Creating a soft duotone portrait in Photoshop

May 11th, 2007

before_soft_duo.jpg

Before

after_soft_duo.jpg

After

Here are steps to create the after version shown above:

  1. Duplicate the image (optional)

  2. Convert image mode to lab color

  3. Select the lightness channel

  4. Convert image to grayscale mode (discarding the other channels)

  5. Convert the image to duotone mode

  6. Select the color tone you want (or OK for the default as in this example)

  7. Convert image to RGB mode

  8. Duplicate the current layer

  9. Select that duplicate layer

  10. Filter > Blur - Gaussian Blur (20 pixels)

  11. Set current layer’s blend mode to multiply

  12. Flatten image

  13. Duplicate the current layer

  14. Select the duplicate layer

  15. Set the blend mode to screen

  16. Flatten the image

  17. Duplicate the current layer

  18. Desaturate the duplicate layer

  19. Invert the layer

  20. Filter > Blur > Gaussian blur (3 pixels)

  21. Set the layer’s blend mode to soft light

  22. Set the layers opacity to 50%

  23. Merge visible layers

  24. Dulicate current layer

  25. Set the blend mode to screen

  26. Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask (Amount 20%, Radious 50 pixels, Threshold 0)

  27. Flatten Image

 That is it. As you work through the steps, there will be times in the process where you might not think that your image will end up the way you want it; however, once all of the steps are completed, you will get results similar to the after image shown above.

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