How to retouch brow pictures using Photoshop

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1. Background

This article is based on insights gathered from interviews with 58 pigmentation artists specializing in powder brows, hairstrokes, microblading, and lip blush procedures. These interviews were part of research initiatives to understand the initial steps required to enter the pigmentation industry. A significant portion of these artists, 47 to be exact, are based across various countries in the European Union, complemented by 8 from the UK and 3 from the US. Experts from the Powderbrows.com Research Center meticulously analyzed the data from these discussions, focusing on artists who transitioned into the pigmentation field from different career paths.

A common thread among them was their acquisition of Photoshop skills at some point in their careers, which they continue to utilize and expand upon by learning additional software features. Remarkably, 26 of these artists have taken to fully retouching their most crucial pictures themselves, gradually phasing out other applications in favor of Photoshop. This shift underscores Photoshop's pivotal role in enhancing their work's visual presentation, demonstrating its indispensable value in their professional toolkit.

2. Why master Photoshop

As an expert in Adobe Photoshop specializing in retouching brow and lip pigmentation pictures, I've observed firsthand the transformative power this skill holds for professionals in the beauty industry. Many seasoned artists often cite mastery of Photoshop as one of the most influential abilities that can significantly impact their business. This expertise does not necessarily imply that artists must undertake all tasks alone. However, having a profound understanding of Photoshop affords the artist complete control over their images, especially when a quick retouch is needed. This capability is invaluable, as it ensures that the artist can maintain the highest quality of their photos without compromise.

Moreover, Photoshop proficiency allows artists to evaluate the work performed by professional retouchers objectively. In beauty and aesthetics, minor imperfections can occasionally mar an otherwise perfect image. It's often just a few beauty mistakes that require correction. Mastering Photoshop emerges as the most effective and efficient method to address these issues, ensuring the integrity and quality of the photographs are preserved.

Beyond the realm of retouching, Photoshop's versatility extends to creating ads and enhancing photos with various additions. Many artists have observed that while numerous apps and programs are available, they often serve merely as an additional layer, offering a simplified subset of Photoshop's capabilities. Photoshop remains the unparalleled source of professional design tools, providing an exhaustive suite of features that can elevate the visual appeal of any project. Its comprehensive functionality enables artists to execute their creative vision without limitations, from basic adjustments to complex compositions and intricate designs.

In essence, the ability to adeptly navigate Photoshop empowers artists to refine and perfect their imagery and expands their creative possibilities. Photoshop stands as the cornerstone of professional design in the beauty industry, whether for subtle corrections or elaborate artistic creations. Its unmatched versatility and depth make it an indispensable tool for artists aiming to enhance their work and showcase their talent in the best possible light.

3. Resolution vs. PPI in Photoshop

As an artist in the PMU field, you might have encountered various tips, tricks, and "secrets" from different trainers, often suggesting that Photoshop is unnecessary for perfecting your portfolio pictures. Frequently, these methods employ simple, quick-fix apps that may degrade the quality of your images, often without the user even realizing it. Why is this? The answer lies in understanding PPI (Pixels Per Inch) and pixel resolution - two terms often used interchangeably yet embodying distinct concepts in digital image processing.

PPI refers to the number of square pixels in one inch of a digital display – in other words, it determines the pixel density of an image. This is especially critical when printing your images, as a higher PPI will result in a more detailed printed photo. While 72 PPI is standard for web images, you'll want your images to be at least 300 PPI for a high-quality print.

Conversely, resolution represents the total number of pixels in an image (width x height). So, a 1920 x 1080 image has a total of 2,073,600 pixels. More pixels mean more information; hence, higher-resolution images are rich in detail and clarity.

Here's the critical part: the exact resolution does not mean the same quality. Two images can share the precise resolution, yet the one with a higher PPI will have a greater pixel density, thus rendering a higher-quality image. This is particularly visible when the images are scaled up. A low PPI image will lose its clarity and detail faster than a high PPI image.

