Reshape Clothing and Hair with Liquify – Classic Day 12

Reshape Clothing and Hair with Liquify

Liquify lets you push and pull pixels around as if the image were wet paint. It can change the shape of almost anything, which makes it powerful and easy to overuse. In this lesson we use it the way Aaron prefers: straightening lines in clothing and adding a little volume to hair, both non-destructively so every change can be undone or revisited.

Convert to a Smart Object First

1. Unlock and Convert the Layer

   Double-click the Background layer and click OK to unlock it, then right-click it and choose Convert to Smart Object. Liquify is a filter, and a filter applied to a Smart Object becomes a Smart Filter you can turn off, reopen and edit later. Do this every time.

2. Open Liquify

   Go to Filter > Liquify. The tools are on the top left and the options are on the right.

The Forward Warp Tool

About 90% of Liquify work happens with one tool: the Forward Warp Tool at the top of the toolbar. Click and drag, and the pixels under the brush move with the cursor.

3. Set the Brush Size

   Use the bracket keys to resize. A larger brush moves a larger area. Always use a brush somewhat larger than the thing you are moving; it keeps the transitions smooth and natural.

4. Keep Pressure and Density Low

   In Brush Tool Options on the right, set Pressure to around 10-20 and Density around 20. High pressure makes huge, obvious changes. Low pressure lets you nudge in small steps.

5. Remember Undo

   Ctrl/Cmd + Z works inside Liquify. Use it freely.

Straighten Lines in Clothing

6. Push from the Outside In

   With a large brush, click just outside a bulge or fold in the fabric and drag gently inward. Small moves. The goal is cleaner lines and angles in the clothing, not a different body.

7. Even Out Edges

   Work along a belt or hem to make its width consistent. The background will shift slightly too, but with a large brush and subtle moves it is rarely noticeable.

8. Check with Reconstruct

   Under Brush Reconstruct Options, click Reconstruct and drag the slider to see the before and after. Click Cancel to keep your changes.

Add Volume to Hair

9. Push Outward with a Large Brush

   Make the brush large and push the outer edge of the hair outward in a few gentle strokes, as if a breeze had lifted it. Subtle is the point.

10. Fix Collateral Damage with the Reconstruct Tool

    If a stroke moved something it shouldn’t have, like the edge of an arm or a bit of face, select the Reconstruct Tool from the toolbar and paint over just that area to return it to the original. Click OK when you are happy.

Edit It Later

11. Toggle the Smart Filter

    In the Layers panel, click the eye next to Liquify under the Smart Object to compare before and after.

12. Reopen and Adjust

    Double-click the word Liquify to reopen the exact same dialog with all your work intact. Reconstruct part of it, push something further, or dial the whole thing back. Without the Smart Object, those changes would be baked into the pixels for good.

Use It Thoughtfully

Liquify can do anything, including things it shouldn’t. Aaron keeps it to hair and fabric, which move around on their own anyway, and stays away from reshaping people. However you use it, a large brush, low pressure and small moves will keep the results believable.

Related Tutorials

• Liquify in Photoshop: 5 Easy Rules for Clothes and Hair
• Liquify in Photoshop: 5 Easy Tools Worth Knowing
• Change Black Clothing to Any Color: 5 Easy Steps