A basic Photoshop eye editing tutorial. This is done in CS5, but I will add some notes for those who have Elements and no access to layer masks (I think the latest Elements might have them, but earlier ones certainly don't).
First things first - this is pointless if you don't have a good image with which to start. My subject was in full shade, facing out towards the open sky, so I had good, soft light, and plenty of blue-sky-catchlights. The histogram shows an almost full range of shades from black to white, with no actual clipping of shadows or highlights. That's what you want. If you don't have something useful SOOC (straight out of camera), this won't help you fix it.
This is my image SOOC, in Lightroom, ready to edit. Firstly I checked white balance and clipping, but all was ok. I then made a very slight curves adjustment, so it would look less like a RAW shot and more like a SOOC JPEG. RAW is flat, but SOOC JPEG has a little punch to it, and is much sharper. I didn't sharpen though (yet). From here, I sent it to Photoshop CS5 (as a DNG file with Lightroom adjustments).
Note: you don't need Lightroom for this edit. I'm just showing what I did to get it to Photoshop.
In Photoshop I cleaned up skin blemishes and such and generally prepared the image how I normally would. I always do this before touching the eyes. When you edit eyes, do it at 100% - that is to say, "actual pixels". Zoom in. If you don't, you'll easily make a mess of things. Every now and then while editing, zoom out to "fit to screen" so you can get a feel for the editing you've done and so you'll know if it fits the image or looks a bit weird.
First thing you want to do is brighten the eyes a little. There is a free action that will do this part, from http://thepioneerwoman.com , but I will just show you the manual way of doing the exact same thing.
On your layers pallet, select new adjustment layer, and choose "Levels". This will create a new layer and either open a dialog box or change your window above your layers pallet (depending on which version of PS you have).
All we're doing here is slightly brightening and increasing contrast. You want to set your shadows to 5, your highlights to 197, and your gamma (the middle one) to 1.23. Now, these are the settings the action uses, but you can adjust it as needed. If you have a dialog box, click "OK" after you make those three adjustments. CS5 users will have the window, so won't see that dialog box or need to click OK. You will notice that your image has become strangely bright. Don't worry - we'll change that.
***If you have a version of PS Elements that does NOT support layer masks, make sure you do this step on a duplicate layer and not your original.***
Depending on your version of Photoshop, you'll now have a white layer mask on your adjustment layer, or none at all. If you don't (and assuming you can), click on the layer mask button at the bottom. It is a "circle inside a rectangle" icon, between the FX icon and the split circle icon you used for the last step.
Then, invert it, to make it a black layer mask. Ctrl-i (or cmd-i for Macs) will do this, so long as you have the layer mask itself selected.
Note:
White = reveal
Black = hide
When you invert your mask to black, your image will look like it did before the adjustment layer.
Now you're going to paint on your layer mask with white paint, thus "revealing" the levels adjustment where you want it to show up.
Choose a soft-edged round brush. Soft, so you can blend smoothly. Go to your "flow" setting at the top (when your brush is selected), and drop it down. I use 8%, but I also use a pressure-sensitive stylus and tablet, so you may want to go down to 4 or 5% if you use a mouse.
Now, carefully paint over the irises, without going too much over the whites or the pupils - the whites will look really fake, and the pupils really washed out, if you do them. If you paint something you shouldn't, change your paint to black and fill it back in. Remember - you are actually painting on the mask, not your image, though it may feel really, really wrong to be "painting" on your photo it won't harm it so long as your layer mask is selected.
If you have a colour paint selected, press "D" to return to black and white. Press "X" to flip between black and white paint (foreground and background colours).
Don't worry if your eyes start to look overdone - just make sure they look the same as each other. Nice and even.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO LAYER MASKS AT ALL: Don't worry, just erase everything but the eyes using your eraser and/or marquee tools with the delete button. Do the final bits with the eraser on a "soft" setting so you can blend it nicely at the edges. It isn't hard, but it takes longer than the layer mask method, and if you make a mistake you'll have to use the undo (ctrl-z) tool.
