Damien Symonds

Yeah, I'm not fond of the eyes either. Its a variation of "The Orton Effect" for which Google will find you lots of tutorials. 1. Add a new blank layer above all the other layers at the top of your layers panel. Hit Ctrl Alt Shift E to make a new merged layer of the whole photo. 2. Duplicate that new layer twice. Now you'll have three identical layers at the top of your layer stack. 3. Turn the first and second layers into Smart Objects. Leave the top one as a normal pixel layer. 4. Name the bottom layer "Burn" and apply some Gaussian Blur to it. I'm not sure how much - maybe 30 pixels? The aim is to soften everything so the young lady is still visible, but not quite recognisable, if you know what I mean. 5. Then change that layer's blend mode to "Multiply". Then add a black mask to hide it. 6. Choose the second layer and name it "Dodge". Apply the same amount of Gaussian Blur to it. 7. Change its blend mode to "Screen", and add a black mask to hide it. 8. Choose the top layer and name it "Sharpen". Change its blend mode to "Overlay" and then go to Filter>Other>High Pass. Maybe a radius of 5ish? Just enough to add some sharpening. Then add a black mask to that one as well. At this point, to re-cap, you have three layers, all hidden by black masks, called "Burn" (Multiply mode), "Dodge" (Screen mode) and "Sharpen" (Overlay mode). When you've done that, show me a screenshot.

How is this?

If she needs Frequency Separation or some other kind of smoothing, then yes, do it first.

How's your screen going, @Elizabeth G?

Hi @Phoebe, did you get my email yesterday afternoon?

It will add noise if you use a very low radius, yes. Your radius needed to be higher.

Nope, that's all good too. I'm stumped, I'm so sorry.

Ok, that all looks fine. I'm running out of ideas. What about in the "Refine Edge" window (button in Options Bar)? Anything fishy there?

Ok, I need you to go to Edit>Preferences>Performance, and show me a screenshot of that screen.

Also, could you do this for me?

Anything further to report, @Jamie Brown?

Have you finished reading the class, @dwalker_23?

How did you go with this, @Ella Heath?

Are you still there, @Anthony Glick?

They must be back at school by now, @Stacey Sedgman?

Are you still there, @Zisi Kirzner?

Are you still there, @MacMama80?

May I see the whole screenshot? So I can see your layers panel and options bar and stuff as well?

Download PSD

It's definitely possible. But it would take hours and hours.

This took me AGES to do just one, AND it's the easiest one, AND it's not very good.

I'm so sorry mate, I don't have any "tricks" here. It would just need to be incredibly painstaking painting.

Oh boy, that's not going to be easy. May I see 100% crops of a couple of the gaps?

Hi @Zisi Kirzner, this sure does sound weird. You have an iMac, is that correct? Which Spyder do you have? Which print lab do you use?

Good. Now, for the clouds ... go back to your Background layer and duplicate it. Immediately desaturate it (Ctrl Shift U). Then change its blend mode to "Overlay". Then go to Filter>Other>High Pass. Start with the slider at minimum, and slowly take it up, and find a spot you like.