Lessons
Lesson Info
Class Introduction
today what we are going to talk about. It's going to be curves and how to retouch with curves. The problem we are facing right now is that we have so many plug in so many techniques out there, so many things, what we need to simplify those. And it's a great tool to have cubs and we can simplify this whole thing with that. And that's what we are going to talk about today. One. So that's the problem for the class and we are going to solve that by the end of this whole thing. My only problem is just that I'm not home. So please excuse me if I'm a bit slower today, but that's probably good for, like, teaching purposes. So I think let's start with some talking about curves. Does everyone know what curves are? And everyone knows that. Yeah, I know. So it's going to be a very important class nevertheless, because we need to talk about why curves are very important. Apart from that, they are not plug ins, so when you open up for the shop, you can use them wherever you are. Whenever you are whi...
ch have a computer you're using if even if it's not yours, you can do that on DE. So that's, you know one thing. Learn to use Photoshopped without plug ins. Card is a great tool, very all around tall. And the other thing is that when you think back the old days, which not to, you know, not in the past too much. But when people used film and they should, they shot film. What they did in the dark room can be translated to the digital tools we have very easily with the use of cats, because you probably seem like there are some images circulating the Web, where it's like there is an image like a black and white image. And you have, like certain circles with plus one set another circle with minus 10 and stuff like that, which is basically just how much you want Teoh Dodge and burn how much you want to darken or like in certain areas of the image. Andi, that's the other thing. Like I mentioned this and I mentioned a lot in the other class. We have to tell the story through focusing the viewer's eye where they look at to guide that through having black having like darkened and Brighton areas, creating the contrast you have to create. And you can do that with curves once again. Obviously, that contrast can be very contrast if you want that image, or it can be like a lighter, like a high key stuff on. That's also what you can do with curves. You can modify many things after you've done your conversion, I mentioned it's better to have your conversion done beforehand, but you know, we can stretch some things. So the Thea other thing that's very important to mention about curves is please use adjustment layers. I know it's not a new thing. It waas like a couple of years ago. Like to mention that, but for using adjustment layers, curves adjustment layer, you can just modify like you have three curves on on your layup panel. On those three cards, you can modify each and every one of them, and it's going to influence the output, the everything you see on the screen. So it's not going to be like stopping if you if you were to modify like the 1st 1 because it goes through on, we're going toc that how it works and how we can, you know, work with this. That's that's the other thing. Just please use adjustment layers because actually, the only I think that that's the only advantage to using non adjustment layer curves is that there is this combination that you can use, which is like on a Mac, I guess, like a command ault and AM, which brings up your curves with your previous adjustments. So I think that's just a nice tip. I'm just telling it now because I'm not going to use it because I only use adjustment layers. But if you were to use curves like in a mosque, which is a good thing, and you want to repeat the process, you use this shortcut command bolt and AM, and then you can get back to that is no adjustment layer. You can't do that with an adjustment layer. That's the problem. So that's the only advantage of not using an adjustment layer
Ratings and Reviews
JIll C.
Viktor describes his method of organizing his Photoshop Layers for all the typical edits that he will apply to an edited portrait. He also clearly demonstrates the power of Curves Layers to make tiny, but useful edits to an image. This is definitely a class I will have to watch over and over to be able to take in all the subtleties of his process. On the sample image, each of the individual edits are hardly noticeable, but the cumulative effect is a dramatic improvement in what appeared to be a very good image to begin with. Mostly what I learned about high-end Retouching is that I have a lot to learn!
Mitch
Loved the class. Viktor teaches the why behind retouching techniques and encourages students to think about the image before applying techniques. One of the best online classes I've taken in a while.
Student Work
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Adobe Photoshop