Step 1: Find a picture to be the subject. I used a picture of myself. I cropped it a little to get mostly my face.
Step 2: Open your chosen photo in Adobe Photoshop. I'm using CS5, but I'm not using anything too complex, so if you have an earlier version you should still be able to follow along. (The most complex thing is an adjustment layer) Call this layer "Face"
Step 3: Find a texture. You can use anything you want from cracked mud to the inside of a stomach. It's your choice. I used a picture from Morgue File, a free website with royalty free, cost free images. Although the name suggests morbid content, most of the pictures are regular photos, so it's a good place to look for photos of any subject matter. This is the photo I used. http://morguefile.com/archive/display/79935 . It's the inside of a camel that had been plasticized. (It's best to download the full sized image from the above link rather than saving this little version of the picture.) Open this picture in a new layer and call it "Texture".
Step 4: Duplicate the face layer and call the new duplicated layer "Duplicate". Arrange your layers as:
Step 5: Change the blending mode of the "Duplicate" layer to soft light* and the blending mode of the "Texture" layer to multiply*.
* Each picture is different, so you may need to try different blending modes. You should end up with something like step 7.
Step 6: You'll be able to see through the layers. Position your "Texture" layer where you like it by using the move tool.
Step 7: Erase the parts of the "Texture" layer that you don't want. (anything that's not on the face or body) Do this by using the eraser tool. I used a combination of sizes and hardnesses to achieve the look I wanted. 100% hardness makes the lines look too much like a cutout, while a hardness of about 50% will create a blended look.
Step 8: It's getting there, but not quite perfect. Create an adjustment layer* on top of your other layers.
*If you're using an earlier version of Photoshop, you may not have this feature. You may have to try making a copy of all 3 layers: Duplicate, Face, and Texture, and merging them into a new layer. (Don't merge the original layers. Make sure to duplicate the layers before merging.) Once merged, go to Image> Adjustments, Hue/Saturation and follow the instructions in step 9.
Step 9: Adjust the hue to a greenish yellow color, then tone down the saturation a bit.
Step 10: Make a new layer on top of everything else and add some black. I colored my eye in the whole way since it was pretty much already consumed by the camel's stomach anyway. I also added some darkening to the hair by using a soft brush with about 50% opacity. Then I used a large brush size 85, opacity 50% and went over the background to darken it. Don't make it perfect. It shouldn't look solid black and don't worry if you get it on top of your zombie as we will fix that next.
Step 11: Clean it up. Use the eraser tool to clean up any black that may have gotten on your zombie's body. You can also use it to lighten the background a little in some spots if necessary. Remember to adjust your eraser as well. It should be soft and not full opacity. I used between 25% and 50% adjusting as necessary. I wanted a fog-like effect in the background, but you can make yours as dark as you'd like.
Step 12: Add the final details. I'm making my other eye look glazed over by adding white with a soft brush with an opacity of about 75%. Make sure this is on a new layer on top of everything else. Use a brush that is big enough to cover your eye, so you can click one time and be done. Then take the eraser and clean up any of the white that may have gotten on the eyelid or surrounding area. I then added a small pupil on a new layer with a soft black brush.
There's your zombie. Tweak it to your liking from this point. adjust the opacity of different elements, if you'd like more texture, duplicate the "Texture" layer and place it directly above the original "texture layer" and use the eraser to fade different parts or the paintbrush to add shading as you see fit for your image. Here's my final picture after making some last minute adjustments.
Hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Now, go creep out your friends!
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