How to Make Your Photo into a Personalized Avatar in Photoshop

How long has the avatar on your social account been changed? Are you distressed because you always collide with others’ avatar? I want to use my own photos, but I feel that the photos are too common, and one else’s avatar has more personality than mine. Today, let’s learn how to make your own photos into a personalized avatar so that you can use personalized portraits while ensuring that they will not be the same as others.

Look at the picture above. This is the effect we are going to do today. In addition, there are three other ways to make an avatar, and all of which are very simple. After you learn it, you only need about ten minutes to create a personalized avatar that is exclusive to you. So now, let’s take a look.

• Pick out the Portraits

1. Open the material picture and use the shortcut key—”CTRL+J” to copy a layer.

2. Because the background of this picture is a darker color, you cannot directly use the threshold for processing. You need to use the pen tool to pick out the characters before you continue. Select the pen tool in the toolbar on the left, and then use the pen tool to draw a path around the character. Right-click on the path. Select the Make Selection, and load the character into the selection.

3. Select the quick selection tool in the toolbar on the left. Click the select and mask in the upper status bar. In the parameter settings on the left, set the view to overlay. Check Smart Radius and adjust the radius value to 35. Select the Adjust Edge Brush tool in the left toolbar to adjust the brush size. Use the brush to draw a circle around the edge of the character’s hair, or not.

In the output settings on the right, select the new selection to the layer mask, and click OK.

• Adjust Image with the Threshold

4. Execute [Image]—[Adjustment]—[Threshold] in the menu bar to adjust the threshold level to 100. Click OK.

5. Turn off the background layer and layer 1, leaving only a copy of layer 1. In the menu bar, execute [Select]— [Color Range]. Click the black part of the portrait with the mouse to suck out the color. Adjust the tolerance value to 0 and click OK. Load the character into the selection.

6. Use the shortcut key—”CTRL+J” to copy the character as a new layer. Create a new blank layer below layer 2 and fill it with white.

• The First Way to Add the Gradient

7. Create a new gradient map on the top of layer 2. Click the fourth symbol in the lower right corner. Select the gradient map, and click the gradient bar to modify the color. The color parameters are: # 032c63, #fbff8c. You can also use your favorite color to set.

The first style is completed.

• The Second Way to Add the Gradient

8. Let’s make the second style of character avatar below. Click the small eye in front of the gradient map to close it. Create a blank layer on top. Select the gradient tool in the left toolbar. Click the gradient bar in the upper status bar to adjust the color. The color parameters are: # ff7854, # 28013c.

Select the linear gradient to the left of the gradient bar. Then use the mouse to draw a gradient on the canvas.

9. Modify the blending mode of layer 4 to linear dodge. The second style is completed.

• The Third Way to Add the Gradient

10. Choose a background picture you like and drag it into the canvas. Adjust the layer position of the background image to be above layer 3. Right-click on layer 4 and choose the Create Clipping Mask. The third style is completed.

• Second Style

1. Open the material picture. Use the pen tool to select the character, and copy it as a new layer.

2. Right-click the background copy layer and select the Convert to Object Only.

3.In the menu bar, execute [Filter]— [Filter Library]. Select the brush stroke—shadow, and modify the parameters. Click OK.

4. Execute [Image]— [Canvas Size] in the menu bar to modify the width of the canvas to 34cm. Click OK.

5. Click the original background layer. Click the penultimate symbol in the lower right corner to create a new blank layer under the background copy layer. Then click the fourth symbol in the lower right corner. Select a solid color to fill, and add a background color to the character. Select the character layer.

Use the shortcut key—”CTRL+T” to call up the free transform box. Hold down the shift key while dragging the four corners of the box to zoom and rotate the character in equal proportions.

6. Create a new blank layer above the background copy layer. select the gradient fill, and fill it with the color you like. The color parameters used here are: #ff5a5a, #ffffff.

7. Select the brush tool in the left toolbar, and select the special effect brush in the brush presets. The one used here is the leaf blend 2 in the special effect brush. Click the thumbnail of the layer mask with color fill 1. Change the foreground color to black, and then use the brush to paint on the position of the middle figure. The beautiful avatar is completed!

In our daily life, whether it is a social account or other software accounts, the avatar setting is required. It is very important for many people to have a unique and personalized avatar. Today’s tutorial specifically explained how to make a special avatar, using three different methods. But maybe after you learn it, you can add your favorite elements and reconstruct the picture to create some different styles of avatars.

Use your own way to create a unique style that truly belongs to you. Isn’t it very attractive? So, give it a try now.