This new lesson we'll see how to represent an artistic portrait out of a photo by changing the background, correcting the colors and using different textures and filters.

Open a photo, for the beginning, in a new window, that one, we want to process: File - Open (ctrl+o).



Copy the layer to make easier working with it: Layer - Duplicate Layer (ctrl+j) and delete the previous layer, using the corresponding icon in the Layers window. Mark out now the background, choosing the Polygonal Lasso Tool and then erase it.



Increase a little the working space, selecting the Crop Tool and start correcting the colors and the brightness. First we need to increase the brightness, making use of next combination Image - Adjustments - Curves (ctrl+m).



Now make the colors look more intensive by applying next combination: Image - Adjustments - Selective Color.



Select now the Stamp Tool and use this tool as a brush to make the girl's coiffure look livelier:



Make a copy of this layer (ctrl+j) and blur it out, selecting the next filter: Filter - Blur - Gaussian Blur.



Now we should change the layer's Blending Mode on Soft Light and minimize the Opacity till 35%. Then merge down the layers: Layer - Merge Down (ctrl+e).



What we need to do further is opening in a new window (ctrl+o) the picture we want to make the background out of it. In this case we have smudge paint.