Using the Healing Brush in Photoshop CS5 and PSE8
Healing Spot and Brush
Instead of painting (healing) directly on the image layer with the healing brush, do this...
- load the picture to be re-touched.
- make a new blank layer using the new layer button in the layers palette
- In the option bar select "sample all layers"
- Use the spot or healing brush with the blank layer selected!
Photoshop's CS5 Options Bar...
Spot Healing Brush Tool
make sure you check Sample All Layers first.
Healing Brush Tool
Make sure you select "Current and Below" from the drop down menu before you begin
PSE8's Option Bar
Spot Healing Brush
Make sure you check Sample All Layers
Brush Healing Tool
and select sample all layers.
PSE9's Option Bar
Spot Healing Brush
Make sure you check Sample All Layers
Brush Healing Tool
and select sample all layers.
The Healing Tools --Painting with Texture (Color and Light)
When you paint with the Healing Tool you are painting with the texture and tonal characteristics (Color & Light) of the area (pixels) you have sampled with the Healing Brush. You make a sample when you hold down the alt key (PC) or the option key (Mac) and click the (left) mouse button when the "pointer" target is over the area you want to sample.
You can resize your brush with the
left bracket [
and
right bracket ] keys
on the keyboard.
The advantage of using blank layer is you can now "blend" the healing tools sampled area by lowering the opacity of the samples in the blank layer's pallet blending them into the new patched area that you have painted with the selection... Giving you more control over the outcome.
An Example
Using the blank Layer will be more useful in Photoshop CS4 and Down and Photoshop Elements 8
Before
and After
More Spot Healing Brush Techniques
Let's redo the Healing using the Spot Healing Brush selecting Content Aware Fill
Watch the Russell Brown Video link is in the left panel...
