Merging heads from one picture to another

[thelagger]

Just started using photoshop last night and all these tutorials I've came across don't explain the point vividly enough.

What I wanna do is, take someone's head from one picture and "merge" it to body and it must look realistic. I tried with a few pictures already, but the lighting of the head would be way off or the original person's hair will get in the way with the other pic, etc.

Is there a tutorial on how to do the perfect merge?

[Paul]

Hello there.
The best tip i can offer is make sure the two images are very similar in quality and lighting, it really helps when you come to do this type of thing.
This is a fun tut and it shows how to do it HERE

[Stric9]

Not really. If you are brand new to Photoshop I would encourage you to learn the basics first before you wade off into things that can be challenging for intermediate and advanced photoshopers. The issue is learning to overcome the challenges that each group of pictures presents. Lighting, skin tones, and things like that there arent simple tutorials that you can apply across the board. You have to learn the principles and how to apply them. Then you can work on a wide range of images.

If you would post your images we can then give you some tips on achieving what you want. Otherwise we would just be stabbing in the dark.

[Steve]

Is there a tutorial on how to do the perfect merge?

No, not really.

Depending on the images there are several to several dozens of tools and techniques you need to learn that are used in all kinds of manipulations, there is nothing that's used exclusively for swapping heads.

You need to learn how to use adjustment layers like Color Balance, Selective Color, Hue/Saturation and how to uses masks and clipping masks.

Do you know what Transform is?

Are you familiar with Image|Adjustments|Match Color?

Do you know how to use the selection tools?

The point is there isn't a head swap tool.
To make a "perfect merge" you need to learn a bunch of tools and use the ones that apply to the specific images you're using.

[thelagger]

Heh, I've spent roughly 24 hours watching videos on all kinds of photshop crap. I'm pretty confident with all the basics. I actually have a piece of work... a pretty explicit one.

Since this site doesn't have a PM feature for some reason, mind me sending you a email of it and you telling me what I'm doing wrong? It'd help a lot. I'll let you guys know beforehand, it's NSFW and the female model is pretty stunning.

[Paul]

I for one are not interested in 'pornographic' styled imagery, it does nothing but belittle women who feel the need to act that way.
No pm's thank you for me.

P.S. if photoshop is such 'crap' to you why bother?

[Steve]

The PM feature is disabled for new members and will probably be enabled after another post or two and I appreciate that you didn't post explicit images.

The fact is watching video's isn't the same as doing the work.
What you're doing wrong is thinking there's a quick and easy way to learn PS.

Get 2 other images and post them here, we'll be glad to help you out.

@Paul
I took the comment to mean "24 hours watching videos on all kinds of photshop stuff" not a comment about PS in general.

[Paul]

My bad.

[Steve]

I just meant I had a different take on what he meant, that's all.