Once you're done, grab your layer opacity and slide it down a bit, until it looks natural. The amount will depend on the photo, so don't just pick the same number I did - do what looks right to you. Check it both at 100% zoom, and at "fit to screen", so you can see how it fits in with the rest of the photo.
When you're happy, flatten your image (merge the layers). You might want to stop here - a very subtle edit can look good. But this tutorial isn't about images that could be SOOC - it's about portraits that jump off your screen. ;) So let's get to the good stuff now that we've prepped our eyes for it.
Just a note, first of all: This is not quite how I do my eye edits. I've simplified it so no-one gets headaches from it. It is very close however, and you'd be hard pressed to see the difference between this and the way I do it.
Now, make sure you duplicate your layer before you do anything else. If you forget, you'll have to start over, so don't forget! We need to work on a duplicate layer, and NOT the original.
Go to your top menu, like in the picture, and select FILTER. Go down to SHARPEN. Then select USM (UnSharp Mask). If Unsharp Mask appears at the top of the menu it means you used it recently. Don't select it there, because it will use your last used settings if you do. You want to input new ones.
A dialog box will appear. Yay. Also, your image will look crazy. But that's ok. Trust me.
In the dialog box use these settings (unless you know what you're doing and want to refine them, in which case you're not reading this tutorial anyway):
Amount: 50%
Radius: 25 pixels
Threshold: 0
Click OK.
Now you're adding another levels adjustment layer. So do that again. This time use something like:
Shadows: 5
Highlights: 235
Gamma: 1.12
You can adjust these, of course, should you wish and depending on your image.
"Why the hell are we doing this again?!" you ask. Well, because we're applying the adjustment to the unsharp mask, which is, in essence, a more contrasty version of our image. It isn't doubling up, truly.
Select your USM'd layer and your new levels layer. Use shift-click to highlight them both. Now, merge them (right-click and select "merge layers" or, for Mac, do whatever it is you do to bring up a menu - option-click or something).
What you are doing is combining your adjustment layer with your contrasty USM layer, to make one new adjustment layer. You can rename it if you want. I did.
Click on the layer mask icon and do what you did before - invert it to black. Your image will suddenly look normal again. Time to paint it....
That's how it looks inverted (below).
Now, do what you did before! Paint with the white paint until the eyes look good (or at least, even). Then drop your opacity back until it looks right. I used about 35% opacity, but it will vary depending on your image and your intent. Once again, avoid the whites, though the pupils won't be hurt as much if you decide to do them this time.
When you're totally satisfied, flatten your image, and finish off whatever needs doing (overall sharpen, black and white, etc).
Congrats!
ps. You can also use this same layer to paint over lips (girls only) to give them some shine. Just do it carefully or it will look really weird.
Blemishes and such are fine to edit out, but if your subject has a defining, permanent feature (like a mole or scar) ASK if they like it or not. If they don't like it, they will love you for removing it, but some people feel violated if you do remove it and will go ballistic. So, make sure you know, and be very cautious about retouching anything that isn't a simple zit or sun spot. If you forgot to ask, don't remove it!
EDIT: If you think you'll use this more than a few times, go back and record actions for the two main steps up to the part where you "paint" into the eyes. You could call them something like "Eye Brighten" and "Eye Pop" or something like that. This way, when you want to do this editing, you just click the action for the first one, then paint it in, then click the action for the second one, and paint it in again. That's how I do it, and why the eye edit only takes me about 30 seconds! Also, if you start using actions, click on the top right corner of the actions window and select "button mode". It is much easier to operate actions in button mode, and you can even colour-code them to make them easier to find or to group them together into similar types of edits.
I have never looked into customizing lightroom before.... interesting.... also which pen/touch pad do you use? I have been toying with the idea of a new toy...
My life just improved today...or more accurately, my wife's did since I can now get our daughters eyes to "pop". ;-) Thanks so much for sharing...you're one of the good guys.
