How to Adjust Facial Expressions with Face-Aware Liquify in Adobe Photoshop

Photoshop’s Face-Aware Liquify tool allows you to subtly adjust facial features and expressions without affecting the rest of the image. With this tool, you can achieve a more natural look compared to other methods like warping or masking.

What you’ll need:

• Adobe Photoshop
• A high-resolution image of a face

Step 1: Open the image and select the Face Tool

1. Open the image you want to edit in Photoshop.
2. Go to Filter > Liquify.
3. In the Liquify window, click on the Face Tool (Face Tool) in the toolbar on the left side.

Step 2: Identify the facial features

1. Hover your mouse over the facial features you want to adjust, and Photoshop will display handles around those areas.
2. The handles represent the following facial features:

• Eyes: Adjust the size, shape, and direction of the eyes.
• Nose: Adjust the size, shape, and angle of the nose.
• Mouth: Adjust the width, height, and shape of the mouth.
• Chin: Adjust the size, shape, and angle of the chin.
• Jawline: Adjust the size, shape, and angle of the jawline.
• Cheeks: Adjust the size, shape, and fullness of the cheeks.

Step 3: Make subtle adjustments

1. Click and drag on the handles to make subtle adjustments to the facial features.
2. Use a light touch to avoid making drastic changes that could look unnatural.
3. You can also use the Forward Warp Tool (W) and the Reconstruct Tool (O) to make more precise adjustments.

Step 4: Adjust other facial details

1. Use the other Liquify tools to make additional adjustments to your image, such as:

• Smooth: Smooth out wrinkles or other imperfections.
• Push: Push or pull areas of the face to create a subtle change in expression.
• Twirl: Twirl or rotate areas of the face for a more dramatic effect.

Step 5: Preview and undo

1. Use the Preview button (P) to see the changes in real-time without applying them permanently.
2. Use the Undo button (Ctrl+Z or Cmd+Z) to undo any changes you don’t like.

Step 6: Adjust opacity and blending mode

1. Create a new layer for your Liquify adjustments.
2. Adjust the opacity of the layer to control how much the Liquify effect affects the image.
3. Adjust the blending mode of the layer to control how the Liquify effect interacts with the rest of the image.

Step 7: Save your final image

1. Once you’re happy with the results, save your final image.

Tips for using Face-Aware Liquify:

• Start with subtle adjustments and gradually increase the strength as needed.
• Use a variety of Liquify tools to create a natural and realistic look.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment and have fun with the tool!

By following these steps, you can use Face-Aware Liquify to subtly adjust facial expressions and enhance your images without compromising authenticity.