There are a few tutorials available on the Internet that will show you how to make a statue, but I've found that they are not so easy to follow and also the results aren't that great. So using my beloved alternative, I created a tutorial that I think does the job very nicely!
Step 1
Open the image you want to transform into a stone. Keep in mind that you can use this technique for any image. If you want it to look great and achieve this effect, you should use a portrait with someone looking at the camera. Other than that, it's up to you.
Step 2
Cut the person out of the image (I use the Pen Tool).
Step 3
Duplicate the layer. It is best to always do this so that you can come back to the original image if something goes wrong. Duplicate by pressing Ctrl+J.
Step 4
Next we will desaturate the layer. Go to Adjustments > Desaturate.
Step 5
Next we are going to seal his eyeballs to achieve the statue effect. Zoom into his eyes, and using the Pen Tool make a path around his eyeballs. Press Ctrl+Enter to make a selection.
Step 6
Now we'll add a gradient over the selected area. To do so, select the Gradient Tool and the Black+White option. Use the Brightness/Contrast option (Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast) to alter the color until it matches the color of the rest of the statue. Press Ctrl+D to deselect.
Step 7
Next is to lighten up the darker areas in the image. Most important is the hair area. Use the Dodge Tool for this step and the settings below.
Step 8
Next, start adding some light into the darker areas of the portrait.
Step 9
Now we need to add the stone texture. Drag the texture you choose to work with into the document and use the Transform Tool to set it so it covers the top section of the portrait, as shown below.
Step 10
Now that we have placed the texture, we must create a Layer Mask. Make a selection around the portrait by Ctrl-Clicking on the portrait thumbnail.
Step 11
Hit Add Vector Mask into the lower part of the layer palette to create a layer mask for the texture.
Step 12
Next hold Alt, click and hold over the adjustment button in the layer palette and chose Hue/Saturation.
Step 13
A dialog box will appear. Check "Use previous layer to create clipping mask" and click "OK."
Another window will appear. Use the settings shown below to replicate my effect, or experiment to come up with your own aesthetic.
Step 14
Click on the stone thumbnail layer and and go into the Blending Mode menu and select Multiply.
Step 15
It already looks very cool but we need to make it more realistic by adding some light and shadow. Use the same technique as in Step 12, but this time select the portrait layer. Holding down the Alt key, go to the Adjustments layer and chose Levels. Use the settings shown below and click OK.
Step 16
Repeat Step 15, but this time activate the Hue/Saturation layer in the layer palette by clicking on it. Use the settings shown below and press OK.
Step 17
Now how about adding some more texture to the statue? Bring another texture into the document and move it on top of the other layers. What I've done here is to add some blood stains over the statue.
Step 18
Follow Step 9 to Step 14 and do the same things with this texture, but this time experiment with the settings to get the best effect.
.
Step 19
We need to hide the rest of the new texture and leave only the stain over the statue. To do that, create a layer mask for this texture and fill it with white.
Step 20
Make your foreground black, chose the Brush Tool and use a 0% Hardness for the brush. Start brushing over the texture and leave the "blood" over. You can add some levels to the texture like we did in Step 16.
Step 21
So there you have it. A nice portrait turned into a statue.
Step 22
Here is my final result. I added more shadows and made a nice background to make it stand out a bit more. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!
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User Comments
( ADD YOURS )Colin January 11th
i saw this somewhere just the other day and wondered….the wonder is all gone now! thanks!
( )Joseph January 11th
It’s a good tutorial to show and explain how it’s done, but I honestly don’t like the textures you used or the final background you used. The textures have those horizontal cracks and the red stuff goes from the head, over the arm, and onto the hand and sword handle…makes it look too fake. Honestly, the grayscale image looks more like a statue than the finished product, imo anyway.
( )Good job explaining it though.
Jeii January 11th
Great!!
( )I still waiting for “Best of Dec.” Man!!
Eli January 11th
Rather a realistic outcome in my opinion, except for the large crack in the texture, makes it look bad in my opinion. Anyone wanting to remove that, you should use either the Clone Stamp Tool or the Healing Brush Tool.
( )GeminiArt January 11th
wow …nice effects
i don’t like the texture you use but is great 
good work
( )giackop January 11th
I agree with the others.. The background and the textures could be better but what is important is the process and there is no comparison with the other turorials about this method..
Very good work.. Keep it coming..
( )Mr_LeE January 11th
not my style but was a interesting read
( )Einsch January 11th
This might be a bit better if you touched it up with the Liquify filter. Making the rust or the cracks “wrap” around the statue will give it more dimension rather than having it lay flat.
