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How to Create a Zombie in Affinity Photo

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create a zombie in Affinity Photo.

Before you learn how to create a zombie, go to the following link to download the images used in this tutorial.

Step 1

First, go to File > Open and select the image of the man with a wet face. Press CTRL + J to duplicate the image. Turn the original image off.

Step 2

Next, grab the Selection Brush Tool from the Tools Panel. In the Context Toolbar. Set the Mode to Add and check the Snap to Edges box. Take the brush and make a selection of the man’s face.

Step 3

After you’ve made the selection press CTRL + J to place a duplicate of the selection onto a new layer. Label this layer Face. Press CTRL + D to deselect.

Step 4

Go to File > Open and select the image of the skull.

Step 5

In the Layers Panel, click the Adjustments icon. Select the Curves adjustments. Click the point on the left and drag it slightly up. Next, click in the middle of the curve and add a point. Drag this point up some. Then, click the point on the right and drag it down.

Step 6

Now, select the curve adjustment layer and the original image. Right-click on the selected layers and click Merge Visible. Turn the original layers off.

Step 7

Copy the skull and paste it onto the document with the man. Label the layer Skull.

Step 8

Go to the Transform Panel and turn on the Lock Aspect Ratio.

Step 9

In the Layers Panel, lower the Opacity of the skull to 50%. Take the Move Tool and resize the skull.

Step 10

After that, change the Blend Mode of the skull to Overlay. Then, drag the Skull layer inside of the Face layer.

Step 11

With the skull layer selected, click the Mask Layer icon in the Layers Panel.

Step 12

Now, grab the Paintbrush Tool from the Tools Panel. Next, go to the Brushes Panel and select a Round Light brush. In the Context Toolbar, lower the Opacity to 30%. Click the Mask Layer we added in the Layers Panel to select it. Make sure the fill color in the Swatches Panel is black. Then, take the brush and go over the eye area first. Press Shift + X to change the fill color to white. This will let you add some of the skull back if you need to.

Step 13

Go to File > Open and select the rust texture. Now, resize the texture so that it covers the man’s face. Then, in the Layers Panel, drag the texture layer into the Face layer. Make sure the texture layer is at the top. Change the Blend Mode of this to Multiply. Label this layer Flesh.

Step 14

Next, select the texture layer. Then, click the Mask Layer icon to add a mask.

Step 15

Go to File > Open and select the 2nd skull image.

Step 16

Next, click the Adjustments icon and add a Curves adjustment. Click the point on the left and drag it slightly up. Now, add a point in the middle and drag it up some. Then, click the point on the right and drag it down some.

Step 17

Select both layers. Then, right-click on them and click Merge Visible.

Step 18

Grab the Selection Brush Tool. Take the brush and select the mouth area of the skull.

Step 19

Press CTRL + J to place a copy of the selection on a new layer. Then, copy the new selection and paste it onto the zombie document.

Step 20

Lower the Opacity of the mouth layer to 50%. Then, resize it to match the man’s mouth. Change the Blend Mode to Overlay.

Step 21

In the Layers Panel, click the Mask Layer icon. Then, grab the Paintbrush Tool. Select the mask layer and take the brush and mask out the unwanted parts of the mouth.

Step 22

Label this layer Mouth and place it inside of the Face layer.

Step 23

Grab the Paintbrush Tool from the Tools Panel. Go to the Swatches Panel and set the fill color to black. Make sure the mask layer is selected. Take the brush and go over the eyes to reveal them. Then, take the brush and brush over the whole face a few times until the rust texture looks faint. Press Shift + X to change the stroke color to the fill color which should now be white. Now take the brush and start adding the texture back to the face.

Step 24

In the Layers Panel, select the Face layer. Next, grab the Selection Brush Tool from the Tools Panel. In the Context Toolbar, set the Mode to Add and check Snap to Edges. Take the brush and make a selection of the man’s eyes. Once you’ve done that, press CTRL + J to place a copy onto a new layer. In the Layers Panel, delete the skull and flesh layers and rename the layer Eyes. Press CTRL + D to deselect.

Step 25

Select the Face Layer. Take the Selection Brush Tool and make a selection of the man’s irises. Press CTRL + J after you’ve made the selection. Press CTRL + D to deselect. In the Layers Panel, delete the skull and flesh layers. Then, rename the layer Iris.

Step 26

Now, select the Face layer. Next, take the Selection Brush Tool and select the man’s pupils. After that, press CTRL + J to duplicate the selection. Press CTRL + D to deselect. Then, delete the skull and flesh layers again and rename the duplicated label Pupil.

Step 27

Press CTRL and click the thumbnail of the Iris layer. Then, click the Adjustments icon and select the Levels adjustment. Drag the adjustment inside of the Iris layer. Set the White Level to 54%, Gamma to .9, and the Output White Level to 94%. Now, go to the Filters menu. Go to Blur > Gaussian Blur. Set the Radius to .5 px.

Step 28

Next, press CTRL and click the thumbnail of the Pupil layer. Click the Adjustments icon and select the Levels adjustment. Drag the adjustment inside of the Pupil layer. Then, set the White Level to 89%, Gamma to .72, and the Output Black Level to 16%. Go to the Filters menu. Go to Blur > Gaussian Blur. Set the Radius to 1 px.

Step 29

Press CTRL and click the thumbnail for the Eyes layer. Click on the Adjustments icon and select the Level adjustment. Drag the adjustments inside of the Eye layer.

Step 30

Go to File > Open and select the image of the first old man.

Step 31

Grab the Selection Brush Tool from the Tools Panel. In the Context Toolbar, set the Mode to Add and check the Snap to Edges box. Take the brush and make a selection of the man’s face. Press CTRL + J to duplicate the selection and press CTRL + D to deselect.

