How to Remove Pounds From a Model using the Liquify FilterEven the perfect model can occasionally appear “not-so-perfect” in a photo. Let’s examine how to take a few pounds off a model using the Liquify filter and the Free Transform command in Adobe Photoshop. As with this stock image, having a neutral background is key in making this kind of digital alteration.
Launch the Liquify filter by going to Filter > Liquify. A very large dialog box will open. We will be working with the very first tool in the toolbar, the Forward Warp Tool.
Select a brush size that is just a little smaller than the area that needs to be changed. The warp effect will be strongest in the center of the brush area and slowly become less strong as it nears the brush’s edge. Also select the brush density and brush pressure that best fit your desired effect.
Using lots of small, short strokes, begin pushing the pixels in toward the center of the body, eliminating the love handle. For example, I used approximately 50 individual clicks to push in just the one side. Using small, short strokes allows you more control and gives a much more realistic appearance than trying to use a few, long strokes.
At any time, if you have gone too far, you can use the Reconstruct Tool to paint any area back to its original look. Or, if you hold down the Alt/Option key, the Cancel button in the Liquify dialog box with turn into a Reset button, which will revert the entire image back to the way it looked when the dialog box opened.
Once you have finished with the Liquify work, click OK to save the changes. If you have been working on the background layer, double-click the background layer to unlock it. Now hit Ctrl/Cmd + T to activate the Free Transform command, and in the properties bar at the top, change the width of the image to further slim the model. Make sure the linked icon is unchecked as you just want to adjust the width of the image, not the height.
Most of the time changing the width of the image more than 5%, especially when doing a portrait, will begin to make the model look unnatural so remember to adjust accordingly. The Liquify filter takes a little getting used to, but once you have the hang of it, it can be very useful for making adjustments to your images to make them even more appealing.
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