In this screencast we explore 4 different ways to extract hair from an image in order to composite it into a different background. Once again, Alpha Channels play a major role, but we also explore some Blending options in order to achieve great results. I contend that there is no one “best” way to mask hair, but if you have an arsenal of different techniques at your disposal you can usually wind up with a successful result employing one or several of the techniques I explore here. This screencast assumes a fairly advanced level of Photoshop knowledge, as I don’t spend a lot of time explaining functions that I think an advanced Photoshop user would know.
I did NOT include image files for you to follow along with this time. It isn’t so much about a step-by-step method to extract hair, but more about understanding the tools in Photoshop enough so you can develop your OWN strategy based upon the needs of the image at hand.
Unfortunately, this screencast runs just over 40 minutes, but I don’t see how I could cover all of the information contained here in any less time. As always, I appreciate any comments ya’ll might have, so don’t hesitate to leave a comment here on my blog.
Direct download: Quicktime M4V Format
[flv:http://www.garydatesphotos.com/screencasts/alpha-4.flv 540 405]
Tags: advanced, tutorial