In most of the tutorials masking is an essential technique. I frequently use masking and these days, I had chance to explore new features of photoshop CS5. Improved version of refine edge in CS5 helps you mask out complicated images easily.
Today, I am going to teach you how you can mask complicated images. In future tutorials most of the time i will refer to this post if masking is required. There is no design we will just put a gorgeous dancer onto a grunge texture.
Assets
Step 1
Let’s bring the photo to photoshop. Duplicate image in case if you needed. Import our texture to back of the photo re-size and position it. Then let’s start masking. If you examine image, most of it easy to mask, however hair part seems problematic. We will deal with it later. First, create a selection around model as close as you can. I recommend you use magnetic lasso for this job.
Step 2
If we use this selection as a mask we would get a crappy result. Our next step is using refine edges. However if you are new at refine edge saving the selection would be useful. Go to Select – Save Selection and save your selection as new channel. This selection will be on your channels panel and you can load if something goes wrong. Also another tip is you can use alpha channels to change your selection by painting your channel.
Step 3
In this step we will use refine edge. While your selection is active, go to Select – Refine Edge a new dialog box will appear. Here are the setting i use. I will explain key properties;
View Mode: As name suggests, view mode controls how you see your selection. In CS5 there are two additional modes, on layers, which shows the output as masked. With this you are able to see final result on your composition, and reveal layer which shows the whole image.
Edge Detection: It is a new feature and it what makes refine edges more powerful. As name suggests it detects edges and bring out the lost details, as in our case hairs. If you dial it too much you will get more artifacts so be careful.
Smart radius is for optimizing your selection. If you examine our image, there is great detail on hair, however most of her body is fairly simple. Smart radius helps you to balance these differences.
Output: This area is responsible for output. Again a new great feature is decontaminate colors. When you mask, sometimes background color stays around the edges of your subject. Decontaminate colors fix this issue by adding appropriate pixels to your image.
Near edge detection there are refine and remove radius tool. You can use them to bring out details and remove artifacts from your mask.
Final
Now it’s your turn to play with refine edge tool. I recommend you practice this tool until you master it.
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5 Comments
Reyes Minjarez
naturally like your web-site however you have to take a look at the spelling on several of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling issues and I to find it very bothersome to tell the reality then again I will certainly come again again.
Eugene
Hi, great tutorial but you did not mention how I should select the small pockets of “brown” shades in between the dancer’s hair.
Please help.
Baran
Thanks. The beauty part of this new feature of photoshop is you don’t need to select them just create a quick selection around hair and refine this by using tools on refine edges dialog
Ian
Thanks for this tutorial. At my job, they got CS5 and this tool is really helpful.
I just want to state that you don’t have to use the magnetic lasso tool to start. I think it’s easier if you create a clipping path. It gives you more control.
Baran Cezayirli
Thanks for you helpful comment Ian.
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