Photoshop Alternative Cutout—Brush-Assisted Cutout of Animal Fur

Author：Eve Cole Update Time：2009-05-30 21:05:56

This was the request of a foreign client when I was working in a company many years ago. They needed to design a wolf head on a cup, so the photoshop cutout below was created.

First let's take a look at the material. Such a fur animal material is very troublesome, and the background is very close to the main part, making it difficult to distinguish it in terms of hue, brightness, and saturation.

Photoshop alternative cutout method: there is no trick to win but there is a trick

For problems with a certain degree of difficulty, I usually do a small experiment. After you look at this experiment with me, you will understand why this method is used to do this cutout.

First, adjust the brush to the following state. Let me talk about it here. The pen pressure option is only available if a handwriting tablet is installed. The handwriting tablet I use here is a Wacom Intuos II.

Photoshop alternative cutout method: there is no trick to win but there is a trick

Press the Q key to enter the quick mask editing state, double-click the edit button in quick mask mode, and make the following settings in the pop-up dialog box.

Photoshop alternative cutout method: there is no trick to win but there is a trick

Use the brush tool, set the foreground color to black, and draw a few strokes on the edges, trying to follow the trend of the hair.

Photoshop alternative cutout method: there is no trick to win but there is a trick

Enter the channel palette and turn off the RGB channel display.

Photoshop alternative cutout method: there is no trick to win but there is a trick

This step is to make the drawing of hair more clear. Continue drawing.

Photoshop alternative cutout method: there is no trick to win but there is a trick

Using the Smudge Tool, set up as shown below

Photoshop alternative cutout method: there is no trick to win but there is a trick

Use the smudge tool to touch up hair

Photoshop alternative cutout method: there is no trick to win but there is a trick

Use a brush to fill the inner color with black. When using the brush, be sure to adjust the hardness of the brush to 0, so that there will be a softer transition.

Photoshop alternative cutout method: there is no trick to win but there is a trick

Return the RGB channel to display and return to the layer palette

Photoshop alternative cutout method: there is no trick to win but there is a trick

Press the Q key to exit quick mask and get a selection like this

Photoshop alternative cutout method: there is no trick to win but there is a trick

This is the picture cut out from the selected area

Photoshop alternative cutout method: there is no trick to win but there is a trick

Once you understand this, you can cut out this picture in just a few seconds.

Photoshop alternative cutout method: there is no trick to win but there is a trick

What to say later:
The purpose of writing this tutorial is not to ask everyone to try to cut out such a picture. Maybe if you encounter similar problems at work, you can think of this tutorial I wrote, and it will be enough.

When you encounter a difficult problem, don't complicate it. Difficulties are difficult just because you think they are difficult. Think simple, maybe the simplest way is the best way. That's what I'm talking about - there's no trick to win without a trick.