I am studying photography at a reputable school. We are learning retouching and I am starting to develop an interest in making this a major part of my work. I thought graphics design was what was needed, but it doesn’t seem the best for learning retouching. What is the usual formal training retouchers need/get?
-
Welcome to the new forums! Please read this first. For known issues we are working to resolve, click here.
What degree/academic background should a professional retoucher get?
- Thread starter KevenP
- Start date
Jim B (MSP)
Forum Pro
I am not a "pro" retoucher, and have never hired one.
However, if I were you, I would go out to a few job sites like Monster.com and Indeed.com and do a search for appropriate job ads. These will also generally list desired and required qualifications.
--
Jim
"It's all about the light"
Last edited:
tony brown
Senior Member
A competent retoucher could provide any background they wanted!
Jim B (MSP)
Forum Pro
A competent retoucher could provide any background they wanted!
D
digidog
Guest
graybalanced
Veteran Member
Graphic design is more about the formal design aspects: Color use, composition, typography, layout. It only teaches how to integrate photos into bigger projects, but not much about working with photos themselves.
A retoucher would get a lot of benefit from taking fine art drawing and painting classes. These would teach you the basic skills of retouching independent of any software: How do you touch up an image so that your edits look real and believable? What do you need to know about light and form? Training in software or design won't help you there. You need to know how real objects respond to light and appear in perspective, and how to render that with any material (paint, pencil, digital...). You should know the basics of figure drawing and anatomy for retouching a face or body, how fabric drapes over a body. Maybe a little about landscape painting.
Last edited:
Jim B (MSP)
Forum Pro
You have summarized it very well.
Now the OP needs to find the appropriate school and classes.
Thanks for the replies everyone.
What I was mostly referring to was a professional and competent freelance retoucher. The degree and academic background isn't so much about having the papers or titles, but more to have formal education (relevant, just not self-taught).
What I was mostly referring to was a professional and competent freelance retoucher. The degree and academic background isn't so much about having the papers or titles, but more to have formal education (relevant, just not self-taught).
Last edited:
I agree that a good portion of retouching is knowing how light responds, anatomy, texture and many other things of which more traditional art disciplines are great for.
What I wanted to know was if or what formal training/education professional and competent retouchers go through (I posted on RetouchPRO and Quora, but got only one response). I could simply develop the competencies of understanding light, anatomy and so on with both my photography schooling and working as a photographer—as well as non-schooling material (or drawing and painting classes like you mentioned), but I wanted to know if there are actual programs and classes for retouching.
If there isn't really any specific schooling for retouching, that's fine. I would just like to know what options I have to better make a good choice.
Regards.
What I wanted to know was if or what formal training/education professional and competent retouchers go through (I posted on RetouchPRO and Quora, but got only one response). I could simply develop the competencies of understanding light, anatomy and so on with both my photography schooling and working as a photographer—as well as non-schooling material (or drawing and painting classes like you mentioned), but I wanted to know if there are actual programs and classes for retouching.
If there isn't really any specific schooling for retouching, that's fine. I would just like to know what options I have to better make a good choice.
Regards.
Last edited:
dwalby
Veteran Member
There are courses for retouching, and Photoshop specifically, do a web search and you should be able to find several, is that what you're asking? I doubt there's a university major in 'retouching' where you take a prescribed series of courses, but that doesn't mean there aren't courses that can be taken on their own. Have you asked this question at the school you're currently attending?
Last edited:
Photo Editing Company
Member
It depend of the school but you should not depend on them .. Explore yourself
Keyboard shortcuts
- f
- Forum