s about halfway down the toolbar in the Selection Persona.

 

No, i'm not looking for any selection tools. Look at the difference between second picture, where part of the face was edited and edges of the selection were clearly visible, and the third picture, where it all came together...In photoshop i achieve this with gaussian blur, how do i do this in affinity photo?

[DM1]

Affinity Photo is not Photoshop. Sometimes you will get a better result with a different approach. You can do it the same way in AP but the outcome looks less 'blended'.

As Alfred suggested when making the selection just set the feather to around 20 px. Add the Curves and the result looks pretty much like you finished result. Benefit too, you can paint with soft brush (black/white) on the selection layer to further blend if you need to. No need to 'blur' the face either so saves a step in the process.

[Fixx]

Blurring the border pixels is not the optimal way. Better would do the manipulation to a separate layer and feather the border of the manipulated layer. (That is regardless you use AP or PS.)

You could also manipulate original layer direct but then you should start with feathered selection.

[DM1]

In my example you are only feathering the curves mask layer that lets the pixels show through, not the original pixels, so non destructive. Unticking curves layer restores original photo.

[carl123]

Is it just my imagination or is there a child's face in that picture and if so where is it being reflected from?

 

 

[IanSG]

45 minutes ago, carl123 said:

Is it just my imagination or is there a child's face in that picture and if so where is it being reflected from?

I can see it too but I think that's an example of pareidolia.

[Nnbveh]

Thanks a lot guys!  I'm new to all this, a lot to learn! Will try your tips.

 

Cheers!

[Nnbveh]

6 hours ago, DM1 said:

Affinity Photo is not Photoshop. Sometimes you will get a better result with a different approach. You can do it the same way in AP but the outcome looks less 'blended'.

As Alfred suggested when making the selection just set the feather to around 20 px. Add the Curves and the result looks pretty much like you finished result. Benefit too, you can paint with soft brush (black/white) on the selection layer to further blend if you need to. No need to 'blur' the face either so saves a step in the process.

 

So, if i understand it, i have to make a selection, create ad adjustment layer from the selection, apply curves adjustment to it. Frankly, i can't even figure out how to create an adjustment layer from selection...this app is a bit confusing. AH, it does it automatically! Cool. Figured it out.

 

 

Edited April 20, 2018 by Nnbveh
Figured it out!