In this tutorial we will be learning how to create a severed arm with fleshy stumps and strings of sinew. This will be created by using some basic Brushes and Layer Masks. Let's get started!
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Tutorial Details
- Program - Photoshop CS3
- Difficulty level - intermediate
- Time to complete - 1 hour
Video Tutorial
Our video editor Gavin Steele has created this video tutorial to compliment this text + image tutorial.
Step 1
We will be using two different stock items for this project - first, the arm from cobweb-stock (use "Arm08.jpg" from the zip file) and a lump of meat from stock xchng. Please remember to follow these artists rules and credit them where appropriate.
We start by opening the arm picture in Photoshop and duplicating the "Background" Layer by clicking Command + J. We want to preserve the background layer for later on. Hold the Alt key + double-click the duplicate layer, then rename it "Arm."
Choose the Pen Tool (set to Shape Layer) to cut out the arm from its background. Its important to have a clean cut, so first zoom into the picture using the Magnifying Glass and carefully trace around the edge cutting across the top of the arm, as in the picture below. If you set the Fill in the Layer Palette to a 0% you will be able to see the arm, but still manipulate the path.
Step 2
Once you have completed your path and you are happy with it, click the Eye Icon in the Layer Palette next to the Shape Layer to hide it. Follow this by holding Command + Clicking the Shape Layer. This puts a Selection around the "Arm" Layer, now press Command + J on the keyboard to create a copy of the arm onto a new Layer, rename this Layer "Arm Prime" and hide it by clicking the Eye Icon.
Step 3
We are now going to remove the arm and shadow from the "Arm" Layer. Choose the Heal Tool from the Toolbox with mode set to normal in the options bar. Sample some of the sheet around the arm by Holding Alt + Clicking the sheet. Luckily the sheet is quite creased so making it look convincing will be easy.
Start painting over the arm and resample different parts of the sheet to keep the texture from repeating. Activate "Arm Prime" from time to time to make sure you don't go to far up the arm. Eventually the arm and shadow will be removed leaving you with a stump and a clean sheet as in the picture below.
Step 4
Reactivate the "Arm Prime" layer by pressing the Eye Icon next to it in the Layer Palette. Next we want to add a Layer Mask (Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All) to this Layer so we can mask out some of the arm. Choose a Hard Edged brush from the Brush Picker setting the size to 80 pixels, Opacity of 100% and Flow of 100%. Next set your Foreground color to black (#000000) and on the Layer Mask draw four cutting lines as in the picture below.
Step 5
Save your progress and open the meat texture file that we downloaded earlier. Once again cut it out from its background. You don't need to be as careful with this as we want to rough it up a bit soon anyway. Use your Pen Tool as before to trace around the edge - be careful not to select the shadow.
As in Step 2 copy this to a new Layer by pressing Command + J, and rename this layer "Meat." We now want to copy it to the working document, we do this by holding the Alt key and dragging the "Meat" layer to the "Create a New Layer" Icon within the Layer Palette . This will open a dialog asking you what document you want to copy it too. Choose "Arm08" (which is our working document) from the list, and Click OK. Finally, go back to the "Arm08" document.
Step 6
Move the "Meat" layer to the top of the Layer Stack. Use the Healing Brush to remove some of the larger white patches of fat on top of the meat with other sampled texture. If you don't have the Healing Brush then feel free to use the Clone Stamp. Position the Meat Layer so it totally covers the arm and hand, move the Meat Layer below the "Arm Prime" Layer.
Step 7
We are now going to draw the flesh back onto the arm stumps, we begin by adding a Hide All Layer Mask to the "Meat Layer" (Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All). Next we want to choose a Soft Edge Brush from the Brush Picker with a size of around 10-20 pixels, Opacity 100% and Flow 100%, the settings then need to be adjusted.
Press F5 or go to Window > Brushes to open the Brush dialog window. If you are using a pressure sensitive tablet then, your first stop is the Shape Dynamics, under Size Jitter locate the Command Drop Down List and select Pen Pressure.
We then want to change the Texture of the Brush to give it a nice rough look, choose Clouds from the provided list of textures, with Scale 100% also tick Texture Each Tip.
