Home arrow Art arrow Alienize: Transform a person into an alien
Alienize: Transform a person into an alien

In this tutorial is written how to create a very cool looking alien using Adobe Photoshop. Grab a picture of someone and get ready to alienize it!

Alienize a person

  1. Go to File > New (Ctrl+N) to create a new file. Make sure that you have your background settings to Transparent. Now search for a portrait on your PC to use and add it to your newly created file. For this tutorial I used a picture of Tom Cruise to alienize (Source file Tom Cruise). Ofcourse you can use a picture of your friend, a family member or even yourself.
    Alienize view 1
  2. Grab the Eraser Tool (E) and erase the eyes. Now use the Clone Stamp Tool (S) to clone parts of the cheeks over the nose. It'll look like the nose is erased. Use the Healing Stamp Tool to fix any not natural looking parts on the place where the nose first was.
    Alienize view 2
  3. Go to Filter > Liquify Tool (Shift+Ctrl+X) and a new window will show. Use the Forward Warp Tool (W) in this window to strech out the empty place where the eyes first were. I used a brush with a size of approxamitely 30 pixels. Strech it untill it has the shape of an alien eye. Press OK to accept the changes.
    Alienize view 3
  4. I used some alien eyes that I created before (Source file Alien eye) and pasted them in the layer behind the face. Scale the eye using Transform (Ctrl+T) untill it's at a right size. Use the Burn Tool (O) to make the areas around the eyes a little bit darked so it will look more realistic.
    Alienize view 4
  5. Open up the liquify tool by going to Filter > Liquify Tool (Shift+Ctrl+X). Again, use the Forward Warp Tool (W) and strech out the ears. This time I used a brush with a size of 90. Press OK to save the changes and if you want, use the Burn Tool (O) to darken parts of the ears.
    Alienize view 5
  6. Get ready to change some colours using Color Balance (Ctrl+B). Play around with the Color Balance and Tone Balance untill you think you have something alien-like. I used these settings:
    1. Shadows: 0,20,0
    2. Midtones: 0,20,0
    3. Highlights: 0,40,0

    Alienize view 6
  7. Grunge your face. You can use several options for this, for example you could use a grunge brush. Here I used a pattern that I had on my PC (Source file Grunge Pattern). On a new layer, cover the face with the whole grunge pattern using Transform (Ctrl+T) or copy-pasting the pattern next to eachother (See left image below). Set the Blending Mode of the grunge layer to Color Burn and the Opacity around 25%.
    Alienize view 6.5 Alienize view 7
  8. Use the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) and select the forehead of the face (See left image below). Duplicate layer part (Ctrl+J) and grab the Free Transform Tool (Ctrl+T). Strech the forehead by selecting the middle square and drag it upward. Merge layers (Ctrl+E) (See middle image below).
    Draw facial lines on a new layer using the Brush Tool (B). These lines can be used for detail. Select the lines on the layer and go to Blending Options. In this new window, go to Bevel and Emboss. Use the standard settings but change: Style: Pillow Emboss. I used these values:
    1. Depth: 51%
    2. Size: 1px
    3. Soften: 1px
    When satisfied, press OK to save the settings. Grab your Burn Tool (O) and burn the lines so that it'll look more realistic (See right image below).
    Alienize view 7.5 Alienize view 7.6 Alienize view 8
  9. Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N). Draw some veins around the eyes using the Brush Tools (B). I used a brush size of 2 pixels (See left image below). Select the content of the veins layer by Ctrl+Click on the image of the layer. Now you should have the veins selected. Select the layer of the face by clicking on it. Now duplicate the selection of the veins (Ctrl+J). You should get a new layer on top of the layer of the face. Delete the layer with the veins that you drew. Now go back to the layer with the outer lines of the veins. Give them color by opening the Color Balance (Ctrl+B). Play around untill you're satisfied with the colors. Give the layer Soft light or Hard Light to give it more effect. Merge all layers back together (Ctrl+E). Open up Color Balance (Ctrl+B) again and play with the full colors of the image (See right image below).
    Alienize view 8.5 Alienize view 9
  10. Repeat the previous step, but now create some veins on the head (See left image below).
    Alienize view 9.5 Alienize view 10
  11. Adjust the levels of the image by opening the Levels panel (Ctrl+L). Change the levels of the image untill you have a nice, realistic looking face.
    Alienize view 11

And there you have it, your own created alien. This is my final result. Be creative and feel free to post your final result in the comments.

Some people in the comments reported that this tutorial is a copy of one that is posted on worth1000. I checked out the tutorial and I have to admit: It does look-a-like, but it's not a copy. Furthermore, the tutorial on Worth1000 is way much harder and more for professional than this one.



Tags:  how to alien photoshop tutorial transform

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Comments
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Ken_Sai   | 203.160.1.xxx | 2007-09-11 02:33:48
Gravatar image Nice Tut :wink:
Question - -   | 88.112.69.xxx | 2007-09-12 19:25:39
Gravatar image When i copy the eyes into the picture thw white corners from the eye annoy me, how can i get rid of them?
Helping guy   | 68.134.133.xxx | 2007-09-13 07:55:10
Gravatar image
Question wrote:
When i copy the eyes into the picture thw white corners from the eye annoy me, how can i get rid of them?

