Na'vi from Avatar Movie Prep Open Photoshop. Go to Photoshop>Preferences>Performance. Where is says "History && Cache" Change the history states to "200". Chances are you will mess up A LOT and you want to be able to go as far back as you need to. Press OK. Go to File>Open and locate your file. Create a New Layer
Click on the background layer. Do a Cmnd +A and select the whole image on the background layer. Then hit Cmnd + X. Select Layer 1 and paste the image. Name the Layer. Original You should currently have two layers. A Background Layer, and the Original Layer on top of it.
Eyes, select one eye. You want a large portion of the eye and the face around it as seen below. Click Cmnd+C and then Cmnd+V (copy/paste) to paste the eye onto another layer. Name it eyeright. Still on that eye layer, go to Edit>Free Transform or Cmnd+T to open the Free Transform tool.
Change the Width, Height, and Rotate numbers to that shown below. If you are working on the right eye (the one I'm working on) then you rotate the eye -10. If you're working on the left eye, it's +10. DO NOT QUIT THE FREE TRANSFORM YET! Still in the Transform Tool go to the Reference Point Location and change it from this to if you are working on the right eye, and if you're working on the left eye. Turn off the link between the width and height. Change the width to 115%.
Exit Transform Tool. Repeat for the other side. Again, select the eye, copy and paste it onto a new layer. Remember: Left eye is and rotate +10. Right eye is and rotate -10. Only change the Reference Point Location AFTER you blow up the eye to 130%.
Exit Free Transform Tool. Select an Eye Layer. Select Eraser Tool. With the settings shown below, erase around the eye just enough that it blends in. Try to erase as little as possible.
Repeat for other Eye. Lower the opacity of the Eraser to 30% and carefully erase harsh edges and fix blending. Select both eye layers by clicking one, holding Shift, and then clicking the other.
Layer>Merge Layers OR Cmnd+E. Select Original Layer, duplicate the layer by dragging it down to the "Create a New Layer" icon Select the Eyes Layer and the Original Copy and hit Cmnd+E. Duplicating and merging layers is necessary when working on something like this. If you mess up, you need a back up copy. I re-named the file as "manipulated".
Now you have the original image and the "manipulated" one. We will continue to work with the Manipulated Layer.
Eye Brows Select the Patch tool and circle an eye brow. Drag the selection to a large open area of skin (such as the forehead or cheek).
Now select the healing brush to even it out a bit like so: hold Alt and click on a large patch of empty skin. Try
Repeat with the other eye. Use the Patch tool just work around it or through it. again, and if there is hair in your way If You have Hair in the Way: Skip the next step if your image does not have hair in the way. Just repeat the steps for the first eye brow.
My image has hair in the way - to even it out I used the Clone tool Change the opacity to 10%, hold Alt, and click on a large area of plain skin (again I used the forehead). Use this tool on the eye brow a couple times to make it look like there is more skin. Select the Spot Healing Brush. Make sure "Sample All Layers" is NOT checked. Hold Alt and click a large area of skin again, and use it under the eye brow region to even it out like so. Back to Healing Brush and continue to smooth and even out, including the other eye so that they look more uniform.
Erase the harsh lines with a Smooth Round Brush to smooth it out.
Skin Color The Na'vi skin has blue-green skin with purple-blue undertones. I tried to create this look by making a couple layers of color. Create a new layer and fill it in blue. I'm using color #00407f. Change the Blending Mode to Hard Light.
Create another Layer, color it Blue as well. (note you need to select color again to add a different color to fill) I'm using #00819b. Change the Blending Mode to Overlay.
This will bring a light blue light to the face.
Nose Shape This is the hardest part because the Na'vi nose has a very unique look. Creating it depends on the angle of your picture. The nose curves at the top, creating a little bulge if you are looking at it from the front. I have outlined the curves of the nose and how the eye brow is a little deeper than most humans. The circle is where the bulge is. Also, notice how the curves of the nose meet up with the eye. The more you study this and take the anatomy into mind, the more Na'vilike the face and nose will be!
Duplicate the Manipulated Layer. Create a new Layer and make sure it's placed at the top of all the layers. Select a color that is easy to see (I used Yellow) and mark the same parts of the nose and eyes as I did. The little dot under the nose is going to be where the new nose ends, eye ball this according to your references of the nose. Click on the Manipulated Copy, go to Filer>Liquify. In the Liquify menu, locate and click on "Advanced Mode". And then click on Show Backdrop
Now Change the brush settings to the following And carefully take the dark shadows of bridge of the eyes, and move them to meet up with the Yellow marks:
Do not worry about the squished eyes. Make the brush a bit smaller. Take the light from the center of the nose and moved it up to create a "bump". This should also deepen the brow just a little bit.
Zoom into the bottom of the nose. Change the settings as shown below: Stretch the bottom of the nose down to the yellow dot.
Make the brush a bit smaller and stretch the nose to look more cat-like, like so:
Adjust the light from the tip of the nose so that it is down and spread out a little bit more. Move the point of the nose lower.
Click Ok. Erase the squished eyes delicately so that the eyes from the Manipulated Layer below come through. Be careful not to erase the crease we just made from the Liquify. I find turning off the blue helps.
Zoom into the nose and you will notice a little weirdness with the skin pores being stretched out. Select the Blur tool and blur the area for now.
Delete Yellow Layer. Select Manipulated and Manipulated Copy and Cmnd+E. Changed Layer name.
Pupil Size Select the Manipulated Layer Filter>Liquify. Uncheck "Show Backdrop" and adjust to the settings show below. Brush Size: 130 Brush Density: 45 Brush Pressure 50 Brush Rate 80 The Brush Size should have a similar size relation to the eye as what I have. Select the Bloat Tool and slightly bloat the eye so that the bottom half is a little fuller, trying not to affect the upper lid.
Click OK.
Pupil Color Duplicate the Manipulated Layer. Select the Manipulated Copy Layer, hold Shift, and select the Pupils, and both Blue Layers. Cmnd+E. You should now have the Original image, a Non-Blue Manipulated image, and the final Manipulated image with the blue skin. I renamed the newly merged Layers to manipulatedblue.
Download the PupilAvatar.jpg file. Place it onto your file.
Make sure to move the pupil layer below the manipulatedblue layer. Select on the manipulatedblue layer, add a layer mask to the layer. Mask out the the Pupil and the part of the eye ball that is in the outer corners with a Soft Round Brush. Leave the inner corner blue. Adjust the PupilAvatar layer to be visible where the original eyes were. Use Transform and twist and size to match yours. (Yes you may stretch the eyes to fit your shape. You do not have to hold shift.) Once you work the right eye, repeat for the left eye.