Is there a way to do specific adjustments without difficult compensation?

[zanderpan]

To elaborate, I was wondering if there is a way to do adjustments like warping but have it so that it doesn't separate from the surrounding pixels. Like keep it all together. Almost like using the smudge tool on a large area, but without the blurring.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

What kind of editing do you have in mind?

Have you tried Liquify yet (as a Smart Filter naturally)?

[zanderpan]

Well I've been trying to do alterations on images, like just recently I tried a gender swap. (I'm super new to adobe photoshop and art stuff still so it doesn't look very good) And I had to do a lot of manual sharpening and shadow editing because the way I was trying to adjust it when I had to change the physical shape of something always came out blurry.

[c.pfaffenbichler · Accepted solution]

How do you apply the shape related corrections?

Destructively or non-destructively?

And how about the »manual sharpening and shadow editing«?

Again: Destructively or non-destructively?

In my opinion one should generally try to work non-destructively as much as possible to maintain re-editability without unnecessary image degradation.

So: Smart Objects, Smart Objects, Smart Objects.

And Adjustment Layers naturally …

[zanderpan]

Okay I'll look into that

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Could you post a screenshot with the Layers Panel visible?

[zanderpan]

I had already deleted the .psd file because I was going to start over and try again. But I only had a few layers from copying and pasting some features like the smile for reference. (probably my first mistake was not using layers more effectively)