Erase them :wink: ,
You can do this by selecting the "Magic Wand Tool" (w) and just simply click on the white parts and press delete.. Or just erase them with the "Eraser tool" (e)

:)
dody - Good   | 222.124.96.xxx | 2007-09-18 06:29:21
Gravatar image So Cool ...............
jess - i did it   | 203.10.121.xxx | 2007-09-19 02:18:34
Gravatar image yesss im not so dumb i did it n it looks koolies :roll: :D <img src=hock:' /> :lol:
casey - wow   | 66.228.224.xxx | 2007-09-19 14:43:13
Gravatar image heyy
this is really cool
i did channing tatum
and wow
he looks scary
yea it was pretty sweet
rassed2002 - bujassim   | 82.194.62.xxx | 2007-09-28 19:04:23
Gravatar image Excellent work
wackck - T_T   | 71.135.61.xxx | 2007-09-28 19:15:46
Gravatar image tuts not for noobs like me...too bad...

hey..when im using the color balance..the whole image turns to that color...I just want the face area to change..how can i do that?
Helping Guy - re: T_T   | 62.195.144.xxx | 2007-09-28 20:10:44
Gravatar image
wackck wrote:
hey..when im using the color balance..the whole image turns to that color...I just want the face area to change..how can i do that?
Maybe you should cut out the head and body in an new layer, so the background won't be colorized.
Rheanna - Thank You   | 24.136.213.xxx | 2007-10-27 07:05:56
Gravatar image :P Tut was easy to follow Thank you so much... And I've tried almost most of these tuts and came no where close. I at least made something on this one. TYSM
WanteD - Nice   | 116.71.2.xxx | 2007-11-01 11:44:35
Gravatar image Its Very Nice
Robert - Thank You   | 86.127.6.xxx | 2007-11-14 16:03:02
Gravatar image I`m a begginer so i decided to give it a SHOT wich i did ... and the resaults were ammasing i can`t belive my eyes :) thank you again it has been verry helpfull
student01 - haha   | 207.62.88.xxx | 2007-11-15 18:11:44
Gravatar image i tried it and it was both hard and easy. the eye shape gave me trouble. and the instructions were a lot easier to follow than other tutorials i have done. ohh and my crazy friends were unable to do it cuz they have problems following instructions. one was pitch green. :lol:
Junglebeats - Worth 1000   | 89.151.11.xxx | 2007-12-04 00:51:11
Gravatar image Thanks for the note about Worth 1000. Now I'm happy...
Marco - re: Worth 1000   | 62.194.187.xxx | 2007-12-04 09:23:42
Gravatar image
Junglebeats wrote:
Thanks for the note about Worth 1000. Now I'm happy...
That's why I deleted your comment in the first place ;). Thanks for noticing that Worth1000 tutorial, I didn't know it existed :) .
sarah   | 69.132.195.xxx | 2008-01-08 22:35:31
Gravatar image that was really helpful. the only thing was i didnt understand the layering part.
haggisbreath - pretty good... but a professio   | 199.216.192.xxx | 2008-01-09 23:31:17
Gravatar image I think you can get a better result with the eyes if you use a layer mask... and you spelled "portret" incorrectly... it's "portrait".
Marco - Thanks   | 62.194.187.xxx | 2008-01-10 08:54:45
Gravatar image Hello,

Thanks for your reaction. Updated the article.

I'm from Holland, where the correct word indeed is "Portret". Accidentally switched them :).

Greetings,,,
mandie   | 24.141.162.xxx | 2008-01-13 22:38:04
Gravatar image ummmm how do you get the black eyes onto the white eyes???
Marco - Not white   | 62.194.187.xxx | 2008-01-15 11:01:20
Gravatar image Hello,

The eyes are not "white", they are just deleted. When you put a layer behind the face, the deleted spaces will get filled up with the black.

Good luck!
Ankit - nice works   | 203.122.61.xxx | 2008-01-15 14:38:48
Gravatar image thi is a best effect.this tiype of effect i had'nt read..thanks
marschel - it works - thanks 2 the author   | 88.77.45.xxx | 2008-01-19 18:10:50
Gravatar image here my results:
Original

Result

Split
Marco - Nice   | 62.194.187.xxx | 2008-01-20 11:10:18
Gravatar image Looking good!

Really like your own touch, like the "cuts" out of the ears.

Nice work on the hair too!

Keep it up.
Videl - hair thing   | 78.21.37.xxx | 2008-04-08 16:54:29
Gravatar image tried this out, but my guy has like very curly hair, i wondered how you did that hair so nicely?
Anonymous   | 192.146.101.xxx | 2008-02-01 06:25:48
Gravatar image hey i cannot make the veins is someone here willing to help..me...
khan - wow.......!   | 210.2.171.xxx | 2008-02-07 12:26:23
Gravatar image its very nice and best :woohoo:
fred   | 88.195.68.xxx | 2008-02-24 16:37:36
Gravatar image Im having problems with the veins too... Im a noob, yes.. but selecting the veins part by ctrl-click isnt working for me.. Maybe there is another way to do this.. but im not finding it.. This part is even confusing me without that ctrl-click thingy... Im really confused..
fred   | 88.195.68.xxx | 2008-02-24 16:40:12
Gravatar image If as. a little help would be if there would be added screenshots from the bars and stuff.. that would help alot of people too..
irene - COOL   | 83.55.157.xxx | 2008-03-09 23:01:05
Gravatar image I´m from Spain and i had a few problems with the language but my final result is great!!!Is not as yours but its ok.
Very funny tutorial thank you.
Aaron   | 86.26.246.xxx | 2008-04-25 20:02:25
Gravatar image Great tutorial, one of the easyist and best ive seen with such great results. one question though... how do you create the line of white light to spilt the alien and normal face?
thanks!
casen   | 75.87.82.xxx | 2008-05-05 22:39:23
Gravatar image you cant thats just to show that theres a differance i think :D :pinch:
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