ADVANCED IMAGE EDITING SKILLS
2
Open Refine Edge
Go to Select>Inverse to select the model instead of
the background, then go to Select>Refine Edge. Hit F
to toggle different view options within Refine Edge until you
find one that gives the best view of the selection edge. Check
Smart Radius and increase Radius to 1px.1
Select the background
Open the starting image. Grab the Magic Wand tool,
check Contiguous and set Tolerance to about 21 in the
Tool Options. Click the grey background to begin a
selection. Hold Shift and click around the background to
select it all. Include the gaps in the hair and hands.4
Fine-tune the settings
Continue painting around the hair, covering the areas
where the grey background shows through. If you need
to erase parts, hold Alt and paint. When you’re happy, hit F
until you see the black on white view. Experiment with the
Contrast and Shift Edge sliders to make the edge harder.3
Adjust the radius
Check Show Radius, and experiment by dragging the
Radius slider up and down, changing the size of the
edge. The refinement occurs in this area; anywhere outside it
is left untouched. Grab the Refine Radius tool and paint over
the edges of the hair to increase the area of refinement.6
Drop in the background
Open the background and add it to the portrait
image. Reapply Refine Edge: highlight the mask, go
to Select>Refine Edge and repeat the process. Highlight the
background layer. Press Cmd/Ctrl+J, go to Filter>Blur>Lens
Blur, set Radius 35, and click OK.5
Tidy up the mask
Pick Output to: New Layer with Layer Mask and click
OK. Go to the Layers panel and highlight the mask
thumbnail. The cutout probably won’t be perfect so you’ll
need to tidy it up. Grab the Brush tool, zoom in and paint
with black to hide any remaining background areas.