Does any one have any good trick to quickly cut around people, objects are ok with the "refine edge tool" but people, particulary the hair is hard to do..

Any would be great

On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 03:52:15 -0700, simonpower@adobeforums.com wrote:

> Does any one have any good trick to quickly cut around people, objects
> are ok with the "refine edge tool" but people, particulary the hair is
> hard to do.. Any would be great

Try the extract tool - I've had good results with it in the situation
you're describing.
--
Mike Russell - http://www.curvemeister.com

If you can't get on with that look in here:

<http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.1de5f905.3bb80e5d/7>

Or here, even:

<http://www.adobeforums.com/webx?128@@.1de5f905.3bb80e5d>

@J.J.

Here a technique from "How to Cheat in Photoshop", which says works best if shot against a single color. Cut out the image loosely around the hair (lots of space). Load Background Eraser tool and choose brush size- medium, sampling-once for plain background or Continuous if varied background, limits-discontinuous to erase background surrounded by hair, tolerance-too high and will erase hair,too low won't erase background, and check protect foreground color.

If background white it is ful to make new layer filled with solid color so you can more clearly see what is being erased. The crosshairs in center of tool will pick up color to erase. If you get into the area around something you don't want erased (like shoulder) hold down alt key and click shoulder color, it then becomes the protected foreground color. Change foreground color as you work around image.

This is from the book, have not tried this. Good luck.

The best way that I have found is with the background/color eraser. The new magic wand in CS3 auto selects so much better than previous versions, so if there is some definite contrast between hair color and background color, that is an option I explore as well.

Randy
<http://hawaiiphotostudio.com>
<http://leerandallstewart.com>

I find using the mask tool the easiest for me. Magnify the image while
you erase an edge around it then use the magic lassoo tool to gab the
rest quickly and hit delete. The advantage of the mask is swapping the
foreground colour back and forth if you take too much off and realize
further down the track when you have exceeded the history quota.

http://kayleenwest.blogspot.com

Is the "How to cheat at Photoshop" guy paying you by the link, or by the click-throughs, Curt?

:| XD :|

No, to pay, credit, or other claims to fame. I just think it is a neat book as it has many off beat solutions for people that like to create special effects. Did think twice about mentioning book name, but since I am not proficient in many of these methods thought it best to include the source for those that want to pursue it.

By the way, how do you get those little characters - yellow or green faces? I could use a red one now.

By the way, how do you get those little characters - yellow or green faces?
I could use a red one now.






I've been thinking about picking that up curt. thanks for bringing it to my attention.

dave

Thanks for the icon list. They also have a website and forum which is ful if you get puzzled by something in book. Steps for techniques assume at least a moderate level of photoshop knowledge.

cool beans! XD

" They also have a website and forum..."




Yeah, but I posted the "Eyedropper reversal" solution over there and
"Mr. I'm-a-Photoshop-Book-Author-But-This-One-Left-Me-Stumped" didn't even acknowledge it.

Them big shots, they're all the same, what with their fancy lofty towers and what not!

Even though Corel has done its best to ruin it, Knockout is still one of the best one trick ponies around. It's way better than any of the other tools mentioned here, and once you get the hang of it, you can do some very subtle masks. I used it on the L.A. MTA Imagine series of billboards up all over L.A. now. Lots of frizzy hair shot against white which often had to go against dark colored backgrounds. Difficult under any circumstance, but at least tolerable with KO.

Phos+-four

Thanks for that posting. Once you are famous, or a politician, why care what others think?

BTW I have seen a lot of your postings and they are well thought out and ful. You must not a big shot. :-p

You're right, Curt.

I'm a big snot.

But really, I care about all the little people.

Honest.

I've made them what they are today, and they never let me forget it.

blag flammit!!!

"Knockout is still one of the best one trick ponies around."




I need to try that Vertus Liquid something-or-other.

Sounds quite promising after reading about how it does what it does.

Hang on a sec....

OK, there is is:

VertusTech fluid mask
<http://www.vertustech.com/>

I had downloaded a demo but never quite got it to work as well as KO. One of the problems I run into is that many techniques will work quite well on very lo-res images, but try them on a really high res scan or digital capture and it's a completely different story. Even with KO, I have to do some cleanup, but when I look at all those bus sides and billboards around town and they all look perfect at huge sizes, I know it's working great for me.

They do look fantastic Peter. Well done.

J