Photoshop CC: The Missing Manual

Skin Softeners

Skin is the body’s largest organ, but not everyone gives it the respect it deserves. Folks sometimes forget to use sunblock, moisturizer, and so on. This section explains how to make anyone’s skin look like it’s really well cared for. You’ll learn how to make it appear soft and glowing, and even how to reduce lines and wrinkles, all without spending tons of money on anti-aging creams.

Selective Blur

One of the fastest ways to smooth skin is to give it a good dose of the Gaussian Blur filter (named for the gentleman who invented this blur method, Carl Gauss). This filter is often the only skin fixer you need, and it’s faster than the Healing brushes you learned about earlier in this chapter. The beauty of this filter is that you can run it on a separate layer, lower that layer’s opacity, and then use a layer mask to apply it only where you need it (see Figure 11-16).

Figure 11-16. Just like Robitussin and duct tape, the Gaussian Blur filter can fix darn near anything. It made this woman’s skin look nice and smooth by lessening the intensity of her freckles without removing them completely. And by using Smart Filters, you can use the automatic layer mask that comes along with the filter to hide the effects from her hair, eyes, nostrils, and mouth.

To soften skin, follow these steps:

1. Open a photo and convert it for Smart Filters.

   Activate the layer you want to blur and then ...