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How to Make Your Own Airbrushed Picture

The advent of digital technology and computer-based photo editing programs like Photoshop, GIMP or Paint.net has simplified many editing functions. Using one of these programs allows you to achieve the same type of results that you would have accomplished using complex editing steps such as airbrushing a photo in film days. GIMP and Paint.net are free programs that are based on Adobe Photoshop. The wording and tools in all three programs is similar and the steps are the same.

Things You'll Need

Adobe Photoshop, GIMP or Paint.net

Instructions

- 1
  Turn on your home computer and open up Adobe Photoshop, GIMP or Paint.net. Click "File" in the navigation bar and select "Open" from the drop-down menu. Use your computer's cursor to navigate to the folder containing the image you want to edit, click the image to highlight it, and click "OK" in the bottom right of the window to open the picture.
- 2
  Right click the small hand icon in the left margin of the program window and change the tool to the "Blur" option that looks like a small water droplet. In the toolbar at the top of the window, change the "Mode" to "Luminosity" and change the "Strength" to 50 percent.
- 3
  Magnify the picture to 100 percent in the screen and position you computer's cursor over the area you want to edit. Click and hold the mouse button and move the cursor over the area. These selections will smooth out the person's skin and retain the color and brightness of the original image.
- 4
  Click "File" and select "Save as" from the drop-down menu. Give your edited picture a new name or title and save the image as a separate file from the original. This will retain the original file for other editing tasks.

Photography