I'm happy that people are finding this useful - you're very welcome. :)
@taidster Nice work! I think you got the balance just right - it is very easy to overdo this kind of edit. :)
@icywarm I sometimes use Lightroom to show small galleries to clients (rather than ProShow Gold etc) so the customisation just makes it seem a little more personal and, hopefully, professional. :) I use the Wacom Intuos 4 medium tablet. I tried the large size, but it was a bit too awkward (would be great for illustration though) for photo editing. I couldn't do my job without my Wacom now.
@jinximages $350 not a bad price... need to shop sales... I saw those bamboo tablets from the same company that I have been considering for $100...
The question I have always wondered is how do you track the tool on screen until you want to apply it to the image... is that where the pressure sensitivity comes in?
@icywarm I wouldn't get the Bamboo - it isn't refined enough, imo. My first tablet was a Bamboo and I hated it. It almost made me never want to try a tablet again. Not enough control with pressure sensitivity and such.
What you do is hold the stylus nib just over the tablet (not quite touching) and you can see the cursor. It does take some getting-used-to but once you have the feel for it, it works great. If you do get one, I suggest putting your mouse in the cupboard for a couple of days to force you to use the tablet for everything. Play some games with it (just solitaire or something like that) until it starts to feel natural. It could take a couple of days for you to stop reaching for your mouse, but at the end of it you won't want to! Editing with a mouse feels like painting with a stick to me now - just terrible. I still use my mouse for non-photo stuff, but only because of how my desk is set up (when I get a new desk I may toss the mouse in the bin).
@ellida yep i agree steve, for someone who makes money doing all this, jinx is so very kind to share his tricks ... i know i appreciate it, so very much. its nice to have nice people on here helping others out :))
@jjsooner haha well its not such a great job, i've just been playing with another photo this morning and it seems i read the instructions wrong hahaha, i did BOTH actions on the iris lmfreekinao ... DOH DOH DOH ... but it turned out anyhow hehehe how funny is that.
@icywarm You need the stylus. It has click buttons on it (right and left click like a mouse) and is double-ended so you can paint/erase or foreground/background colour. Honestly, I don't think fingers would be accurate enough anyway if you could do it that way - it would be like trying to write a letter with fingerpaint.
um wait lol....i did the first action only on the iris, and then the second dual action on the iris as well. should it have been 1st on the iris and 2nd on the whites only ??
@jinximages no I am thinking more for if I don't have a mouse I could use it like a touch pad on a laptop.... for click clicks and scrolls... because yes at time I would be too lazy to actual pick up a pen... but I love the two sided pen idea...
@taidster The first action (levels) is to brighten the eyes - you can use it (sparingly) on the whites also if you need to. The second part of the edit (levels and USM combined) is to make the eyes "pop", and is probably best left off everything other than the iris. I might go back and make a note about that (I left a lot out the second time I typed everything).
@icywarm It has customisable buttons so, theoretically at least, you could program a button for each of left and right click (and one for tab), and use the wheel for scrolling. ;)
@jinximages@icywarm - Another vote for Wacom Intuos over the Bamboo. Oh, and don't lose the stylus...they're a bit pricey. I've lost 2 so far, doh! I have the medium too. I'm off now to read the tutorial more in depth. Thanks!
Howdy - had a beautiful subject today that I'm going to practise this on .... here goes *takes deep breath and dives in* Will post as today's image when complete. Thanks in advance
My beautiful girl is sooooo talented ...... this is her attempt at it today as I was busy ... she is my PS guru and she needs to stay in Newie and hold my hand NOT return to Melbourne!
Before Tut
After Tut
Man I go green at her talent ... but she got it from someone right?
