How to Change Eye Color in Photoshop

Method #1 Classical Eye Color Change Technique

There are many ways how to change eye color in Photoshop. Let`s review how to adjust the settings using the most popular way – the Hue/Saturation layer which has a lot of options, allowing to change the color of the eyes to any color.

Step 1: Add A Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer

First, we need to create a new adjustment layer. Open the drop-down menu and choose “Hue/Saturation” from the list of options.

Step 2: Invert the Layer Mask

The next thing we need to do to change eye color Photoshop successfully is to invert our mask. The first way to do it is to go to “Adjustments” and then select “Invert”. The second way is to use the shortcut “Ctrl+I”.

• Read my detailed guide on how to mask in Photoshop.

Step 3: Create a Semi-Transparent Layer

Select the Hue/Saturation Layer you’ve created. Click on “\” to make it semi-transparent.

Step 4: Paint Over the Eyes with the Brush Tool

Now, you need to select the white Brush Tool from the toolbox on the left. It’s going to be much easier to do with a semi-transparent layer. To get rid of the transparency, simply click “\” again.

Step 5: Change the Color

Open the “Properties” menu by double-clicking on the layer’s thumbnail. Check the box next to “Colorize” option.

You can now, use the Hue, Saturation and Lightness slider to receive the needed eye color. Drag them from left to right to see all the colors of rainbow applied to the model`s eyes.

Step 6: Done! Compare Photos

As you can see, everything is easy, simple and fast. Now you know the first way how to change eye color in Photoshop. To compare the ready picture with the original one, you just need to turn on or off the visibility of the Hue/Saturation layer on the Layers panel.

When the adjustment layer is turned off, you will see the model`s original eyes color. To get the result back, click on the visibility icon once more. You can see the results you can achieve below:

• Learn more about how to retouch skin with frequency separation.

Method #2: Eye Color Change Through Solid Color

This is another effective method of changing eye color in Photoshop. It also offers you lots of options of the color change.

Step 1: Create a “Solid Color” Adjustments Layer

To change eyes color Photoshop, create a “Solid Color” Adjustment Layer. To do this, find the shortcut button at the bottom of the Layers panel. Choose the option at the top of the drop-down menu.

Step 2: Select the Desired Color

Now you’ll see a color picker appear. Select a color you would like to change your eyes to. Press OK.

Step 3: Invert the Layer Mask

Next step is inverting our mask. You can either go to “Adjustments” and then select “Invert”, or use the shortcut “Ctrl+I”.

Step 4: Change the Blend Mode

Originally, the Blend Mode is set to Normal. To change eye color in Photoshop, change it to “Overlay”.

Step 5: Paint Over the Eyes

Select the Brush Tool and start to carefully paint over the eyes. Zoom into the image for more precise results.

Step 6: Lower the Opacity if Needed

If the color is too intense, you can always lower the opacity to get a more natural look.

Try doing it even further by changing the blend mode. This is the result that I got, when I switched it to “Darken”:

Changing it to “Multiply” gives a slightly different variation of the same color:

The “Saturation” mode helps achieve a completely different, catchy look:

Step 7: Done! Compare Your Photos

My guide on how to change eyes colour in Photoshop is over and the task is completed! If you want to compare the original eye color and the one you got, just click on the new layer visibility, turning it off or on. Just look at all of the colorful results you can achieve.

In this article, in addition to the tutorial on changing the color of the eyes, you will also find the best app to change eye color in pictures and FREE Photoshop actions to make eyes look brighter and amazing.

• Check out about how to download Photoshop free and legally.

Method #3: Eye Color Change Through Hue/Saturation

There are many ways of how to modify eye color in Photoshop to stylize a particular photo shoot and correct the wrongly transmitted shade when shooting with flash. But this photo step by step tutorials is the fastest way to do it in Photoshop.

Today you will find out about the method that uses Hue/Saturation. It is obligatory to use enlargement at first so that the needed area are close and convenient for future work.

STEP 1. Open Photoshop and enlarge your photos to see eyes better.

STEP 2. At the Layers panel, you need to click on the Hue/Saturation string in the drop-down box.

STEP 3. Now it's time to choose the shade you want to change the actual color for.

Tip: Do not rush, move the slider in the line Hue carefully and observe the possible variations. Later, the shade can be changed, but it's better to be careful from the very beginning. To demonstrate it, we chose blue and the settings were:

STEP 4. The eyes look good already, but we do not want to change skin color too, so we'll have to do more manipulations. For the next step of our tutorial on how to change eye color in Adobe Photoshop, we need to create Mask on the layer with the Hue, invert it and fill it with black.

STEP 5. Did you notice that when black color was applied to the mask, we completely lost the changed eye color? Therefore, everything was done right! Now we apply Brush, which is located on the Toolbox. Select the Soft Round from the standard set.

STEP 6. Before changing the change eye color photo editor prompts you to choose the color of the brush and its size. The color must be White, this is the rule of working with the mask. And choose the size depending on your image, for our portrait we took the Brush Size 42.

