Skin retouching is one of those techniques that can make or break your image. Done poorly, it looks artificial and distracting. Done well, it elevates a portrait without stripping away natural character. Learning how to work on both the tiny details and the larger tones is what separates basic cleanup from professional-level editing.
Coming to you from Aaron Nace with Phlearn, this detailed video focuses on advanced retouching in Photoshop. Nace begins by showing how to handle imperfections at the pore level with the updated Remove Tool and Spot Healing Brush. He explains why it’s best to work on a new layer and why you should avoid erasing defining features like moles. What’s striking is how efficiently the tool can clear blemishes while preserving skin texture. The process is not about erasing individuality, but about managing the distracting marks that draw attention away from the subject.
The video then moves to the bigger picture: balancing uneven skin tone across the entire face. This is where frequency separation comes into play, and Nace walks through the included action step by step. He explains how the method splits texture from color, letting you adjust tones while keeping pores intact. With a brush set to low flow, you can gently sample nearby colors and paint them into areas of shadow or highlight, gradually blending out inconsistencies. This technique gives you the freedom to smooth tones without that plasticky, airbrushed look that ruins so many retouches.
The explanation goes beyond just clicking actions. Nace shows why it matters to zoom in for small blemishes but zoom out when you’re evening tones. He emphasizes subtlety by building up strokes gradually, checking results often, and even lowering opacity if your adjustments go too far. The workflow is non-destructive, giving you flexibility to refine or backtrack. For anyone serious about portrait work, these techniques provide both precision and restraint. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Nace.
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