Step 8
We are now ready to paint the meat back on, Select the Meat Layer's Mask and with the Brush's Foreground Color set to White (#FFFFFF) gradually build up the arm as in the picture below. Repeat this for each section of arm.
Step 9
The shadow of the arm is used to ground the image and make it look less fake. We use the shadow from the original photo we preserved as the background layer. Locate the "Arm" Layer and Add as Reveal all Layer Mask (Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal all).
We will now mask out some of the "Arm" layer revealing the shadow below, try and follow the shape of the arm. Once again we will be using a Soft edge brush, or you can continue to use the textured brush we created in the last step if you wish. This will add a rough edge to your shadow especially around the stumps.
Step 10
The project is almost complete. The final steps are to draw some veins and strings of flesh onto the stumps and make some shadows. We shall reuse the "Meat" layer for this step.
First we need to copy this layer, either press Command + J or drag it to the new Layer Icon within the Layer Palette. The new layer will be called "Meat Copy." Drag this above the "Arm Prime" layer and delete its Layer Mask by right-clicking on the Mask and selecting Delete Layer Mask. Once again the whole slab of meat should be visible.
The meat needs to be a little darker for the strings - so we adjust it with Levels (Image > Adjustments > Levels) setting the Input Levels to 0, 0.64, and 255. We are then going to add another Hide All Layer Mask to this Layer (Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All>).
Choose the Brush Tool again, the textured brush should still be active. If not, then set it again as in Step 7, adjust the size so it is very small around 4 or 5 pixels. On the Layer Mask draw some strings of flesh joining the stumps together. Draw it from flesh to flesh - not skin to flesh.
Step 11
The strings of flesh will cast shadows down onto the cloth beneath, we can easily fake this by choosing the "Meat Copy" layer Mask and holding Command while Clicking it. This will put a selection around the strings.
Next we make a new Layer called "Shadow" and fill the selection with black (Edit > Fill > Black). Using the Move Tool adjust the shadow slightly so it is away from the strings. The black will be too dark so we reduce the Opacity to around 50%. You can also add a 2 pixel Gaussian Blur if you feel it is still too sharp. Finally, drag it below the "Meat" layer.
Step 12
Choose the Burn Tool from the Toolbox and set the Range to Midtones. Next set the Exposure to 20% and click the Airbrush option. Select the "Meat" layer and add some dark edges where the meat is exposed. Select "Arm Prime" and change the range to shadows, then burn the flesh where the arm has been severed.
Conclusion
The final and probably the easiest step is to create a Black And White Adjustment Layer at the top of the layer stack and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light. This makes the picture darker and more washed out. If you don't have the Black and White Adjustment Layer option, then create a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer and reduce the Saturation to -100.
Have fun cutting up your own meaty images. The final image is below.
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User Comments
( ADD YOURS )Eyes Only August 28th
Nice tutorial! I’m a big horror fan and plan on doing some photo manipulations too. This is definitely a good start and just in time for a big horror filled weekend with Halloween 2 and Final Destination!
( )MoonBoy August 28th
easy one, but nice Brush experience. thank you
( )Steve Napierski August 28th
That is disturbingly cool.
( )tira August 28th
disgusting
I miss bloodstains on the bed!
( )Carlitos August 28th
Would have liked to have seen you bloodstain the sheets under the arm to give it that more realistic feel as if blood has actually been pouring out.
Good tut nonetheless.!
( )Andreas September 3rd
it would be a boss effect if they make a video and the arm moving but hanged from the vanes :p
( )B-82 August 28th
inspired by the artpiece “no strings attached” by the He1z hu ? : —->http://he1z.deviantart.com/art/No-Strings-Attached-133469866
( )Nightfly August 28th
I don’t think so, cutting up people in PS has been around for a really long time.
About the tutorial, the shadow of the sliced hand is way, way off.
( )pequin August 29th
The shadow is exactly as photographed, it’s coming from 2 light sources
Nightfly August 30th
The shadows are perfect when the hand is not chopped.
When chopped, you left the spaces between the pieces with no shadow and that’s not what would happen given the light source.
Also, on the second piece from the right, the shadow looks like it being created by another light source than the rest of the pieces.