STEP 7. Now it is the most important step in our tutorial on how to change eye color in Photoshop easy. In order to show the color that we set up in Step 3, we need to use the brush to draw those places that we want to paint over with a new color. Be careful not to paint over the pupil, but also white glare on the eye. If you hold a brush over these places, the color will change to blue (in our case).

STEP 8. Perfectly! You successfully modify eye color in Photoshop. Now look at the Photoshopping portrait result and evaluate how well you have traced the iris.

STEP 9. In general, we could stop and do not make any changes anymore, but we recommend you always evaluate the image from the point of view of common sense in order to understand how natural the eyes look and you do not overdo with the brightness of the shades. For this particular portrait, we decided to lower the Layer Opacity to 79% and the image immediately became harmonious. 

STEP 10. We’ve successfully changed the eyes’ color. Enjoy the result.

Free Actions for Changing Eye Color in Photoshop

If you want to automate this process, you can download our free Photoshop actions to brighten eyes, change iris, cleaning eyes, making them pop, adding color effects or sharpening in several clicks.

Free Photoshop Action for Eyes "Change Iris to Green"

It perfectly suits the close-up portrait shots. If you are going to change the eye color of your model to a mysterious green one, then this overlay is for you.

You will be amazed by the catchy and distinctive result you get. Also, note that this action will perfectly suit animal shots.

• Find out how to use Photoshop Actions.

Free Photoshop Action for Eyes "Color POP"

This action will change eyes color Photoshop into a more unusual and vibrant one. The entire look will become more attractive and fascinating.

Try applying this action to high-resolution shots, and the result will pleasantly surprise you.

• Read more about how to whiten teeth in Photoshop CC.

Free Photoshop Action for Eyes "Color Effect"

Then this action will work perfectly, if you want to achieve a charming, mysterious look just in several clicks.

• Check out the fastest way to install Photoshop brushes.

Other Ways of How to Change Eye Color in Adobe Photoshop and Other Apps

How to Change Eye Color PHLEARN

This video tutorial is dedicated to how to change dark eye color in Photoshop portrait. Aaron Nace – a founder of the PHLEARN – takes the photo of the dark eyes to show how to make them lighter and then to change the colors. This method includes Selection, Curves work and Hue/Saturation. 

PicsArt

Sometimes photographers use mobile applications for such purposes, one of the most convenient is PicsArt. Thanks to this source, you will discover how to change eye color in PicsArt literally in a couple of clicks, using the standard tools. This is very simple since no special knowledge is required, only the use of the Eye Tool.

Pixlr

There are people who are accustomed to using to retouch photos in online editors. There's nothing strange about this, which is why we'll take a video tutorial on how to change eye color in Pixlr. All you need is to use the image from your desktop and some tool of this online editor. Using the standard tools of this application, you can independently and very simply change the eye color in an image.

Lunapic

Lunapic is another interesting eye color changer editor that easily copes with the task of modifying the color of the eyes, as well as other issues when retouching images. This application can not be called fully professional for editing photos, but if you want to apply some other method besides Photoshop, this is a great way.

Choose Your App to Change Eye Color in Pictures

Not everyone uses Photoshop, there is even a huge number of people who daily edit photos for their pages on Instagram or other social networks and at the same time use only applications for the phone. We present you a list of such applications among which you can choose the app to change eye and hair color that you like most.

Eye Color Studio

Would you like to evaluate your appearance with some changes, for example, if your iris was blue and not green? By using this app to change eye color in pictures, you do not have to choose from three shades, you will be given a rich palette of different colors to select the one that you will like most. In addition, you can independently create eye color templates from the photos that you upload, and then use them as filters for others.

Eye Color Changer Makeup

Cost: free
Size: 115.7 MB
Operating system: iOS

This change eye color app iPhone uses one of the simplest interfaces. Just use one of the 150 contact lenses that the program provides and enjoy the result of natural eyes or something fantasy.

Magic Eye Color

Cost: free
Size: 69.5 MB
Operating system: iOS

This app to change eye color in pictures can become a huge helper uses modern can become a huge helper in solving various issues. This can be the removing red eyes in a photo, modeling the iris, or applying effects even to the pupil. This application is capable even of creating a rainbow pupil, just imagine how you will conquer everyone with such an unexpected effect in your photos.

Eye Colorizer

Cost: free
Size: 35.3 MB
Operating system: iOS

Probably, this is almost the only change eye color app iPhone that uses a unique process of smoothing colors, which gives an excellent opportunity to create an incredibly natural look of a changed color. In addition, you can safely use this application in order to brighten the eyes of a photograph that was shot in low light or in any other problematic conditions.

Eye Lens Color Changer

Cost: free
Size: 15.5 MB
Operating system: iOS

Use this app to change eye color in pictures to modify the color of people's eyes in group photos. Thanks to the included settings for fast changes, you can achieve excellent, natural shades in just a few seconds. In addition, you can adjust the color overlay by controlling the area of the coloring.

Regardless of whether you plan to use any apps or programs like Photoshop, the most successful approach is still Photoshop. We hope that through this article you have learned how to change eye color in Photoshop.

Ann Young

Hi there, I'm Ann Young - a professional blogger, read more