Download Assets
This tutorial includes 1 PDF guide. Downloads are free with a PHLEARN account.
- Download the sample files from every free tutorial on PHLEARN
- New free tutorials published every week
- One free account: sign up once, then download anything
Free PDF Guide · 2 Pages
This Tutorial as a Step-by-Step PDF
This 2-page guide walks through Face-Aware Liquify: check Photoshop > About Photoshop CC for 2015.5 or newer, duplicate the layer with Ctrl/Command+J, open Filter > Liquify, use the Face tool handles or the Eyes, Nose, Mouth and Face Shape sliders, and pick each face from the drop-down in a group photo. Keep it next to your keyboard.
description
Face-Aware Liquify puts facial detection inside the Liquify filter, so eyes, nose, mouth and overall face shape each get their own handles and sliders instead of a freehand warp brush. Aaron works through every control on a single portrait, keeps the adjustments subtle enough to read as natural, then uses the face dropdown to fine-tune each person separately in a group shot.
Enjoying This Free Tutorial?
We publish a new free tutorial every week, each one with sample images and PSDs you can download and follow along with. Sign up and they land straight in your inbox, along with early word on sales, events and subscriber-only offers.
Face-Aware Liquify loads facial detection directly into the Liquify filter, recognizing eyes, nose, mouth, and overall face shape automatically so they can be adjusted with dedicated sliders instead of freehand pushing and pulling. This tutorial updates Photoshop to access the feature, adjusts a single subject’s features both subtly and dramatically, then shows how to work through several faces at once in a group portrait.
Updating Photoshop to Access Face-Aware Liquify
Face-Aware Liquify was added in Photoshop CC 2015.5, so the video checks the version number first and updates through the Creative Cloud app if needed.
-
Check the Current Version
Go to Photoshop > About Photoshop CC to confirm the installed version number.
-
Update Through Creative Cloud
Open the Creative Cloud desktop app and click Update next to Photoshop if a newer version is available.
Why Older Photoshop Versions Can’t Use This Feature
Face-Aware Liquify was added in a specific Creative Cloud release, so anyone using an older, non-subscription version like Photoshop CS2 or CS3 won’t have access to it. Staying current on a Creative Cloud subscription is what makes newer tools like this one available as they’re released.
Duplicating the Layer Before Opening Liquify
Duplicating the background layer before opening Liquify keeps an untouched original available for comparison or recovery after making adjustments.
-
Duplicate the Background Layer
Press Cmd/Ctrl+J to duplicate the background layer as a backup.
-
Open the Liquify Filter
Go to Filter > Liquify to open the Liquify dialog on the duplicated layer.
Selecting a Face With the Face Tool
Clicking the Face tool, at the bottom of the Liquify tool list, prompts Photoshop to automatically detect and outline any face in the image, ready for adjustment.
-
Select the Face Tool
Click the Face tool in the Liquify dialog’s tool list. You can also skip the Face tool and start straight away with the Face-Aware Liquify sliders on the right.
-
Confirm Face Detection
Look for the outline Photoshop draws around a recognized face, confirming it’s ready to be adjusted.
-
Choose the Facial Feature to Edit
Hover over the eyes, nose, mouth, or overall face outline to reveal small control handles for that specific feature.
Adjusting Eyes, Nose, and Mouth With Sliders or Handles
Each facial feature offers both on-canvas handles and matching sliders for properties like eye size, nose width, and mouth height, giving two ways to make the same adjustment.
-
Adjust Eye Size, Height, Width, and Tilt
Drag the eye handles, or use the sliders, to change eye size, height, width, or tilt.
-
Adjust Nose Height and Width
Drag the nose handles, or use the sliders, to change the nose’s height and width.
-
Adjust Mouth Smile, Lips, Width, and Height
Drag the mouth handles, or use the sliders, to add or subtract a smile, adjust upper and lower lip position, or change mouth width and height.
Adjusting Forehead, Chin, Jawline, and Face Width
Beyond individual features, Face-Aware Liquify also controls broader face shape properties like forehead height, chin height, jawline, and overall face width.
-
Adjust Forehead Height
Drag the forehead handle, or use its slider, to increase or decrease forehead height.
-
Adjust Chin Height and Jawline
Drag the chin and jawline handles, or use their sliders, to reshape the lower part of the face.
-
Adjust Overall Face Width
Drag the face width handle, or use its slider, to make the whole face narrower or wider.
Why Subtle Adjustments Look More Realistic
Pushing any of these sliders too far can quickly start to look exaggerated or artificial, even though the tool is capable of dramatic, obviously unrealistic changes for fun or creative effects. Keeping adjustments small, such as a slight increase in eye size or a gentle rise in the smile, is what keeps a portrait retouch looking like a natural, subtle enhancement rather than an obvious digital edit.
