Smooth skin - but How?? Check please

Hello!

I would like to ask about this image.

http://ic3.deviantart.com/fs12/i/2006/289/a/2/Fly_by_duolegur.jpg

Actually I'm not lost in PS, so I can use it, I know it.
But this photo is amazing how the skin so smooth.
It is made only by PS Cs2, but the artist didn't say exactly how.
Any ideas, how can I get a smiliar skin effect like this?

Try to find out, please.

Thank you in advance!
ANS

This isn't a photo, this is airbrushed in photoshop.
So if you know how to paint, and are able to use the brush in photoshop, you are able to do it as well. That particular painting might as well be rendered using Poser, which is a 3d modeling package, and later on altered and retouched using photoshop.

Here is a tutorial helping you on your way:
http://www.wade.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/tutorial1.htm

For photos, you basically blur the skin and afterwards mask the blur layer using quick masks to get some detail back.

Thanks NL for your posting!

Well, according to the artist the photo was taken by him and with Photoshop CS2 only reached the result, without any 3D programs.
So this is why I ask you, because such a smooth skin might be complicated than using blur and masking technique. I tried it, but the skin tone wasn't similar.

Unfortunately he doesn't tell, what his secret is...

So keep trying, we can't give up.

Check this out.

I have just found it.
The same artist, the same method, only with PS CS2!

http://www.photo.net/general-comments/image-attachment?comment_id=4279002

It doesn't suprise me the artist isn't telling! He probably arrived at the precise method through much trial and error, and regards it as his own. I agree the work is incredible. I don't believe any simple tutorial you could find on the web would give you such a result.

Well, I've seen a lot of graphics like that... Only thing is, those graphics were created from scratch. With a photo as a reference, it might be easier.
Still, it involves a lot of painting... The tutorial I posted before will still help you in the right direction.

Hello!

Imagine, I succeed to make contact with him by e-mail, and he told me everything.
He uses only stamp tool, with 30% opacity and it is a little hard, but with this tool, we can reach the result. Also he sent me a little tutorial, it is in russian, but with google translation it is quite understandable.

Here it is, maybe you should check this out and tell about some words, and you can help me to understand clearly.

http://seven.extra.hu/dou.pdf
http://translate.google.com/translate_t

What do you think?

Hi. Thanks for the links, I checked out his portfolio. He's got some very interesting (and some slightly disturbing) images there. Unfortunately, I was unable to make much sense of the tutorial translation, certainly not enough to follow his method! There's something in there about the clone stamp tool and the healing brush, and dodging the shadows, but there's too many Russian words and poor translation! At any rate, it looks very involved!

Anyway, I hope you manage to achieve the look somehow, and if you do, post your own tutorial in the forum! ;)

There are several skin tutorials at retouchPRO. The best thing.... they are in english!

http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=188
http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=148
http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=148
http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=213

Thank you for the links, very useful!