Hope this clears it up.
Simon August 28th
Oh man, this is gross. Excellent job on the tutorial though.
( )Definitely very unique.
Dave August 28th
very gross indeed, but cool
( )Benjamin Reid August 28th
This was a really good TUT, the best bit was defnitely the brush work. Nicely done, it’d be good to see this extended, say more details around the arms, they’re quite neat slices!
( )Evie August 28th
Oooh I like
It’s nice to see something more unique after the weeks of fantasy photo manipulations! I mean, I love them and all, but this is really brilliant to see.
Is there any chance of some more text effect tutorials though? Like those grass and fire tutorials Collis published a few months ago – is he ever going to finish the set? Cuz those were AWESOME.
( )Steve August 28th
Im going to do this with my head and facebook it – lets see the reaction.
( )webernie August 28th
16+ xD
( )I like this tutorial
flareationalist August 28th
that’s a awesome tut, the best I’ve seen in a long time
( )Dave August 28th
we have similar tastes, haha
( )christian tobler August 28th
nice creativity!!!
( )simon rudd August 28th
yay – glad my tutorial is up
if anyone wants to see the original it is at http://rev-jesse-c.deviantart.com/art/small-cuts-129710316.
b-82 – sorry it wsnt inspired by that piece of art – although it is nice!
( )Shlomit August 28th
OMG!!
( )I think the tutorials getting better and better
even I can see that you wrote what is the Difficulty level
and put some layers snapshot neer the steps
that could help alot!
I didnt try it yet but I may do
Thanks for sharing it with us
simon rudd August 31st
glad you like it!
( )dawgama August 28th
reminds me of dexter and his brother
( )Master August 28th
less Shlomit, less…
( )Shlomit August 28th
hmm… why less?
( )I ment that the “how to do it” is so clear
I am doing it now and I can follow it
7 August 28th
The secondary softer/lighter shadow needs to be there, yet. It starts on the left, then just.. disappears in the final image. The main / darker shadow looks good, however.
( )Dave August 28th
This tutorial is Awesome! Very cool effect, and it was accomplished in only a few steps — even better. Like carlitos said, maybe some blood stains would add some realism, and perhaps make the cuts a bit more irregular (pretty neat at the moment as benjamin pointed out). But fantastic nonetheless. I’m sure that I will actually be able to use this in some of my stuff in the future! Thank you Simon Rudd, and PSDtuts for publishing it.
( )snnaqvi August 28th
Oops very nice
( )Phenotype August 28th
Wow, really gross, but good tutorial.
( )Shlomit August 28th
Just one thing to say:
( )in the pds file the is no shadow for the arm…
JohnM. August 28th
This looks dope. I can’t believe it was done in so little steps! GREAT!
( )Craigsnedeker August 28th
Wow that looks awesome (must try in paint shop pro ftw)
( )Servant August 28th
why isn’t there any shadow between the cuts?
( )Imran August 28th
Very Nice, In only 12 easy steps
( )Love the end result , gonna try this
Mike August 28th
Nice technique, but I have one thing to point out about the cuts themselves. If it’s a large clean cut, why are there strings between the chunks?
Wouldn’t the strings have to be severed to finish cutting the arm?
( )simon rudd August 31st
they would be yes – but the strings make it look better
its not an exercise in realism – just a fun picture to make 
( )matthew booth August 28th
The final outcome is rad! As others have said, the number of steps makes it nice too. It will fun to do this with other body parts.
( )kevinsturf August 28th
OMG, I was like what the heck, a severed arm. but this is a great tutorial.
( )brian August 28th
Not bad.
Are people so happy about the limited steps because:
A) it is a huge time saver and easy to do
( )B) They want instant gratification and don’t have the patience longer turorials
Be honest!
Thanks for the tut, keep up the work.
Blueice September 3rd
I work in the industry and can really say for sure that anything that can save time for the same outcome is a great bonus. I see many wonderful tuts on here, and am really impressed at the lvl of skill ppl have with their creativity. However i do find myself reading thru them saying to myself, ‘Hmm could’ve cheated there’ or ‘I know a quicker way to achieve the same result’ and i’m sure i’m not alone. What we must take from these tuts and the time that ppl invest in them is that they can always teach us something new.
