How to Manipulate a Photo to Be a "Zombie"

O.k. I am sure it's been done to death, but Zombies are still a fairly popular monster. With this in mind, I present "Carpetgnome's guide to making a zombie out of someone" with special guest, Photoshop 7.

Step One: Securing Images/fire Up the Photoshop

Basically, any person will do. It helps to have them facing towards the camera.
I also set aside time to "google" some images: Varicose veins, roadrash, and a human bite.

Step Two: Jeepers Creepers, White Out Those Peepers.

I zoomed in real close to the eyes and created a new layer. I then used a brush set to white (as white as I could get it) and "blotted" out where the eyes should be. Be careful to make sure you are on a new layer, not the original (I named the layer "white eyes").

Step Three: Fill My Eyes.. With Blur.

I then set my tool to the blur tool, rounded out the edges to make it a bit more seamless.
Then I set the layer opacity at 22%, making a very nice "milky" eye look.

I found focusing on my eyes made mine very dry, remember to blink and on that note, breathe and have a heartbeat.

Step Four: Get Sullen Eyes and Cheeks.

In order to create a "dead and sunken" look to the eyes, I chose to use the "burn" tool, set to mid tones at 25% and lightly "burnt" rings under my eyes on the original image. I made several light passes under and over the eyes.

I then made a semi-zigzag pattern on each cheekbone, to deepen the gaunt look.

Step Five: Thrombosis, or Blood Clotted Veins.

At this point, all the disgusting images of various varicose vein viewing (Yay for alliteration) are about to pay off.
I busted out the healing tool, chose a good vein and carefully planted them over my forehead.

(To use the healing tool, find the image you want to impose on another image, hold "ALT" on a pc and I have no clue for the Mac, click the image, then release, go to the image to "enhance" and start drawing carefully... if you can see both images, you'll see a mini cursor on the source file as well as the file you are painting on)

Step Six: How It All Started With a Love Bite.

Well, there are many types of zombies, but 50% are risen from the grave, the other 50% are bit and sucked in.

In order to show that this is a latter-type zombie, we need a good bite. Where better than the neck?

I did the same technique as in step five, healing brush and patience. Remember that you can press "CTRL-ALT-Z" to go back if you make a mistake.

After that was placed, a bit of burning from the burn tool made it look a tad fresher and bruised.

Step Seven, Scabby Face.

A nice wound or two makes the "gore" that much better.
No healing brush for this, as we want it to show up bold, vivid and kinda nasty.

I found a nice roadrash image, hit the clone stamp tool at 100% and slowly worked the edges, making sure not to grab anything beyone the "boo boo".

Step Eight: Darken It Up.

In order to cover some of my mistakes, I chose to "darken" the image. I simply made a copy of the background layer, set it BELOW the eye whitening layer. Hit the selection for "multiply" and blammo, nice and dark.

Step Nine: Make a HUGE Mistake

O.k.. so I made a mistake and accidentally closed the main file. Luckily, taking screenshots for this, I had saved my progress, but without the layers.

Lesson from this mistake:

DO NOT BE IMPATIENT.

Step Ten: Vein Those Eyes.

Make a new layer just below the "white eyes" layer. In this layer, we will be painting "blood red veins".

Don't worry about being perfect, the blue will handle that.

I made sure my tool was set on one pixel pen and drew some wiggly lines. After that is done, lightly blue the whole layer, adjusting to get the perfect amount of veiny redness.

Wrap Up: Go Get Some Brains.

At this point, you are pretty much done. Be sure to "flatten" the image and save it.
You are now a member of the undead, shamble with pride.

Thanks for reading this, I hope it helps at least one person make a frightful image to "creep" their facebook friends with (It worked for me).