There are lots of tutorials on the Web that claim to achieve a realistic tattoo effect. Usually these tutorials instruct the user to import an image they want to use as a tattoo and to set it to overlay. Out of experience I can say that this does NOT look like a tattoo. It looks like…well…an overlayed image.
In this tutorial I will be demonstrating an advanced technique to achieve a realistic tattoo. We will be using masks, adjustment layers, displacement maps, and several brushing skills will be applied.
Ok, open up your stock image and duplicate it by clicking on the layer and dragging it to the New Layer icon down the bottom (it’s the one to the left of the trash can). Name this layer Base, desaturate it (Ctrl+Shift+U) and duplicate it again.