I will get onto my attempt this afternoon when she *shakes fist* gets off my computer and goes out like teen should! lol
@misschuff Both of these shots are gorgeous! I'm glad you and your girl found my info useful! Love the PP of the first one - those tones are stunning! The second is beautiful too, might need some sharpening though - you could run that USM step over the whole thing (on a duplicate layer and then drop the opacity back if it oversharpens), and I think it would be perfect then! Such a cute subject! :)
I just made a notation at the end about recording actions - if you think you will use this stuff a bit, make actions to make it quicker to use - I do my eye edits in about 30 seconds, because I use actions, as opposed to the three minutes or so it would take doing it manually every time.
@jinximages yeah as I was doing it I considered/thought about it being recorded .... and about how 'grainy' mine was ... it took quite a few times for my brain to understand the why of it all ..... cheers.
BTW GC said her was very 'jinx-esk'. I agreed and reckoned you'd like it ... she rocks ... thrilled she is so clever ... love her to pieces ... she is a follower of your work without being on 365 ...
Re subject - you would so be awesome with her ... her eyes already pop so imagine your work on her ... bless-ed she is.
OK, I finally tried this with a picture of my beautiful niece that my mom took. I'm not sure if I'm "getting" it. And I did use the Pioneer Woman's action for the first part because I wasn't getting that part at all.
Here's before any editing:
And after some general cleaning up and the eye edit.
OK, after playing some more, I have this. I'm getting it now, just need to get a better picture to play with.
@jjsooner Looks like it is working! :) You may have overdone it a bit on the last one - maybe drop the layer opacities back a little. But you're right - a different photo would work very differently!
I kind of suck at complicated Photoshop editing,but I decided to try this out.So,after more than 20 minutes of carefully following the steps,I ended up with..nothing.The new photo isn`t any different then the original...
What could I be doing wrong? When I was painting the iris,my brush had the strenght set to 0 (zero),was that the issue?.... :-(
( @jinximages@jjsooner@misschuff help.. )
@spaceman First thing I'd check is the opacity and flow settings at the top of the creen (when you have the brush selected). You want one of them at 100% and the other at a low count - 5% or so. In some ways it doesn't matter which is which, but the way I work I always use opacity at 100% and drop the flow down low. Also check that your brush colour is the opposite to your mask colour - black mask means you need a white brush. It is possible to switch the purpose of the mask, but by default black hides and white reveals. So, black mask hides your adjustment(s) until you paint them in with the white brush.
I'm not sure what you mean by "brush strength". My version of PS doesn't show that setting. If it corresponds to hardness, then no - it should be 0 for a soft-edged brush. If all else fails, adjust the strength (if that's how it reads in your version) up to 5% or so, or even 100% for a quick test, and see what happens. You should see a result immediately as you paint.
@jinximages
Wow,thanks,man,I just gave it a try again and I think I got the hang of it,the result is visible! I wish I could show you the photo,but the subject wouldn`t want the photo to get on the internet...
@spaceman howdy ... nearly midnight looks like the right man helped you in time ... phew! *wipes brow* when awake will re read and I need to redo on some awesome eyes ... maybe Sunday??? chow for now
Hope you don't mind me adding this but there's a ton of free stuff for elements that make it easy to do almost anything photoshop does. Elements 9 does have a layer mask for some actions but you can get a free layer mask to use with any elements. Coffeeshop Rita has one that I use all the time. http://www.thecoffeeshopblog.com/2008/11/coffeeshop-layer-mask-action.html
I posted a picture that I attempted to edit on my own...
Then my friend Loni W. saw it and sent me a link to your tutorial, so I thought I would give it a try...
Tweets ahoy!
Join the Group
Pin With Me
***If you have a version of PS Elements that does NOT support layer masks, make sure you do this step on a duplicate layer and not your original.***
Depending on your version of Photoshop, you'll now have a white layer mask on your adjustment layer, or none at all. If you don't (and assuming you can), click on the layer mask button at the bottom. It is a "circle inside a rectangle" icon, between the FX icon and the split circle icon you used for the last step.
Then, invert it, to make it a black layer mask. Ctrl-i (or cmd-i for Macs) will do this, so long as you have the layer mask itself selected.
