Photoshop Tutorial: Create a Chaotic Disintegration Effect on a Face

This tutorial will show you a quick and easy way in creating a stunning disintegration effect in photoshop.
I created this work on Photoshop CS5 but earlier versions will work as well.

The sources:
1. The face
2. Shatter glass brushes
3. Bird brushes
4. The branch

You can see the hi-res of this work here

Let's just get started!

End result:

Author:

Views: 190797

Score: 9.33 / 10

Author earned: $40

Practice tutorial

Step 1

First of all, go to file and then hit new to create a new canvas (Ctrl+N) . This new canvas will be the background layer in the layers palette

Step 2

Now duplicate the background layer (Ctrl+J). With the duplication layer (background copy) selected, go to Filter > Render > Lightning effect. See the picture for the details of lightning effect setting.

Step 3

Next , set the blending of the background copy layer to normal at 58% opacity after that duplicate it (Ctrl+J). Now we have background copy 2 layer. Set the blending of the background copy 2 layer to color dodge at 100% opacity.

Step 4

Continue to create a new layer (Shift+Ctrl+N) and name the new layer shape 1. Then, go to Brush tool (B) in tools palette. Choose shatter glass brush and paint a shape like mine. ( See the picture below ).

Step 5

Arrange the position of the shape 1 as shown in picture below:

Step 6

Next step is to duplicate the shape 1 layer three times and then place the three duplicated layers below it in the layers palette. Rearrange the position of each where needed. Set the shape1 copy layer to normal blending at 100% opacity, while the shape 1 copy 2 and the shape 1 copy 3 layer are set to multiply blending at 78% opacity. See the image below..

Step 7

Now open the face image. We will cut out the face. To achieve this, select Pen tool (P) in tool palette. Continue to trace the face by clicking new anchor points as you go, these show as small squares on your screen. Proceed with tracing the face and work your way to meet the first anchor and close the path. After that, right click on the closed path. When the pop up window for the path execution comes up, choose make selection. Finally inverse the selection (Shift+Ctrl+I) and hit Del to clear the background.

Step 8

Add the face to the canvas. It will be a new layer and name it Face in layers palette.

Step 9

Now it’s time to crate the disintegration effect to the face. We will use Clipping Mask to achieve this. To create a Clipping Mask, first make sure the shape 1 layer is directly under the face layer that we want to be clipped in the Layers palette . Hold down Alt and click the line between the two layers in the Layers palette. The cursor changes to a symbol. Click the mouse. You will see a small arrow pointing downward next to the face layer. This small arrow is the indication of a layer clipped mask.

Step 10

In this step we will add Gradient map. Go to Layer > new adjustment layer > gradient map.

Step 11

Now set the blending of the gradient map layer to overlay at 90 % opacity.

Step 12

I wanted to give some light to the eye of the face. To create the light, create a new layer (Shift+Ctrl+N) and name the new layer Light. Now select rectangular marquee tool to make a selection around the eye. Fill the selection (Shift+F5) with black color. Then, go to Filter > render > lens flare. Finally set the blending of the light layer to color dodge at 100% opacity. Remember to mask some area round the face to hide unnecessary light. Try to make the light just focus on the eye.

Step 13

To give more dramatic effect, I added the branch image. I duplicated it into some layers and arranged the duplicated layers in the positions where needed. Remember to re-size them and set the blending to multiply at around 50-100% opacity.

Step 14

In this last step, I added photo filter (Layer > new adjustment layer > Photo filter). Set the photo filter layer to normal at 30% opacity.

Step 15

here is the result. Thank you for visiting this tutorial. Happy photoshoping...

48 Comments:

niks1351 says:

it is very interesting.... loved it

(5 years and 1747 days ago)

kushpatel says:

again 5star tut man.you are wonderful.very nice work
good luck dekwid

(5 years and 1747 days ago)

arca says:

Great tut ... very interesting.

(5 years and 1746 days ago)

nishagandhi says:

nice effect! and nicely explained

(5 years and 1737 days ago)

Hayato says:

5 stars for the love of God. XD

I mean... OMG, that's a cute way of 'grunging' someone. The new way of grunge your character, not just the backgrounds should I say.

(5 years and 1737 days ago)

DanielaOwergoor says:

Very nice!!

(5 years and 1737 days ago)

George55 says:

Good tutorial, well explained, Good luck!

(5 years and 1736 days ago)

CorneliaMladenova says:

Oooooo, very cool outcome and well explained

(5 years and 1736 days ago)

erikuri says:

Amazingly cool!... Great effects! Thumbs up...

