How to create low-poly portraits in Photoshop

How to create low-poly portraits in Photoshop

Low polygon art transforms ordinary portraits into striking geometric masterpieces using triangular shapes and bold color blocks. This technique creates a modern, digital aesthetic that works beautifully for logos, artistic portraits, and creative design projects.

The process involves breaking down an image into triangular sections, each filled with an average color to create a faceted, three-dimensional appearance.

Watch the Tutorial

Video by Nemanja Sekulic. Any links or downloads mentioned by the creator are available only on YouTube

Essential Tips for Low Polygon Portraits

Master the low polygon technique with these practical strategies that will speed up your workflow and improve your results.

  • Create an action to automate the triangle-filling process - record the steps of applying blur average, duplicating to a new layer, and returning to the background
  • Use Photoshop's grid with snap enabled to create precise triangular connections and maintain clean geometry
  • Work on half the face and mirror it for symmetrical subjects to cut your work time in half
  • Vary triangle sizes based on detail areas - use smaller triangles around eyes and nose, larger ones for simple background areas
  • Follow natural shadow lines and color boundaries when placing triangle edges to maintain realistic form

More Tutorials About Low Polygon Effects

Explore additional techniques for creating stunning geometric artwork and portrait effects.

Low Poly Portrait Effect in Photoshop
In this tutorial FX-Ray will teach you, how to create a portrait, that looks like a low poly 3D model. You will be using the Polygonal Lasso Tool to paint triangles, the average blur filter to calculate an average color of a selection and create your own action, so you'll have less work. Photoshop's grid will help you to connect the triangles. In the end, we will apply different layer style effects to the polygons. Watch tutorial
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
How to convert a low-resolution image to high-resolution in Photoshop
In this tutorial, Aaron Nace demonstrates how to enhance low-resolution images using Photoshop's Super Resolution feature. This tool, available in Adobe Camera RAW, allows you to increase image resolution significantly by doubling the width and height of your photos, resulting in a fourfold increase in pixel count. Aaron walks you through the process of applying Super Resolution, explaining how it uses advanced algorithms to improve image detail and clarity. The tutorial covers preparation tips

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

Using Foliage Brushes for Photo Enhancement and Digital Art

Transforming ordinary photographs into whimsical, romantic scenes often requires replacing or enhancing natural environments. Foliage brushes offer photographers and digital artists a powerful way to overpaint backgrounds, create dimensional leaf structures, and build entirely new environmental elements that feel both surreal and believable. The key to realistic foliage work lies...

How to Add a Film Border to Any Image in Photoshop

Film borders add instant vintage character to digital photos, recreating the nostalgic feel of analog photography. This technique combines layer masking, texture overlays, and strategic positioning to seamlessly frame your images with realistic film edges that look naturally weathered and imperfect. Watch the Video Practical Tips These essential techniques will...

How to Create Double Exposure Portraits in Photoshop

Double exposure portraits blend two images into one artistic composition, creating striking visuals where a silhouette merges with landscapes, textures, or abstract elements. This technique transforms ordinary portraits into compelling artwork by layering the second image inside the dark areas of your subject. The process relies on high contrast between...

How to Remove Glasses Reflections with Firefly Image Model 5 in Photoshop

Glasses reflections can ruin otherwise perfect portraits, obscuring your subject's eyes and creating distracting bright spots. While traditional AI models can remove these reflections, they often alter facial features and frame details in the process. Photoshop's new Firefly Image Model 5 changes this by preserving facial...

How to Create Realistic Specular Highlights Using Basic Brush Techniques

Specular highlights bring objects to life by simulating how light reflects off surfaces. These bright spots of reflected light add dimension and realism to your digital artwork, making flat surfaces appear three-dimensional and convincing. This technique uses simple brush strokes combined with strategic blending modes to create professional-looking highlights that...

How to Create a Wood Engraving Effect from Photos in Photoshop

Wood engravings capture the timeless aesthetic of traditional printmaking, transforming ordinary photographs into artwork that resembles hand-carved illustrations. This technique combines the rustic charm of wood textures with the precise detail of engraved lines, creating images that feel both historical and artistic. The process uses non-destructive editing methods and smart...

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.