'Magazine' Airbrush Technique

[Zeke]

I've recently begun experimenting with some different digital airbrush techniques , and I'm wondering if any of you guys and gals have any advice and/or experience in this area.

This is an example of the kind of thing I'm currently doing:

[Scottes]

Looks like you've got the hang of it, but I think you're going too far. You're losing details and the end result is just too creamy to seem real. Her collarbones aren't as sharp, and it looks like you erased the knuckle on her ring finger.

Try lightening up of her bottom eyelids, too. Not the same technique, really, but similar - just lighten up the lines and shadows.

Usually this is good to take in small pieces - get rid of the big obvious "flaws" and then step back and take a look to see how that came out. Then tackle the next set of things that jump out at you, then step back and take a look. When things stop "jumping" out at you then stop - you should still have a dose of reality after fixing the major flaws.

[tim]

Maybe you've gone a little far in some areas, but it looks great to me! Would you care to share how you did it?

I might get rid of the veins in her hands too.

[Zeke]

It's actually really hard to get a good balance. If you look at most glossy magazine covers, they look far from natural.

[Persian-Rice]

I have seen this done by a mens mag in person. It isnt as complicated as you think.
Duplicate layer, run gaussian blur, using mask "hide all" then use the airbrush tool to reveal some of the blurred shots. Finally take a merged version and manually dodge and burn some area's.

Clean up any marks and blemishes at the end.

Mind you the models they shoot have great skin as it is and they achieve alot of the effect via makup. When the girl is on set, she already has 75% of that "airbrush" look. Their work in PP is not that much, only to make it a little more smooth.

Cheers

[tim]

I just remember the Scott kelby book I have (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0735714118/qid=1104898472/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/103-5663189-1115016?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) has a whole chapter on this kind of stuff... I have to get around to reading it! Great book btw.