The Brushes & Retouch Tools


Here we will "paint" on all the objects, so in order to do so, we will have to convert the object from text/path to image. If you have a pen tablet, here is where you'll be needing it!

Face:
Airbrush: Size: 55 Transp: 50 Soft Edge (SE): 90
Small soft strokes, use the dark color from under her chin for the shading of her face (remember to pick the color on screen?)




There are 2 ways of shading, one is to put your shape beside the real pic and copy just by looking and the other is this, with the pick tool selected, you will see in the attribute bar the transparency field, set it to a high number and you'll be able to see what's underneath.

Let's continue with the nose

Airbrush: Size:4 Transp: 50 SE: 90 (zoom in 200%)
See image below, small strokes, you can always rely on the UNDO button!




This is how mine looks like after a few strokes.




Here I added blur to some parts

Blur: Size: 4-10 (depends on which area) Level: 1 SE: 82


It always happens that when you use the blur too much on an area the defined lines kind of disappear, so you have to draw them again. Use the blur as small as possible in places where you want to keep the lines darker and more defined. Sometimes you don't even have to use the blur!




Here we can add some dodge

Dodge: Size: 15 Level: 17 SE: 90

Add the eyes and mouth to the face so we can get a good idea where the shadings go. Make the face transparent again and follow the light with little touches, not large strokes.



Add blur Level: 1 and SE: 80-90 (you chose)
The size I would recommend as big as possible for the face, I used 55. If you use a small size in these big areas it will be too difficult to achieve an even shade, it will look spotted. You'll have to experiment to get to know how it works for you.



The lower part of the mouth needs shading

Airbrush: Size:7 Transp: 50 SE: 90
Add blur once you've finished.




Here we will start with the eyebrows, pick the Chalk.

Chalk: Size: 2 Transp: 60 Hex: #5D5D5D
Make little dots shaping each eyebrow, remeber to use the transparency on the face.




Now use the Charcoal .

Charcoal: Size:2 Transp: 55
Make tiny little hairs fitting into the eyebrow as shown below, not to many.




Change to the smudge in mode.

Smudge (mode): Size: 11 Transp: 21 SE: 70

Once you are ready with one eyebrow, click the pick tool and when the pop up sign appears, click ok. You'll now have this eyebrow floating. Continue doing the same with the other.

The eyebrow shown below may have to be erased on the edge.

Select each eyebrow and give them a transparency of 35 +-, you'll have to decide wheather it is enough for your or not. Once you're satisfied merge with the head as a single object and send back.




Now lets add some shading to the white part of the eye as shown below, use the same settings the airbrush has, just change the size for this piece, then add blur, same settings too.




Here we have to make the iris (colored part of the eye) The screen shot shows you the size of the circle, if you want to use my colors, make a screen shot of this and open it in PI, once opened you can pick the color on screen for each circle.

Once you have both circles center both.



Choose the Bristle brush with a small size of tip (3 aprox.) and color light grey.

Zoom in a lot and paint just a small area as shown below. Just a few little clicks will do it! Make two more circles as shown below (pupil and shine)




Duplicate this eye and merge as a single object then follow instructions show below.




In the Brightness and Contrast feature, you can adjust manually the brightness, change it to -8




This is all that you should have by now. You've done a great job!


 

Merge only the white part of the eye to the head and send back.

ATTENTION: Always check that your transparency for the object is in zero by the time you'll merge it with some other object, if not it will merge transparent and there is no way take the transparency away, if this happens to you , your only way out it the undo button.





Hide the colored part of the eyes and bring the head piece to a transparency of 33.

We will now use the airbrush for the contours of the eyes.

Airbrush: Size: 3 Color: Black Transp: 0 SE: 82

Remember you have the undo button, and if you make a mess, like a big dark smudge you can always use the paint brush as default with the basic gray color of the head, the color we started out with, then blur it in a bit and voila, all good as new!




Keep on going, more airbrush and more blur. Below are my settings for these. Here I changed the SE of the airbrush to get a darker color.



Zoom in maybe around 400 and show the colored part of the eyes, now we have to erase unwanted parts. Before you do , make sure it it placed correctly, you can assure this by making the head transparent and lining up with the pic undrneath.




Here are how mine look.




Eyelashes: Pencil brush as default size 2 color black, draw the eyelashes, then blur with size 2 and a low SE like 50. If it gets messy use the paint brush as I mentioned before, in between each lash and then blur a bit the light gray paint you painted, that will definitely separate the lashes. Check mine below (I had to do that myself!)




If you take a good close look at the original pic, you will see some shadow on the upper part of her eye, we will achieve this by painting in mode, the instructions are below.




Some retouches are always necesary, I did these.




Here are some more



The mouth needs dark gray airbrush
Airbrush: Size :15 +- SE: 80
Dodge: level: 15
Blur: level:1 SE 82

Once you are done, merge the mouth with the face. Talke the blur with size 3 or 2 and blur slghtly th edges to smothe into the face, no too much or you'll loose the contour.




Some more retouches. This kind of technique will always require retouches, the best way to see what you need is to zoom out to 100% and have the otiginal picture on the side.




The face is done, lets continue with the neck. Below is how to do it.
Brushes are used the same way as the face.




Blur shown on the left. On the right is the neck merged with the head and I used the blur size 3 to soften edges.



The shoulder has a lot of contrast, I used the dodge in level 15.




Add more dodge where shown.




Merge with neck once you're satisfied with it and use the blur size 20 to 35 aprox. If you need to soften more an area that does not quite merge well, use the clone paint brush and then blur on top of it. Soften the colors of the neck with the shoulder. Here is how mine looks.




Hand: First I made it transparent and copied the dark lines between the fingers, then placed it beside the original hand to see clearly. Here I added the dodge and finished painting with the airbrush. By now you will feel what size, level and SE is better for you to work with!.




More shading, no blur yet here.




Darker here, I have no blur here yet!




Here it is finished with the blur added.




This is what we have so far! You're doing awesome!!!!

Stay with me for the third and last part where we will be doing the coat and her hair! :))))