There are many things that Photoshop can still do better than a smartphone. Transforming a photo into abstract art is one of them.

In this tutorial, we will show you how to combine two photos in Photoshop to create a stunning work of art.

If you’d like to follow along, you can download the image of the woman from Pexels and the background from Pexels. Or feel free to use two of your own images. Let's get started.

Step 1: Cut Out the Subject

The first step is removing the subject from the background so that we can place it over the background layer.

  1. Load the first image in Photoshop, then go to Select > Subject.
    Select Subject
  2. Click Select and Mask at the top menu bar.
    Select and Mask
  3. Select the Brush Tool in the upper-left of the screen.
    Select Brush Tool
  4. Click on the Add to Selection icon (+) at the top of the screen.
  5. Use the bracket keys on the keyboard ( [ and ] ) to increase and decrease the Brush size.
  6. Inspect the image. Zoom in (Ctrl + +) and out (Ctrl + -) and use the Hand tool (spacebar) to find any missing pieces in the selection. Use your mouse to fill in the missing pieces. Note that the selection doesn’t have to be perfect because the portrait will be dramatically altered and the fine details will be distorted.
    Fix Selection
  7. Change the Output To to New Layer with Layer Mask and click OK.
    Output To

You'll now have a non-destructive selection of the portrait that can be moved over the background layer document. Check out our beginner’s guide for using the Brush tool if you need help painting the selection.

You might have noticed that there are several tools we didn't use for this cut-out, one of them being the Refine Edge Tool. This tool lets you work in fine detail to make the perfect selection.

Step 2: Flip the Background Texture

Rotate Image

After loading the background texture into Photoshop, you might have to flip it so that it’s vertical and aligns better with the portrait. Go to Image > Image Rotation > 90 Degrees Clockwise.

Step 3: Move the Portrait Selection Over the Background Texture Document

The next step is moving the portrait image over the background texture file. There are a few ways to do this.

For this example, click and drag the Background Copy of the woman over the background texture document, and release. The portrait of the woman will appear in front of the background texture in the layer stack.

Step 4: Create the Abstract Portrait

Now that both of the layers are ready, we’re going to transform the whole thing into an abstract portrait. Follow these steps:

  1. Start with converting the portrait layer into a Smart Object to ensure the editing process is non-destructive. Right-click on the portrait layer and select Convert to Smart Object.
    Convert to Smart Object
  2. Press Ctrl + T to bring up the Transform Tool, then press Ctrl + 0 to view the Transform handles.
    Transform Tool
  3. Move the handles with your mouse to position the woman in the center of the frame, as shown below. Click the checkmark or press enter to accept the changes made.
    Move Handles
  4. Duplicate the layer by pressing Ctrl + J.
  5. Click the eye icon on the Background Copy 2 layer (or the top layer) to make it transparent.
    Uncheck Layer Visibility
  6. Click on the Background Copy layer and change the Blend mode to Color Burn.
    Color Burn
  7. With the Background Copy layer still active, press Ctrl + L to create a Levels adjustment layer. Enter the numeric values as shown below into the Levels menu and click OK.
    Levels
  8. Click on the adjustments icon (circle) at the bottom-right of the screen. Select Vibrance, then change Vibrance to +100 and Saturation to +10.
    Vibrance
  9. Click on the Background Copy layer to activate it. Go to Filter > Distort > Shear.
    Shear
  10. Move the points on the white square so that the image looks similar to the below example. Check the Wrap Around option and click OK.
    Move Shear Points
  11. Make the Background Copy 2 layer visible and activate it. Change the Blend mode to Multiply.
  12. Go to Filter > Distort > Wave. Change the Wave menu settings to the values shown below and click OK.
    Wave Values
  13. Click on the settings icon to the right of Wave in Background Copy 2. Change the Opacity slider to 30 and click OK.
    Wave Opacity 30
  14. With Background Copy 2 still active, press Shift + Ctrl + Alt + E to create a stamp visible layer.
    Stamp Visible layer
  15. Convert Layer 1 to a Smart Object like as we did in the first step.
  16. Go to Filter > Camera Raw Filter.
    Camera Raw Filter
  17. Press J for the Radial Filter and drag your mouse over the portrait. Increase the Exposure slider to +1.45 and click OK.
    Radial Filter

Most of the work for our abstract portrait is complete. We could stop here but there are a few finishing touches that can further enhance the portrait.

Step 5: The Finishing Touches

You can give this step a skip, but it's a great way to brighten up the image. Let’s add some quick lighting effects with the Overlay Blend Mode.

  1. Click on the plus (+) icon at the bottom-right of the screen to create a new layer over the layer stack. Alternatively, press Shift + Ctrl + N and click OK.
    Blank Layer
  2. Change the Blend mode to Overlay.
    Overlay Blend Mode
  3. Press B for the Brush tool. Toggle the X key until the foreground color is white.
    Foreground Color White
  4. Change the Flow to 30.
  5. Using the Brush tool, paint on the brightening effect to your liking. You can also reduce the Opacity if need be.
    Paint on Lighting Effect

If you own any third-party plugins for Photoshop, you can experiment with them for additional enhancements. For instance, Luminar AI is a great choice to make your images stand out.

Create an Abstract Portrait in Photoshop

Photoshop isn’t just for performing technical edits, it’s also a space where you can explore your creativity and make art happen. As you can see, creating abstract portraits is a lengthy process, but we promise that the end results are worth it.

Give this tutorial a go and turn your favorite photographs into abstract portraits.