Transform your portraits into futuristic masterpieces with this step-by-step guide to creating a metal face effect in Photoshop. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced designer, this tutorial will walk you through the process of turning a human face into a metallic work of art. Perfect for sci-fi designs, album covers, or just experimenting with photo effects!
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Here is a preview of the final effect I have for this tutorial: (click to enlarge)
Alternative version:
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To complete this tutorial, you will need the following stocks:
Step 1
Create a new document sized 800px (width) * 1060px (height) with black background in Photoshop. Load the metal background texture into Photoshop, copy & paste the entire stock onto our newly-created document:
Fade the following spots of the metal texture with a big soft eraser – this create some depth for our background:
Apply the following adjustment layers on top of the metal texture layer:
Black & White
Levels
Curves
And this is the effect so far:
Step 2
Load the model stock into Photoshop, select the head & shoulder portion as shown below:
Remove the following parts off the model after you paste it to our document:
We will want to darken the skin of the model so it’s easier to apply texture later on, so let’s add the following adjustment layers as clipping masks to this model layer:
Black and White
Levels
Curves
and this is the effect so far:
Step 3
Let’s work on adding metal texture onto the facial area. Load the “metal scraps 1” texture into Photoshop, use the Lasso Tool (with 30px feather setting) to select the following portion:
Hint: when you select the metal textures, pick the ones with a good mix of every shape/size metal in it.
Copy and paste the selection to cover the face as shown below:
Use a soft eraser, remove parts of the texture from the image as shown below:
Repeat the above process, add a few more texture around the body area:
Make sure you tidy up the metal texture’s edge so it fits right into the facial area:
And this is the effect I have so far:
Add a couple more metal texture into the background, lower their layer opacity to around 50%:
Step 4
This step is optional. I decided to add some varieties into the effect. So I found some metal cables in the “metal scrap 2” image and select a portion from it:
Copy and paste the selection to the following area:
Step 5
We’re almost done! For final touches, I painted some particle effect around the image:
Also added some highlights in these area:
and here is my effect so far:
I further added a blue colour overlay to the stock image, and this is my final result: (click to enlarge)
Alternative version:
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use this effect on other objects besides faces?
Absolutely! This technique works on any object, such as hands, animals, or even text.
2. What if my selection isn’t perfect?
Use the Refine Edge Tool to smooth and feather the selection for a seamless blend.
3. How can I make the effect more dramatic?
Increase the contrast and saturation, or add more textures for a layered look.
Conclusion
Creating a metal face effect in Photoshop is a fun and creative way to elevate your photo editing skills. With this tutorial, you’ll be able to turn any portrait into a futuristic masterpiece. Don’t forget to experiment with different textures and adjustments to make the effect your own!
That’s it for this tutorial! Hope you enjoy it and find it useful. If you have any questions for this tutorial, please let me a comment below and I will try my best to answer it.
Till next time, have a great day!
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