The Cute Girl

step 1

This is the result we are aiming for.
The best portrait photo is one with a frontal view, so it won't be too hard to change the features. It's easier if you can do it symmetrical.

step 2

Make a background in soft colors. It can be just one color, but here I used blue and purple with the gradient tool and lightened the middle with a big brush on low opacity.

step 3

Remove the background from the portrait and paste the girl on the new background.

step 4

Desaturate the girl.
layer>new adjustment layer>hue/saturation > -60

step 5

Select an eye, nose or mouth with the rectangular marquee tool. Copy/paste.
Then make the eyes bigger and the nose and mouth smaller
edit>transform>scale

step 6

Blend the features with a soft eraser brush and a soft paint brush on low opacity. Remove most of the eyebrows with a paint brush.

step 7

layer>flatten image
Make the iris a bit bigger and rounder with a paint brush tool. Add a pupil and some white spots with a hard brush on 100% opacity.
Paint fine eyebrows.

step 8

Make the colors a bit brighter, using red and yellow.
layer>new adjustment layer>color
Copy the lips, paste them and give that layer a bit of red.
Copy the upper part of the head, paste it, and lower it a bit with the move tool.

step 9

layer>flatten image
Copy the layer of the girl, make it smaller
edit>transform>scale
Erase everything exept the jaw and chin.
edit>transform>distort
to make the layer broader on top.

step 10

Blend both layers with the eraser tool and the brush tool.
Soften the eyebrows a bit with the brush tool.
Copy a bit of the hair and paste it a few times.
Copy the nose/mouth part and paste it. Lower it a bit to improve the proportions.
layer>flatten image

step 11

Make a background copy.
filter>artistic>watercolor
Set the opacity to 20%

step 12

Set the watercolor copy to blending mode "soft light"