Photoshop: Project Frankenstein

Okay, this is one of the more bizarre PhotoShop projects I give.  :)  I call it "Project Frankenstein".

In this project you will gather pieces of faces from different people, and then composite them into a single image.  You can choose male or female, young or old.  You will take one persons head... anothers eyes... anothers mouth... and anothers nose.  Just so you know, it's almost impossible to do this project without making something "creepy." It's amazing how you can take [what you consider] the most beautiful eyes, the most beautiful mouth, the most beautiful nose, etc. and put them together... and it's hideous.

You can start with Google Images or use pictures of your family or friends.

Some tips...  

• On the left side of Google Images click "Large" for size.
• On the left side of Google Images click "Face".
• Start with a large picture of a head as the base to put the pieces.
• Select pictures where the hair isn't covering the face.
• Pick faces with approximately the same skin color.
• Pick faces with similar lighting (i.e. from the same side).
• Drop your layer opacity to position the features and then return it to 100%.
• Use your eraser tool with a feathered edge to blend the features in.

Note: The question I often get during this project is: "When will we ever be taking different pieces of peoples faces and sticking them together?"  The answer is, probably never -- but this project teaches the skills necessary to smoothly merge images, focus on shadows, adjust color saturation, etc.  It's not the project I want you to perfect, it's your technique.

I am displaying three different approaches to this project, including a full color, a sepia-tone with colorization on the eyes, and a grayscale with filters applied.

Good luck!  I'm looking forward to seeing your "creations".  :)

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Some Student Creations:

Colorize a Black & White Image (Erase a Layer)

Colorize an Image by Erasing Layers

Another interesting way of "colorizing" an image is by pasting a black and white layer on top of the color layer and erasing the areas you want in color.  Confusing?  It will make sense after we try it.

Here's a sample image to get started [of course you can use your own]:

1. Open an image.
2. Do a CTRL+A (to "Select All") then CTRL+C (to "Copy)
3. Go to Image > Mode > Grayscale to convert the image to grayscale ("black & white").
4. Go to Image > Mode > RGB Color to convert the image back to color.
5. Do a CTRL + V (to "Paste").
6. Double-Click the bottom layers name ("Background") and change it to anything else (i.e. "Layer 0").
7. Drag the bottom (grayscale) layer above the color layer.
8. Select a soft (feathered) brush small enough to get details.
9. Use the eraser tool to erase areas you want in color.

Next, locate another image where you can perform the same steps.  Make sure to add your finished projects to your portfolio.

Some Examples:

You can also view the video tutorial below for step-by-step instructions:

Beginning Photoshop: Veggie Head

Today we will explore some of the basic Photoshop tools and concepts, and then we will begin our first official Photoshop project -- the Veggie Head.  The Veggie Head project is a classic Photoshop tutorial which teaches you how to use a variety of tools and techniques to accomplish a seemingly easy task.

The task for today:

1. Right-click the image above and select "Copy Image" (or "Copy Picture" depending on your browser)
2. Open Adobe Photoshop
3. Go to FILE > NEW (notice the size of the new image is the same size as the image on your "clipboard")
4. Go to FILE > PASTE (you should now have two layers -- the veggies and a white background)
5. Your task is to take the various pieces, copy them, paste them, and clean them up to create a "Veggie Head".  Some examples can be seen below: