To make someone look metallic in Photoshop, these are the basic 3 steps you’ll need to follow:
These are the three steps that I used in my piece ‘Masked in Eternity’ from my Headshots Collection to create the illusion of a metallic mask on my face.
- Hover with the mouse over the image to see the Before & After.
In this Photoshop tutorial, I show you exactly what I did to achieve this metallic look.
In Step 1, you’ll learn which adjustment layers to add and which blend modes to use in order to set the basis of the metallic effect we’re going to create in Photoshop.
Moving on to Step 2, you’ll see how you can work with a metallic texture to give the metal effect more of a worn feel. I’ll show you how to select only the darks of a texture and use those as an overlay layer to increase the metallic effect in Photoshop. With the right texture, you can create the illusion of a splintering metallic paint effect.
Step 3 will show you how to polish metal in Photoshop using a dodge & burn layer. This will allow you to increase the shiny metal effect.
Dodging & burning is not only a good technique to create a chrome effect. It’s generally a great method to make something look shiny in Photoshop!
By the time we wrap this tutorial up, you’ll also know how you can modify the silver look and easily turn it into a gold metallic effect in Photoshop. That way, you can make someone look gold in Photoshop!
RELATED: How To Create A Steel Effect In Photoshop – (FREE Steel Effect Download!)
It’s super-easy! Learn how to make someone look metallic in Photoshop by following these 3 basic steps!
Step-by-Step Photoshop Tutorial
How to make someone look metallic in Photoshop
STEP 1: Add three adjustment layers in different blend modes
This is the basic step in order to make someone look metallic in Photoshop. What I did to achieve this metallic effect in Photoshop was to add three adjustment layers.
Adding two Black & White adjustment layers for the basic metallic effect in photoshop
First of all, add a Black & White Adjustment Layer. Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Black & White.
Alternatively, you can click on the layer mask icon at the bottom of your Layers Panel.
Then, duplicate this Black & White Adjustment Layer by right-clicking on it and selecting Duplicate Layer.
You can also drag and drop the adjustment layer on the little ‘Create a new layer’ icon at the bottom of your layers panel, or press CMD + J (Mac) / CRTL + J (PC) on your keyboard.
Next, set the first Black & White Adjustment Layer to the Soft Light blending mode.
Leave the second Black & White Adjustment Layer on top of it in Normal blend mode and reduce its Opacity (see what looks best for your image).
Switching the first B & W Adjustment Layer to Soft Light will already increase the lights and darken down the shadows in your picture.
To enhance this shiny look in Photoshop, you can up the reds and yellows in the Properties window of the adjustment layer.
Adding a solid color adjustment layer for more of a silver effect
To achieve a cooler, more silverfish tone, we’re going to add a Solid Color Adjustment Layer on top of the two B & W Adjustment Layers.
Switch the Solid Color Adjustment Layer to Soft Light and pick a cooling tone. Depending on the tonal properties of your original photo, this can be a light blue, turquoise or greenish color. A light turquoise turned out great for my picture.
Tweak the Opacity slider until you achieve the effect you desire.
To increase the difference between the lights and the darks even more, I’ve added a Brightness/Contrast Adjustment Layer. I switched it to the Darken blend mode, pulled up the Contrast a lot and decreased the Brightness a little.
Try out what works best for your picture.
With that done, you’ve accomplished the first step to make someone look metallic in Photoshop! 💥
Now let’s move on to the second step.
STEP 2: Select the darks from a metallic texture and add as overlay
To create some kind of rough metal feel, you need some crack or shatter texture.
Next, you want to go to the Channels Panel. Depending on the Photoshop workspace you’ve selected, the Channels tab might already be next to your Layers tab in the Layers Panel.
If you can’t see the Channels Panel, enable it by going to Window > Channels.
On your Channels Panel, select the channel that provides the highest contrast between lights and shadows.
Simply click through the thumbnail images to find the highest contrast channel. Once you’ve found it, hold Command on a Mac or Control on a PC and click on the channel thumbnail. This will select all the whites in the image.
However, as we want to use the darker scratches for our image to achieve the worn, shattered metallic effect in Photoshop, we need the darks.
In order to reverse the selection, go to Select > Inverse.
Go back to your Layers tab and click on the texture background twice. Copy and paste the selection as a new layer on top of it.
To do so, go to Image > Copy, and then again to Image > Paste. Alternatively, you can press CMD + C and CMD + V (Mac) / CTRL + C and CTRL + V (PC) on your keyboard.
When switching off the original texture layer, you’ll notice that only the darks appear on the new layer.
Adding a metallic texture to create a worn steel effect
Now, we’re going to move this layer over to our picture and place it on top of all the other layers. Switch it to Linear Burn and reduce the opacity to make everything blend together nicely.
Add a layer mask (Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All) to remove all unwanted parts of the texture with a black brush.
Tip: Duplicate the texture and scale it down in order to make the metal splinters appear smaller in areas such as around the mouth and the eyes.
STEP 3: Add a Dodge & Burn layer to enhance the shiny metal effect
The last step in order to make someone look metallic in Photoshop is to give them a shiny metal effect.
For this purpose, we’re going to add a separate Dodge & Burn layer. That way, we can always change and remove the dodging and burning without damaging the original image.
To create that separate Dodge & Burn layer, add a new layer (Layer > New > Layer…) or click on the little ‘Add new layer’ icon at the bottom of your Layers Panel.
After that, we’re going to fill that layer with 50% gray. Go to Edit > Fill and select 50% Gray.
Looks great, right? Haha, of course that’s not how we want it to be! 😆
So go ahead and change the Blend Mode to Soft Light… and the gray layer will just disappear magically!
Dodging & Burning to enhance the shiny metal effect in Photoshop
Now that we’ve created the basis for the dodging and burning, go to your tool bar and select the Burn Tool. Choose a soft brush and decrease the Exposure. Now move the brush along those areas that would naturally be darker.
In the example image, those areas would be the edges of the face, the sides of the nose, and around the eyes and lips.
Once you’re happy with the result, go ahead and grab the Dodge Tool.
Move the brush over those areas that can do with a bit of brightening. In the example, it’s the forehead, the bridge of the nose, cheekbones, and chin.
Here you go! This is how easy it is to make someone look metallic in Photoshop!
IThese were the basic three steps to make someone look metallic in Photoshop!
Of course, you can apply the same steps to things in order to make something look silver or to make something look metallic in Photoshop. It works the same way!
How do you make someone look gold in photoshop?
If you want to make someone look gold in Photoshop, here’s how to do it:
Add a Color Balance Adjustment Layer (on top of all adjustment layers that we’ve used) and increase the yellows and reds in the Midtones.
To enhance this gold metallic effect in Photoshop even more, you can add a Solid Color Adjustment Layer in a goldish yellow and switch it to Soft Light. Tweak the opacity of both layers until you get exactly what you want!
→ How To Make Something Look Gold In Photoshop – Quick Method
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I hope that this tutorial on how to make someone look metallic in Photoshop was helpful. If you found any value in it, please feel free to share it with other artists so they can also learn from it!
If you are using anything of what I’ve showed you in this post, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @ginangiela, or post a link here in the comments. I’d love to see your creations! Make sure to sign up for my email list below so you don’t miss out on new Photoshop tutorials, perks for subscribers and other cool stuff. ♥
