Photoshop Elements > Retouching >

Healing Brush Tool >

Healing with a Pattern

You can use the Healing Brush tool without sampling.

Instead, you use a pattern of noise, and a blending mode, to retouch.

This method may not produce results superior to using samples, but it is faster.

Make a Noise Pattern

1) Double click the background color in the lower left of your screen.

The Color Picker window will open.

2) In the # box, enter 808080.

3) Click OK.

The background color is now 50% gray.

4) Go to File > New > Blank File.

Enter the following values.

Width	300 pixels
Height	300 pixels
Resolution	300 pixels/inch (ppi)
Color Mode	RGB
Background Contents	Background Color

5) Click OK.

6) Go to Filter > Artistic > Film Grain.

Enter the following values.

Grain Setting	1
Highlight	0
Intensity	5

7) Select > All.

8) Edit > Define Pattern.

9) Enter a name for the pattern, such as Film Grain.

10) Click OK.

Healing Brush Options Bar Settings

11) Go to the photograph you want to edit.

12) Select the Healing Brush tool.

13) In the options bar, do the following.

• Change Mode from Normal to Screen or Multiply.

Screen	Lightens
Multiply	Darkens

• Change Pattern from Sampled to Pattern.

• Click the tiny black triangle next to the Pattern Picker, and select your Film Grain pattern (last in the menu).

• Select Aligned.

• Select All Layers.

Blank Layer

14) Create a blank layer.

15) Rename Layer 1 as Healing Brush.

You'll do your retouching with the Healing Brush tool on this layer.

Retouch

16) Change the Mode to Screen or to Multiply according to the needs of the area you're working on.

You'll probably use Screen most of the time.

17) If needed, reduce the opacity of the the Healing Brush layer to make the skin look more natural.

When you do so, the wrinkle-less skin on the Healing Brush layer is blended slightly with the wrinkles on the Background copy layer.