Step by step Enhance a portrait

Fix small imperfections with photoshop tools, then use the supplied actions to improve skin

01 Retouch spots

Open your portrait in Photoshop, go to the Layers panel (Window>layers) and click the new layer icon. Get the Spot Healing Brush from the tools panel and check ‘Sample All Layers’ in the tool options. Use a brush to paint over spots, stray hairs and blemishes.

02 soften lines

Make another new layer. This time go to the layer opacity slider in the Layers panel and set it to 50%. Use the Spot Healing brush to paint over lines, wrinkles and any other areas that stand out. This will soften, but not completely remove them.

03 sample a colour

Click Create Adjustment Layer, choose Curves. Click the Curve thumbnail in the Layers panel to deselect it then double-click the Curves black point eyedropper to get a colour box. Pick a skin tone from the cheek. Hit OK, then click on the eye bag to fix darker tones.

04 tone down eye bags

Go to the Layers panel and highlight the white mask thumbnail on the Curves layer, then press Cmd/ Ctrl+i. Get the Brush tool, hit D to set colour to white and 3 for 30% opacity, then paint over the eye bags to lift them. Do the same over other shadows on the skin.

05 Play the action

Double-click the retouching_actions.atn file, then go to the Actions panel (Window>actions) select the ‘High Pass Texture’ action and play it. Follow the instructions, then grab the Brush tool and hit 3 for 30% opacity and paint the skin to reveal the effect.

06 lift the skin

Press Cmd/ctrl+shift+alt+e to merge a copy of the layers, go to Filter>camera Raw Filter for tweaks. Grab the Targeted Adjustment tool, right-click and choose Luminance, then drag over the skin. Go to the Basic panel and boost contrast and saturation.