Been in the Graphics industry for 19 years now and even now still learn the odd gem or two.
( )So yeah.. keep it up guys.
I love this site and its wonderful resource.
Joe August 28th
I can see it now…
“When I cut my arm off and laid down on my white sheets, my arm magically stopped bleeding. I had to go to the ER to have my arm stitched back together but hey — at least my white sheets didn’t need to be dry cleaned!”
No really, cool tutorial but it could (rather SHOULD) have been taken to further and made more realistic. There is no bone sticking out whatsoever, no blood and no spillage of flesh/muscle.
( )brian August 28th
I am glad someone else pointed that out.
( )Joe August 28th
I am glad someone else agrees with me
LOL
flareationalist August 28th
I think having no bones sticking out is part of the surrealism of this image.
( )Dave August 28th
I think we’ve had enough surrealism around here lately though, don’t you? lol, jk
Dave August 28th
Yeah, it is kind of like part 1 of a 2 part tutorial. This is the concept, and the start of the details, and part two would include a bone, pools of blood, and a bit more mess. It is still a good tutorial though, but like you said, it can be taken even further.
( )Sammo August 28th
I’m not keen on the equal spacing between the severed arm parts, the ’strings/tendons’ in the gaps, or the fact that there are no blood stains on the sheet, because in my opinion it looks a bit too ‘fake.’
But if people spend a little bit more time on their own creations, I’m sure some good photo-manipulations can be made.
( )thechannelc September 23rd
it’s frozen meat, lol.
( )Marcel August 28th
Gross, but nice technique!
( )Brett August 28th
This gives me an idea for a movie DVD cover I need to work on for a webseries i’m making. Good timing! I think, as Sammo said, it could be more realistic…which is what i’m going to do with it, but this is a good start.
( )matthew booth August 28th
Sure there could have been bone and blood on the sheets, but if you can follow the tutorial as it is you should be proficient enough to be inventive with these other realistic parts.
You could also assume the body is at the coroners and the body was drained of it’s fluids and moved onto a clean sheet after the cuts. If television and movies are correct bodies are only cut up on steel tables with gutters on the side to drain the fluids.
( )David Moreen August 28th
A little disturbing but interesting.
( )Jonathan Bennett August 28th
Man, I was not expecting to see that today. Good tutorial though.
( )Dullface August 28th
Ahahaha! I’m doing this on all my pictures of my friends.
( )Crysfel August 28th
the “ice truck killer” from “Dexter” tv show hahahahaha
( )Shlomit August 28th
the amezing thing is:
( )that you can fill the body with whatever you want with that techniq:
water, fire,smoke, ice, blood, food, etc
cool!!
Diego SA August 28th
Cool! Disguting and lovely!
( )lawrence77 August 28th
Nice tutorial Simon Rudd good work…
( )simon rudd August 31st
hahaha – yeah no bones
glad you liked it! 
( )Kasper August 28th
HEhe, pretty fun
( )g3niuz August 29th
great…
just saw a nice piece a few days – where was used this technique..
amazing ;D
( )RUGRLN August 29th
Now this is the kinda stuff you guys should be putting up…proper cool photomanipulations!!!
( )Yigit Ozdamar August 29th
It’s really cool! Now I’m gonna cut my arm.
( )v-render August 29th
i miss the bones ..
( )though nice technique explained ..
Gekuba August 29th
Where bones? Where sinew? Cool tutorial, but… but lose details.
( )noname August 29th
sorry, but you have a lot of work to do till this looks the right way. the shadow is so wrong??!! and why didnt you move the pieces a little bit, this way it looks just unreal..
( )simon rudd August 31st
please feel free to move the bits around etc – the trouble is it would have made the tutorial longer and more complex – there’s no need to make this more difficult just for the sake of it!
the tutorial isnt a exercise in realism – more texturing and brush work 
( )OktayOe August 29th
Daamn,
( )thats cool
Intemperance August 29th
Great Tutorial from PSD Tuts once again.
