Best way to isolate an object from the background? 5

[HamJamin]

Can someone walk me through using the pen tool to isolate an object from the background? I can’t get the edges clean enough using any of the Lasso Tools or the Magic Wand.

 

[MarcusStringer]

I like to use the "Quickmask" feature then simply paint around the subject by changing the hardness of the brush etc, check out the help menu as it's hard to explain here.

Marcus

http://www.midlandtypesetters.com.au

 

[moriaorc]

Also, don't forget about the extract filter and the background eraser! The background eraser works very well if your background is fairly simple, and the extract filter works great for more complex images.

 

[moriaorc]

But more to your question, the pen tool is difficult to master. What you are doing is creating a vector path around the area you want to extract. When I use the pen tool, I go to the top toolsbar and select "paths" rather than shape layer or fill pixels. This creates a path that you can edit easily. Now, create your path. You can just click to create a corner path - handy if your object has hard corners and sharp edges. Or you can click and drag to create a bezier (sp?) curve. The further you drag, the more extreme the curve. Don't wory too much about getting the lines exactly right. Once the path is complete, go back and fix the small errors on the path by using the direct selection tool. You can also convert corner points to smooth points, and vice versa. Once you have the path just the way you want, click on "Load path as selection" in the Paths pallette. That's the bare bones version of the technique. as with almost everything in photoshop, you can go a lot deeper into this, but that's the basics.
HTH!

 

[mscallisto]

This is my very favorite where you can even isolate individual hairs. It uses the subject to create masks, very impressive.

Its at

http://www.russellbrown.com/

click on tips and techniques (bottom of home page) then scroll all the way down to Advanced masking to find a quick time movie tutorial.

Quick time can also be downloaded at Russells home page above.

Russell was the art director (I believe) at Adobe from way back when and has some wonderful tutorial movies.

much luck

sam

 

[MarcusStringer]

Nice website

Marcus

http://www.midlandtypesetters.com.au

 

[zoddman1]

http://www.showandtell-graphics.com/background_removal_2.html

http://www.showandtell-graphics.com/background_removal.html

 

[HamJamin]

Thanks very much Mscallisto . Russell Brown's website is great. Very helpful. And his enthusiasm as he teaches is a crack-up to listen to. Much more enjoyable than some of the mundane speakers on other websites.

 

[SPYDERIX]

Sam,

Great tutorial. In fact I'd have to say that's the best extraction tutorial I've ever seen. I find him quite annoying and repetitive but first class for sure.

Thanks for the post. You get a star for that find.

NATE

http://www.mainframehosting.net

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