Program Used: Photoshop CC 2018

Tutorial By: Gaby

Level: Intermediate - Advanced

Step 01: Open a new Photoshop file; I will be using the standard Wattpad cover size which is 512 x 800 px (for more information, read our chapter about sizing).

Step 02: Open your guide picture alongside the picture(s) you will place on top of it.

Step 03: Place your guide picture on the blank canvas. Skip this step if you'll be using your guide picture as your background picture.

Step 04: Now, place the picture you'll be using on top of it, and adjust the size so it matches the guide picture's size. Move around the opacity so I'll be easier to see.

Here I am placing the face on top, right were the guide picture man's face is and adjusting the size so it'll be proportioned.

Step 05: We'll create an adjustment layer on the picture on top. This is the most important step. Everything you do, you'll do it on the adjustment layer, not the actual picture.

Always make sure that the adjustment layer is selected.

Step 06: This is the key part. We'll pick up the brush tool to erase what we don't want of our picture. In this case, we only want the face and the neck, so we'll get rid of the body and background. To do this, it's important to remember:

Black Color: Erases
White Color: Adds

So, picking up the brush, we will start painting over what we want to get rid of with black paint. In case you want to bring back something you erased, just invert the colors in the little arrows on top of the squares.

Play around with the hardness and size of the brush; I recommend using a hard brush to quickly get rid of the edges and then use a soft brush to work on the details. Make sure you alternate the black and white paint.

Step 07: Since I have two characters, I will use the same technique to work on the other one.

Step 08: Next step is editing; this is the part where you can make it look very realistic. Since I was going to apply a PSD afterwards, I just adjusted the brightness and contrast of both pictures. Tap the fourth icon on the bottom right corner, and it'll display all the adjustment layers you can add.

If this is your last step, apply as many adjusment layers as you'll like until it looks like one cohesive picture. Basically, make sure both faces have the same tones, lightning, both match to the backgroud...

This is the last step of the manip portion, now let's move onto the cover.