How to Use The Liquify Tool in Photoshop 2021

Photoshop tools can help in modifying any task we want. For example, do you need to take down a streetlamp? There’s a tool for every situation!

Do you want to separate a person from the scenery? There’s a tool for that too! With the Liquify tool in Photoshop, you may even change the appearance of a person’s whole body.

While the Liquify tool may seem daunting at first, once you get the hang of it, you’ll find it to be effortless to use.

It is contentious because the Liquify tool in photoshop immediately changes people’s physical appearances. For example, ‘i‘ is used to make individuals slimmer or more muscular and give them bigger eyes, among other things.

If the tool is misused, the changes will be immediately noticeable. The aim is to make minor changes to the final product for it to be genuine.

Liquify may be used for a variety of tasks more than simply bodily modifications, though. Photoshop Liquify is a tool that allows you to manipulate pixels in whatever manner you choose.

Table of Contents

How to Use The Liquify Tool in Photoshop?

Step 1: Select a picture for your project

Firstly, select a suitable picture for your project. Most likely, the initial changes you make using the Liquify tool will not be eligible for publication, but that’s alright!

The key is to experiment with the tool and get familiar with all of its features and functionalities. The more you edit, the more professional your edits will become as you gain experience.

Step 2: Duplicate and add a layer

After you’ve opened your picture in Photoshop, the following step is to duplicate it and add it as a new layer to your document.

Using keyboard shortcuts, you may do this task quickly and. First, create a new layer on a Mac by using the keys ⌘+Option+Shift+N. Once you’ve done that, press ⌘+Option++Shift+E to copy your picture into the new layer.

If you’re using a PC, press Ctrl+Alt instead of ⌘+Option, and when you open the Liquify tool, double-check that the new layer has been chosen.

Step 3: Use the liquify tool

Select Liquify from the Filter drop-down option at the top of your screen.

Step 4: Understand which option suits your requirements

When you first launch the Liquify tool, you’ll see a basic layout on the left with seven icons and brush choices on the right. You’ll find 11 icons on the left, as well as more advanced brush and mask choices if you check the box next to Advanced Mode.

Step 5: Making basic adjustments

Within the Liquify filter, the Forward Warp tool is by far the most popular. Photoshop Liquify may be as easy or as complicated as you want it to be, so let’s start from the beginning.

Play around with the adjustments to get a more comprehensive understanding of the option. The Forward Warp tool is used to push pixels outward. To make everything broader, the mouth, nose, and hair were all pulled outward in the picture that you are using.

If your edges seem to be a bit off, remember that you may use the Smooth tool for modifications.

A Face tool is included in newer versions of Photoshop. When you use the Liquify filter, you’ll see an additional tool on the left side.

The Face tool is what you’re looking for. When you click it, you’ll see how Photoshop identifies the faces in a picture very immediately.

This new Face tool allows adjusting portions of faces simpler than ever before without affecting other areas of the picture or requiring the use of masks.

The Liquify Tool Options

W – Forward Warp

You’ll probably spend most of your time working with the Forward Warp tool if you’re altering hair, clothes, faces, or bodies. Depending on your brush settings, it moves pixels about in the picture in different ways.

There are four options in the brush tool: size, density, pressure, and pace.

Size of the brush. Starting with a bigger brush than you think you’ll need is a good idea. Using the [] (bracket) keys, you may quickly change the brush size.
Brush density. This is the same as the hardness and softness settings in most Photoshop brushes. A greater density affects more pixels inside the brush (far out toward the edges), while a lower density affects just pixels in the center.
Brush pressure determines how quickly pixels are impacted when a brush is moved over an image. A low brush pressure has a considerably slower effect on pixels than a high brush pressure.
When a brush is applied in a stationary location, the brush rate determines how quickly pixels are impacted. A low brush rate, like brush pressure, will impact pixels considerably more slowly than a high brush rate.

R – Reconstruct. This option acts similarly to a paint eraser. By brushing the Reconstruct tool over changed portions of a picture, you may quickly restore pixels to their original condition.

E – Smooth. After you’ve used the other brushes in the Liquify filter, this tool may assist in smoothing out any rough edges or sharp lines. If your picture has any warped lines, brush this tool over them to smooth them out.

C – Twirl Clockwise. Hold down Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) to reverse the spin (PC). This tool twirls pixels in a clockwise direction.

B – Bloat. This tool works in the opposite direction as the Pucker tool, pulling pixels under the brush outward.

O – Push Left. Pulling the brush up will shift pixels to the left when using this tool. When you pull the brush down, pixels will change to the right. When you pull left, you’ll move pixels down, and when you pull right, you’ll move pixels up.

F – Freeze Mask. When you’re changing portions of a picture near other areas you don’t want to change, this tool comes in handy. If you draw a mask over specific parts of your photo, none of the Liquify tools will be able to alter those pixels.

D – Thaw Mask. The Freeze Mask is the polar opposite of this instrument. Brushing the Thaw Mask over frozen pixels unfreezes them, allowing them to be changed. The Freeze and Thaw Masks may be switched by pressing Option or Alt.

S – Pucker. All pixels underneath the brush are pushed inward using this tool.

H – Hand. By dragging your picture across the window using the Hand tool, you may move it around. This is particularly useful when you’re zoomed in and need to work on a different part of the picture.

Instead of selecting this tool, you may transform the cursor into a hand by holding the Shift key when working with any other Liquify tool.

Z – Zoom. You may use the Zoom tool to zoom into certain parts of your picture and work on them more closely. You may zoom out by pressing Option or Alt when using this tool.

The Photoshop Liquify tool, commonly known as the Liquify filter, is a retouching and creative effect tool used in Photoshop.

You can manipulate the pixels of a picture by pushing, pulling, rotating, reflecting, puckering, and bloating them. In particular, when it comes to images of individuals, this technique is very successful.

Final Words

Once you know how to utilize Photoshop’s Liquify tool, you can change wedding photos and produce unique pictures that people will adore.

Additionally, the more familiar you are with Photoshop, the quicker you will get. This will free up time in your editing process, allowing you to focus on other, more essential aspects of your company.

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