How to Apply Tattoos to the Face in Photoshop
Whether you’re creating the image for fun or to see what a facial tattoo would look like on your face in real life, you can apply either an existing graphic or draw a new image onto a photograph of a face in Photoshop, blending it with the flesh to give it a realistic appearance.
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Instructions
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Open the photograph with the face to which you want to apply the tattoo. Press “Ctrl” and “O” at the same time to open the “Open” window. Select the photograph, and then press “Enter.”
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2
Click the “New Layer” button on the “Layers” window, which is on the right-side of the screen; this applies a transparent layer over the image with the face.
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3
Draw on the face using the various tools on the toolbar, such as the paint brush or pencil tool. If you want to add a pre-existing graphic to the image, click and drag the image from your computer onto the canvas. Click and drag the graphic onto the face.
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4
Select the “Marquee Tool” from the toolbar. Right-click on the canvas; the tattoo layer should still be selected. Choose “Free Transform” from the menu that appears. Click and drag the adjustment squares that appear around the layer to resize the tattoo and change its perspective if necessary.
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Select the tattoo layer in the “Layers” window. Click the drop-down menu directly above the layers and select “Multiply.” This will change the layer type so that it is “multiplied” onto the face. Blemishes and skin texture will show through the tattoo, as well as light and shadows, making the graphic appear as if it is inked in the flesh.
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Select “Image,” and then “Adjustments.” Click “Hue/Saturation.” Play with the sliders to change the tattoo’s hue and saturation. If you want the tattoo to look fresh, increase the saturation slightly. If you want the tattoo to look old, slide the hue towards “green” to give the tattoo a greenish look, and decrease the saturation slightly, which will make the tattoo appear washed-out.
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