> PHOTOSHOP USER
>^ MARCH 2020
[ 60 ]
Most of us know the Liquify filter (Filter>Liquify) for its magical plastic surgery powers; but the Liquify
filter is more than just a tool to camouflage body insecurities. (Although, we’ve seen celebrities fail to
use it correctly when posting their retouched pictures on social media.) It has a lot of different tools
to rotate, pull, push, bloat, and pucker pixels in both 8- and 16-bit images.
LIQUIFY FILTER SHORTCUTS
Here’s a screen grab of all the tools you can find
in the Liquify filter. Each of these tools can be
modified in the Properties panel where you can
change its brush Size, Density, Pressure, and Rate.
Shortcut #1: Press the W key to access the Forward
Warp tool, which is used to push the pixels in the direc-
tion that you click-and-drag. This is the most-used Liquify
tool, because it can change the shape of pretty much any-
thing. Sometimes it’s overused, but if you use it correctly,
it can save you lots of time retouching, and it can positively
transform your images.
In the images shown here, you can see where I used
it to make a few modifications on my subject’s outfit and
hair. The changes are subtle, but they make a big differ-
ence in the image. I also used the Forward Warp tool to
fix the background.
There are several shortcuts you can use
in the Liquify filter that will help speed up
your workflow.
Shortcut City
GILMARSMITH