After the feedback I got from the last “skin mod” tutorial, I decided to go into more detail with this one. It took me a long time to write this so I hope you appreciate it. There is a completed PSD file to download at the end of the tutorial. Enjoy!

stepBystep.psd ( right click to download )

You can download the finished version here, on the first layer it has the stock image i used so you can follow along.

Step 1

The first step, of course is to find stock pictures. Please respect authors and never rip pictures that are not free from copyright… And credit authors once a picture used, they’re always pleased to see what you’ve done with their pictures.

When searching for pictures, always think about :

Picture Resolution : never less than 1024×768

Picture Quality: zoom it and watch for grain, burr, noise …

Composition: think about what you going to do, even a good photo shopper is not a wizard! You have to find the pictures that mostly fit what you want to achieve.

Let’s start with the tutorial! Here are the 2 pictures I’ll be working on:

Step 2

Put your texture file on top of the face, and put it in 50% opacity, so you can adjust scale and see how it fits.

By placing texture like this, you will avoid troubles that could come later. Here you’ll see for example that you’ll need to duplicate the texture to make the body after. Once adjusted, apply a layer mask on the texture (keep it in low opacity to see the face), and hide everything who’s not on the face:

Step 3

On top of the face, add an empty layer, fill it with black and use the “colour” blending option in the layer window. Making this, the face will appear in black and white but you’ll preserve the colours under it, so you’ll be able to get some colours from the original picture after, if needed.
Now, come back on the texture layer, and put it in multiply mode, put the opacity to 100%.

Step 4

Duplicate the texture layer, change blending mode to Colour Dodge, and put opacity about ~80%. Use a lower opacity if you want a feeling less bright to the end.

This step is often useful, but not every time, as it distorts the texture. Sometimes the result really fits but sometimes it’s awful. I let the use of it at your own appreciation. Personally I didn’t use this step to do this manipulation. Last thing, as it distorts the texture you have to do this before duplicating the texture as we just did, you’ll duplicate the texture layer once it’s been distorted.

Step 5

Create a copy of your picture, by pressing the button as shown, in the history window.

On the duplicated picture, suppress all the layers except the face, then go to Image/Mode/Grey scale. The picture will be flattened. Then, save this picture as a PSD file (I usually save it on the desktop, and call it “displace.psd”). Then close it, and go back on your main file.

Step 6

Be sure you’re on the texture layer, unlock the layer mask, and go to Filter/Distort/Displace…, let values to X-10% Y-10%, press OK. You’ll have a “browse window”, find the file you saved just before and select it. It will distort the texture. See if it looks cool it will mainly depend of what kind of texture it is. If it works, it will give a little volume to the texture, don’t be afraid if it’s still flat, it’s still a work in progress!

Texture distorted using the displace filter on the left, original texture on the right … Try it on your manipulations and see if it fits…

Step 7

Now a more “artistic” part on the photo manipulation. On every texture work, the hardest part is to preserve volume. As you blend a flat texture, you lose it… So it’s time to get it back! Photoshop has a wonderful toy for that even 2 to be precise, as shown here:

The most useful ones are the 2 first. Use the one looking like a hand to reproduce shadows (with a 40% opacity maximum), use the first one to reproduce the enlighten part due to the light (with a 40% opacity maximum too). I can’t really guide you for this step, it’s really feeling! try to see on the original picture how comes the lights and shadows, and try to imitate it. Follow the nose, the mouth… try to be realistic.

Here what I came up with:

Step 8

If you succeeded until here, the rest will be easy for you. To give more impact to your texture, especially with rocks/stones/sand texture, sharpen it. Put opacity of the sharpen tool to 20% (not more), with a big brush and brush all your picture once. You’ll see it coming clearer. Then you can take a smaller brush (never put more than 20% in opacity) and try to enhance more some parts. Be careful, it can pixellized your picture quickly. Try and cancel if it becomes noisy.

Here’s the sharpen tool. You can also use the water drop to blur some parts. It’s very useful to recreate perspective and deepness.

Step 9

Now it should look cool. You can adjust the levels, brightness, saturation by the following option :

As always it will depend on your artistic feelings!

Step 10

This step is up in the air, it depends on the kind of result you want. But I think it’s important to write it as it saves lots of my photo manipulation!

As we did in the Displace Section create a copy of your picture. Then just flatten it, by going to Layers/Flatten…. Once done go to Filters/filter gallery…

That will be more “feeling” … with time you’ll know which filters may work. I often try with Neon Glow which gives really “surreal” effect, or Plastic Wrap or Ink Outlines when you got troubles to get some volume… For the moment, you can try with a Neon Glow, I adjusted it like that :

(click to enlarge)

Step 11

Once done, drag and drop that layer on top of your picture, and play with opacity and blending option to see if something good comes. I don’t guide you more than that, because it’s really subjective, and “feeling” once again just be sure to keep opacity under 30% because you’ll lose the benefits of all the work on texture you did before. You can also keep this layer only on one part by adding a layer mask on it.

For example, if the Neon Glow looks cool on the eye, just keep it there!

In my opinion, I wouldn’t keep these filters here, as the texture was exactly the goal in first place but I thought this tip could be useful to you one day!

The finnished PSD file : stepBystep.psd ( right click to download )