With the primary distractions eliminated with the Patch Tool, apply another process to refine and enhance the subject's skin. Use a layered approach with soft light blending, hue saturation, and a variety of other tools within Photoshop to remove splotches and uneven skin tone. Leverage the flexibility of the Paint Brush and work dynamically throughout the image to create an amazing skin aesthetic. Work from broad to more specific areas, honing the detail the further you go through the process.
Having applied a variety of methods to retouch and tone skin, begin to focus on blending the layered approach for a natural, cohesive look. With blurring, high and low pass separation, linear light blending and masking, manually apply a skin smoothing method for an incredible result for a natural...
After applying Frequency Separation in a methodical and intelligent way, move straight into Dodging and Burning. In this pass of retouching the portrait, focus on a global approach. Utilize curves, adjustment layering, masks, and the paint brush to create extra depth and dimension to the image.
Follow photographer, Jake Hicks, as he moves through a layered and intentional methodology to retouching the Gelled Flare image. Having started with targeted areas of the images, continue to work with a more global approach, refining skin, creating dimension, and focusing on color through the ret...