Create an Abstract Portrait in Photoshop

Create an Abstract Portrait in Photoshop
Create an Abstract Portrait in Photoshop

In this tutorial, we will create an abstract photo artwork of a girl portrait with a disintegration effect on it. We will learn to create a disintegration effect in a handy and practical technique, adorn the photo with stunning lightning and then complete it with color adjustment. Throughout the tutorial, we will have fun learning simple and handy tricks to create photo artwork in photoshop.

What you'll be creating

In this tutorial we will create an abstract scene of a girl with a disintegration effect on face and body. We will use some essential techniques for doing photo manipulation. We will work with paths, brush tools, some filters, color adjustments, and textures all through the steps in this tutorial. This tutorial is done with Photoshop CS3. Don’t forget a glass of coffee and optionally a pack of cigarettes for your companion. Ready..?

Tutorial Resources

Step 1

Well, start by opening the girl image in photoshop. Grab the Magic Wand tool (W) located in the tool panel on the left side of the photoshop. Set the value of tolerance to 32.

step1a

Click the white background of the girl image to make a selection on it indicated by blinking small dots around the white background.

step1b

Let’s inverse the selection by hitting Shift+Ctrl+I. Now hit Ctrl+ J to duplicate the girl. Hide the original image by clicking the eye icon beside it.

step1c
step1d

Step 2

We will alter the tone of the girl’s skin by giving it some new layer adjustments. Firstly, while being active on layer 1 (the extracted girl image), go to layer > new adjustment layers > brightness/contrast. Set this adjustment layer to these values:

step2a

Give more two other adjustment layers: curves and selective color.

step2b
step2c

Given the tree adjustment layers, the look of the image should like the one in the screenshot below. Select layer 1 and the tree adjustment layers, hit Ctrl+E to merge them into a new single layer. Name this layer, say, girl.

step2d

Step 3

Now let’s start creating the main canvas for the scene we are going to create. Hit Ctrl+N to create it. Set the canvas/document to the size given below:

step3a

Next, open the girl image to the main document and convert it into a smart object layer by going to layer > smart objects > convert to smart object. Use the Free Transform tool (Ctrl+T) and scale down the size of the image to fit the size of the new canvas. Here is the position and size of the girl for your reference:

step3b

Step 4

From this step on, we will create a texture to which we are going to clip the girl image to make a disintegration effect on it. We will just create many dot lines as the texture. To create it, we will use the Pen tool (P) to make random paths and stroke them with the Brush tool (B). Well, start by setting the brush stroke first. Grab the Brush tool (B), choose a hard round brush. Set the tip of the brush in the brush preset (F5) as below:

step4a

Create a new layer (Shift+Ctrl+N). Take the pen tool (P) and create a random path. Below are examples of the path:

step4b

On the new layer, stroke the path and choose the brush as the tool of stroking with black color.

step4c
step4d

Duplicate the layer as many as needed to create tangled random-dot lines. Vary the size of the dot lines to create the desired texture. Select all the duplicate layers and merge them (Ctrl+E) into a new single layer. Name this layer, say, texture. Here is a sample of the texture we can create:

step4e
step4f

Here is the position of the given texture when placed above the girl layer in the layer panel.

step4g
step4h
step4i

Step 5

Before creating the disintegration effect, we will create a new layer (Shift+Ctrl+N) below the girl and the texture layer. Fill (Shift+F5) this new layer with black color. Name this layer, say, black. Then, go to filter > noise > add noise to give this layer some noise.

step5a

So this is the result so far when the texture layer is positioned above the girl layer.

step5b

Step 6

Now we can simply create the disintegration effect on the girl by positioning the girl layer above the texture layer in the layer panel. When the girl layer is above the texture layer, give it a clipping mask (Ctrl+Alt+G). It is really handy. Given the texture, the result should like this one:

step6a
step6b
step6c

Step 7

Now we will add some color to the girl. Create a new layer (Shift+Ctrl+N) with a clipping mask. Set this layer to color blending.