Note:
White = reveal
Black = hide
When you invert your mask to black, your image will look like it did before the adjustment layer.
Now you're going to paint on your layer mask with white paint, thus "revealing" the levels adjustment where you want it to show up.
Choose a soft-edged round brush. Soft, so you can blend smoothly. Go to your "flow" setting at the top (when your brush is selected), and drop it down. I use 8%, but I also use a pressure-sensitive stylus and tablet, so you may want to go down to 4 or 5% if you use a mouse.
Now, carefully paint over the irises, without going too much over the whites or the pupils - the whites will look really fake, and the pupils really washed out, if you do them. If you paint something you shouldn't, change your paint to black and fill it back in. Remember - you are actually painting on the mask, not your image, though it may feel really, really wrong to be "painting" on your photo it won't harm it so long as your layer mask is selected.
If you have a colour paint selected, press "D" to return to black and white. Press "X" to flip between black and white paint (foreground and background colours).
Don't worry if your eyes start to look overdone - just make sure they look the same as each other. Nice and even.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO LAYER MASKS AT ALL: Don't worry, just erase everything but the eyes using your eraser and/or marquee tools with the delete button. Do the final bits with the eraser on a "soft" setting so you can blend it nicely at the edges. It isn't hard, but it takes longer than the layer mask method, and if you make a mistake you'll have to use the undo (ctrl-z) tool.
Continued...
When you're happy, flatten your image (merge the layers). You might want to stop here - a very subtle edit can look good. But this tutorial isn't about images that could be SOOC - it's about portraits that jump off your screen. ;) So let's get to the good stuff now that we've prepped our eyes for it.
Just a note, first of all: This is not quite how I do my eye edits. I've simplified it so no-one gets headaches from it. It is very close however, and you'd be hard pressed to see the difference between this and the way I do it.
Now, make sure you duplicate your layer before you do anything else. If you forget, you'll have to start over, so don't forget! We need to work on a duplicate layer, and NOT the original.
Go to your top menu, like in the picture, and select FILTER. Go down to SHARPEN. Then select USM (UnSharp Mask). If Unsharp Mask appears at the top of the menu it means you used it recently. Don't select it there, because it will use your last used settings if you do. You want to input new ones.
A dialog box will appear. Yay. Also, your image will look crazy. But that's ok. Trust me.
In the dialog box use these settings (unless you know what you're doing and want to refine them, in which case you're not reading this tutorial anyway):
Amount: 50%
Radius: 25 pixels
Threshold: 0
Click OK.
Now you're adding another levels adjustment layer. So do that again. This time use something like:
Shadows: 5
Highlights: 235
Gamma: 1.12
You can adjust these, of course, should you wish and depending on your image.
"Why the hell are we doing this again?!" you ask. Well, because we're applying the adjustment to the unsharp mask, which is, in essence, a more contrasty version of our image. It isn't doubling up, truly.
Continued...
What you are doing is combining your adjustment layer with your contrasty USM layer, to make one new adjustment layer. You can rename it if you want. I did.
Click on the layer mask icon and do what you did before - invert it to black. Your image will suddenly look normal again. Time to paint it....
That's how it looks inverted (below).
Now, do what you did before! Paint with the white paint until the eyes look good (or at least, even). Then drop your opacity back until it looks right. I used about 35% opacity, but it will vary depending on your image and your intent. Once again, avoid the whites, though the pupils won't be hurt as much if you decide to do them this time.
When you're totally satisfied, flatten your image, and finish off whatever needs doing (overall sharpen, black and white, etc).
Congrats!
ps. You can also use this same layer to paint over lips (girls only) to give them some shine. Just do it carefully or it will look really weird.
Finally...
Now, a note on retouching:
Blemishes and such are fine to edit out, but if your subject has a defining, permanent feature (like a mole or scar) ASK if they like it or not. If they don't like it, they will love you for removing it, but some people feel violated if you do remove it and will go ballistic. So, make sure you know, and be very cautious about retouching anything that isn't a simple zit or sun spot. If you forgot to ask, don't remove it!
