Step 1 - Extracting the Image in Photoshop Open your image in Photoshop and duplicate the background layer.

We are going to extract the portrait from the background using a nifty little feature in photoshop called Extract. Select the duplicate background layer and run [Filter -> Extract]. If you haven't used the extract tool before don't worry, it's very easy. There are only 3 steps and its very effective for the job. First you use the magic marker tool to trace the outline of the subject, make sure that you don't leave any gaps or the next step won't work. Next you use the paint bucket to fill the area which you want to keep and click the preview button. Finally use the clean up tool, click to erase, alt-click to fill. When you're done press ok. Name this layer extract. Step 2 - Preparing the Image for Transformation with Photoshop's Displacement Feature Duplicate our extract layer twice and name them grayscale and displace . We will be using this for our displacement map. Let's get this to grayscale, run [Image -> Adjustments -> Desaturate]. We are using this for our displacement map so we have to do some tweaking. If you're not familiar with the displacement tool, this is how it works in a nutshell: Brighter shades of gray make peaks and darker shades make valleys. First we need to lighten the entire picture a bit so go to [Image -> Adjustments -> Curves] and bring it up until it's bright as can be without losing any detail. In this picture we have some very dark area which we need to lighten. Let's start off with the eyes. Use the polygonal lasso tool to select the eyes and get a color sample from the brightest part of the whites. Fill in the dark pupils until you have effective glazed them over. We also need to lighten the dark clothing areas and hair so use the polygonal lasso and adjust curves on each of these areas to make a more medium gray You should have something that resembles the image on the right. Step 3 - Photoshop Magic Here's where the real fun begins. Copy your displace layer and paste it into a new image. Fill the background of the new image with medium gray (128, 128, 128) and save it as displace.psd. Go back to our main image. Find a good stone texture that fills the entire image, copy it into the top layer and name it stone. Load the transparent pixels from the displace layer into a selection [Select -> Load Selection], this is our mask for the stone layer. Go back to the stone layer and click the mask button to create our mask. Unlink this mask or it will mess up our displacement. Now run [Filter -> Distort -> Displace], use 30 for horizontal / vertical scale (you may need a different value here based on the size of your image), check "stretch to fit" and "wrap around". Finally set the blending mode to overlay and add in the background of your choice. I decided to go with a flashy background using a selection from the style palette.

1. Create a new 340x340 pixel document with a resolution of 100 and name it Techno-Blur. Now press D and apply a clouds filter. Next apply a Difference Clouds filter anywhere from 2 to 5 times (or more if you please).

Now, adjust levels and give these settings: You now want to extrude your image with these settings [Type: Blocks, Size: 27px, Depth: 27& Level-Based].

3. Then, extrude your image with these settings [Type: Blocks, Size: 2px (lowest value), Depth: 27& Level-Based, Solid Front Faces 'Checked']. Now you can add color to the image by, creating a new layer and filling it with a color of your choice (I chose Dark Blue). Then set that layers blending mode to 'Color'. Then select the layer with the color on it and merge it with previous layer.

4. You should now have one layer. Copy this layer and name the duplicated one, 'onset'. Select this layer and add the filter glowing edges with settings [Edge Width: 1, Edge Brightness: 20, Smoothness: 1].

5. Now invert the 'onset' layer. Even now you have a pretty cool effect, but we aren't done yet. Adjust the Hue/Saturation with these settings [First Check Colorize Box, Hue: 205, Saturation: 25, Lightness: 0]. Almost done!

6. Lastly, you can change the 'onset' layers blending mode to a number of things for your desired effect. Here are a few that caught my eye: Darken, Multiply, Linear Blur, Lighten, Screen, Overlay, and Pin Light. Below is the actual size of the pictures which I used Multiply as my blending mode.

Complete Grunge Sig A complete guide to create your very own grunge signature. Steps included for background, broken text and other grungey effects.
14 Nov 2004 by zuccs

1. Start with a 400x100 image, or another size if you see the need for it. Set background to white (#FFFFFF). 2. Now for the background. The easiest way (but yes, it is cheating) is to use a set of grunge brushes. There are a few nice sets of brushes here on Tribe Radio if you do not already have any grunge brushes. 3. Select the brush you like, and using black as your foreground colour, paint away. Try to darken up the area where your text will go, to make it more readible. Anything like mine will do.

4. Create a new layer, and set #FF0099 as your foreground colour. A nice bright pink! I used the same grunge brush as in the third step, but you can select a different one also. Give it a bit of contrasting colour. 5. For this pink grunge layer, set the opacity to 40%.

6. Now, time for some text! There are two ways you can go about this. First way, find a grungey looking font and type your name in that. Or second way, use a thick plain font like Impact or Arial Black and break it up yourself. For the sake of a interesting tutorial, i will do things the second way. 7. Type your text in thick PINK (#FF0099) letters. I have done mine in a seperate document, but you can do yours easily in the same grunge sig document. 8. Right click on the text layer and select Rasterize Layer. 9. Using the Lasso Tool (press L), draw all over your text like I have done.

10. Go to Layer > New > Layer Via Cut.

11. It will put half your text onto a new layer. Select the Move tool (press V) and press the up arrow once, and the left arrow once. And there is your grunge text! Simple!

12. Merge the 2 text layers together, to form one text layer again. Now right click on the single layer and select Blending Options. Go down to Stroke, and use the following settings.

13. This time select Outer Glow from the Blending Options, and use my settings once again.

14. Nearly there now...For something different I added a kangaroo street

sign (since I am from Australia mate!). You can add whatever you like at this step. Plenty of random stock photos available for free at Stock.XCHNG. 15. I put the street sign on it's own layer and set the opacity to 28% so it is less visible, but still legible. 16. Finally, create a new layer on top of all your existing ones, and add a 1px black border around the outside of your whole image. To do this, select black (#000000) as your foreground colour, select the Pencil Tool with a 1px Square brush, zoom in a bit, hold down shift, and draw 4 straight lines around the outside of the image! 17. Hope you enjoyed the tutorial! Remember, be creative and change a few things along the way. That way it will be more individual and reflect you.