High End Retouching

I was wondering where can I go to learn about high end retouching and skin processing?

Also, in the meanwhile does anyone here do it on the side?

Ivan Monge

Katrin Eismann
"Restoration and Retouching"
http://www.amazon.com …oks&qid=1251394​399&sr=8-1

Define "high end".
If you mean what I mean when I'm referring to "high end", that's not something that you do "on the side"

http://retouchpro.com/

There are a ton of resources available and it would probably come down to your preferred method of learning.

Take a look at Skin by Lee Varis (its a bit out of date now but still has lots of valuable information. Also, DVDs from Lynda.com would probably be helpful: see Beyond Skin, or the Portrait Retouching series by Chris Orwig:
http://www.lynda.com …splayCourse.asp​x?lpk2=600
http://www.lynda.com …ViewCourses.asp​x?lpk0=391

Kelby Training also has lots of tutorials created by practicing pros.
See "Beauty and Portrait Retouching Kit" by David Cuerdon
http://www.kelbytraini​ng.com …uctors/david-cuerdon.html

By High end I mean contouring - skin toning - eyes - makeup enhancement - natural look and texture etc etc etc ..

I'm sick of paying and I want to learn myself - I like to learn dry look/wet look etc etc etc as long as it keeps the image looking natural ..

all I been using right now is a plug in which I never bother to learn and I want to learn the right way .. BTW will I need a wacom board or something like that?

thanks for the help thus far ..

I also recommend the Katrin Eismann book. It was written for Photoshop CS2 and she said she doesn't intend to update it, but its totally relevant.

I also just viewed this video last weekend. It assumes you already are quite skilled in Photoshop and moves at an extremely fast pace. I admit to having trouble keeping up, but I learned a lot from it. If you learn these techniques, you won't ever need any other software besides Photoshop for retouching.

Some links that might be worth a read:
http://nienna1990.devi​antart.com/
http://www.retouchpro.​com …clean-beauty-retouch.html
http://www.retouchpro.​com …uching/27077-make-up.html
http://www.retouchpro.​com …touching-let-me-know.html

Many of the 'high' end retouching techniques are passed from one retoucher to an apprentice on the understanding they aren't made public. Many techniques have a finite lifespan and if those techniques become public knowledge then that look is diluted. Think Dave Hill or the Dragan look where people slavishly try to replicate the style/look without pausing to think why they shouldn't.

You've also got to consider many retouchers have a personal 'look' to them that can be readily unidentifiable to them.

In addition 'styles' are like fashion in that they usually only around for one or two years before the industry moves on. Becoming a retoucher is as much about luck as it is about having the skill in the first place, oh and having someone who'll take you on as an apprentice.

Chris Orwig teaches many of the older techniques for skin retouching but there is a few that I know which aren't in the public 'domain' . The older techniques work, especially when it comes to D&B, but these can be time consuming for the average photographer.

In many cases for much of the shots I've retouched in the past the 'look' is pretty much set in stone when the shot was taken. What I mean by this the lighting, the make up and the stylists have all made my job easier and all I have to do is basically prep the shot for print and tidy up anything that might have been missed. Occasionally I will need to do treatments to the image, such as desat/contrast, x-process, bleach processing, b/w, etc.