Anthony Truth Clark wrote:
This is my first crack at retouching an image. What can I do better? What did I do wrong?

Before:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thetruthcs07/7389966732/

After:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thetruthcs … otostream/

Don't use blur - at least not like that and in that amount. It no longer looks like a photograph, just a blobby mess.

Read up in these forums about skin retouching and how to keep realistic texture while cleaning skin. I am a huge fan of the frequency separation technique. Natalia Taffarel has written some really helpful stuff about it -

http://nataliataffarel.tumblr.com/post/ … nd-cloning

And there are a lot of good threads here about retouching techniques.

Stephanie Mac wrote:
Don't use blur - at least not like that and in that amount. It no longer looks like a photograph, just a blobby mess.

Agreed. You made her look like a mannequin. You blurred it so much, you took all the personality out of her.

Natalia Taffarel is a great resource. And the internet is your friend.

One quick tip: Using surface blur is fine if you don't overdo it. The idea is to smooth the skin, not hide all the details. And when you use it, make sure you use masking on hair, eyes, eyebrows, clothes, lips, and anything else where you want to keep the details.

Don't give up! My first efforts with photoshopping were disastrous. But I keep practicing and I learn something new each time I use it. I'm not an expert retoucher, but I'm better than average now.