(5 years and 1736 days ago)

greymval says:

Awesome stuff! You inspired me to write a tutorial as well There are lots of things we can share, and that's why I love this site.
I had no idea that you can do clipping just with Alt Click - I was wasting time right clicking & selecting all the time.

(5 years and 1736 days ago)

minnie says:

It's a very good tutorial, you explain things that are difficult to find "how to do"!!
Really a good work!!

(5 years and 1736 days ago)

hereisanoop says:

Good result and a an easy tutorial to follow.. it will be a an easy job if you add the links (of stock photo, bushes.. etc) here... good luck

(5 years and 1735 days ago)

Guest says:

Really nice tutorial, brilliantly explained with useful tips. Thanks for sharing!

(5 years and 1707 days ago)

Guest says:

great tut thank u

(5 years and 1704 days ago)

[banned] says:

Nice one, i like it , with neat explanation, looking forward for more....

(5 years and 1704 days ago)

ahmad says:

it is very interesting....

(5 years and 1702 days ago)

[banned] says:

I just did this thank you came out amazing

(5 years and 1690 days ago)

[banned] says:

Thanx man i need this

(5 years and 1689 days ago)

Guest says:

you are a genious on your field

(5 years and 1677 days ago)

Guest says:

its cooollllll i tried it and worked

(5 years and 1672 days ago)

rionaldi says:

luar biasa efekx

(5 years and 1669 days ago)

Mohammed says:

can u make it vedio cause i can't understand how to do that

(5 years and 1662 days ago)

[banned] says:

I don't have the glass brush

(5 years and 1658 days ago)

Guest says:

I don't have the glass brush too

(5 years and 1655 days ago)

nana [banned] says:

nice ^^

(5 years and 1637 days ago)

Guest says:

it is really cool

(5 years and 1626 days ago)

Guest says:

it is really cool to see that people can create art so beautiful.

(5 years and 1626 days ago)

[banned] says:

sweet

(5 years and 1626 days ago)

[banned] says:

where the website can take a resource of highly quality?

(5 years and 1623 days ago)

kariedaway says:

5 stars! Short & sweet, well explained, and end result is really beautiful! Can't wait to try this on a few stock photos I have.

(5 years and 1615 days ago)

[banned] says:

there is a skipped step between 10 and 11, somehow the lipstick is intensified and the eyes darker and the face is whiter???

(5 years and 1613 days ago)

Guest says:

@bailey, that is caused by the gradient map applied and set to overlay 90% !!!

(5 years and 1613 days ago)

dekwid says:

no skipped step.......! lipstick is intensified and the eyes darker and the face is whiter....that's caused by the effect of the gradient map set to overlay at 90% !!!

(5 years and 1613 days ago)

[banned] says:

goooooooooooooooooooooooooooood

(5 years and 1609 days ago)

Guest says:

Gracias dekwid, esta Buenisimo....!!!

(5 years and 1583 days ago)

[banned] says:

The Bird Brushes and the Branch url links don't work. Where can I get those resources?

(5 years and 1575 days ago)

bala says:

Really wonderful job. keep it up

(5 years and 1571 days ago)

ahmed says:

nice

(5 years and 1561 days ago)

Tim says:

This is quite possibly the best photoshop tutorial I have ever tried. You freaking rock!

(5 years and 1492 days ago)

[banned] says:

gooooooooooooooooooooood

(5 years and 1488 days ago)

[banned] says:

this is nice, very cool

(5 years and 1482 days ago)

Guest says:

I have cs5 as well i don't have that lighting option? :/

(5 years and 1451 days ago)

[banned] says:

thank u so much! my first trial on photoshop ! u made my day!

(5 years and 1216 days ago)

Guest says:

Excellent tutorial. My lighting option in Photoshop cs6 is not working but I used a gradient map (radial) I got a great result. I made it with a pic of mine. It was nice as your tutorial gave me the base to make my own work. Thanks for sharing.

(5 years and 1216 days ago)

[banned] says:

Great work..!

(5 years and 1179 days ago)

Guest says:

some one give these brushes plz
in the tuto

(5 years and 1158 days ago)

Guest says:

Awesome..... I have now 'grunged' my wife and she looks awesome!!! Thanks ! I also never knew about the layer clipping.... so cheers! Andy

(5 years and 911 days ago)

Guest says:

Interesting

(5 years and 906 days ago)

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