( )Don January 11th
Pretty cool, might give it a try sometime.
( )RAFi January 11th
I don’t like it. Useless tut.
( )Juanjo Vargas January 11th
Nice tutorial! Maybe you could say that you can try to mudge the stone texture to give it the form of the man, it would be more realistic. So interesting layer modes. Thanks and keep up the great work!
( )Simon January 11th
Awesome tutorial!
I love it
( )Joseph Maguire January 12th
Everything except the last two parts were really cool. I liked the texturizing you did with the stone. Well done and thanks for sharing.. this is becoming a great resource for designers and photoshop guru’s.
( )Nick January 12th
Isn’t this from Photoshop Top Secret disk 1? It is a great DVD series btw, I recommend it to anyone desiring to improve their PS skills.
( )Constantin Potorac January 12th
The texture can be changed or you can use one that you like. And about the cracks you can do as Eli said or leave the crack effect and make it look more realistic by using a rough rock texture on the crack and blend it in.
Good Luck!
( )Stefan January 12th
Nice result! Even better than the one from the original tutorial at PhothsoptTopSecret.com
( )Stefan January 12th
Sorry, that’s http://www.photoshoptopsecret.com. Anyway, good tutorial nonetheless.
( )alex January 12th
I have to agree with what was said
( )tutorial is great
but the textures aren’t the best choice… because of the cracks… makes it look unrealistic
Joe January 12th
The grunge on the top kills the depth, it looks very flat. It was looking very promising @ Step 14 but fell apart
Cool tutorial for a few techniques but overall I think there have been many better tuts on this site.
( )Tanner Christensen January 12th
Without the giant cracks going through it and with a little less “texture” that was added in step 17, the result looks something like this: http://www.tannersite.com/BackupFiles/Temporary/statue.jpg
Better, and with a little more tweaking it could look brilliant. A great tutorial nonetheless!
( )schoenling128 January 12th
Id don’t like that you are using win Vista and you should crop out your taskbar, but even if there are some things you maybe could so better, it’s a great tut…
( )gdiaz January 12th
Who cares what OS he is using.
Even though some may have chosen different textures or done things differently for the final image I think it was a good quick overview of working with the blending modes of layers. A novice could look at this and should be able to learn some basics to build upon.
Good read, thanks for sharing.
( )Jimi January 12th
Big fan of this site… But this tut is a little bit of a let down…
( )In order to make it look more realistic they should have saved a psd copy of the original cut out
guy with the levels tweaked for darker shadows lighter highlights, and then used that psd as
as a basis for displacement. Then the cracks would have actually looked like they were around the
body. Just my opinion…
Jonny B January 12th
Any one who critiques these tutorials negatively should realize these are to help others. If you know how to do this stuff then keep it to your self or upload a better tutorials. It is really sad to see people dis on tutorials that do nothing but help.
( )Constantin Potorac January 12th
(schoenling128)
Unfortunately I am still waiting for my iMac so until then I have no other way.
Thank you all for reading.
( )LoganStonehurt January 13th
That’s a very nice tutorial, but if we ARE going for a realistic approach, I would have added a displacement filter to the texture. It would give it just that extra bit of depth, stretching and contorting the rock noise and even the crack that everyone is talking about. Because it really does have that… “thrown on texture” feel now. Other than that, very good tutorial, nice and clear.
( )ceaweed January 13th
Nice tutorial. I think this was a good tutorial.
( )Mark Abucayon January 14th
wow that was nice- though I know this tut already but overall very excellent- Thanks for another great tut.
( )3vil January 14th
This was very helpful. Since I don’t have photoshop at the moment I used GIMP instead and it still came out great. Keep up the good work.
( )scribbleed January 14th
Good stuff! I’d like to second the comment on using the Displacement filter (Filter>Distort>Displace) to make the textures wrap rather than look flat (see some tuts on how to put tattoos an arm – in PS that is).
Another way to make it look more like a statue is to ‘break’ some parts off e.g. ‘cut’ the arm off and put a grey oval so that it looks like the arms of Venus de Milo.
( )jayhan January 14th
pretty awesome tut
thanks for sharing
( )andy stewart January 14th
http://www.andystewart-design.com
( )nawabz January 14th
keep up the good work guys, doing well
really
no im serious
( )Shane January 14th
Reading these tutorials and seeing the steps required to create the result is fascinating and hugely enjoyable, even if I might not feel I need to use the technique immediately.
Thanks!
( )jd January 14th
Nice!
( )Thanks!
