Let's Kill Tonight @t-ransparentxbands - Tumblr Blog

May 6, 2016

Transparent edit tutorial.

I’ve been getting quite a few messages on doing a tutorial regarding how I go about my edits. I understand not everyone has photoshop (you can find some free version lying around tumblr, though), but I will be doing this tutorial as I normally would in photoshop - using the eraser and brush tool. Before you click that little read more button, WARNING: Hella long (but descriptive...ish) and image heavy. Also, please like or reblog if you find or useful or want to share it. idc. Okay,NOW let’s get started!

You will need:

Some sort of editing program. Pixlr is a free, no-download program that works. Some people use paint.net. I will be using photoshop for this. Some basic photo editing knowledge. Some snazzy pictures of whoever you want to smack on some backgrounds. I'll be making a list of places I get my pictures from quite soon. Caprisun, snacks, some good music - this is going to take a while. I am using a bamboo wacom drawing tablet to get this job done. It makes things easier and faster, but it is not needed.

First, find a good quality picture of the person you want to cut out. For this tutorial, my subject will be Hayley Williams. I will be using this picture - it’s so HQ it’ll blow your face off. I highly suggest you choose a picture where the subject’s hair color differs drastically from the background image. In the picture I chose, Hayley’s hair stands out from the dark background. Sometimes it’s not an option - to have contrasting hair to background colors - but it makes it easier in the long run.

So upload that sucker into your program and take a deep breath. Get yourself relaxed and motivated. It’ll take time and practice, especially if you’re using a mouse (don’t even get me started about laptop track pads.)

There’s my picture. In all it’s glory. I start by adding a mask to the picture (which may not be an option for some programs, so you’ll have to duplicate the background image and cut from the copy, just to be safe). Then, I add a color that is not visible or contrasts from the picture. It’s generally a bland, brownish red. I’m using a darkish blue for this one.

Now, fetch the polygonal tool (or lasso, whichever you fancy) and do the shittiest, sloppiest cut out of the background ever ... but don’t touch whoever or whatever you want to cut out. I mean it. If you’re using a program that does not offer a masking option (labeled above u blind lil bat), just erase as you would normally erase anything else. A shortcut on my keyboard is ctrl + x. After, you’ll see something like this atrocity -

Now you’re done. Go show the world your beautiful creation. Kidding *cricket noises*. Your base color should be showing through by now. Now we get to the nitty gritty. Now zoom. Like, zoom in a lot. Grab your brush/eraser and get crackalackin. For the straighter edges, I use the polygonal tool, because I’m lazy and have shakey hands. For more of the curved, flowy edges, I hit it up with the brush tool. It’s case by case. While you do this, avoid all hair. That’s for later. You’ll see why.

Now that you’ve removed some background, it should look a bit like this (snazzy doodles: optional)...

Okay, now empty your mind. Pack yourself on the back for getting this far. Now, we’re going to work on that hair. Now we get to the nitty gritty of the nitty gritty.

So, you probably scout the internet, searching for that transparent of the band and you see ... holy shit, the hair looks funky. That’s because the editor has either a) cut it out with the polygonal or lasso tool 2) have cut it out withan eraser by hand. No shade to those guys, like, keep doing your thing. If you look at my blog’s history, you’ll see plenty of my edits have the choppy hair, too! But, to both the kids out there running transparent edit blogs or to those who want to diy it for the heck of it, this is a very important, quality option that makes the funky cut out hair go *poof*. However, it might not work on all programs. I’m mostly familiar with photoshop, so I don’t promise a cure to every transparent edit problem.

Now we delve into the dark hole that is photoshop options.

You’ll thank me later ... hopefully.

Select a halo around the outer edge of your subjects hair, or wherever the subject’s hair meets the background. Depending on if the hair is blocked by something else (in my picture, Hayley’s hair is sort of behind her face), you’ll have to do this for each part of the hair. So make sure you get what you’re doing before you screw around with your picture more.

baby i can see your halo, halo, oooooo...

Now, go to select > color range. A box should pop up. You’ll notice there’s a box in the middle of the box (boxception), which may be completely black depending on your program ... if your program allows this option at all. You’ll see some eye dropper icons near the Void Box™. One should be just an eyedropper, the other one with a plus sign, and the other with a negative sign. Those eyedroppers aRE THE GATE TO THE CITY. A drop down should say selection preview or something along those lines. It’s helpful, but not very nice sometimes. If you want to see how well your hair is going to look on the photo, hit that drop down menu. i suggest using anything BUT the quick mask.

Now click the first eyedropper tool and poke around the Void Box™ until some white pops up. Find where your subject’s hair is and don’t touch the box again. You box should look like this.

Now hit the dropper with the plus sign. Start flunking around and selecting as much as the person’s hair as humanly possible. The selected area should be white. Mine looks like this -

Gorgeous.

Now, once your satisfied, hit the OK button. If it selects a halo right on your subject’s hair, hit select > inverse. Now carefully erase around the hair. Once your done, unselect (shortcut on my computer: ctrl + d). It’ll look Fabulous ... Hopefully. If you see anything you don’t like left behind, go ahead and caaaaarefuuulllyyy erase it.

After screwing around, my finished product looks like this.

*heaven choir singing in the distance*

So, now, remove color bases you used. Delete the HECK out of those layers. They’re your ex. Get them out of your life and move on. Delete ‘em until the checkered background is visible - this means that the background is transparent. Crop as needed and save!

Now go fourth, use your new knowledge and make cute lil pastel edits. Do your thing! Be sure to tag me or message me with your fabulous works that you’ve made w this tutorial.

Here’s a shitty icon thing I made after doing this tutorial. Use it. If you’re into my bad editing skills lmao