I decide to give you an introduction to the the world of Photomanipulation. With this techniques you will be able to create some art like they've done on www.deviantart.com.
In my opinion everyone, and I mean everyone is an artist. The difference between the most well-known artists and normal people may only be the fact that they know how to realize their minds in drawn art, music etc. They know, how to deal with their tools. For example imagine a fantasy landscape. The most beautiful place in the world. And then imagine you would be able to realize this dream into reality. Most people will love it!
Photo manipulation is a way to express yourself
What do we need?
No Photo manipulation could reach nice results without well taken shots. In this tutorial I will show you some of the dark manipulation. But this techniques could also applied in other ways.
The head is the base. We want to hurt this guy. So we need something that looks very ugly, so as scars. In this picture I use a scar and another shot from the stock-photo section on deviantart.
What we do not need!
We don't need some ugly plugin filters. We only need the base-filters of Photoshop.
Skills you will learn:
- Blending scars onto skin. Coloring.
- Handling with Layer Masks.
- Making the face burned. (Blending Modes, Burn Tool)
- Using the Clone Stamp Tool.
- General Introduction into some tools of Photoshop 7 (Clone Stamp Tool, Burn and Dodge Tool)
O. K. here we go. Let's start.
1. Open the file "head.jpg". Or take a shot of yourself.
2. Duplicate this Layer (Right click onto the Layer and choose Duplicate Layer)
3. Pic the Clone Stamp Tool or Press S to choose automatically. Generally every Tool has its own Options on the Top of the Adobe Photoshop Layout.
4. In this case please use this settings.
5. Now clean out the mouth. (While holding down the ALT-Key, Left click on an area of the face where is only skin. That means to pic up the skin in the Brush-size. In this Case you have the Brush-Size 95.) After that draw over the mouth-part. You'll see that the mouth fades away. Repeat this step a couple of times. It's important to choose other parts of the face to pic the skin off. If you choose the same part every time the face will get a very monotone style. That doesn't look very realistic! Also note that you can switch the Brush Size, the Opacity and the Flow. Just play around with the settings and you will see what I'm talking about.
6. When you fade out the mouth. Open the file "Macro_Stiches.jpg". Pic the Move Tool (V) and just drag the scar into the Head-Document.
7. Go to Edit-Transform-Scale. While holding down Shift and ALT you are able to scale the Scar balanced to the right size. After that go to Edit-Transform-Distort and edit the picture like I've done.
8. After that go to Image-Adjustments-Hue/Saturation, check the Colorize Box and use this settings in order to adapt the color of the scar to the color of the face.
9. Add a vector Mask (Layer mask). Choose the Reflected Gradient Tool (Watch the Image).
10. Choose the Reflected Gradient Tool (Watch the Image) Color Black to white. Mode:Normal. If it doesn't work go to Edit - Undo and try again. This time check the Reverse Box in the Gradient Option bar at the top.
11. Now go to the center of the scar and apply the gradient to the mask (Watch the Image)
12. Now the scar fades smooth into the face, except the right and the left corner.
13. To wipe them out switch the Mode to Darken and choose the Linear Gradient Tool.
14. While left clicking draw from the left center to the left corner and from the right center to the right corner.
15. Note: This is only one technique to realize that idea.
16. Now open the Crab_shell.jpg file. Pic the Move Tool (V) and just drag the scar into the Head-Document.
17. Resize the Shell (Edit-Transform-Scale).
18. Now remember the method you blended the scar into the face a few steps before.
19. Add a vector Mask (Layer Mask). Choose the Radial Gradient Tool.
20. Now go to the center of the shell and apply the gradient to the mask (Watch the Image)
21. Now the shell fades smooth into the face.
22. Press V for the Move Tool and place the Smooth Shell wherever you want. Maybe duplicate it, Edit-Transform Rotate or resize it, or something like that. Be creative. Watch my result.
23. Make a new Layer (called finish) above all visible Layers in your document. While holding down ALT go to Layer-Merge Visible. All visible Layers are now merged together in one Layer. Now add some wounds. Take the Burn Tool and start to draw around the face.
24. That's a very important part. Try to be creative.
25. Change the Range and the Exposure a few times. Also the Brush size.
26. Create a new Layer below the Layer (Finish). Fill this Layer with Black
27. Add a vector Mask to the Layer (Finish). Choose the Radial Gradient Tool. Apply the Gradient like you do before onto the Shell.
27. Add a vector Mask to the Layer (Finish). Choose the Radial Gradient Tool. Apply the Gradient like you do before onto the Shell.
28. After that Duplicate your Layer (Finish) (Layer-Duplicate Layer). Desaturate the Layer (Image-Adjustments-Dasaturate) and switch the Blending Mode to Hard Light (or another mode, be creative).
29. Ready! Add a Font if you like. This is my result.
30. Note this is a very simple manipulation. Imagine what results you can reach if you put some work in it ;-). Have fun.
More Tutorials: 
