How to Soften Skin in Photoshop
The Adobe Photoshop software may be an ideal place to tinker around with your family or vacation pictures, but it can also serve as a way to get a digital makeover. Instead of expensive lotions or surgical procedures, work on touching up skin with Photoshop. Photoshop's functionality allows for quick changes to close ups and head shot photos so you can truly put your best face forward or help someone experiment with a new look.
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Instructions
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1
Open Photoshop, click File and then Open. Browse to a photo with skin to soften and double-click the file to open the picture in Photoshop.
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2
Select the Zoom tool, which looks like a magnifying glass on the bottom of the Tools palette on the left side of the screen. Zoom in on an area of skin to change, such as a cheek or an arm.
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3
Click the Clone Stamp tool, which looks like a stamper used to cancel checks, on the Tools palette. Hover your cursor next to the area of blemished skin on a patch of "good" skin. Press and hold down the "Alt" key on the keyboard and click your mouse one time. This copies the good skin into memory. Release the "Alt" key.
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4
Move your cursor to the area to soften. Click the left mouse button one time, which deposits the good skin. Continue to move your cursor and click to deposit more skin copies.
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5
Click the Lasso tool on the Tools palette and draw an outline around an area of skin. When you see blinking dotted lines, right-click inside them and select Layer via Copy.
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In the Image menu, select Adjustments and then Brightness/Contrast. Move the Brightness slider bar to the left to reduce glare or light on the skin. Move the Contrast slider to the left or right, depending on skin color, to reduce the amount of contrast on the skin. When satisfied, click the OK button.
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Click the Blur tool, which looks like a raindrop, on the Tools palette. If you do not see this icon, right-click the icon that looks like a hollow triangle or a pointing finger; these three tools all share the same space until they are selected. From the right-click menu, select the Blur tool.
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Click and drag your mouse around the edges of the skin. This creates a slightly blurred effect, softening edges. Repeat this on the skin surface itself, which will reduce sharpness of scars, piercings, tattoos and other blemishes.
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Click the File menu and select Save As. Type a new name for the file and save it to your computer. Don't save it with the old name or you won't be able to access the original photo again for comparison.
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