Placed in: 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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Ken_Sai   2007-09-11 02:33:48
Gravatar image Nice Tut :wink:
Question - -   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   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   2007-09-18 06:29:21
Gravatar image So Cool ...............
jess - i did it   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   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   2007-09-28 19:04:23
Gravatar image Excellent work
wackck - T_T   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   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   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   2007-11-01 11:44:35
Gravatar image Its Very Nice
Robert - Thank You   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   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   2007-12-04 00:51:11
Gravatar image Thanks for the note about Worth 1000. Now I'm happy...
Marco - re: Worth 1000   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   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   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   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   2008-01-13 22:38:04
Gravatar image ummmm how do you get the black eyes onto the white eyes???
Marco - Not white   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   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   2008-01-19 18:10:50
Gravatar image here my results:
Original

Result

Split
Marco - Nice   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   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   2008-02-01 06:25:48
Gravatar image hey i cannot make the veins is someone here willing to help..me...
khan - wow.......!   2008-02-07 12:26:23
Gravatar image its very nice and best :woohoo:
fred   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   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   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   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   2008-05-05 22:39:23
Gravatar image you cant thats just to show that theres a differance i think :D :pinch:
t.j   2008-05-20 15:44:55
Gravatar image ...you spelled "portrait" wrong......
rob - Yeah   2008-06-09 22:37:31
Gravatar image what did u do with those veins and cutting, pasting etc. ... cant quite get it..
Dan   2008-07-07 14:43:42
Gravatar image Some might already consider Tom Cruise to be an alien... :P
mouse   2008-08-30 10:19:51
Gravatar image This tut ROCKED!

i followed yours and did Tom Cruise too - then applied what i learned to McCain. :whistle:

Posted image
Anonymous   2008-09-16 09:38:33
Gravatar image Ripped from worth 1000...coulda used a different celeb and maybe gotten away with it.
Aoi - Slick, but here are some ideas for the eyes   2008-10-23 21:35:54
Gravatar image Love the tutorial, especially the tips for the skin. The eyes can be made with a place circle (M) and the Lens Flare filter if you like simple alien eyes. But overlay your favorite shape, then add some layer effects (gradient, sheen) and you can create a wide variety of alien eyes very quickly.
Arielo Flame   2008-10-24 18:05:23
Gravatar image Nice tutorial. My work is http://photos84.nasza-klasa.pl/dev129/0/491/556/0491556064.jpg
Anonymous   2008-11-09 23:23:40
Gravatar image How do u make a curved line with a brush... in the step of adding details to the face? Drwaing it by hand, well I don't have that a steady hand ;-)
laura ann   2008-11-21 07:29:53
Gravatar image hello.
im a little confussed. :dry:
how do you paste the eyes into the background layer?

~laura ann
jb   2009-01-03 11:59:22
Gravatar image can you please help me make a pic
matt1308   2009-01-11 06:53:20
Gravatar image hey man, this is GREAT, mine actually looked pretty shit :P but that was the low quality photo of myself and the lazyness :P

but this is an awesome tutorial

i'm about to upload what i did to my DA, if you wanna check it out...
http://matt-1308.deviantart.com/
D3konstrukt - Fresh to Photoshop...... Heres my go at it   2009-01-24 03:43:14
Gravatar image Your tutorial, among many others inspired me to get back into photoshop again as its been several years since I've messed around with it. For the last 3 weeks, Ive spent an average 5 hours a night (after work) working in photoshop. The alien was I believe my second piece, so heres the results. I got a bit tired after a few hours and didnt feel like going more in depth. Maybe later though.

Looking at it now, I realize some of the things I could have done to make it better, but Im still alright with the result.

Posted image
Kalvin Manson - Well I try jejeje   2009-02-19 17:31:41
Gravatar image [img=http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/4852/stevejobscopiagu1.th.jpg]
Jejejjeje is a good tutorial. xD
I dont speak english sorry.
luca   2009-02-22 17:56:21
Gravatar image thank you for the great tutorial!
And here it is mine:
http://picasaweb.google.it/lucacolla/LaMiaLuce#5305664369368251122
Anonymous   2009-04-02 18:22:46
Gravatar image <img src=hock:' /> wonderful
i like this.
i need many this lesson.
please make many lesson.
Many Tutorial.
Anonymous   2009-05-11 19:26:49
Gravatar image im workin on patricia arquette right now. i thik it will look good in the end
Joddie - Nice job   2009-05-19 08:03:11
Gravatar image :woohoo: Wow.. nice tutorial ... just keep'in work, I'll follow your blog.. thanks for the inspiration..
mad   2009-06-07 16:40:08
Gravatar image this will not work 4 me dose it work on a I Mac?
becky   2009-06-10 23:36:29
Gravatar image all the clone stamp tool is doing is smudgeing the nose =/
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