Problem : Solution Remove a complex image from its background


Problem: Difficulty removing a highly detailed object from an image.

Solution: Paint in the details.

When removing a person from the original background, hair usually poses the biggest problem. This is simply because hair is very fine and flows in all directions. If the image has a relatively neutral background the process of removal can be simplified greatly, but if the background values match those of the hair, you're in for a wild ride.


Take, for example, the image shown in our Problem image. The woman's hair gets lost in the background. It's basically impossible to extract this image without losing some of the outer fringe, but you can remove the larger, more pronounced sections of hair and still get great-looking results.

Making a custom mask

To remove our person from the original image, we'll create a custom mask. To follow along, open an image in Photoshop that you want to work with. If the original image is on the Background layer in the Layers palette, double-click on it to make it a regular layer and click OK in the resulting New Layer dialog box. Now you're ready to start the extraction process.

Using contrast

To distinguish the edges of your image from the background, select the main background color in your original image and then negate it.

1.

Select the Eyedropper tool from the Toolbox and sample an area of your background. We sampled the beige area to the left of the woman.

2.

Create a new layer by clicking the Create A New Layer button in the Layers palette.

3.

Name the layer Color Fill, and then fill the entire layer with your color.

4.

Change the layer's blending mode from Normal to Difference in the Layers palette.

Now, we'll boost the contrast even more using a Levels Adjustment layer.

1.

Click the Create New Fill Or Adjustment Layer button in the Layers palette and choose Levels from its pop-up menu.

2.

Drag the right triangle toward the left in the resulting Levels dialog box until you can easily distinguish the hair in your image from the background. Then, click OK.

Painting with a purpose

1.

Make a new layer in the Layers palette as you did previously.

2.

Name the layer Outline.

3.

Change the Set Foreground Color swatch to white in the Toolbox, and select the Brush tool .

4.

Use a medium brush to paint away the center of your subject, getting as close to the edges of the hair as possible.

5.

Select a small, feathered brush to use for painting over the hair strands you want to preserve. 3 pixels is usually a good starting point.

6.

Start painting. Keep in mind that the more detailed work you do, the better the final image will look.

Masking it out

1.

Select the white image with the Magic Wand tool .

2.

Feather the selection by choosing Select Feather and entering 3 in the Feather Radius text box in the resulting dialog box.

3.

Choose Select Inverse and fill the new selection with black.

4.

Deselect the image.

5.

Press [Ctrl][Alt][~] ([option][~] on the Mac) to select the luminosity mask.

6.

Select the layer containing your original image in the Layers palette.

7.

Click the Add Layer Mask button at the base of the palette.

8.

Hide all of the layers in the Layers palette that are above your original layer. Your image appears on a transparent background.

9.

Place your image on its new background by dragging it and dropping it onto a new document. You may find that you still have to clean up a few areas of the mask, but overall it should be fine. Our final image is shown in the Solution image.



Get the Image You Want(c) Essential Photoshop Editing Techniques 2005
Get the Image You Want(c) Essential Photoshop Editing Techniques 2005
ISBN: N/A
EAN: N/A
Year: 2004
Pages: 105

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