This brief tutorial will go over how to trace and “cut out” an object in Photoshop and create a black silhouette, a la iPod ads.
Let’s start with this picture I downloaded from istockphoto.com (ID – 110035). While the white background makes it easier to cut out, any background with enough contrast to the foreground object should work (and you can always touch up afterwards!).
Now, I’ll use Photoshop’s handy Extract filter. Go to Filter > Extract and the Extract dialog window will pop open.
Using the brush tool, I outline the shape that I want to cut out along the edges. Then I fill the shape with the paint bucket to show the areas that I want to “keep.” When you outline, then fill, you’ll be able to click the “Preview” button to view the extraction. When I’m done, I click “OK.”
I fill the background with a contrasting color so that I can see how well the extraction did. As you can see in this closeup, some of the edges are a bit “transparent.” It actually makes the highlights look like the green is “reflecting” off of them (a good effect if I want to add a background to this image), but I want a solid shape for a silhouette. So, let’s paint the edges back in to be solid.
Choose the History Brush from the tool palette.
Open the Histroy tab. Find the last state before the extraction and click in the left column to mark it with the history brush icon.
Go back to your document and, using the History Brush, carefully paint inside the edges to make the slightly green areas fully solid. Here’s what the foot looks like now:
When I’m happy with it, I add a new layer and fill it with black. Then I Ctrl-click (or Command-click in Mac) the extracted layer to get the outline of a shape. With the black layer still selected in the Layers Palette, I add a layer mask… and my silhouette is complete!
(If I worked for Apple, I might now add a white iPod and wire silhouette to the image. But since I don’t, I’m done!)
Sorry — I can’t provide the download because I’m using someone else’s image.
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This is a nicely done tutorial on extracting. I’d like to point out that the iPod effect is more complex than this. View one of the commercials frame-by-frame and you’ll notice that the people are not solid black; they have highlights. For your example, you might paint with a low opacity white on the mask to let some of the original photo show through. A good spot would be the shine on the boots that you pointed out. Thanks for a good article.
October 6th, 2004 at 2:30 pm
Nice, much better than the Color Overlay mode I use. I’m going to try this out.
October 6th, 2004 at 3:37 pm
Thanks man, been trin’ to do that for ages, tryed some other ways but u’rs is best – wooh
October 13th, 2004 at 12:46 pm
wow! you explained to easily. THANK YOU. it works just like you said….you should consider teaching……be swell!
johnathon
October 27th, 2004 at 1:06 pm
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October 28th, 2004 at 8:33 am
from the step after ur supposed to fill the extract with the I get lost…i’m new to ps and i really wanna make a silhouette…the only other program i have is psp7 can u please help?
November 24th, 2004 at 2:38 am
Thanx! you´re tips helped me a lot!… but, after doing it a couple of times I realized you could skip the “mask” step… when you´ve defined the solid borders of the image, you just click “select layer transparency” on the layer menu, then create the new layer and then fill that new layer with the color of your choice… it works for me, what do you think?
December 4th, 2004 at 2:43 pm
Can you clarify more on the Ctrl Click? Mine doesnt really do anything with it i cant the black and white layer mask
December 11th, 2004 at 11:22 pm
Kevin, you want to make sure that you’re control-clicking the layer in the Layer Palette (not in the document). I’ll try to post a quick tutorial to help illustrate this as well.
December 15th, 2004 at 5:12 pm
When i CTRL – Click it only appears “Load selection” on the layer menu, yes am left clicking the black layer.
February 11th, 2005 at 3:33 am
top top tutorial.!!!
1. why at the end do you add a layer mask?
it doesnt do anything.
2. how do you sharpen/smooth the borders of the black figure???
February 15th, 2005 at 1:38 pm
I barely get these directions. How come when I’m done some of the picture I want “erased” comes back? I also cant find the part you mention with the history brush, last state before extraction, it does not have the extraction listed. I cant continue after that ..
March 8th, 2005 at 8:15 am
i find it easier to select the outline of the figure you want with the polygon lasoo tool, then duplicate that selecction twice in a new canvas, have the top layer as black and te second as colour. HTen take an eraser tool at 15% opacity an highlight key areas i.e shine on boots and skin.
Not sure how to put the ipod on though
March 17th, 2005 at 6:06 pm
Hi there,
Great tutorial, I just get stuck on this part could you explain a little more in detail? I understand the CLTRL-click but from then on im lost… :(
When I’m happy with it, I add a new layer and fill it with black. Then I Ctrl-click (or Command-click in Mac) the extracted layer to get the outline of a shape. With the black layer still selected in the Layers Palette, I add a layer mask… and my silhouette is complete!
August 4th, 2006 at 5:46 am
This is by far the best way to do this. Its fast and works like a charm! The ’smart highlighting’ option works AMAZING too. www.adenmott.com
November 10th, 2006 at 12:27 am
I don’t understand the CTRL + Click. It doesn’t make any sense to me…
April 23rd, 2007 at 9:54 am
If you are on a Mac, that would be pressing ‘Command’ and clicking the mouse button at the same time.
April 23rd, 2007 at 5:13 pm
What a nice tutorial . . until that mysterious CTRL+click nonsense. What are you talking about? This doesn’t work even in Windows! Explain it without the CTRL+click please. Somebody should.
June 17th, 2007 at 3:26 am
Hi Mike -
You want to CTRL+click on the layer thumbnail itself in the Layers palette.
Hope that helps!
June 17th, 2007 at 4:54 am
how can u get this program ??
August 29th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Great tutorial. How do you then smooth the pixelated (jagged) edges on the silhouette?
Thanks…
October 1st, 2008 at 3:28 am
I don’t know if it is just my Mac or what but above everyone is saying for MACs command click. I tried that a lot and it didn’t work for me. I have an iBook G4, bought in ‘05′. I control clicked on the black layer, menu poped up, selected create clipping mask and my silhouette popped up. ta da. Is this the same action as in the directions?
February 7th, 2009 at 8:45 am