To keep it simple, imagine resolution as the size of your digital canvas, while PPI is how detailed your painting on that canvas can be.

The best practice is to capture images at the highest possible resolution and maintain a high PPI to ensure quality prints and digital display. When we simplify this process using quick-fix apps, they often reduce the PPI while maintaining the resolution, leading to a loss in the quality of the image, even though the resolution appears unchanged. This is why, despite the convenience these apps offer, it's essential to comprehend the potential compromise in image quality.

So, before you abandon Photoshop due to its perceived complexity, remember: there is no substitute for the highest quality results. It's worth taking the time to learn the basics of Photoshop to safeguard your images' integrity, as these are the foundation of your professional portfolio.

4. Spot Healing Brush Tool

Leveraging Spot Healing for Blemish-Free Images

Think of Photoshop as a comprehensive toolbox. It's filled to the brim with versatile tools, but you only need a select few for each specific job. The trick lies in knowing which tool to pick up and when. For correcting skin flaws in Powder Brows photos, you'll reach for the "Spot Healing Brush Tool.”

So, what is the Spot Healing Brush Tool? As part of Photoshop's healing tool suite, the Spot Healing Brush Tool replaces unwanted portions of the image with textures and colors from surrounding areas. This tool is magic for eliminating minor blemishes, spots, acne, and other skin irregularities.

Once your image is open in Photoshop, you'll find the Spot Healing Brush Tool in the Tools menu. It's represented by an icon that looks like a band-aid.

The process of retouching your image

Choose the Spot Healing Brush Tool from the Tools menu.
Set the size of the brush. A smaller brush (about 5-10 pixels) is ideal for precise spot correction. Remember, we want to maintain as much of the original image as possible, so be careful; minor adjustments are essential.
Begin to click or paint over the spots or blemishes you wish to correct. As you do this, Photoshop automatically samples from around the retouched area to fill in the place you're healing, creating a seamless blend with the rest of the image.

Remember, the Spot Healing Brush Tool is excellent for quick, minor corrections. If there are more complex skin issues in your photo, you may need to use other tools or techniques – but this tool is incredibly effective for most general skin corrections.

As you continue using Photoshop, you'll become more comfortable with these tools and, over time, more skilled in wielding them. It's about practicing, fine-tuning, and honing your understanding. This way, even in a toolbox as large as Photoshop, you'll know exactly which tool to reach for, making your editing process quicker and more efficient.

5. Perfecting Skin Tone

Bulletproof sequence used by many designers

Now that we've addressed specific skin imperfections, we can move on to overall smoothing. This process involves enhancing the skin to make it appear naturally flawless. Here are the steps.

Create a Copy of the Image Layer. Select the layer you wish to duplicate in the Layers panel (Window > Layers) to do this. Next, go to the Layer menu at the top of your screen, choose 'Duplicate Layer'’ and click OK.
Invert the Colors of the Duplicate Layer Navigate to the 'Image' menu, select 'Adjustments', and then click 'Invert'. This will change the colors in the layer to their opposite on the color wheel. It may look strange for now, but don't worry!
Choose 'Vivid Light' for the Duplicate Layer. 'Vivid Light' is a blend mode accessed from the drop-down menu at the top of the Layers panel. Select your duplicate layer and choose 'Vivid Light' from the Blend Mode drop-down menu to apply it.
Apply High Pass Filter Navigate to the 'Filter' menu, hover over 'Other', and then select 'High Pass'. You'll be prompted to choose a radius, determining how much detail is preserved in the high-pass result. The best radius depends on your specific image, but a value between 20-25 often works well.
Apply Gaussian Blur Again, head to the 'Filter' menu, hover over 'Blur', and then select 'Gaussian Blur'. Choose a radius between 2-4, depending on your desired level of smoothness.
Add a Pure Black Mask to the Layer In Photoshop, a layer mask is a fundamental tool that lets you selectively modify the opacity (transparency) of the layer it belongs to. This differs from the use of the layer Opacity slider, as a mask can selectively modify the opacity of different areas across a single layer.

