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This lesson demonstrates how to remove blemishes and facial lines utilising the Healing Brush, Spot Healing Brush and Patch Tool. You will find the image I am working with Here. Unzip the file and open it onto Photoshop’s workspace.
Soft Focus Filter
Depending on your portrait, you may wish to apply a Soft Focus effect first - as described in my Soft Focus tutorial Here. After your Soft Focus application, return to this lesson (Chapter 1), to learn how to utilise the Healing Brush Tools.
 
Soft Focus Settings
Soft Focus settings entirely depend on your image, its resolution, and the look you are seeking. For this lessons image, I chose a Gaussian Blur Radius of 3.4, and faded the blur by 50%. I then applied an Unsharp Mask setting of; Amount = 69.
Radius = 3.4 and Threshold = 8. I warmed the skin tones by increasing the Saturation level to +7.
Undo and Navigation Steps
Two ways of undoing steps are from the top menu, Edit then Step Backwards. Alternatively, click a previous snapshot in the History Palette.
Navigate (zoom in and pan) your image using the Navigator Palette,
or the Zoom Tool. 
Activate The Hand Tool by tapping the Spacebar, keeping the Spacebar pressed, pan your image in the usual way. 
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Open your image onto Photoshop’s workspace.
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Then duplicate the Background layer by dragging its layer over the following Create a new layer icon, and work on the duplicated copy.
3/ The Healing Brush Tool
From the toolbar activate the Healing Brush Tool.
And set the following attributes into its Options bar.
Quickly adjust the brush size
To adjust the brush size, press your keyboard’s left-side (or right-side), bracket keys - ensuring the keyboard is set to lower case, and Not capitals!
Note
The manner in which the colour and shading are mixed is directly linked to the Diameter (size) and Hardness of the Healing Brush. Therefore it is important that you experiment with different Diameter and Hardness settings.
Tip, there is no control over Flow or Opacity; therefore, to fade a Healing Brush (or Spot Brush) application; from the top menu, choose Edit then choose Fade Healing Brush.
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Before you begin, you need to prime the Healing Brush with pixels; if you don’t; you will receive the following warning dialogue.
Therefore, press and keep pressed the Alt key of the keyboard, then (with your mouse) left-click a smooth, blemish free area of the face. 
Now you have primed the Healing Brush with smooth (skin-tone) pixels, you are ready to paint over facial lines and blemishes.
Note
As you paint, the cross hairs, shown here.  
Are a source from which your new (smooth) pixels are being collected; and the area within the cross hairs, is the Source Point.
The Healing Brush Tool blends pixels from the source point with the original pixels of your (healing Brush) stroke - therefore, as you move around different areas of the image, keep Alt (and left-clicking) to gather lighter, or darker, skin tones, from the Source Point.
Tip
Be aware of the source point, you can easily collect (and apply) inappropriate - darker, or lighter, pixels to your image.
In small movements, continue painting over (healing) facial lines, and blemishes.
  
Incorrect Pixels
The following screen capture demonstrates the cross hairs (source point), collecting - and applying - inappropriate pixels - and exhibits the Healing Brushes cloning capabilities.
5/The Spot Healing Brush Tool
This tool covers (blends) blemishes and spots. It works in the same way as the Healing Brush Tool; however, with the Spot Healing Brush Tool you do not Alt-click to collect pixels. Instead, you paint over lines and blemishes - or, simply left-click.
Activate the Spot Healing Brush Tool.
And set the following attributes into its Options bar.
Now, left-click and pass the Spot Healing Brush Tool over a small facial line (or part of a line). This applies a dark grey colour over it - blending underlying pixels, and healing, (disguising) the facial line. Alternatively, to remove a very small area, or spot - pass the Spot Healing Brush Tool over it, and left-click.
Note: The Patch Tool works best with very small segments, or single spots - therefore, for larger areas - for accuracy, use the Healing Brush Tool, or the Patch Tool.
   
Below is another example of using just the Spot Healing Brush Tool - however, this time, I finished by applying the Blur Tool, (far right, below). This resulted in a smoother skin tone.
   
Warning
Sometimes, the Spot Healing Brush Tool can leave undesirable residues, as shown here. 
If this happens, Step Backwards - or click a previous (good) snap shot from the History Palette, and start again.
6/ The Patch Tool
Activate The Patch Tool. 
And set the following attributes into its Options bar.
Now, left-click, and hold, then surround a blemished (or lined) area of your subject with a lasso line, in a complete circuit, as shown below.
Release the mouse button, and the lasso will immediately change to a selection marquee, (moving dotted lines), as shown here.
Now, hover your cursor over the edge of the selection marquee, and when it changes to the following icon.  
Left-click, and drag the marquee to another area of the image.
As you can see by my screen capture above, wherever you move the second (left-side) marquee to, the area inside it is mirrored within the original (right-side) marquee. Therefore, to change the original - blemished or lined area - to a smooth skin tone, drag the second marquee to a smooth area of the image - that has similar coloured pixels - as shown below.
When you are satisfied that the colour match is equal, release the left-side mouse button. Now, remove the selection marquee, and you will notice that the original (lined) area is now smooth - as shown below right.
 
This image (Here) is an example of removing facial objects (the subject’s eyes) with the Patch Tool.
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Now, continue eliminating and smoothing facial lines and blemishes, using your choice of tools. Work between the Spot Healing Brush Tool, The Patch Tool, The Healing Brush Tool, and The Blur Tool - zooming into (and out of) and panning your image, as required.
A Final Smoothing Tip
To camouflage tiny thread blemishes; activate the Blur Tool.
And with a low Opacity (I chose a Strength of 24%), gently smooth away the colouration, as shown here.
 
Burn and Dodge Tools
Two tools designed to lighten (or darken) areas of photographs are the Burn and Dodge Tools.  Lesson.
The Dodge Tool Lightens Photographs - The Burn Tool Darkens Photographs.
If after using the Patch and Healing tools, you find you need to darken - or lighten, small areas - activate the appropriate tool, and apply it to the area - experimenting with Exposure, Range and Brush Size, until you acquire the desired effect.
Wendi E M Scarth. Top of Page - Home.
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