How Do I Even Out Skin Tone in Photoshop?
Do you want to know how to even out skin tone in Photoshop? Well, you've come to the right place! In this tutorial, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of using Photoshop's powerful tools and features to achieve a more balanced and uniform skin tone in your photos. Let's get started!
Step 1: Open your image in Photoshop
The first thing you need to do is open the image you want to work on in Photoshop. To do this, go to File > Open, navigate to your image file, and click on Open.
Step 2: Duplicate the background layer
Before making any adjustments, it's always a good idea to duplicate the background layer. This way, you can work non-destructively and have a copy of the original image to refer back to if needed. To duplicate the background layer, simply right-click on it in the Layers panel and select Duplicate Layer.
Step 3: Create a new adjustment layer
To even out the skin tone, we will use an adjustment layer called Curves. Click on the New Adjustment Layer button at the bottom of the Layers panel and choose Curves. This will create a new Curves adjustment layer above your duplicated background layer.
Step 4: Adjust the curves for skin tone correction
The Curves adjustment allows you to adjust the brightness and contrast of different tonal ranges in your image. To correct uneven skin tone, we will focus on adjusting specific areas of the curves that correspond to shadows, midtones, and highlights.
Shadows
Select the Shadows dropdown menu in the Curves properties panel, and click on a point near the bottom-left corner of the diagonal line. Drag this point slightly upward to brighten the darker areas of the image.
Midtones
Next, select the Midtones dropdown menu and adjust another point on the diagonal line. By dragging this point upward or downward, you can fine-tune the overall tonal balance of your image.
Highlights
Finally, select the Highlights dropdown menu and adjust a point on the diagonal line to correct any overexposed areas or highlights in your image. Dragging this point downward will darken these areas.
Step 5: Refine your adjustments with layer masks
If you find that your skin tone corrections affect other parts of your image, don't worry! You can easily refine your adjustments using layer masks.
Create a layer mask
Select your Curves adjustment layer in the Layers panel and click on the Add Layer Mask button at the bottom of the panel. This will add a white layer mask to your adjustment layer.
Invert the layer mask
To hide all of your adjustments temporarily, press Ctrl + I (Windows) or Command + I (Mac). This will invert your layer mask, making everything black and hiding all adjustments.
Paint with white to reveal adjustments
Select a soft brush tool with white as your foreground color. With the layer mask selected, start painting over areas where you want to reveal or apply your skin tone corrections. This will gradually bring back the adjustments in those areas.
Step 6: Fine-tune and enhance
Now that you have evened out the skin tone in your image, take some time to fine-tune and enhance it further. You can experiment with other adjustment layers like Hue/Saturation or Levels to achieve the desired look.
Step 7: Save your work
Once you are satisfied with your skin tone correction, it's time to save your work. Go to File > Save As, choose your desired file format, and click on Save.
Congratulations! You have successfully learned how to even out skin tone in Photoshop. With this newfound knowledge, you can now confidently enhance the appearance of skin in your photos. Remember, practice makes perfect, so keep experimenting and refining your skills!
Note: It's important to remember that excessive editing may result in an unnatural appearance. Always aim for a realistic and subtle correction when working with skin tones.