( )Long Nguyen August 29th
Awesome result. You have to work on the shadows though.
( )Zac August 29th
Are these tutorials supposed to be absolute masterpieces or just tidbit bitesize easy to digest ways and means of learning a new technique in which you can then use to go create your own masterpiece. To all of you who have nothing positive to say about the tutorials, I would venture to guess you have zero talent yourself and boost up your own ego by insulting the very basic work of others. That is what makes you a hack.
Also there is my email, I wont hide behind anonymity.
By the by, great tut. This along with many other things Ive learned on this site that people are always hating on will benefit me in my own work. Thanks.
( )simon rudd August 31st
thank you – glad you liked it
( )Aerodynamic August 29th
We need more stuff like this. Get on it PSDtuts. XD
( )André August 29th
I did something like this about 4 years ago:
( )http://chillito.deviantart.com/art/Death-Sucks-14623907
I miss bones in image and blood stains too.
but its a nice tut.
Brian Grajales August 30th
Nice.
( )Symon August 30th
Real nice. Thx.
( )CgBaran Tuts August 30th
Great tutorial using meat is a great idea
( )Toniccio August 30th
good tut, bones are missing indeed but fine result, useful techniques, thx for share
( )TheJoeyy August 30th
loved it!
( )Hala August 30th
love it !!
( )simon rudd August 31st
thanks
( )vetweb August 30th
awesome broken arm!!
( )Thanks for the tutorial…!!
Sina August 30th
damn! i didn’t think it could be so easy!
( )or at least you make it look that way.
I gotta take a picture and cut my neck out or something like that
simon rudd August 31st
hahaha it is easy
hope you had fun with it! 
( )Ross King August 31st
Nice use of brushes, I’ve not played nearly enough with the brushes in Photosop but now I shall give it a go.
A friend of mine did something similar but as if he was a robot, very cool!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/flibble/220418742/in/set-72057594072131326/
( )Odaddy August 31st
Nice tutorial
but no blood stains
( )simon rudd August 31st
no – i didn’t put blood stains in as it was to illustrate texture and brush effects not faking blood
( )Pavel Ciorici August 31st
This tutorial is so disgusting guys
) No offense to author 
( )simon rudd August 31st
none taken!
( )pat rudd August 31st
all of you with negative comments i would like to see you do better. really good tut . easy to use instructions will def have a go
( )Claire Balding August 31st
Fab tutorial, really well done
)
( )Margaret August 31st
reminds me of Dexter.
( )nIck August 31st
ahem… bones?
( )dfender97 August 31st
the shadows are way off. And the arm would be much longer with that much space between the pieces.
( )Bashy August 31st
Awesome tutorial, but if the arm were severed, wouldn’t the veins and strings of flesh also be severed?
( )CSS Showcase @CSSMadness.com August 31st
Wow, this is scariest tutorial in PSD Tuts hehehe.
( )I’m a big fan of gore movies btw!
simon rudd September 1st
( )CMYK September 1st
Nice tutorial men!!
thanks!
( )CeeMoo September 1st
Very Nice bro Tnx..
( )Gabriel September 1st
thats disgusting but cool, i’m going to try it on my girlfriend
( )Connor Crosby September 1st
Nice one! This is the first tutorial I have seen of chopping people in PS.
( )Jon Arnold September 1st
One tweak if you were shooting the original photo yourself: shoot another photo without the guy laying there so you have the bare sheet and don’t have to clone out the arm.
awesome tutorial. we’re all sick.
( )matt September 1st
Great tutorial, your shadows are a bit off though. Those angled cuts should cast a shadow, not just the bottom.
( )simon rudd September 1st
i agree the shadows aren’t perfect
( )Serene September 1st
Are you nuts !
( )You get my liver out.
bav September 2nd
Those who like this style should head over to Abduzeedo. There is a case study there called ‘No Strings Attached’ which is a similar type of piece but takes it a lot further. But im sure the techniques in this tutorial can easily be applied.
( )simon rudd September 2nd
cool do you have a link??
( )Suissa September 2nd
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
( )James September 2nd
Ahhh! Made me puke while typing this comment.