Comparing the Before and After on One Subject
Toggling the duplicated, adjusted layer off and on reveals exactly how much of a difference the Face-Aware Liquify adjustments made compared to the original photo.
-
Apply the Adjustments
Click OK in the Liquify dialog to apply the facial adjustments to the duplicated layer.
-
Toggle the Layer to Compare
Turn the adjusted layer off and on to compare it against the original, untouched layer beneath it.
Why Face-Aware Liquify Is Handy for Groups
Face-Aware Liquify loads every face in a group photo at once, which Aaron calls really cool, and lets you pick the one you want to work on from a drop-down, with the same set of options for each face.
Adjusting Multiple Faces in a Group Portrait
On a photo with several people, Face-Aware Liquify detects every face automatically and lets each one be selected and adjusted individually from a dropdown.
-
Open Liquify on a Group Photo
Duplicate the background layer and go to Filter > Liquify on an image containing multiple people.
-
Choose a Specific Face
Use the face selection dropdown to choose which detected face to adjust, such as Face 1, Face 2, and so on.
-
Adjust That Face’s Features
Make targeted adjustments to that individual’s eyes, mouth, or other features, such as softening an awkward expression into a more natural smile.
-
Repeat for Each Additional Face
Select each remaining face from the dropdown and repeat the process to make individual adjustments across the whole group.
Why This Approach Works
Automatic face detection is what makes Face-Aware Liquify faster and more precise than the regular Liquify tools, since it recognizes individual features like eyes and mouth on its own rather than requiring a freehand push-and-pull warp for each one. The on-canvas handles and the sliders give access to the same controls, so either way works; Aaron likes using the handles a little better. Keeping adjustments subtle, and duplicating the layer beforehand for comparison, is what keeps a retouch looking like a natural enhancement rather than an obviously altered face.
Final Thoughts
Face-Aware Liquify works equally well for a fun, exaggerated effect or a genuinely subtle portrait retouch, and it scales just as easily from a single subject to an entire group portrait with several faces to adjust. The same handles and sliders shown here apply to any face Photoshop detects, so it’s worth experimenting with both subtle and dramatic settings to see the full range of what the tool can do.
Quick Reference: Keys, Menus and Settings
- Check the versionPhotoshop > About Photoshop CC (2015.5 or newer)
- Backup layerCmd/Ctrl + J
- Open LiquifyFilter > Liquify
- Face handlesFace tool at the bottom of the tool list; hover a feature to see its handles
- SlidersFace-Aware Liquify: Eyes, Nose, Mouth, Face Shape; Reset sets them to zero
- Group photoChoose each face from the face drop-down menu
- CompareClick OK, then toggle the edited layer off and on
Free Downloads
Take the Guide With You
Get the PDF guide to Face-Aware Liquify: the Face tool, the eye, nose, mouth and face shape controls, and choosing each face in a group photo. Free with a PHLEARN account.
Face-Aware Liquify: Common Questions
What does Face-Aware Liquify do?
It finds faces inside the Liquify filter and gives you controls for the eyes, nose, mouth and face shape, so you don’t have to push pixels by hand with the Forward Warp tool.
Which Photoshop version do I need?
The video uses Photoshop CC 2015.5 and says you need that release or newer. Check under Photoshop > About Photoshop CC and update from the Creative Cloud app. CS2 and CS3 don’t have it.
Should I duplicate the layer first?
Yes. Press Cmd/Ctrl + J before Filter > Liquify. The untouched original stays underneath, so you can toggle the edited layer to compare or go back.
How do I get the face handles to show?
Click the Face tool in the Liquify tool list. Photoshop marks the face it recognizes; hover over the eyes, nose, mouth or face edge to see the handles for that feature.
Should I use the handles or the sliders?
Either one. The handles on the face and the Face-Aware Liquify sliders control the same things. Aaron prefers the handles; Reset sets every slider back to zero.
What can I change on the eyes?
Eye size, height, width and tilt, plus the distance between the eyes. The nose has height and width, and the mouth has smile, upper lip, lower lip, width and height.
How do I keep it from looking fake?
Keep every move small, like a little more eye size or a slightly wider smile, and toggle the layer to compare. In the video even Aaron’s subtle pass looked a little strong next to the original.
Does it work on a group photo?
Yes. Liquify finds every face, and you pick which one to edit from the face drop-down menu (Face 1 to 4, left to right, in the family photo). Then adjust that face as usual.
Can it fix an awkward expression?
Only partly. In the family photo, widening the daughter’s mouth and adding a little smile gives it more of an upturn, but it can’t replace the expression with a different one.
Is there a free download?
Yes, with a free PHLEARN account. You get 1 PDF guide with the steps from the video, from the backup layer to adjusting several faces in one photo.
Master Photoshop, Lightroom and Photography
Join PHLEARN PRO for $12.99 a month, or $99.99 a year (save 36%). Cancel anytime, with a 100% money-back guarantee.
