How to restore a picture strongly damaged with Photoshop

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While Photoshop is a great tool to enhance or modify digital images, it is also a fantastic application to repair or restore photographs damaged by the effects of age, neglect, or acts of nature. In this tutorial, we will show you how to restore a heavily damaged photo in Photoshop. Let’s get started!

You will need the following photo to complete this tutorial. Please download it before you begin. If it is not available, you will need to find an alternative.

OK so here is what we have to work with, I searched for the most extreme, messed up photo to work with so we can really put our restoration abilities to the test.

Let’s start by selecting each piece with the Lasso Tool and copy and paste each on to a separate layer, so we end up with four layers; hide the original.

 

Then for each layer we will create a mask and with a sharp brush of your choice we will start masking off the edges of the actual image. I prefer the 23px Chalk Brush yet its up to you; and the size varies as needed.

 

Before we start masking off we will setup a layer below the one we will start working on and fill it with a deep blue to assist us visually in where and how much to mask.

 

Start masking along the edge of the image getting rid of everything around it.

 

Repeat the process for all the other pieces until you have them as shown here. We don’t need any ripped paper or the white border of the photo, so masking in detail as shown will help you through the next step.

One of the easier steps is to put the puzzle together, be sure to take your time and try to match the edges of each piece together, by moving and rotating the pieces. You might be tempted to distort or scale certain piece to make it fit, although I advise you not to do that.

 

Move and match as much as you can, getting all the pieces together without overlapping content.

 

Once you have all sections in place, make a group and then make a duplicate of that group for safe-keeping.

 

Finally, just merge the group on top and hide the other, then you are ready for the next step.

Time to step into the restoration section, and we will do this by using the Clone Tool creatively to start getting rid of all the scratches and tears in our photo.

 

Use the clean sections to repair where the damage is, taking care to not build up repetitive patterns.

 

Treat each section as a separate item in need of repair zooming in and changing the brush size as much as needed.

 

Be patient and take the time to eliminate those tears in the best possible way; at this point I suggest you don’t go in deeper detail and just clean out the obvious damage.

 

If you find something that needs more detail, just leave it for later stages of cleanup.

 

Piece by piece you will start seeing your image come back to life.

 

And here is one section that I decided to leave for later since its quite important and has severe damage; the face of the child. So just clean around it and leave it for later where we can look for solutions and take more time on it.

 

And here we find yet another bump in the road, the bends and wrinkles on the paper, since this is not a scanned image but rather a digital photo of the original, we have some light shining and reflections on the paper that we will also need to treat separately. Of course all this can be avoided if you receive the photo for restoration and scan it properly. Also this stage seems quite easy on paper, yet cloning away all the damage takes hours of detailed creative cloning, so be patient and work through it.

 

Now it is time to treat the more complicated sections that we skipped over such as the back of the bike. Since the original was torn off and bended, in this section we have to reconstruct the those areas, if possible, the client can provide other photos where you can see the bike completely, in this case, we will have to use our best guess.

 

One of the most important parts of the restoration its to fix the child’s face, and do it without altering the face features; so set your brush very small and if needed fix pixel by pixel until you clean the whole area. Remember, that this is only stage 2 of the restoration so leave minor details for later on.

 

Time to turn our image back into black and white, even if the client wants it sepia, it’s better to make it black and white, recover the shades and contrast and then, at the end, tone it back to sepia. So apply a black and white adjustment layer clipped to the restoration layer as shown here.

 

Duplicate the layers as shown and hide the originals, again for safe-keeping.

 

Merge the duplicated layers.

Now we will use the Color Range Tool to make a selection of the bends that are reflecting environment light and shining off the paper on the darker sections.

 

Once you have the selection apply a Feather of about 5 pixels.

Then select the Burn Tool and make sure the settings on the top bar are set as shown here.

 

Then, burn it until those areas match the rest of the shadow area on the photo, with a very soft big brush.

 

We also have this section over the fuel tank that is bended and reflecting light killing the shadow below the arm, so using the Burn Tool and a bit of cloning we also need to reestablish this shadow back.

 

Let’s start this step by cropping the image as shown, trying to keep as much of the original content as possible.

 

Now it’s time to use the Spot Healing Brush to get rid of some spots. I am sure you were tempted to use it earlier, yet this tool does not help in the early stages of a restoration, and actually messes things up. There is no shortcut in restoration, there is detail and patience. Yet at this point we are OK to use this tool.

  

We have to identify the spots that are part of the damage and keep the details that are part of the image, so be careful.

 

We can also find sections such as this one where neither the Clone Tool nor the Spot Healing Brush can help and we have no other choice but to paint detail back.

So select your Brush Tool with this brush tip at only 1px in size.

 

Sample highlights from the plate and carefully start rebuilding the section cable shown here.