To add a Layer Mask in Photoshop on a PC, select the layer to which you want to add a mask and then click the 'Add Layer Mask' button at the bottom of the Layers panel. It's the icon that looks like a rectangle with a circle in the middle. On a Mac, you can add a pure black layer mask by holding down the Shift + Option and clicking the 'Add Layer Mask' button.

You've created your image to bring out the smooth, flawless skin you desire in your Powder Brows photos. We'll refine the effect in the following steps to enhance the skin's natural beauty.

Note: A layer mask is a grayscale image, so what you paint in black will become transparent, what you paint in white will become opaque, and the different levels of gray will give you different levels of transparency. That's why we start with a black layer mask: to ensure that our smoothing effect only appears where we want it to.

Bringing it All Together with the Brush Tool

You've set the stage beautifully, and now it's time for the final act - applying the skin-smoothing effect with precision and grace.

Select the Brush Tool

Navigate to the 'Tools' menu and choose the 'Brush tool'’ This versatile tool allows you to paint any effects onto your image, including our carefully crafted skin smoothing effect.

Set the Opacity and Flow

On the top options bar, adjust the 'Opacity' and 'Flow' of your’ to a lower setting, between 10-30%. This ensures the smoothing effect is applied subtly, maintaining the skin's natural texture and quality.

Brush Over the Skin

Make sure the black part of the layer mask is active (if it's not, click on it in the Layers panel). Now, as you paint with the Brush tool, you'll see the skin in the photo magically becoming smoother.
Remember, subtlety is key. Avoid over-smoothing, especially in areas where light reflects off the skin or facial contours are pronounced. Over-smoothing these areas can make them look flat and unnatural.

Adjust the Layer Opacity

Once you're satisfied with your brushing, play with the opacity of the masked layer. Reducing the opacity can tone down the smoothing effect if it's too strong. Usually, a range of 70-90% yields optimal results.

Saving Your Work

Great job, artist! You've successfully edited your Powder Brows photo in Adobe Photoshop. Now, it's time to save your work.

Save the Photoshop Document

First, go to 'File > Save' to save the Photoshop document (.PSD). This preserves your layers, allowing you to modify the edits later.

Save the Image in JPEG Format

Next, go to 'File > Save As', choose 'JPEG' from the drop-down menu, and click 'Save'. This creates a version of the image that you can easily share or print.

Do the same with the 'before' picture, and you're ready to showcase the transformative power of your work. Combine the 'before' and 'after' photos side-by-side to display your Powder Brows skills. Congratulations!

6. Conclusions

As an artist in the PMU industry, mastering Adobe Photoshop is crucial for enhancing the visual quality of your portfolio. It would be best to leverage Photoshop's tools to gain complete control over image retouching, allowing quick fixes without compromising quality. Understanding the difference between PPI (Pixels Per Inch) and resolution is essential; for high-quality prints, aim for images to be at least 300 PPI. Utilize the Spot Healing Brush Tool for minor blemishes to ensure blemish-free images, maintaining the integrity and quality of your photographs.

Bulletproof formula

To perfect skin tone in your images, follow a bulletproof sequence used by many designers: duplicate the image layer, invert colors, apply 'Vivid Light' blend mode, use High Pass and Gaussian Blur filters, and refine with a pure black mask. This sequence enhances the skin to appear naturally flawless. Apply the skin-smoothing effect with the Brush Tool, adjusting opacity and flow for subtlety, and ensure to save your work in both PSD and JPEG formats to preserve edits and facilitate sharing or printing.

Use Photoshop's comprehensive toolkit for subtle corrections and elaborate artistic creations, as it stands as the cornerstone of professional design in the PMU industry. By investing time in learning the basics of Photoshop, you safeguard the integrity of your professional portfolio, showcasing your talent in the best possible light.

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