step7aa

Take a very soft round brush (B) with 0% hardness and opacity of about 10-15%. On this layer, paint any soft color we prefer around the eyes and neck of the model. The color used below is cyan and the layer is set in normal blending at 100% opacity.

step7ab

We can duplicate this color layer and play around the opacity to get the desired result. Here is the result.

step7b

Step 8

We need to give the lips a reddish tone. To do this, create a new layer with a clipping mask above the color layers. Set this new layer to color dodge. Paint soft orange color around the lips.

step8a

Step 9

Now we will blur some part around the girl's image. Select the girl layer and go to filter > blur > Gaussian blur to give it some blur filter. Set the value below:

step9a

Select the filter mask thumbnail to be active on it and with a very soft round brush, mask the blur effect on areas around the face and body as indicated by the red highlight.

step9b

Here is the result. Select all the girl layers and hit Ctrl+G to group them into a folder. Name this folder, say, girl.

step9c

Step 10

Create again a new layer (Shift+Ctrl+N) below the girl folder. Take the pen tool (P) and create paths as below. Set the brush tip as the ones in the previous step 4.

step10a

On this new layer, stroke the path. Use color #0afbfe. We can reduce the opacity of this layer if we feel the stroke of the dots is too much.

step10b

Step 11

On another new layer, create some new paths like the example below:

step11a

Then stroke the paths. To vary the stroke, we can check Simulate Pressure to get narrow pointed dot lines. We may try any different color we prefer to get the desired result.

step11b

Here is the result with red color.

step11c

Step 12

Still, with the same ways, we can add more dot lines on areas around the eyes of the model.

step12a

Here is the result so far…..

step12b

Step 13

In this step, we will add some highlights around the girl. Create a new layer (Shift+Ctrl+N) above all the other layers. Fill (Shif+F5) this layer with black. Set its blending to color dodge and name it, say, highlight. Take a very soft round brush with an opacity of about 4-5%. On this layer, paint soft white color around the shoulder, neck, and other parts of the girl where needed. Here is the layer in normal blending.

step13

And here is the result in color dodge blending.

step13b

Step 14

To adorn the scene, we may add some blinks around the girl. Create another new layer above the highlight layer. Fill this layer with black and set to color dodge blending. Name this layer, say, light. In the same way as in the previous step 13, paint combination of white and yellow color on areas around the head and the other parts needed.

step14a
step14b

Step 15

We will do some color adjustment to the scene. Go to layer > new fill layer > solid color.

step15a

Set this color fill layer to exclusion blending at about 47-50% opacity.

step15b

Now go to layer > new adjustment layer > photo filter.

step15c
step15d

Set this photo filter layer to normal at 60% opacity.

step15e

Finally, select all visible layers and hit Shift+Ctrl+Alt+A to merge them into a new single layer. Name this layer, say, final. Go to filter > others > high pass

step15f

Set this layer blending option to overlay at 100%.

step15g

It's Done!

final result

Final Results

Download the PSD

Face.zip | 32.4 MB

Tutorial by Dek Wid

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Thank you for following this tutorial. I hope this tutorial will be a help for you in learning photo manipulation. Happy photoshopping.

- Dek wid

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14 comments on “Create an Abstract Portrait in Photoshop”

  1. The steps listed don't seem to be the ones actually used. It's not working out at all, for example coloring over the eyes makes the eyes no longer visible.

  2. WOW!!! that’s a really informative article, I am very much inspired. Your tutorial helps me as like my mentor, i am looking forward to more informative article form you.

  3. This is great, but It isn't working for me because of the way I am drawing the texture? Are you using a tablet?

  4. I have only started using photoshop for things other than photo retouching. It is amazing how much you can do with the program once you get into it and start to use the tools the proper ways.

  5. This is a very cool effect, but I can't create it in Photoshop CS5 or Photoshop CS6 or Photoshop CC2015. Do you not have an updated version?

  6. I have wanted to make something like this for a project I have in school. This tutorial should do the trick!

  7. Wow. This is stunning! Great job here. And thanks for sharing the steps on how you achieved this, will give it a shot when I have some spare time.

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