Want to use Photoshop to place a face on a different body? This manual will walk you through it. Added to that, are beginner's advice and tricks!
You've probably heard of face swapping as an entertaining activity you can conduct using a smartphone app. However, you might not be aware that Adobe Photoshop allows you to do it for a variety of uses.
Yes, you can still enjoy swapping faces with your cat, but you can also experiment with various styles before going to the hairdresser and committing to them.
Additionally, by mixing faces and bodies, artists can create brand-new subjects that don't exist in reality.
Finally, this technique is used by specialists on more than simply faces. Changing the logos and graphics on various products is another usage for it.
Overall, it's a flexible technique that offers a wide range of opportunities. See for yourself how simple it is.
How to Add a Face Using Photoshop to Another Body
1. Prep work
Selecting the two photographs you'll use is the first step. You do need to think about a few things for this.
Resolution and size ought to be comparable. If this isn't the case, the larger face should be the one you switch onto the body.
This is so that there is no loss in making it smaller. However, if you expand it to make it bigger, you'll get a sharp head with pixelated and hazy details.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the subjects should all be facing the same direction, especially if you're utilizing this approach for the first time (i.e. have their faces on more or less the same angle).
To make the blend more realistic, the light must also be comparable. Start with faces that have few details to match, and finally. Therefore, stay away from employing portraits with flowing hair across the face or anything like that.
Ready? Move along!
2. Open your image
Open Photoshop and import both photos.
The default view for this is to keep them as tabs, but if you'd rather see them side by side, you may also put them in separate windows.
The latter perspective is advantageous since you can confirm that the faces correspond to this type of job.
You may access this view by selecting it from the Window, Arrange, 2-up Vertical menu (or 2-up Horizontal, depending on what you need).
3. Select and copy the face
Navigate to the tab or window that contains the picture of the face you wish to place on another head.
Because you don't need to be particularly accurate in this situation, you can choose the face using the Lasso tool.
If you wish to change the full face, click and drag the face's primary features to encompass everything from the eyebrows to the chin.
Of course, if that's what you want, you can choose just certain features, like the eyes or the nose. I'll demonstrate how to completely switch faces in Photoshop in this lesson.
Once the face has been selected, you can either use the keyboard shortcut Cmd + C or the Edit > Copy menu option.
You can simply click and drag to the other window if you're working in separate windows without using the copy command.
4. Paste
Go to the tab or window where the recipient is now seated. Now that you won't be using the other one anymore, you can close it.
Using the keyboard shortcut Cmd + V or the Edit, Paste option, paste the face of the IIS document.
You currently have a second layer with the new face on top of the old image, which is locked as the backdrop layer.
5. Transform
The replacement face must now be as closely matched to the original image's features as you can.
Start by decreasing the face layer's opacity in the Layers panel. In this manner, the original will be seen underneath where you can make alterations.
Next, use the keyboard shortcut Cmd + T to launch the Free Transform tool. Utilizing the handles on the corners, start by altering the size.
Place the reference point where you think it will work best, such as one of the mouth or one of the eyes. Your visuals will determine everything.
As you resize the face layer, be sure to keep the aspect ratio. This is turned on by default in Adobe Photoshop's more recent versions.
If it's not, you may just move the handles while holding down the Shift key. As an alternative, you can select the chain icon in the top options bar.
The face layer should then be rotated to fit the angle of the head if it is somewhat inclined.
Additionally, if the subjects were mirrored, you can choose Flip Horizontal from the Free Transform menu by performing a right-click.
6. Duplicate the original image
You can accept the transformation and set the opacity back to 100% after everything is in place.
By selecting the eye icon next to the face layer, you may make it invisible. Now let's prepare the receiving layer by adding the head and body.
Never alter the original image since you never know what can go wrong. So make a copy of it where you'll be working.
Drag the background layer into the Create New Layer button at the Layers panel's bottom to accomplish this.
As an alternative, you can accomplish this by selecting Duplicate Layer from the menu when you right-click on the background layer. Then click OK after leaving the dialog box's default settings alone.
Since you won't be using the original background layer any longer, you can disable visibility. It will merely remain there as a fallback.
7. Delete the original image
Delete the original face first, then add a new one. To accomplish this, click the face layer's thumbnail while still holding down the Cmd key.
Even though it is currently invisible, it will choose the layer's content. To put it another way, a selection will be made up of the elements you copied and pasted from the second image.
Verify once more that you are in the background copy layer. We'll slightly reduce the selection so that there is room for the transition because we'll be blending layers in the following phase.
Utilize the Select, Modify, Contract menu to accomplish this. You can experiment with various values based on the image because the number is not fixed.
To remove the selection's content, press the backspace key.
8. Blend the layer
Okay, now is the time to work your magic. Activate the face layer's visibility once more.
Then, click on the background copy layer and the face layer while holding down the Cmd key.
Now select Edit, Auto-Blend Layers from the menu. A dialog box will appear as a result. Verify sure the Panorama option is chosen here.
Check the boxes next to Content-Aware Fill Transparent Area and Seamless Tones and Colors. Select OK.
Just wait for Photoshop to finish its work.
9. Fine-tune the details
However, you might still need to manually edit a few minor elements. In general, Photoshop does a pretty good job of producing smooth tones and colors across the face swap photos.
From the Layers panel's bottom, select the Create Layer Mask button.
In your combined layer, this will produce a white layer mask. You won't notice any changes, but anything painted black will be covered up.
Therefore, you can paint over any portions that you don't like using the brush tool with soft edges. Instead of entirely blocking these pixels, generate transparency by using a low flow value.
By doing this, you may eliminate any blending flaws. If this is insufficient, you might require more transitional space when blending layers.
Another Technique for Face Swapping
You can consider Luminar if the method for swapping faces in Photoshop doesn't work well for you or if you don't have an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription.
Luminar is a fantastic picture editor that uses artificial intelligence to make creative photo editing simple (AI).
You can get a free trial of it here if you don't already have it and experience for yourself how much easier it is to use.
Conclusions
As you can see, using a face swap in Photoshop is a straightforward method that has a variety of applications.
Even while it could take some effort to get it just right, if you know how to swap faces in Photoshop, you can apply the technique to create more intricate post-production effects.
Zaaphotozz does not support the use of these changes for immoral purposes. Just act professionally, enjoy yourself, and use all of your creative creativity.