Why my photoshop face swap results are coming out srtang?

[jennyk15025640]

Hello,

I am attempting to swap faces in Photoshop but for some reason my end results are coming out more like a grid then the persons obvious face.

I can just make out their features.

I have the opacity at 100% but it still has this end result.

It seems to only be this way for some pictures but not for others.

Would anybody be able to tell me what is going wrong please?

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Please provide a meaningful description of what you are actually doing, maybe post screenshots including the pertinent Panels. 

[davescm]

Without you showing your starting images, describing fully the steps in your method, and showing your result,  no-one can advise you what is going wrong or how you can do it better.

Dave

[jennyk15025640]

Thanksyou for your replies.

I am attempting to potoshop a mans face onto "Thors" face as per this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg4I9VwsUjA

This is the photo I am trying to swap the face to.

[davescm]

What are your starting images and result?

Dave

[jennyk15025640]

Hi Dave,

This is the starting image:

This is how the result turns out often:

The steps are basically:

1.Lasso around part of face want to cut out.

2. Move "face" to the other picture.

3.Reduce opacity and scale the face over the other face.

4.Control + click on face layer to make selection.

5.Image -adjustment-match colour-source-background.

6. Control d to deselect.

7. Duplicate background layer

8.Control + click on face thumbnail to make selection

9.Select body layer.

10.Select -modify-contract-5 pixels.

11.Turn off face layer.

12.Select body layer.

13. Pres delete.

14. "old face" should now be removed.

15.Turn face layer back on.

16.Select shift face + body layers.

17. Edit-autoblend layers- panorama content aware.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

You omitted the Layers Panel from the screenshot. 

Did you set the Opacity of the face-Layer to 100% again? 

[jennyk15025640]

Yes, Ive alway set the opacity back up to 100%.

This result is happening despite thst.

[jennyk15025640]

I have no idea why the teeth are coming out this way either lol.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Will you post a meaningful screenshot already? 

Why do you even delete the old face – if the new one is at full opacity it should be opaque? 

You seem to employ unnecessarily destructive techniques anyway. 

Please apply Layer > Layer Mask > From Trandpareny on the Face Layer and check the ensuing Layer Mask to see if you acccidentally gadn’t selected the object »completely« and, if so, apply Curves to fix that. 

[jennyk15025640]

I will take a better screenshot tomorrow:)

This is the way that I learnt from watching videos on this topic.

At the end the layers are blended with autoblend and if the old face is not deleted it doesn't work and instead shows the "old face" again after blending.

Im using autoblend to try to match the skin tones better.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Both Match Colors and Auto-Blend Layers are in my opinion unfit for serious work because they do not offer maintained editability after the fact. 

And placing elements without converting them to Smart Objects before transforming them (repeatedly) is also needlessly destructive in my opinion. 

[jennyk15025640]

Thanks for the information.

I do find it annoying that I am unable to edit anything further after applying the auto blend.

Also, if would like to just edit the mouth (make it smaller for example) without affecting the rest of the image I don't know how to go about it.

Are you able to tell me the better way of doing "face swaps" professionally or is there anywhere that has tutorials online?

Also,if not using match colour how do you match the colour when the skin tones are dramaticallky different?

For example in the Thor image that is above, it has a brown/dark cast and I cant see anyway to achieve this by using image-adjustment-hue or curves etc or via blend if silders.

What is the main issue caused if a photo edit is done destructively please?

I hear alot about not working destructively but I dont really understand the "whys" of it and why it matters so much?

(I anyway save multiple copies of files to begin with in case I "ruin one".)

Thanks

[c.pfaffenbichler]

»Also, if would like to just edit the mouth (make it smaller for example) without affecting the rest of the image I don't know how to go about it.«

Convert the Layer to a Smart Object, then for example apply either 

• Filter > Liquify or 

• Edit > Puppet Warp 

»Also,if not using match colour how do you match the colour when the skin tones are dramaticallky different?«

Clipping Masked Adjustment Layers – Curves, Huw/Saturation, Selective Color, … I am not claiming that this is more convenient, but it provides the advantage of maintained editability and (ideally, but not always applicable) transferability. 

»What is the main issue caused if a photo edit is done destructively please?«

Permanent, irrevocable damage.

Suppose you transform a Layer to be much smaller, then later on you need it to be much bigger again – the original information that has been removed in downsampling is lost and upsampling will not be able to recreate the orginal detail. Unless the Layer is a Smart Object that is. 

Or in the case of Adjustments like Curves, Levels, Hue/Saturation etc. they might remove data (clipping). Naturally the same Adjustents as Adjustment Layers have the same effect, but one can change them later on and the data is still present for those changes. 

