Catchlight Brushes
Posted: May 18th, 2009 | Author: admin | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: actions, brushes, catchlights, eyes, light, retouching | 24 Comments »Catchlights bring life to the eyes, but sometimes they’re elusive. All too often (especially with dark eyed kids), I find myself canning an otherwise great shot because I can’t get past the “dead” eyes. I don’t know why it took so long for me to realize that I could add catchlights digitally.*
Having great brushes is key. It’s a great idea to snap a picture of your light source (whether a softbox, window, or open sky) from your subject’s perspective; you can use that picture as a source for making your own brushes. I won’t get into the nitty gritty, but if you have a photograph of your light source (in landscape orientation), you can easily turn it into a catchlight brush. To make it SUPER easy, use the action below to make your brushes.
Don’t want to make your own? I’ve also made some catchlight brushes for you. The following catchlight brushes are included in the set (scroll down to the bottom for the download link):
- Studio Catchlights: Octobank / Softbox
- Indoor Catchlights: Lamp / Window1 / Window2
- Outdoor Catchlights (Rural): Tree in Field / Pine Tree
- Outdoor Catchlights (Urban/Suburban): Residential1 / Residential2 / CityTown
Alright, so you’ve made (or downloaded) your catchlight brushes. What’s next? Putting them to use! Again, I’ve made an action for this purpose, but let me walk you through it (and ignore the color on the screenshots – that’s what happens when you start playing with non color-managed apps!)
ORIGINAL:
1. Make a duplicate of your background layer (or a flattened version of your image if you are working with multiple layers already), and name it “Ambient Light”
2. Change the blend mode to “Screen,” and add an inverted layer mask (ALT+Click layer mask icon).
3. Paint over the irises with a soft white brush (100% opacity). Drop the opacity of this layer until the brightness of the irises looks natural (I usually start around 30% and work my way up).
AMBIENT LIGHT (Here, layer opacity is at 39%):
4. Make a new (empty) layer, and add a layer mask. Name this layer “CL Light.”
5. Select your desired catch light brush. Center the brush over the iris (if you zoom in far enough, you can see that the brush is circular and should fit directly over the iris like a contact lens. Click the brush once on each eye.
CATCHLIGHTS ADDED (Used “Tree in Field” Brush):
6. If necessary (if the face is tilted), rotate each catch light to over the eye (make a selection around one catchlight and press CTRL+T to use the transform tool to rotate it; follow with the other catchlight).
7. Paint with a black brush over the layer mask to make the catchlight “fit” the eye (remove anywhere the light is overlapping with the skin and possibly any overlap with the pupil; you may also want to tweak the “amount” of light on the eye, soften edges, etc.).
CATCHLIGHTS “FITTED”:
8. Change the blend mode of the layer to “Soft Light.”
8. Make a new (empty) layer. Name this layer “CL Sparkle.”
9. Go to Image>Apply Image
10. Use the following parameters — Layer: CL Light; Channel: RGB; Blending:Overlay; Mask: (Check)
11. Change the blend mode of the layer to “Overlay.”
ALL LAYERS COMPLETE (before final adjustments):
12. That’s it! Adjust the opacity of your Ambient Light, CL Light, and CL Sparkle Layers as desired. You may also wish to adjust your catchlight tweaks in from Step 7. Not enough punch? Duplicate your CL Sparkle Layer (CTRL+J).
FINAL:
BEFORE and AFTER:
Have a better way? Discover a better blend mode combination? Something not quite working right? Let me know in the comments.
Download Now:
(10 catchlight brushes + CL correction brush)
(Make a Catchlight Brush; Apply Catchlights)
These catchlight brushes and actions are available for free for a limited time.
* I know, I know – it’s always better to get everything right in camera. That’s my preference, too … but there are times when it’s next to impossible to do. It’s always good to know how to make the best of a less than perfect photo.
