Skulls and bones

After I found myself a suitable source pic (1), I first used Hue/Saturation, to decrease the overall saturation and make the colours greener, and did this especially near the lips (2). For the head, I looked for a picture of a skull which was taken from roughly the same angle (3), and used a layer mask to make it seem as if her eye had been taken out (4).

Adding details

In the neck area (1), I used source pictures of a leg with spider veins (2), a mummy and a war victim (3). Source pictures which are usable for such a contest aren’t always pleasant to look at… I experimented a lot with different blend modes, till it looked right. I finally decided the features of her body weren’t clear enough, so I did some masking adjustments to bring them back (4).

Dirty Laundry

The clothes (1) were soiled with a soft brush in red and greenish black colours, while using the overlay layer mode (2).

Finished

Finally it was time for some more detailed work. I took the image from (1) to (2) by, among other things:

- drawing little zits and such
- using hue/saturation very selectively to tone down the saturation and make some skin extremely green
- de saturating the hair completely
- using overlay, soft light and color burn layers and soft red and black brushes to add more shadow and bloody parts

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial !

1. 
   I(L)GRINDCORE Says:

   And how can I make it more gore?

2. 
   marco Says:

   hi i woul like to know more detail about how you used the layer mask. because i´m trying to do something similar but i cant have the same effect… thks brgds marco merida from guatemala

3. 
   Nikhil Says:

   I am a beginner how did start pls tell me

4. 
   SmartLass Says:

   it would be great if you provided your source pics, or quite a bit more detail. I’m not exactly new to digital manipulation, but I found this hard to follow- although brilliant.

5. 
   Anon Says:

   To make your images look more realistic/gory [I(L)GRINDCORE], you need to understand the human form (by drawing/studying it [Nikhil]) and have a reference (the author of this tutorial cut from other images and variously “blended” them with the image of the woman’s head (and is thus limited to using those images (”taken from roughly the same angle” ))). The reference can be direct (as in an external image), but it can (with much drawing experience) be constructed with a reference like an anatomy book. There are two books I recommend for the photoshop part and the anatomy reference. If you are lucky, you can find a used copy of whichever book(s) you need on eBay/Overstock/Amazon/Half.com/cheapestbookprice.com/booksprice.com, or for free at a local library (although the reference you should buy if you need; no sense borrowing one):

   Color Atlas of Human Anatomy by R. M. H. McMinn, R. T. Hutchings, J. Pegington, P. Abrahams ISBN 0-8151-5858-0
   When buying an anatomy reference for the purposes of artistic realism (neither of these books are “the best” or “the only ones you’ll ever need”), make sure that you buy a reference that uses photographs, and not illustrations, to show the human body. Books like “Gray’s Anatomy” are for doctors/interns who need to know where everything is (usually quickly), and, to this end, the skill of visually separating all the bone, muscle, and other tissue a medical artist has much of.

   Adobe Photoshop Studio Techniques by Ben Willmore

   As for drawing/painting, you can’t learn from a book (unless you are incredibly self-motivated and brilliant), but a service like drawingprofessor.com or universalclass.com/i/crn/12083.htm or elearners.com/course/36417/Artist/Penn-Foster-Career-School/ or a website like wannalearn.com/Fine_Arts/Visual_Art/Drawing_and_Sketching/ can help you learn to draw/paint.