HOW TO DO THOSE PHOTOSHOP techniques

 
[ T H E  T E C H N I Q U E ... ]

A few people have asked me how they can get the same kind of results when manipulating images in photoshop.
The best advice I can offer is set out on the following few pages in my quick step-by-step tutorial starting below...



>>>STEP one : SELECTING YOUR IMAGES
   

The starting point is to look closely at the 2 photos you intend to merge and decide whether they are truly compatible ... is the angle of the head close enough; do the lighting conditions conflict? Those are the two main ones to watch out for, don't worry if the skin colouring is slightly off, we can get round that as you'll see. I find it's usually easier to select a subject with similar characteristics as your self, such as hair colour.


>>>STEP two: ADJUSTING THE ORIGINAL

 
If like me you're a sucker for long legs you may want to consider legnthening them. Here (using Adobe PhotoShop) I have extended the canvas size, in effect adding white space to the base, and stretched the legs from waist to toe in order to fill the newly available space. I have also slightly enhanced the shape of the bust. Effective isn't it? Incidentally, all the techniques covered in this tutorial are carried out in Photoshop.



STEP three: DIGITAL WARPAINT

     
Now is as good a time as any to go in to your own image and start to retouch away any blemishes, improve your make-up and take care of any features you feel need emphasizing or concealing. The cloning tool is good for removing blemishes. Set it to a soft edge air-brush just larger than the area you wish to cover up at about 60% opacity and clone from an area close by (preferably parrallel to achive consistant lighting and skin tone). Two to three 'squirts' of the brush should suffice. Photoshop's Color Balance and Hue and Saturation features are usefull for evening out and enhancing skin tone.



>>>STEP four: COMBINING IMAGES

  Now you're ready to combine the images. Carefully cut out the facial area of the image you wish to overlay, then cut and paste onto the target image. Unless you're using Photoshop 3, this will import as a layer all of it's own. It's important to try and get a close match for the chin and jaw-line, but you can afford to leave a little of your own hair for a more natural blend onto the target image (assuming you have a hairline and that the target image has similar enough hair colouring to the overlay image).


STEP five: SIZE IS EVERYTHING
   
Now use the scaling tool to match the size of the pasted overlay face to the size of the target's face. Now this next bit is key. In order to achieve consistant proportioning the bottom tip of the chin and the relative distace up the face to the eyes MUST match identically. If this leaves some of the target image below showing at the hairline or at the sides because you may have a narrower face or obscures too much of the target because you have a broad face - don't worry - that'll be covered in step 6 Just remember you should never compromise the shape of the overlay image to fit the target. Since the majority of the target is covered up, that should be the area to distort


STEP six: THE FACE FITS
   
You can edit the image underneath by stretching/condensing carefully chosen selections to match the shape of the overlay image so that you get a perfect all round match from chin to hairline and cheekbone to cheekbone. Eg. You may need to select the hair and forehead of the target image and condense it down to match yours or you may want to clone some hair from the sides to paint over a wider face that shows through. At this stage I've also used the eraser tool set to air-brush at 40% opacity and softened the line where the hair meets using several gental sweeps on the overlay image



STEP seven: THE SECRET INGREDIENT
   
This is the bit that really makes a difference. When matching skin coloring, tone and lighting, I don't use Hue and Saturation, Color Balance, Layer effects, etc. I simply go into each of the RGB channels and edit them on the overlay image separately. By using Brightness and Contrast on these channels I get a closer match due to the greater scope for control in greyscale. Times that by 3 and you get a very close match when previewing the composite image again. Then, (if you need to) you can fine-tune with Color Balance. If it's still not quite there, try gently erasing (like with the hair in step 6) some of the overlay image around the cheeks and forehead (never eyes, nose or mouth) to allow a little of the target's original coloring to show through.


STEP eight : THE FINAL TOUCHES

  Nearly there now. This is finishing off stuff. You may need to change the colour of your lipstick; a carefuly drawn selection and Hue and Saturation should do the trick. I also sometimes Add Noise (just a little) to match the grain of the target photo - especially if it's a jpg you've downloaded from the web. A touch-up around the chin or anywhere the two images meet with the Blur tool may be needed. Set the brush small with low opacity and stroke the overlay image. That's about it generally. One final reminder - don't expect miracles - choose a subject that is close enough to you to be able to pull off a convincing illusion. Oh, and have fun!