Domestika - Abstract Portraiture with Photoshop and After Effects

Use digital tools to transform conventional portraits into unique and colorful works of art​

Working with abstract content can seem complicated, but with digital tools, anything is possible. Visual artist Klarens Malluta uses them to make colorful, and unusual works of art. He aims to bring something new to the table every time he creates and has collaborated with clients including Adobe, Ultra Music, and DJ Snake.
In this course, he teaches you how to transform regular portraits into unique artwork using Photoshop and After Effects. Explore the possibilities of abstract portraits by experimenting with digital tools and capture the essence of your subject without the need for words.
This is Klarens’ second course at Domestika. In his first, Psychedelic Animation with Photoshop and After Effects, he teaches you how to use your imagination to design futuristic animations full of color.


Begin the course by getting to know visual artist Klarens Malluta. He shares the journey that saw him go from a degree in electrical engineering to a full-time artist, along with the influences that have inspired his career and the work he creates.
Learn how to decode artwork and identify the different elements and techniques used to create it. Klarens then shares his advice for finding images and resources to inspire your work before walking you through the software needed for this course.
Explore how to create gradients and patterns in Photoshop. Then learn to use the Stamp Tool, adjustment layers, and blending mode before putting what you’ve learned into practice to create two different portraits. Use a combination of Photoshop and After Effects to put unique touches to your artwork and create a frame-by-frame PNG animation.
Klarens guides you through how to make your work more abstract using filters, gradient maps, and more. To finish the course, he shows you how to export your finished work in a variety of different formats for platforms like YouTube and Instagram.

What is this course's project?​

Create two abstract portraits and a PNG animation using Adobe Photoshop and After Effects.

Who is this online course for?​

This course is for anyone interested in learning how to create abstract artwork and animations.

Requirements and materials​

Basic knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and After Effects is useful but not essential.
In terms of materials, you will need access to a computer with these programs installed.