How to Color Correct Skin Tone in Photoshop – Quick Method
In this video we will be learning how to color correct skin tone in Photoshop using a very quick and easy method that helps us locate the 50% neutral grey areas in an image, and thereby allows us to then use the Curves tool to correct the color with a single click. Here’s the video:
Video Summary
This tutorial demonstrates a technical and highly accurate method to color correct skin tones in Photoshop, specifically removing undesirable red or orange color casts.
The Importance of Color Correction [00:18]
- It is best to color correct before skin retouching. Working with accurate colors from the start ensures that as you zoom in to edit details, you are making decisions based on the final desired look rather than a distorted color cast [01:00].
Finding the Neutral Gray Point (The Technique)
Since most photos don’t include a physical “gray card” for reference [05:34], the instructor uses a clever workflow to find the most neutral point in the image:
- Step 1: Create a Gray Layer [05:56]: Add a new layer and fill it with 50% Gray (
Edit > Fill > 50% Gray). - Step 2: Difference Blending [06:22]: Change the layer’s blending mode to Difference. This calculates the mathematical difference between the gray layer and your photo. The parts of the image that were originally closest to 50% gray will now appear black [07:14].
- Step 3: Threshold Adjustment [08:36]: Add a Threshold adjustment layer. Move the slider to the left until only small black spots remain [09:07]. These are the most accurate “neutral gray” points in your image.
- Step 4: Mark and Sample [10:03]: Use the Color Sampler Tool (Shift + Click) to mark one of these points [10:16]. Delete the temporary gray and threshold layers.
Applying the Correction [10:45]
- Open a Curves adjustment layer. Select the middle eyedropper tool (Sample in image to set gray point) and click on the marked spot [10:53]. Photoshop will instantly realign the image’s white balance, resulting in natural skin tones [11:23].
Important Links
Link to download the image used in the video:
This video is from our Portrait Retouching in Photoshop Course, which has 47 videos and 6.5 hours of content. You can access the full course via Udemy, using the link below:
Portrait Retouching in Photoshop Course