 

Then, sample shadow color from the image and finish building up the cable.

 

We have successfully painted back a section completely missing from the image.

Let’s continue with some other sections, whenever possible use the detail in the image to restore the sections, leave the painting just for sections that are beyond repair. In this case, the affected wheel can be restored using sections of the wheel that are not damaged.

 

Let’s go into the wheels and remove the wrinkles found there. In the same way, cover all the image finding these types of details that need fixing.

 

We will now use the Reduce Noise Tool to get rid of the minute particles and specks all over the image.

Let’s make a duplicate of our working layer and apply the settings as shown here. Be careful not to go overboard with this tool because you can eliminate details from the image instead of just unwanted noise and specks. Although experimentation and learning about this tool its a good idea and that is why we are working on a duplicate of the layer to avoid messing our work so far.

 

The final touch on our image is fixing the lip that was way too damaged; we will use the other section of the mouth to restore the detail and fix his right lip.

Using the Lasso Tool, select a section from the right lip and copy and paste it on to a new layer.

 

Flip the section horizontally and rotate it into position as shown here.

 

Then distort it into position as shown here.

 

Use the Burn Tool to bring the shading down, effectively rebuilding the mouth,

 

And then just finalize this step by merging both layers back together and bringing us very close to finalizing our restoration.

We have small specks and dust yet to clean up so we can go back to the Spot Healing Tool at a very small size as shown here.

 

Let’s start with the child’s face and work our way out just by removing the particles that stand out as shown here.

 

Then let’s work our way through the motorcycle also looking for any detail missing.

 

This last stage requires a long time of observation zooming in and out to find all this missing details.

 

We might have some less obvious blemishes or damage probably caused by liquid or glue that we also need to take care of.

 

In case we find something that requires jumping back to the Clone Tool or Brush Tool just go ahead and do so, like in this case where too much was trimmed off the hair so we bring it back.

  

Finally, there we have it! A completely restored image that a happy client can take home and frame. In this tutorial, we showed you how to restore a heavily damaged photo. In this process, you learned how to work with the Clone Tool, the Spot Healing Brush, and even how to use the Brush Tool to paint in details that could not be reconstructed from the original photo. We hope that you have learned something from this tutorial and can use these techniques to restore your own photographs.

Interview with photo Retoucher Helena Perminger

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Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Helena Perminger, a freelance retoucher from Stockholm, Sweden. In this interview, we talked about several topics ranging from her experience as a student, to how to build a great team, to some common mistakes that retouchers make, and much more. Let’s take a look!

My name is Helena and I am a 26-year-old retoucher living and working in Stockholm, Sweden. I work with photographers in many different fields, which has given me wide experience, and a lot of joy!

I have always expressed myself creatively through different channels. When I got my first camera, it was the perfect fit. I brought it everywhere; I always documented big events in pictures. The photos always brought back more than just color and contrast, sounds and smells were all connected in that rectangular shaped diary of my life.

I started using Photoshop when I was around 12 for photomontages and self-portraits. When it came to picking what direction to choose in school I decided for two; Photography and Graphic Communication, which for me mostly meant Adobe Photoshop and working in the dark room. It was perfect!

After a few years of working part time as photographer, taking a part time class in photography and traveling with my camera, I settled down and worked very hard to get into a Digital Imaging Editing School.

Photo Credit: Johnny Kangasniemi.

Yes, as far as I know, the 2-year full-time program for Digital Image Editing at Stockholm School of Photography may be the only digital image postproduction education in the world. The program consists of modern professional education focused on today’s workflow in close collaboration with the industry. We studied the ways of fine art-printing, color management, prepress and the art of retouching with some of the most highly renowned teachers in the business.

What I learned most was the importance of control in all steps in the digital post process to get the most out of every production. So many people are self-taught in the photography business and only know one way to get results. More and more people are coming to me who can deal with problems from more than one angle and therefore get the job done both smoother and better.

I also learned not to loose your creativity when turning your long-loved hobby into your profession. It has been very important for me to keep time and mind open for new inspirational projects.

Photo Credit: Johnny Kangasniemi.

I wish to work with inspirational people with amazing ideas. It could be as basic as shooting a project on film or as big as a photographer’s life-long project. I strive to be a part of bringing creative people’s amazing projects to life.

But if I were to choose, I would say projects with humans or animals, like fashion, lifestyle, and most of all portraits, are the ones that fascinate me the most. But as long as there is a burning soul in the project, I’m all in!

Photo Credit: Jesse Laitinen.

The most challenging, and at the same time thrilling, are those projects with quick late changes.

Communication is absolutely vital when working with people. The whole project’s outcome depends on a good working relationship. If there is good communication, the biggest of challenges can be overcome much more smoothly. In this business there always seem to be late changes and if you can’t handle them professionally and keep your stress level low, a project can fall apart.

