The Healing Brush and Patch Tools

Part two of the fractured Photoshop tutorial series, click here for part one.

Part One: The Healing Brush

As you can probably guess by the name, the Healing brush, is similar to the Spot Healing Brush. The difference is that it gives you a bit more control and flexibility. It works very much the way the Clone Tool does, except it samples and blends the tonality into your repair, making it look more natural. The healing brush produces some of its best results when applied to scratches, wrinkles, blemishes and similar catastrophes.  
 

Lets experiment with this by removing poor Tina Fey’s Scar.  

  1. Open the file Tina.jpg, duplicate the layer and rename it Tina, and turn off the original layer.
    You will be working on the layer you just created,
    (the original is now your get out of jail free card). 

    Tina Fey Photoshop 

  2. Select the healing brush tool (J), size=20px, hardness =11 
  3. Zoom in on Tina’s left cheek. Option click just below the scar where the skin is smooth to sample this area, click on the scar and drag towards the top of her cheekbone.  

    Tina Fey Heal and Patch Tool Photoshop Tutorial 

  4. Sample again in roughly the same area, and drag approximately the same distance.
    This time drag in the opposite direction, starting in approximately the same place you did last time. 
    Tina Fey Heal and Patch Tool Photoshop Tutorial 

  5. Repeat this process, sampling often and making small strokes. When finished check your results against the original:  

    Tina fey photoshop healing and patch tutorial  

    Now let’s say we want to remove some of the broken capillaries from her nose, and get rid of the blemishes from her forehead and chin. The healing brush tools might work for some cases, but overall they will leave too many remnants and discolorations to look natural. I’m afraid this is a job for… 
      

    Part 2: The Patch Tool

       

  6. Zoom in on Tina’s hideously disfigured left nostril, and select the patch tool (J).    

    Healing Brush and Patch Tools Tutorial  

  7. Select an area by drawing a small circle around it, the same way you would using the Lasso Tool. Hold the selection and drag it to a clear selection of skin in the same area. Where you drag this selection is where you will be sampling from.  

    Healing Brush and Patch Tools Tutorial  

    Healing Brush and Patch Tools Tutorial  

  8. Repeat this process using small selections until your satisfied with the results.   
  9. Next, select the shine on her nose and clear.   

    Healing Brush and Patch Tools Tutorial  

  10. Move on to her chin and forehead, removing the shine and cleaning up with the heal tool.   
  11. The final result should have successfully removed all of the character from the face of Tina Fey.
    This is character she spent her whole life earning.
    It used to make her features unique, made her an individual.
    Now she looks like a plastic doll.
    Why? Why would you do this to another human being?  

    Healing Brush and Patch Tools Tutorial  

    Lastly, send cheque or money order for this tutorial to Seanbelly, c/o Tina Fey Industries Inc. 

    Bonus points if you noticed her teeth are now whiter. How did it happen? Stay tuned.

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