Airbrushing is a technique used on photographs to remove problem areas from a person’s face. It also smooths out texture and provides a more even skin surface. The airbrush tool can remove spots created by acne and other skin disorders. And it can make a person look younger by smoothing out fine lines and winkles.
Photoshop CS3 has built-in airbrush capabilities. So, this an easy job for anyone to do, even if they have no prior graphic editing experience. It takes less than five minutes to airbrush most portraits.
- Open the picture you want to work on by clicking “File” at the top of the screen and then “Open.” Navigate to the photo and click click “Open” to continue. Alternatively, you can paste a photograph directly into Photoshop.
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Step 2
Click on the brush tool. This is located, by default, on the left side of the screen. It has an icon that looks like a bandage. A small selection list will appear, letting you select which type of brush tool you want to use. Click on the “Spot Healing Brush Tool,” which is the proper tool for airbrushing.
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Step 3
Set the options for the tool at the top of the screen. The “diameter” setting controls the size of the tool, based upon its circular width measured in pixels. As you change the size, you will be able to see the on-screen representation of the tool (the mouse cursor) change in size. Select the type of airbrushing you wish to do. Click on “Proximity Match” to get rid of small marks such as moles, acne or blemishes. The other option, “Create Texture,” should be used for larger areas, such as under-eye circles, wrinkles and birthmarks.
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Step 4
Click on the screen in the location of the problem area. If the proximity match mode is selected, click once on the area to make it blend with the rest of the skin. If the create texture mode is in use, drag the pointer across the entire surface area to blend it with the rest of the skin. Repeat this on any other problem areas.