Low Poly Portrait Effect in Photoshop

Low Poly Portrait Effect in Photoshop

Low poly art transforms ordinary portraits into striking geometric masterpieces using triangular shapes and averaged colors. This 3D-inspired technique creates visually compelling artwork with fewer polygons for a stylized, modern look.

The process involves creating triangular selections and filling them with the average color of that area, building up a complete geometric portrait one polygon at a time.

Watch the Tutorial

Video by FX-Ray. Any links or downloads mentioned by the creator are available only on YouTube

Essential Tips for Low Poly Portraits

Master these key techniques to create clean, professional-looking low poly artwork:

  • Use the Polygonal Lasso Tool with anti-alias turned off to prevent transparent edges between triangles
  • Enable View > Snap to Grid to ensure triangles connect perfectly without gaps or overlaps
  • Create an action for the polygon workflow: duplicate selection to new layer (Cmd+J), select layer content, apply Filter > Blur > Average
  • Start with detailed areas like eyes using small triangles, then use larger polygons for simpler areas like cheeks
  • Work on one side of a frontal portrait only, then duplicate and flip horizontally to save time and ensure symmetry

More Tutorials about Low Poly Effects

Explore additional techniques for creating geometric and stylized portrait effects.

How to create low-poly portraits in Photoshop
Nemanja Sekulic, a talented Serbian artist, will teach you how to create a low-poly portrait effect in Photoshop. The artist explains that the key is to cover the model with a series of triangles, rather than squares or other polygon shapes. The tutorial guides users through the process of achieving this unique paper mask or origami-like effect. By following the steps outlined by the artist, individuals can transform their portraits into striking low-poly masterpieces. The author's expertise in
How to Create Low Polygon Images from Photos in Photoshop
In this Photoshop tutorial, you will learn how to transform your photos into stunning low-polygon images. The process is straightforward and can be applied to various types of images, allowing you to create captivating low-poly portraits or abstract artwork. The tutorial, presented by Marty Geller from Blue Lightning TV, guides you through the essential steps to achieve this visually striking effect. You'll discover how to use Photoshop's powerful tools and techniques to seamlessly convert your
Convert Low-Resolution Graphics to High Resolution in Photoshop
Low-resolution graphics often limit design projects, especially when you need to scale logos, icons, or simple illustrations for print or large-format displays. While vector formats offer infinite scalability, many graphics exist only as pixelated bitmap files that become unusable when enlarged. This tutorial demonstrates two effective methods for converting low-resolution graphics into crisp, high-resolution versions using Photoshop's built-in tools. You'll learn techniques that work specifica
Add Creative Color and Texture to Portraits in Photoshop
In this tutorial by PiXimperfect you will learn how to apply highly realistic paints and textures to portraits in Photoshop. Learn how to manually mold the texture according to the shape of the portrait and use advanced blend modes and blend-if to blend in the colors in the most natural fashion. In this tutorial, we will also learn how to dodge and burn to add more dimension and make your creative portrait really pop. Watch tutorial

Get tutorials & freebies delivered to you.

Subscribe to the Photoshop Roadmap newsletter, a weekly roundup of new tutorials, insights and quality downloads, trusted by 6500+ readers.

You might also like

How to Use AI Object Masking in Camera Raw for Targeted Exposure Adjustments

Selecting complex foreground elements — detailed trees, people, motion-blurred figures — used to mean hours of careful masking work. The AI-powered object selection inside Camera Raw changes that entirely, letting you make rough brush strokes and still walk away with a precise, editable mask. Combined with a non-destructive smart...

How to Remove Wrinkles and Replace Backdrops in Post-Production

Wrinkled fabric backdrops, uneven lighting, and backgrounds that don't quite fill the frame are common problems when shooting on a budget. Fixing them manually through dodge and burn, frequency separation, or content-aware fill can eat up significant editing time — especially across a full shoot's worth...

Pixel Stretch Effect in Photoshop Using the Single Column Marquee Tool

The pixel stretch effect takes a single column of pixels from a subject and extends it horizontally across the frame, creating a sharp, graphic streak that suggests speed or energy. It works on portraits, athletes, and objects alike, and the entire process relies on just a few basic Photoshop tools...

How to Assign a Custom Keyboard Shortcut to Select Subject in Photoshop

Navigating to Select > Subject every time you need to isolate a subject adds up to a surprising amount of wasted clicks. Photoshop lets you assign a custom keyboard shortcut to almost any menu command — including Select Subject — so you can trigger it instantly without touching the menus. Watch the...

You’ve successfully subscribed to Photoshop Roadmap
Welcome back! You’ve successfully signed in.
Great! You’ve successfully signed up.
Success! Your email is updated.
Your link has expired
Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.