How to Retouch Patchy Skin Using Capture One Pro and Photoshop

Ever had to edit legs or arms with patchy skin or with very visible veins? If you have but are not sure how to retouch it, be sure to watch this tutorial by Michael Woloszynowicz to learn the process.

While there are numerous ways to retouch skin, some techniques are more appropriate when you have more time and others when you have a short deadline or a client with a limited budget. In the video above, Woloszynowicz explains how he would usually edit patchy skin but also how he does when he needs to expedite things.

Relying on both Capture One and Photoshop, this tutorial is an excellent example of how much can be done when processing a raw file. Some would even argue that part of the dodging and burning process could be done within Capture One. Taking advantage of layers and the data offered by the raw file is great practice and something you should learn to take advantage of more if you don’t already.

The process used in Photoshop is quite straightforward as you’ll see, but perhaps you’ll find interesting the way he clips Hue and Saturation layers to his Curve Adjustment layers to minimize the color issues due to the curve shift.

Is it a technique you have already used or do you rely more on frequency separation? Do you think a band stop or inverted high pass would make more sense to save time? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.