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We’re half way through our series! In today’s episode, learn how to use Photoshop’s Liquify tool to create cleaner lines and smooth out clothing. We’ll show you how to use Forward Warp, Reconstruct, Pucker, and Bloat tools. We’ll also combine Liquify with AI to remove wrinkles, creating a polished final image.
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AFTER
BEFORE
Your Secret To A Polished Look
The Liquify Tool is great for smoothing out clothing and hair, but it can be easy to end up with an overdone, unrealistic effect. Learn how to apply the Liquify Tool in subtle ways that make a big impact in your images. And get helpful tips to work non-destructively and avoid liquifying areas of a photo that you don’t want to warp.
Getting Started
1. To begin, you’ll first want to ensure your work is nondestructive. Go to your layer and select Filter > Convert for Smart Filters to make it a Smart Object. This allows you to undo your changes at any time.
2. Next, navigate to the Liquify tool by selecting Filter > Liquify or by using the shortcut Shift/Shift + Cmd + X. This opens the Liquify window where you can begin making adjustments.
The Forward Warp Tool
The Forward Warp tool is the most commonly used tool for pushing and pulling pixels. Use it to adjust and clean up lines in clothing or hair. You can control your brush size with the open and close brackets ( [ and ] ) on your keyboard. For large, sweeping changes, use a bigger brush, and for fine-tuning small areas, use a smaller brush. Remember that this tool will affect the background as well, so be mindful of your brush placement. The Reconstruct tool acts as a paintable undo, letting you selectively revert parts of your edits if you go too far.
Other Useful Tools
Beyond the Forward Warp tool, the Liquify filter offers several other useful options. The Pucker tool pulls pixels inward, making an area appear smaller, while the Bloat tool pushes them outward, making an area appear larger. The video suggests these are great for subtle adjustments, such as reducing bagginess in clothing. Another handy feature is the Freeze Mask tool. By painting a mask over an area you don’t want to affect, you can use the Forward Warp tool to make changes to the surrounding area without distorting your masked selection.
Polishing Touches
After making your adjustments, you can use the global Reconstruct slider to fine-tune the overall effect. This allows you to globally reduce the intensity of all your Liquify changes at once, helping you find the perfect balance. The tutorial also suggests a powerful finishing step: using Generative Fill to remove wrinkles and clean up clothing. By making a selection over a wrinkled area and using Generative Fill without a prompt, Photoshop’s AI will automatically remove the wrinkles, giving your clothing a smooth, polished look.
You now have the skills to use the Liquify tool to create clean lines and refine images. Tomorrow’s tutorial will cover Smart Objects, explaining their importance and how to use them effectively in your workflow.