EDIT: If you think you'll use this more than a few times, go back and record actions for the two main steps up to the part where you "paint" into the eyes. You could call them something like "Eye Brighten" and "Eye Pop" or something like that. This way, when you want to do this editing, you just click the action for the first one, then paint it in, then click the action for the second one, and paint it in again. That's how I do it, and why the eye edit only takes me about 30 seconds! Also, if you start using actions, click on the top right corner of the actions window and select "button mode". It is much easier to operate actions in button mode, and you can even colour-code them to make them easier to find or to group them together into similar types of edits.
http://365project.org/taidster/learning/2011-01-05
after eye edit ...
http://365project.org/taidster/learning/2011-01-06
YAYS ;-))
@taidster Nice work! I think you got the balance just right - it is very easy to overdo this kind of edit. :)
@icywarm I sometimes use Lightroom to show small galleries to clients (rather than ProShow Gold etc) so the customisation just makes it seem a little more personal and, hopefully, professional. :) I use the Wacom Intuos 4 medium tablet. I tried the large size, but it was a bit too awkward (would be great for illustration though) for photo editing. I couldn't do my job without my Wacom now.
The question I have always wondered is how do you track the tool on screen until you want to apply it to the image... is that where the pressure sensitivity comes in?
What you do is hold the stylus nib just over the tablet (not quite touching) and you can see the cursor. It does take some getting-used-to but once you have the feel for it, it works great. If you do get one, I suggest putting your mouse in the cupboard for a couple of days to force you to use the tablet for everything. Play some games with it (just solitaire or something like that) until it starts to feel natural. It could take a couple of days for you to stop reaching for your mouse, but at the end of it you won't want to! Editing with a mouse feels like painting with a stick to me now - just terrible. I still use my mouse for non-photo stuff, but only because of how my desk is set up (when I get a new desk I may toss the mouse in the bin).
I appreciate it!
@taidster Great job!!!
trying it the correct way this time ;-)
@icywarm You need the stylus. It has click buttons on it (right and left click like a mouse) and is double-ended so you can paint/erase or foreground/background colour. Honestly, I don't think fingers would be accurate enough anyway if you could do it that way - it would be like trying to write a letter with fingerpaint.
doh is me lol
Here is my first attempt. = )
Before Tut
After Tut
Man I go green at her talent ... but she got it from someone right?
I will get onto my attempt this afternoon when she *shakes fist* gets off my computer and goes out like teen should! lol
Before pop and cropping - only converted from CR2 to jpeg
After tutorial and other work:
Thanks Jinx ... like I said way back ...
BTW GC said her was very 'jinx-esk'. I agreed and reckoned you'd like it ... she rocks ... thrilled she is so clever ... love her to pieces ... she is a follower of your work without being on 365 ...
Re subject - you would so be awesome with her ... her eyes already pop so imagine your work on her ... bless-ed she is.
Here's before any editing:
And after some general cleaning up and the eye edit.
OK, after playing some more, I have this. I'm getting it now, just need to get a better picture to play with.
What could I be doing wrong? When I was painting the iris,my brush had the strenght set to 0 (zero),was that the issue?.... :-(
( @jinximages @jjsooner @misschuff help.. )
I'm not sure what you mean by "brush strength". My version of PS doesn't show that setting. If it corresponds to hardness, then no - it should be 0 for a soft-edged brush. If all else fails, adjust the strength (if that's how it reads in your version) up to 5% or so, or even 100% for a quick test, and see what happens. You should see a result immediately as you paint.
Let me know how you go!
Wow,thanks,man,I just gave it a try again and I think I got the hang of it,the result is visible! I wish I could show you the photo,but the subject wouldn`t want the photo to get on the internet...
http://www.thecoffeeshopblog.com/2008/11/coffeeshop-layer-mask-action.html
Then my friend Loni W. saw it and sent me a link to your tutorial, so I thought I would give it a try...
I love it! Thanks for the help!