Photoshop Tutorial: How to Create a Realistic Bruise

The fun thing about Photoshop is that there are so many different things you can do within the program. Photoshop is mostly used to edit photos, but you can also design web banners, logos, and much more. One thing Photoshop is mostly used for is to edit pictures of people. Amateur and professional photographers alike all use Photoshop to edit their photographs of models. There can be numerous things wrong with a photo. It can be too blurry, too sharp, out of focus. You can also edit photos to make them look better. You can remove wrinkles, remove tattoos, edit out blemishes and more. You can also add things to photos. You can enhance breasts, eyes, lips, skin, etc. You can add tattoos to skin as well. With Photoshop, the possibilities are unlimited. Just find a photo you want to use and start Photo shopping away!

In this tutorial, you will learn how to edit photos in a different sort of way. I will show you how to add a bruise to skin with only using the brush tool, the burn tool, and the sponge tool. Each tool has a different function in this tutorial, but each will add to the overall effect of the bruise.

To begin with, choose a photo of a person or a close up of skin. If you don't have a photo of your own, go to sxc.hu or morguefile.com and find a photo there. Mine is from sxc.hu. Also choose where you want to place your bruise. I decided to give my model a black eye, but you can put a bruise just about anywhere you like, just as long as the skin is visible. Close-up shots work the best though so you can get the full color and detail of the bruise just right.

Step 1) Open up your picture in Photoshop by going to File > Open and searching for the file like you would any old document. If you're copying and pasting off the Internet, go to File > New. The canvas size will automatically adjust to the size of the picture on your clipboard. After the blank document is open, go to Edit > Paste.

Step 2) Select the Burn Tool, located on the vertical menu bar. The Burn Tool is shaped like a hand and is grouped with the Sponge Tool and the Dodge Tool. For the settings for the Burn Tool, set it to Midtones and 50 percent exposure. Use a large brush as well. Around 300 pixels, depending on how large your picture is. Just make sure not to use a tiny brush.

Step 3) Using the Burn Tool, go over and make the initial bruise in Photoshop. This will determine the size and shape of your bruise. Go over the area twice with the brush.

Step 4) Using a soft paint brush of the same size in a dark yellow color, go over the burn area with settings at Soft Light and opacity of 35%.

Step 5) Repeat Step 4 with a dark purple color. Go over the area twice instead of once, like you did will the yellow.

Step 6) Now the bruise is colored, use the Sponge Tool to Desaturate the color a little bit. I used a 300 pixel size brush and a flow of 50. Go over the bruise once more.

Then you're done! And you now have a realistic looking bruise on the skin of your picture.