Photo Credit: Johnny Kangasniemi.

When fashion projects come my way, they often come with a great visionary idea. This puts a lot of creative pressure on the retoucher, especially when there are skin tones to take into account. Fashion pushes itself to break new ground, and to make something where you don’t have just one solution. This has always intrigued me.

I prefer to work with living subjects as opposed to in animate objects. I have always gotten a great deal of satisfaction from retouching skin. The industry has changed a lot over the last few years. In the past, everyone wanted photos to look retouched. Now, if a retoucher has done a good job the picture should not look digitally enhanced at all.

This has created problems for the retouchers here in Sweden where retouching is seen as something bad and usually we don’t even get our byline with a work that has been published. That makes it very hard to get recognition for your work, especially in the fashion business. But when more and more photographers can’t handle the post process and come to us for help, everyone will hopefully start realizing how much we are needed.

Photo Credit: Shahab Salehi.

First of all, there is big gap between being creative with Photoshop and working as a retoucher. When I started playing around in Photoshop, I really went all the way. I over-used brushes to create "cool" effects like scratches and dirt and I can’t say now I’m that proud of what I created. But all that creativity without boundaries pushed me forward to keep on going and learn more.

When it comes to building a career as a retoucher, there is so much more to know than just how to use different tools and effects in Photoshop. A retoucher needs to know the entire postproduction process to be able to deliver high-quality work. You also have to be able to appreciate the basic importance of how light falls; you need what I would call a visual eye. I see way too many people in the business that don’t know how to enhance an image for different media or just don’t know how to retouch skin without leaving it totally smudged.

Something else many people don’t know about, is the importance of a light controlled workspace. While it is important for a retoucher to have a perfectly calibrated monitor, it is also important to control the light in and around your workspace so that none of the ambient light in your office doesn’t interfere with the colors being projected from your monitor.

The easiest advice I can give would be to get experience, take a drawing class and look over the basics of a proper workstation. But most important thing you can do is to discuss your work with others, the best way of going forward in a creative field is to be open to other people’s opinions, after all; those are the ones you’ll be showing your work to in the end anyway.

All this asked, I still push my boundaries and play around on my free time!

Photo Credit: Olivia Jeczmyk.

That is one of the most interesting aspects of it all! I find that when working with someone new, it’s always best to communicate your ideas and thoughts early on. The faster you get to know each other, the faster you’ll start creating amazing things.

I always try to get the opportunity to be there at the photo shoot, to be able to get all the information I need before I start my part of the process. I try to be as open and thorough as possible when getting the whole vision of the project, the best way for this is to talk to everyone involved. It’s the process of working towards same vision and goal that binds a team together, so I would say find people that fill the gaps in those areas where you lack strengths, and who share, challenge and take your visions further.

This would be my preferred way of collaborating, but it’s usually not the case. I often get called in when the photos have already been taken and I just communicate with the photographer. This usually makes things easier although I would prefer being a bigger part of the creative process from the beginning.

But when it comes to personal projects, which I do in close collaboration with, for example, a photographer, I usually do it because of a similar interest or vision that brings us together from the start. This is something I love and I’m always up for finding new inspirational projects!

I love my job and the great energy it gives me to work with amazing people and get the confidence of taking their work to the next level.

Photo Credit: Edvard Koinberg.

This summer I worked together with Max Modén, a great Swedish photographer, on two very special and beautiful projects.

One of the projects I am working on is a series of portraits taken of young boys in homage to great photographers like Irving Penn and Richard Avedon. The other one is of young girls where I was given a bit more creative freedom in the retouch. Both series are black and white and with high-end styling. I delicately worked with enhancing these already beautiful images, together with Max, to create to two great stories. These stories will be published in the magazine La Petite later this year.

Photo Credit: Karin Olanders.

Thank you, this was a lot of fun! Advice I can give those who are looking to freelance as a retoucher; It is a harsh business where you need to work hard to get what you want. Being social and open to constructive criticism will get you far!

How to create typography Creepy Halloween Photoshop

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As autumn approaches in much of the world, we know that many artists are beginning to think about Halloween, especially artists that live in the U.S. In this tutorial, we will explain how to create slimy, gooey, and drippy Halloween typography in Photoshop. We will then incorporate that typography into a poster design. Let’s get started!

You will need the following assets to complete this tutorial. Please download them before you begin. If they are not available, you will need to find alternatives.

Create a New File by going to File > New (CMD/CTRL + N). In Preset select International paper and set the size as in the image below.

Go to Image > Image rotation > 90 CW to to make the canvas horizontally.