»I anyway save multiple copies of files to begin with in case I "ruin one".«

That is commendable but you may simply not take full advantage of the possibilites Photoshop offers. 

[jennyk15025640]

Thanks.

Does this mean you convert everything to a smart object everytime you make any changes (including adjustment layers etc)?

"Clipping Masked Adjustment Layers – Curves, Huw/Saturation, Selective Color,...."

The problem is I have not been able to achieve anything even close to a match throught the adjustment layers as compared to the "match colour" option.

For example, I tried to swap a persons face into this poster but I was unable to achieve the reddish/tan tones in his skin with adjustment layers.

All I could achieve was purplish tone, and while the skin on this image does appear to have purple tones it also has some red-tans that I could not replicate with hue, contrast, brightness, curves etc..

The closest thing I could do to get the closer match was apply a red filter but because I had already changed some of the photo the filter only showed on parts of his face = looking silly and unrealistic.

Perhaps I just need a lot more practice. I wish there was a tutorial somewhere online that showed how to mach the skintones perfectly.....

[c.pfaffenbichler]

»Does this mean you convert everything to a smart object everytime you make any changes (including adjustment layers etc)?«

Of course not. 

Adjustment Layers apply to another aspect of non-destructive work iu Photoshop than Smart Objects. 

Smart Objects are useful when resampling and multiple instances are involved, Adjustment Layers when the color information is to be affected. 

One of the problems you are facing (apart from copyright issues) may be that the images you want to combine are a not a great fit for the task because the lighting is so different. 

(image removed)

[c.pfaffenbichler]

A simple example: 

A pixel Layer and a Smart Object, scaled down to 50%, then scaled up to 200% (so basically a round-trip to the original size) with Bicubic Automatic. 

[Confusal]

Match color is greyed out for me, which I read means I need to be in RGB mode, but I am.

I simply don't get the option to click on "Match Color". Do you have any idea how to get that menu item available?

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Could you please post a screenshot with the pertinent Panels (Toolbar, Layers, Channels, Options Bar, …) visible? 

[c.pfaffenbichler]

I think a fair amount of painting may be necessary to approach the lighting issue. 

(image removed)

[jennyk15025640]

It can be quite overwhelming to understand all the technical aspects of Photoshop.

I have removed some of the images now because I just wanted them up while I was trying to learn, but I didn't want to keep the person face up permanently.

When you mention copyright issues, does this mean that if a client asks for something like this, to have their images superimposed onto posters or onto famous people or similar, that there can be a copyright breach involved?

I presumed that if it was for "fun" or creative purposes and not for profit and the clients were not actually passing themselves off seriously as acting in the film etc than it was legal/fine?

"may be that the images you want to combine are a not a great fit for the task because the lighting is so different...."

Unfortunately clients can "expect" this though and arn't always reasonably about expectations.

Also they might state they want the texture kept from the original ones skin, or their beard etc...

Without the use of auto blend layers, I'm not sure how to blend that back in without it being obvious.

Btw, your edits look really good.

The colour on the Avengers photo face is hard to match perfectly, but all the edges look good and the teeth look more natural by far than my attempt.

Once you have "replaced the face", did you use an eraser fot the edges bit to blend them or some other technique?

I noticed you used selective colour and colour fill - I'm not sure how this is done as when I select the face, then add new solid colour fill, all of the colours are not skin tone type shades...

Would you mind explaining what is meant by painting please-

ie: does this refer just to using the paintbush tool or something else?

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Using someone else’s copyrighted material is not exactly an easy issue. 

Quite possibly your work will never reach the attention of anyone at the involved companies but I am no lawyer, so I am not sure if this falls under »fair use«. And some companies may have more litigatious legal departments than others. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use

»Once you have "replaced the face", did you use an eraser fot the edges bit to blend them or some other technique?«

With the SO is in place I applied a Layer Mask to the Group containing it. 

And I painted on that Mask, white to reveal, black to conceal, no use of the Eraser Tool. 

»Would you mind explaining what is meant by painting please«

Some of the Adjustment Layers have Layer Masks of their own, so for example to simulate the shadows I used Curves Layers that darken the image but painted them in selectively with the Brush Tool. 

»I noticed you used selective colour and colour fill «

By setting a Solid Color Layer to the Blend Mode »Color« one can use it to »tint« the underlying content; and again one may apply a Layer Mask to diminish its effect locally. 

I will try to remove the images from my last posts, too. 

[Abdul28270597ghwl]

https://shrinke.me/3QnfVqw