How To Adjust Facial Features In Photoshop
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Puppet warp for facial features reshapes a mouth, an eyebrow, or another feature in Photoshop by dragging pins on a mesh, then refining the result with the Liquify Filter.
In this tutorial, you will learn how to adjust facial features in Photoshop. We will mainly work with two tools: The Puppet Warp Tool and The Liquify Filter. Both of these tools allow you to distort pixels in a controlled manner.
The video was recorded in Photoshop 2015.5 (version 17.0), the version current at the time. Every tool used in this tutorial, from Puppet Warp to the Liquify Filter, works the same way in the current version of Photoshop.
Key Takeaways
- Puppet warp for facial features works best with just a few pins instead of many.
- Converting a layer to a Smart Object before using Puppet Warp or the Liquify Filter keeps every adjustment fully editable later.
- Face-Aware Liquify detects and adjusts facial features automatically, while the classic Liquify Filter tools give you manual, pixel-level control.
- The Freeze Mask Tool protects pixels, like the eyes, from being distorted by other Liquify Filter tools.
- The Reconstruct slider works like a Fade command, so you can pull an adjustment back toward the original.
- Small, subtle changes look more realistic than large ones and keep the person recognizable.
Table of contents
What You Will Learn
- How to reshape a mouth or eyebrow with the Puppet Warp Tool
- How to work non-destructively with a Smart Object
- How to use the Forward Warp, Freeze Mask, Pucker, Bloat, and Twirl Clockwise tools in the Liquify Filter
- How to reverse a Liquify adjustment with the Reconstruct slider
- How to keep facial adjustments subtle and realistic
Requirements
Before you start
- Photoshop 2015.5 (version 17.0) or the current version
Puppet Warp and Liquify Filter Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Select the Lasso Tool | L | L |
| Duplicate selection to a new layer | Ctrl J | Command J |
| Step backward (undo) | Ctrl Alt Z | Command Option Z |
| Fill with foreground color | Alt Backspace | Option Delete |
| Deselect | Ctrl D | Command D |
| Rotate Twirl Tool counterclockwise (hold) | Alt | Option |
Use Puppet Warp for Facial Features
The Puppet Warp Tool is ideal for shaping hair and repositioning arms or legs, but it can also be used for adjusting facial features.
The Puppet Warp Tool places a mesh over your active pixels. You place pins on the mesh, and dragging a pin distorts the image under it. Add as many pins as you like, but you usually get better results with fewer pins.
When you are working with the Puppet Warp tool remember to turn your layer into a Smart Object so that you can work nondestructively.
Adjusting Facial Features With Liquify Filter
The Liquify filter lets you push, pull, rotate, reflect, pucker, and bloat any area of an image, making it the ideal tool for adjusting facial features in Photoshop. Here’s a quick recap of the tools found in the Liquify Filter.
Face-Aware Liquify Tool
The Face-Aware Liquify tool is designed specifically to adjust facial features automatically. Read the full Face-Aware Liquify tutorial for that automatic, slider-based approach. This tutorial covers the manual tools instead.
Forward Warp Tool
The Forward Warp Tool pushes pixels forward as you drag.
Freeze Mask Tool
This tool allows you to paint areas that you don’t want to be affected by the other distortion tools in the Liquify filter.
Pucker Tool
Moves pixels toward the center of the brush area as you hold down the mouse button or drag.
Bloat Tool
Moves pixels away from the center of the brush area as you hold down the mouse button or drag. (The opposite of the Pucker Tool.)
Twirl Tool
Rotates pixels clockwise as you hold down the mouse button or drag.
Reconstruct Facial Feature Adjustments
The Reconstruct slider works a lot like the Fade command in the Edit menu. You can use this slider to fully or partially reverse any distortion made within the Liquify Filter.
Keep Facial Feature Adjustments Subtle
The image used in this video tutorial does not need any changes. The model’s face looks great the way it is. All the adjustments that we make in this video are not only unnecessary, but they’re also exaggerated and extreme. We will make these drastic changes because it makes it easier to demonstrate how the tools work.
The distortions you create can be subtle or drastic, but try to keep all your facial adjustments as subtle as possible.
Note: For more natural-looking retouching, see how to fix skin tones or age a face realistically in Photoshop.
Also, keep in mind that when working on any image, you never really want to make a drastic change. Always keep your changes subtle. That way they look more realistic, and you maintain the essence of the person.
Video Timestamps
- 01:44 – Use Puppet Warp Tool
- 04:10 – Work with Smart Object
- 07:10 – Use The Liquify Filter’s Tools:
- 07:17 – Face-Aware Liquify
- 07:57 – Forward Warp Tool
- 08:44 – Freeze Mask Tool
- 09:29 – Pucker Tool
- 09:45 – Bloat Tool
- 09:57 – Twirl Clockwise Tool
- 11:21 – Reconstruct (Fade Liquify Adjustments)
Frequently Asked Questions
Select a feature like the mouth with the Lasso Tool, duplicate it to its own layer, then go to Edit > Puppet Warp. Add a few pins on the mesh and drag them to reshape the feature.
The Liquify Filter lets you push, pull, pucker, and bloat pixels in any area of an image. It is one of the main tools for adjusting facial features in Photoshop.
Puppet Warp uses manual pins that you place and drag yourself. Face-Aware Liquify automatically detects facial features and adjusts them with sliders instead.
The Freeze Mask Tool lets you paint over pixels you do not want other Liquify Filter tools to affect. It is useful for protecting the eyes while you adjust the nose or mouth.
The Pucker Tool moves pixels toward the center of the brush as you hold the mouse button down. The Bloat Tool does the opposite, moving pixels away from the center.
Use the Reconstruct slider inside the Liquify Filter to fully or partially reverse a distortion. It works like the Fade command in the Edit menu.
Yes. Convert the layer to a Smart Object first so both Puppet Warp and the Liquify Filter stay fully editable afterward.
Keep changes small. A subtle adjustment looks realistic and keeps the person recognizable, while a large one looks obviously edited.
Conclusion
Puppet Warp and the Liquify Filter give you full control over facial features in Photoshop, from a small pin adjustment to a dramatic reshape.
Start with small, subtle changes so the result still looks like the same person.
Watch the video above for the full walkthrough, and comment on the video if you have a question.
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