Paint the Background layer with a very dark green using the Paint Bucket (G).
Add a new layer (Shift + CMD/CTRL + N) and make a green Circular Gradient using the Gradient Tool (G).
Move it slightly upward and lower the Opacity a bit.

Use the Horizontal Type Tool (T) to write the phrase you see in the picture (or the one you prefer) and on a different layer, the word "HALLOWEEN". Set the text as shown in the image. For the phrase you can use the font "Ghastly Panic" or pick any "horror" style font that you like. For the word "HALLOWEEN" uses Arial Black or other similar, as will be only the guide we use to create our own letters.

Click on the word “HALLOWEEN” WITH THE Horizontal Type Tool (T) and click on Create Warped Text.
Set as seen on the image.

Select the text layer. Go to 3D > Repousse > text layer. Set as seen on the image.

Lower the opacity of the text a bit. Add a new layer, choose a small, hard brush and draw each letter using the original text as reference.

Paint each letter in block, each on a different layer. Order the layers in such way, that the ones that are in front are above the others.
Select each letter and use Hue/Saturation (CMD/CTRL + U) > Saturation and Lightness to create a gradient where the light is in the center.

Add a Clipping Mask to the first letter (add a new layer and click in between both pressing Alt).
Paint yellowish green highlights where the light will hit. In this illustration, the light will come from the bottom center.
Use the Eraser Tool (E) with a soft, low opacity brush, to clean the lights as seen in the image. Repeat with all the letters.

Repeat the last step for the shadows, but this time using light blue in a Multiply Mode Layer.

Add a new Multiply Mode layer and paint hard shadows to the shapes as seen in the image.

Add a new layer below and create a small yellowish green circular gradient. Press CMD/CTRL + T to stretch horizontally.
Softly erase the top.

Duplicate all the letters layers and Merge them (CMD/CTRL + E). Then select a dark and a yellowish green as front and background color.
Go to Filter > Sketch > Reticulation and set as the image.

Set this Reticulation Layer to Soft Light and 40% Opacity.

Select the text layer, add a Multiply mode layer and make a soft gradient with light blue on top and sides. Use the Eraser to soften.

Add another layer in Overlay mode and make a yellow gradient from below.

Use white to paint some highlights to give the feeling of “liquid”.

Let’s make the pumpkin. For this stage you will need only orange and green. Paint using different layers, use orange in Multiply Mode layers for shadows and green in Overlay mode layers for the lights.

Paint a “vapor-light” out of the pumpkin. Make some pumpkin stains and a brownish shadow below.
Paint the shadow on the ground.

Place the first texture (File > Place) below the pumpkin and text and press CMD/CTRL + T to fit in the canvas.
Set the layer to Divide Mode.

Duplicate the texture, set to Multiply Mode and erase with a soft brush as seen in the image.
Use the Magic Wand Tool (W) to select the edges and delete them.

Place the second layer on top, set to Overlay Mode and 73% opacity and erase slightly on the pumpkin and text as seen in the image.

Add a New Fill or Adjustment Layer > Photo Filter and set as in the image and place it behind the text.

Duplicate the yellow gradient below the text, stretch it horizontally and vertically downward and erase by the lower sides.

Make the pumpkin smaller and duplicate, if needed, the orange’s multiply mode layers as you did before.

Double click on the phrase layer and set the Layer Styles as shown in the image.

Duplicate the “HALLOWEEN” text, place it below, and set the Drop shadow as seen in the image.

Duplicate the sepia Photo filter layer and place it on top.

Add a new layer and paint with fine lines light around the word and the pumpkin, as well as the eyes, nose and mouth.

Choose the Basic soft round brush, give it a bit of Spacing and set as in the image.
Then paint with yellow and dark orange on the pumpkin, to make it “dirtier”

Change the second texture as seen on the image.

Paint a little pumpkin filling on the floor. Do not forget to make the shadow on the ground and add soft highlights.

Select the Background layer, double click on it to release it, and press CMD/CTRL + U (Hue/Saturation) and add a little lightness

Let’s go back to the pumpkin: Add some highlights and reinforce the shadows.

Select the text layer, go to Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast and set as the image.

Select the face of the pumpkin and add yellow light in the middle and blue shadows by the sides.

Select the text layer, press CMD/CTRL + U (Hue/Saturation) and set as the image.

Darken the edges of the face and pumpkin itself and make some cracks.

Paint some spider webs with a small, hard brush.

Finally, the eye in the letter O. Paint a white circle in between the letters and the shadow layer. Add some Inner Shadow.
Use a Clipping Mask to paint the eye pupil and then add a new layer to make the details like the veins and highlights.

That’s it! You are now finished. This technique is a quick and easy way to create spooky Halloween typography and can be used on just about any word or font. Hopefully, you learned something and can use this technique to create your own Halloween text effects in Photoshop.