( )Marek | Webcentric September 2nd
Totally gross! I do think it needs a nice pool of blood. Looks like the arm was frozen and then cut up. Maybe I missed something…
( )Simon Rudd September 9th
i think your right – i should have added blood – you live and learn
( )Ricardo Ortiz September 3rd
AMAZING
( )Kx September 3rd
seriously. before hejz made this. you guys r following him, whys that? this has been for years like 2000. you just taken his idea and make this. it wont look good over the internet. every same styles. i hate currently trend to following artists. i miss those old days where everyone has their own style.
( )saske lee September 3rd
if u sit and go through this tut step by step u are sick and have a love for pain. if u do this to ur own photo u are scary.
( )saske lee September 3rd
i nearly puke by viewin i dont think i can sit n do it i jus have to remember it. the meat was jus aaaaaaaaaahh. but thanks though, i nvr thought of that,
( )bops September 4th
Great one! Many thanks
Hope to see more tuts from you, respect!
( )Simon Rudd September 9th
thank you
i will try and think of some more 
( )Ezuca September 5th
Thanks! I never expected it would only be that easy to create it.
( )Simon Rudd September 9th
i’m glad you liked it!
( )Bobby September 5th
Thanks for the tut. Adding blood stains on the sheets would make this even greater
( )sebi September 7th
This puts a Selection around the “Arm” Layer, now press Command + J on the keyboard to create a copy of the arm onto a new Layer, rename this Layer “Arm Prime” and hide it by clicking the Eye Icon.
( )Dude ,this step does not work for me,ctrl+J does not create a new layer . why?
Simon Rudd September 9th
are you on the right layer?? if this doesnt work go to Layer > New > Layer via copy making sure you are on the arm layer
( )uksweetheart September 8th
This is a great tut, thank you for posting it, I added a few more things to my try on this and created blood stains on the sheet and a few surgigal instruments covered in blood and I’m quite happy with the results, thanks, says a lot about me I guess..lol.. thanks again it was great practice for using the tools in PS
( )uksweetheart September 9th
Here is my try at this tut.. thanks for looking
http://tinyurl.com/ne672j
( )Simon Rudd September 9th
looks really good – love the dirty sheet
the medical equiptment looks a little large – but over all fantastic! 
DeeJay88 September 8th
Simple yet effective, i like it, could be refined though.
( )however, since youve got the arm on a new layer, why dont you cut it into seperate layers, that way you can transform them, rotate them, o it looks more staggered. also your shadows on the veiny bits are off, need to be angled better to match the shadow cast on the arm itself
Pedro September 10th
One of the best tutorials that I´ve ever seen, easy to do and very useful
( )Thank you!
simon rudd September 16th
thank you
( )babak escandari September 12th
hi
( )is very biutifall
tanx for tatoriyal
Ori September 17th
The shadows need adjusting. They’re cut too fake, I’m guessing just using some helplines from the light point, and then brush that on the white blanket.
I love the part where you use a big big piece of meat
( )simon rudd September 17th
just thought I’d point out this tutorial has been ripped and is now also at http://fahamusman.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-to-create-severed-arm-in-photoshop.html
( )simon rudd September 18th
and here http://mohamedahmos.webs.com/apps/blog/show/1753633-how-to-create-a-severed-arm-in-photoshop
( )mohamedahmos September 23rd
i am sorry for add this tutorial in my site without put your name
i0_ September 21st
very useful, thx.
( )Corbeau September 21st
Nice tutorial, but I feel like the cuts are just too cleanly done, I don’t think any thing could do this so clean, and if the arm is chopped up where is the blood on the sheets? I love the concept and can view this as how to start but there are just some aspects that don’t fit well. just some my two cents. Thanks for the tutorial ^_^
( )Ty September 25th
Ok, Flippin sweet, using this for my woods class for safety posters….. Thanks!!!
( )evan October 13th
very cool
( )emiliano November 4th
some shadow miss, but looks good
( )Onnay Okheng November 4th
Excellent job on the tutorial though.
( )amazing!!!!
Anonymous November 6th
Mind Blowing .. i dont have any word to discribe this tutorial .. It is commendable..
Hats off
( )cool November 15th
great job really
( )