Facial Skin Layered Mapping

 

Part 7.0 – The Diffusion Map

Before You Begin

Have your work file open in Photoshop.   Have your model open in AM.

Introduction

After light reflects off you model, the diffusion map is the final map that it will pass through before it is seen by the camera.  This map makes all the difference in the world.  Without it the amount of light that is reflected by a crack, wrinkle or pore or, hard skin or soft skin is the same.  The diffusion map needs to contain information about ever detail but then we already have this.

 

  1. In the Bump layer set, duplicate the Pore layer and drag it into the Diffuse layer set above the Diffuse Base layer.
  2. Change the Blend mode to Overlay.
  3. Do Merge Down (<ctl>e).
  4. This map contains all the information the Diffuse map needs so lets preserver it by duplicating it, renaming the duplicate Diffuse Base Save and then locking and hiding it.  It should be below the Diffuse Base layer.
  5. As is this will create a very nice diffuse map adding much reality to all but the deep wrinkles – these will be too dark.  Ideally we keep the smoother and subtler areas and decrease the wrinkles as well as all darker areas.
  6. Zoom in and with the eye dropper select the darkest color you can find on the image.
  7. Do Select->Color Range.  Set the Fuzziness at zero and slowly increase it until only the wrinkles and other darker areas are showing (Figure 7.0.1).  Click Okay.  Press <ctl>j to move this selection to a new layer above this layer.

 

 

Figure 7.0.1

 

  1. Now do Adjustment->Brightness/Contrast and adjust the Brightness to +35 or to where these dark areas are lowered to where they are only slightly darker then the rest of the gray range (Figure 7.0.2).

 

 

Figure 7.0.2

 

  1. Reduce the Opacity to 90%.
  2. Generate a new map, add it and change the map type and also lower the map percentage.  Human skin tipically has a diffusion of 80% to 90% which, in AM and the gray scale values in this map, means 10% to 20%.  Start at 15% and test and adjust.

 

Go to Part 8.0 – Tweaking the Maps