1. Prepare Your Material
First, find two matching photos to face swap. The angle and orientation of the characters in both photos should be the same. While on Photoshop, open both images and duplicate them on different layers. Then start working on the original images.
2. Remove the Subject’s Face
Determine the specific face that you want to replace in the two photos. On the first image, use the Lasso Tool to select the facial features while leaving some of the forehead and chin parts. You need to be careful while selecting to ensure you don’t leave the crucial parts. If you just want to replace the face, you don’t need to capture the ears and hair.
3. Copy and Adjust
Close the selection and create a new layer. Click on Edit > Cut on the menu bar to cut the selection. Click the new layer and paste the cut face on it. Hide the other layers, and just leave the new face layer and the target image. Try to fit the new face into the target image.
Use the transformation shortcut CTRL + T to resize the layer so that it matches the underlying portrait. Once done, double-click on the image to exit the free transform tool. Reduce the layer opacity to around 20 to align the facial features of the two people. After you are done, increase the opacity to 100.
4. Shrink Your Selection
Hold down the CTRL key and click on the duplicated face layer to load the selection. “Choice” &; “Modify” &; “Shrinkage”, it is recommended to shrink 5 or 6 pixels but not affect the facial features. This depends on the size of the face you want to pinch.
Duplicate the background layer, and rename it as the body layer. Disable the background layer, select the face again by clicking on the thumbnail. Click on the created body layer, and on the top menu bar, click on Select >Modify > Contract. Change the contract size to suitable pixels that can blend with your image size. Click delete to remove the pixels and press CTRL + D to deselect.
5. Remove the Background Face
After selecting the shrunk image selection in the previous step, open and click on the character layer you want to replace. Select the facial features carefully using the Lasso tool. On the menu bar, click Edit > Clear to delete. Remove all the facial features so that the other face can fit perfectly.
6. Mix
Select the face layer and hold the CTRL key to select the second image layer. While in the selected state, in the top menu, click Edit > Auto-Blend Layers. A dialog box will appear, select Panorama and check the box for “Seamless Tones and Colors”, and check “Content-Aware Fill Transparent Areas. Click OK.
7. Adjust the Skin Tone
You will notice that the two layers have created an opposite layer mask and color adjustment. Then use the imitation stamp tool to decorate the edges. Look at the image closely to ensure the skin tone of the images looks alike.
Conclusion
After mastering the swap technique, you can give full play to your creativity, such as making yourself the leading role in the movie poster or creating some amazing shots. However, don’t face swap for malicious reasons. Only use it for the right reasons to avoid being termed as being an imposter or living a fake life. If you want to swap a face with different color tones, you need to go the extra mile to ensure you don’t leave any blemishes.