ObaOba January 16th
Easy with the texture! The cracks don’t look believable… I liked the tut, but didn’t like the end…
( )batuhsaq January 20th
owww power thanx
( )Sahip January 20th
Nice tutorial,
( )thanks
rolly_darkhand January 28th
great man.., what a great mind. i wish i could have ur mind as well. one of your fans.
( )rolly_darkhand January 29th
great man..,
( )Juan January 30th
Good technique! Yes, perhaps the texture was a bit large for the apparent size of the statue. So what… It is the process that conveys. I’m sure those who are complaining will soon have their own Photoshop tutorial site and then we can complain about their tutorials. I did an absolute beginners, two layer “Out of the frame” tutorial where the image extends past the photo edge and got complaints about it being too well explained. You simply cannot win…
Great technique. Everyone will use their own texture and slant on things, but they wouldn’t get there without you. I’m a 12 year Mexican professional, and I sincerely applaud your work. Good stuff.
( )4th Hokage January 30th
nice tut…really handy…where can i get a real vector tutorial
( )Constantin Potorac January 31st
Thank you all for the appreciation.
My iMac just arrived so from now on I will make the tuts on it.
( )Joby February 12th
Fantasic! What all things are possible with photoshop!!!
( )Joby February 12th
Fantasic. Thank you for sharing
( )Viesturs (kavabanga) February 28th
I am certainly strongly flattered, as you used my self-portrait for creation of this lesson, but not prevent to give the reference to the author and the original – http://www.photosight.ru/photo.php?photoid=1933858 .
( )And – many thanks, that you have not forced pigeons to defecate on my head )))
Constantin Potorac March 2nd
Please visit the photographs amazing Gallery:
http://viesturslinks.deviantart.com/gallery/
( )manicd March 3rd
How do you make that blood stain effect?
( )manicd March 3rd
good tut btw – big up
( )faisal3dfx March 23rd
Hey Man Thanks A Lot For A Great Tutorial. I Pray For Your Success And Happiness.
Thanks
Faisal Amin
( )faisal3dfx March 23rd
Hey Man Thanks A Lot For A Great Tutorial. I Pray For Your Success And Happiness.
Thanks
Faisal Amin
( )faisal3dfx@yahoo.com
Constantin Potorac March 29th
Thank you all.
( )Babak March 31st
FANTASTIC !!!
( )Dizzy April 12th
Just wanted to say thanks for the interesting tutorial
My first attempt at it can be seen at http://dizzydog.livejournal.com/123588.html , thought you might like to see a bit of what people did with your instructions. Thanks!
( )Harry May 3rd
Scary outcome
but nice tut
( )sagar May 17th
nice
( )Mr Kuzio July 29th
Really good tutorial!
I have some ideas from this incipit. Thanks a lot!
( )ilovecolors August 28th
Humm, you didn’t use the Displacement Map plugin to wrap the textures along the body in a realistic fashion.
( )rahul September 5th
nice 4 me thanks 4 u
( )horacio November 12th
useful, however the source was better than the result in the case
( )Mark November 19th
Good Tutorial, explained nice and simple. Dont let the other comment upset you at least you have done something and shared it with others.Keep up the good work
( )James Mungai December 4th
Hey!
That’s a bravo tutorial. Another photoshop trick to be added to my work!!
Big Ups!!
( )VectorJungle December 9th
This is a crazy tutorial!!! Great job… I’m going to try it RIGHT NOW!
( )Stefan B February 2nd
To make it look even more realistic you should liquify the stone texture pattern so it conforms to his body shape using the various zoom in and out tools in the liquify screen, otherwise it looks too “flat” in appearance.
( )Mandy Cousins February 26th
You all say how it can be done better, but I don’t see any of YOU coming up with an awesome tut. Its very easy to dish someone who does something good…. Keep your negativity to yourselves. It only wastes time and upsets those that goes the extra mile.. I say well done and thanks for sharing with everyone.
( )lawrence77 March 7th
i found this tutorial in PhotoShop Top Secret DVD’S!
is it true Constantin Potorac you write the tutorial to PhotoShop Top Secret DVD’S!
( )charles April 7th
very helpful my graphical designing
( )Landscape Photography July 15th
Agree with a lot of people that it looked better a few steps before the end, lots of interesting techniques that are sure to help people (like me!). Would have liked to see the displacement map used as suggested by others, i’m only new to it and would like to see more tuts on using it.
thanks for the help though.
( )Elementary Teacher at Large August 6th
Hello Folks! Know where I can download artwork (specifically looking for mexican loteria card images) that would be good enough to print and transfer onto a piece of cloth to make larger images for kids to learn from?
( )bleis August 18th
is the photoshop top secrets
( )