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There are 8 modules in this course
Retouching is one of the most essential and powerful skills in photo editing—and in this course, taught by Ally, the creator of Affinity Revolution, you’ll master it from start to finish using Affinity Photo. Whether you want to remove distractions, enhance facial features, or guide a viewer’s eye through light and shadow, this course will give you the skills to transform any image with confidence.
Designed for photographers, digital artists, and hobbyists who already have a basic understanding of Affinity Photo, this course will take your editing workflow to a professional level. Taught by Affinity Revolution, you'll follow a structured, hands-on approach to mastering advanced retouching tools and techniques.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
* Remove blemishes, flyaway hairs, and background distractions using tools like the Clone Brush and Frequency Separation.
* Use Dodging & Burning to control lighting and draw attention to key areas of your image.
* Apply your retouching skills in real-world projects that simulate professional editing scenarios.
To get the most out of this course, you should be comfortable navigating Affinity Photo and using basic editing tools. If you’re ready to take your photo editing to the next level—join us in the class!
Instructor bio:
Ally, the creator of Affinity Revolution, has been teaching people how to use the Affinity creative suite since 2016. Through her easy-to-follow tutorials on Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher, she focuses on delivering maximum value in minimal time—making complex tools feel simple and approachable. Ally knows that learning Affinity can feel overwhelming at first, but with her step-by-step guidance, you’ll quickly gain confidence and master the skills to bring your creative projects to life.
Begin your journey into professional retouching with Affinity Revolution as your guide. This module introduces the class structure, walks you through essential setup steps, and explores foundational tools like the Inpainting, Clone, and Paint Brushes. You’ll practice applying these tools in beginner to advanced projects to build confidence and practical skills from the start.
What's included
8 videos1 reading1 assignment1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 54 minutes
Class Introduction•2 minutes
Inpainting Brush•7 minutes
Clone Brush•6 minutes
Paint Brush•6 minutes
Tablet Recommendation•1 minute
Beginner Project•7 minutes
Intermediate Project•13 minutes
Advanced Project•11 minutes
1 reading•Total 30 minutes
Project Instructions•30 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Module 1 Quiz•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
New Discussion Prompt•10 minutes
Frequency Separation & Color Adjustments
Module 2•1 hour to complete
Module details
Dig deeper into high-end retouching techniques with frequency separation, HSL adjustments, and selective coloring. You’ll also learn how to set up Dodge & Burn layers for controlled tonal enhancements, all while keeping your edits non-destructive and flexible.
What's included
9 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
9 videos•Total 42 minutes
What is Frequency Separation?•2 minutes
Set Up Frequency Separation Layers•4 minutes
Cloning•3 minutes
Painting•5 minutes
Blurring•4 minutes
HSL Adjustment•8 minutes
Selective Color•7 minutes
What is Dodge & Burn?•3 minutes
Set Up Dodge & Burn Layers•6 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Module 2 Quiz•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
New Discussion Prompt•10 minutes
Skin, Contour & Ethics of Retouching
Module 3•2 hours to complete
Module details
This module focuses on refining the subject’s features with careful skin smoothing and contouring. You’ll also explore the powerful Liquify Persona and tools, and learn how to make changes that enhance realism—while maintaining ethical awareness in how people are represented.
What's included
10 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
10 videos•Total 67 minutes
Smoothing Skin•5 minutes
Where to Contour•4 minutes
Contouring•7 minutes
Color Correction•6 minutes
The Ethics of Liquifying•2 minutes
Liquify Persona•8 minutes
Liquify Tools•5 minutes
Example 1 - Hair & Flowy Clothing•7 minutes
Example 2 - Background Challenge•5 minutes
Example 3 - Reshaping Clothing•17 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Module 3 Quiz•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
New Discussion Prompt•10 minutes
Eye Retouching Workflow
Module 4•1 hour to complete
Module details
In this focused module, you’ll enhance one of the most expressive parts of any portrait—the eyes. Affinity Revolution walks you through an efficient, repeatable process for blemish removal, color enhancement, and sharpening to bring out natural vibrancy and clarity.
What's included
8 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 38 minutes
Sharpening Eyes•6 minutes
Eyes Project - Make a Plan•3 minutes
Eyes Project - Blemish Removal•7 minutes
Eyes Project - Smoothing•3 minutes
Eyes Project - Contouring•6 minutes
Eyes Project - Color Correction•3 minutes
Eyes Project - Enhance Color•6 minutes
Eyes Project - Sharpening•3 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Module 4 Quiz•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
New Discussion Prompt•10 minutes
Lips, Highlights & Hair Retouching
Module 5•1 hour to complete
Module details
Learn how to refine lips and hair for a finished, professional look. You’ll enhance lip shape and color, create subtle highlight accents, and master advanced hair retouching—including adding strands and cleaning up flyaways to complete your portraits.
What's included
10 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
10 videos•Total 42 minutes
Whitening Teeth•6 minutes
Lip Project - Make a Plan•2 minutes
Lip Project - Blemish Removal•3 minutes
Lip Project - Smoothing•3 minutes
Lip Project - Contouring•3 minutes
Lip Project - Coloring•4 minutes
Lip Project - Sharpening•3 minutes
Enhancing Highlights•3 minutes
Adding Hair•6 minutes
Removing Flyaways•9 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Module 5 Quiz•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
New Discussion Prompt•10 minutes
Full Retouch Project 1
Module 6•1 hour to complete
Module details
In your first full portrait project, you’ll apply everything you’ve learned so far in a real-world scenario. From planning your edits to fine-tuning eyes, lips, and skin, this module helps you develop a consistent workflow that results in professional-quality imagery.
What's included
7 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 32 minutes
Project 1 - Make a Plan•4 minutes
Project 1 - Blemish Removal•5 minutes
Project 1 - Eyes•7 minutes
Project 1 - Lips•5 minutes
Project 1 - Smoothing•2 minutes
Project 1 - Contouring•7 minutes
Project 1 - Sharpening•3 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Module 6 Quiz•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
New Discussion Prompt•10 minutes
Full Retouch Project 2
Module 7•1 hour to complete
Module details
Build on your experience with a new, more complex full retouch project. This time you’ll tackle challenges like lighting issues and tricky backgrounds, while refining your Liquify, sharpening, and correction skills to maintain natural, high-quality results.
What's included
8 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 20 minutes
Project 2 - Make a Plan•3 minutes
Project 2 - Liquify•1 minute
Project 2 - Correcting Lighting•2 minutes
Project 2 - Blemish Removal•3 minutes
Project 2 - Frequency Separation•3 minutes
Project 2 - Dodge & Burn•2 minutes
Project 2 - Background•3 minutes
Project 2 - Sharpening•2 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Module 7 Quiz•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
New Discussion Prompt•10 minutes
Full Retouch Project 3 & Wrap-Up
Module 8•2 hours to complete
Module details
Wrap up the course with a final comprehensive retouching project that brings all your skills together. From Liquify to Frequency Separation and final sharpening, you’ll create a polished image while reinforcing the tools and workflows mastered throughout the course.
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Is financial aid available?
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