Cleaning Feedback and what to improve

[StarkPoseidon]

It took me a long while for this page and I felt dissatisfied at the end of it, though I couldn't figure out why.

Any feedback is appreciated!

Raw:

Spoiler

Cleaned version:

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[benii]

Was the raw you worked on 1024 by 706 px?
I remember photobucket resizes large images.

Well, there isn't really much you can do with small, pre-cleaned raws like this.
If you try to filter too much, you'll just destroy details and make it look worse than the raw was.

I'd lightly denoise it (with high recover detail to keep it from blurring), Use Topaz clean and level it.

Spoiler

all that did was even it out a bit, but like I said, there isn't much you can do with this.

 

[StarkPoseidon]

Was the raw you worked on 1024 by 706 px?
I remember photobucket resizes large images.

No, it wasn't. It was 1500+ in height. Forgot the width. My cleaned version was 1150px height.

Well, there isn't really much you can do with small, pre-cleaned raws like this.
If you try to filter too much, you'll just destroy details and make it look worse than the raw was.

Did I destroy many details in my cleaned version? I've looked at it way too many times to give a proper opinion, hence why I posted it up here, for a fresh set of eyes.

'd lightly denoise it (with high recover detail to keep it from blurring), Use Topaz clean and level it.

Spoiler

all that did was even it out a bit, but like I said, there isn't much you can do with this.

The raw wasn't that good so I had to do what I call a "trial denoise and clean" where I go through all the usual procedure and then pinpoint the problem areas. Then I undo all the procedures, go back to the raws and even out the problem areas (usually using clone stamp), redraw the problem lines and then do the denoise and clean again. The problem areas get evened out, there is lessser (almost no dirt) on the cleaned versions and the redrawn lines don't get destroyed by the denoising.

The result is the cleaned version I've shown above. It's horrible of photobucket to just resize it like that.

 

[zidane]

The reason why you don't like it is because it's way too blurry. Look at the gray circle between the 1st and the 2nd/3rd/4th panel, see its edges? Bad. See the edges of the round gray stuff in the 3rd panel? Also bad. What the whole page in general lacks are patterns. You blurred so much that it all became unicolor (more or less, you didn't fix the bright streak mark in the middle of the last panel) and that's what makes it look off.

Benii's version is better in that regard, you can see all those horizonal line and dot (see car seats) patterns which make the page look a lot more natural. Though, of course he didn't do any manual work on his page, so it's riddled with hard black noise that you got rid off in your version.

So yeah, no, you didn't lose that much detail per se, it's the pattern detail that you lost that makes the page appear like a korean web-manhwa instead of a printed manga that's been scanned and edited. Personally, I really don't like that plastic look, so I'd recommend applying more "Strength" (move up that slider to like 0.9, depending on your method, do that twice or w/e) in an effort to preserve more patterns. And just in general, apply less filters, since in this case, less is literally more.

 

[StarkPoseidon]

Personally, I really don't like that plastic look, so I'd recommend applying more "Strength" (move up that slider to like 0.9, depending on your method, do that twice or w/e) in an effort to preserve more patterns. And just in general, apply less filters, since in this case, less is literally more.

Ah! I see what you mean. Essentially, I've "flattened" all the texture, thus making it look less natural. I think it didn't feel blurred to me because I looked at it too much, my eyes got used to it.

Thank you! I'll try your recommendation. Would you recommend using Film Grain to add some texture? I've seen that in one of the tutorials around here but I haven't tried it.

 

[zidane]

Film grain applied to only certain areas, like only gray panels, or simply only grays, can work quite well. That's what maximum7 used to do for their HQ Bleach releases. Alternatively, adding uniform noise would also work, that's what we used to do at Japflap. (Just don't forget to put your pages into grayscale mode when you're done, don't leave it on RGB.) You can definitely play around with those things to add some texture, though ideally preserving the original pattern would be best, of course. Ah, and you're welcome. =]

 

[StarkPoseidon]

How is this for my first try at "Texturizing"?

Spoiler

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Just a small question: Is there a place here where people can QC a whole chapter? I've actually cleaned an entire chapter (GE Good Ending Chp 134) at my leisure and I dunno what to do with it...

The version online sucks, and in theory my cleaned copies could replace it but of course I need someone to check my copies first.

 

[superman7]

You try to filter too much, you'll just destroy details and make it look worse than the raw was.

 

[nawaz]

Just a small question: Is there a place here where people can QC a whole chapter? I've actually cleaned an entire chapter (GE Good Ending Chp 134) at my leisure and I dunno what to do with it...