How to retouch your portraits in Photoshop

Smooth out skin imperfections in Photoshop CS5 in 5 easy steps

Step 01

Open your image and duplicate the background. Click the eye next to the background layer and ensure the duplicate layer is highlighted.

Step 02

This is one of the simplest ways to remove wrinkles in Photoshop. Zoom in to the area you want to work on and click the Spot Healing tool (plaster symbol).

Step 03

In the top toolbar, you’ll see options for your brush. Choose a size that’s around the same width as your problem area and pick a soft-edged brush.

Step 04

Alt-click on a ‘good’ area where you want the brush to sample from. Then either use a sweeping motion or dabbing action to paint off the wrinkle.

Step 05

Keep sampling and painting. Remember to do a little at a time – you can always add more, but too much and you’ll end up with a very fake-looking result!