Step 32

Now, copy the layer and paste it onto the zombie document.

Step 33

In the Layers Panel, turn off the 3 eye layers and the Face layers. Select the layer of the old mand and lower the Opacity to 50%. Take the Move Tool and resize the old man’s face to match with the younger man. Then, rotate the man’s face slightly to the right.

Step 34

Rename the old man layer to Wrinkles. Next, click the Mask Layer icon to add a mask to the layer. Then, grab the Paintbrush Tool from the Tools Panel. In the Context Toolbar, make sure the Opacity is at 30%. In the Swatches Panel, the fill color should be black.

Step 35

In the Layers Panel, turn the 3 eye layers back on and the face layer.

Step 36

Now, select the mask layer in the Layers Panel. Take the brush and start to mask out the old man. When you’ve completed that, set the Blend Mode to Luminosity.

Step 37

In the Layers Panel, select the duplicated layer of the original image. Grab the Selection Brush Tool from the Tools Panel. In the Context Toolbar, set the Mode to Add and check the Snap to Edges box. Take the brush and make a selection of the man’s neck and shoulder area. Press CTRL + J to place a copy of the selection onto a new layer. Then, press CTRL + D to deselect.

Step 38

In the Layers Panel, select the duplicated layer of the original image. Grab the Selection Brush Tool. In the Context Toolbar, set the Mode to Add and check the Snap to Edges box. Take the brush and make a selection of the man’s neck and shoulder area. Press CTRL + J to place a copy of the selection onto a new layer. Then, press CTRL + D to deselect.

Step 39

Now, go to File > Open and drag the rust texture image onto the document. Drag this layer inside of the new layer. Change the Blend Mode to Multiply.

Step 40

With the rust texture still selected, click the Mask Layer icon in the Layers panel. Grab the Paintbrush tool. Click the mask layer in the Layers Panel. Make sure that the fill color in the Swatches Panel is black. Now take the brush and brush over the textured area few times until the texture looks faint.

Step 41

Press Shift + X to change the stroke color to the fill color. Take the brush and start adding back in some of the rust texture.

Step 42

Go to File > Open and select the picture of the other old man with the black hat.

Step 43

Now, grab the Selection Brush tool and make a selection of the man’s neck and shoulder. Press CTRL + J to place a copy of the selection onto a new layer. Then, copy the new layer and paste it onto the zombie document

Step 44

In the Transform Panel, make sure the Lock Aspect Ratio is on. Then, take the Move Tool and resize the wrinkled neck/shoulder layer to match that of the zombie man.

Step 45

Click the Mask Layer icon in the Layers Panel to add a layer to this.

Step 46

Next, grab the Paintbrush Tool from the Tools Panel. Select the mask layer in the Layers Panel and make sure that in the Swatches Panel the fill color is black. Take the brush and start masking away the old man’s skin until you’re left with the long skin wrinkles by the throat and its surrounding area. Once you’ve done that, change the Blend Mode of the neck/shoulder area to Luminosity. Drag this layer inside of the original neck/shoulder layer. Label the main layer Neck/Shoulder

Step 47

Select the duplicated layer of the original image. Grab the Selection Brush Tool and make a selection of the man’s hair. Press CTRL + J to place the selection onto a new layer. Drag the hair layer to the top in the Layers Panel. Label the layer Hair.

Step 48

Next, go to File > Open and select the image of the man holding the leaf. Grab the Selection Brush Tool from the Tools Panel. Take the brush and make a selection of the man’s hair and select down to his forehead area. Press CTRL + J. Then, copy the duplicated layer and paste it onto the other document.

Step 49

Grab the Move Tool and resize the hair so that it lines up with the zombie’s head. Lower the Opacity of the hair to about 50%. In the Layers Panel, click the Mask Layer icon to add a new layer.

Step 50

Next, grab the Paintbrush Tool. Select the mask layer. Then, take the brush and start masking the forehead of the man. Leave some gray in the hair area of the zombie but mask out everything else. Set the Blend Mode of the main hair layer to Luminosity. Set the Blend Mode of the hair layer with the mask to Hard Light.

Step 51

Select the duplicated layer of the original image. Grab the Selection Brush tool. Take the brush and select the surrounding area around the zombie. In the Layers Panel, click the Add Pixel layer to add a new layer. Make sure the new layer is selected and that it’s above the background layer. Now, go to the Edit menu and select Fill with Primary Color. The layer should be filled with black.

Step 52

Next, click the Adjustments icon in the Layers Panel and select the Curves adjustment. Add a point slightly above the middle of the curve and drag it down some. Now, click the point on the right and drag it down.

Step 53

Go to the Red Channel. Add a point on the middle of the curve and drag it down some.

Step 54

In the Layers Panel, click the Adjustment icon and select the Recolor adjustment. Set the Hue to 187 degrees, Saturation to 64%, and the Lightness to 5%.

Step 55

Go to the Layers Panel and select all the layers except for the Background layer. Right-click on the selection and click Merge Visible. Label the new layer Zombie.

Step 56

Now, select the Zombie layer and go to the Develop Persona. Go to the Details tab. Check the Detail Refinement box. Set the Radius to 53 % and the Around to 61%.

Step 57

After that, go to the Tones tab. Check the Split Toning box. Set the Shadow Hue to 165 degrees and the Shadow Saturation to 14%. Click Develop once you’ve finished.

Congratulations, this tutorial is finally complete! You now know how to create a zombie in Affinity Photo. For more Affinity Photo tutorials, check out this article on how to create a ghost effect.

The Creative Hagja

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