Photoshop Tutorials: Shadowy, Sultry Eyes

Step 7: Apply The Unsharp Mask Filter To The Dodge Layer

Before we use the Dodge tool, we're going to apply the Unsharp Mask filter. With the "dodge" layer selected, go up to the Filter menu at the top of the screen, select Sharpen, and then select Unsharp Mask. When the Unsharp Mask dialog box appears, enter an Amount of 500%, a Radius value of 2 pixels, and a Threshold value of 4 levels:

Step 8: Lower The Opacity Of The "Dodge" Layer To 50%

The sharpening is too strong at this point, so lower the opacity of the "dodge" layer to 50%:

Here's our image after applying the Unsharp Mask filter and lowering the opacity to 50%:

Step 9: Add A Highlight In The Lower Right Of Each Iris With The Dodge Tool

Now we're going to use the Dodge tool, and we're going to use it to add a highlight to the lower right of each iris. Grab the Dodge tool from the Tools palette or press O on the keyboard to quickly select it. With the Dodge tool selected, look up in the Options Bar at the top of the screen and make sure that Range is set to Highlights and Exposure is set to 50%:

Then, with a smaller soft-edged brush of around 10 pixels (again it will depend on the size of your image), paint a few strokes over the area in the bottom right of each iris. Each stroke you paint will increase the amount of lightening in that area, and it's easy to overdo it with the Dodge tool, so be careful not to go too far, especially if there already is a bit of a highlight in the image: