[Removed for Content] Beginner's Tutorial 1

[Kethaera]

<h2><span style="color: #ff99ff;">Tutorial 1: Cutting a character out of a background and cleaning it up</span></h2><span style="color: #ff99ff;">Notes:With this tutorial, I'm assuming you've downloaded and installed [Removed for Content] OK, and that you can navigate to and open files on your computer with no problem. If you're having difficulty with either of these things, please <a href="mailto:[email protected]" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">email me</a> and I'll do my best to help you.</span><p><span style="color: #ff99ff;">Also note that I'm using [Removed for Content] version 2.4.6, which is the latest release as of this publishing, in Windows, and that I use a Wacom graphics tablet, but everything I do in this tutorial can be done with a regular mouse (and trust me, I've done it). I'm using a screenshot from the video game <a href="http://everquest2.station.sony.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Everquest II</a> by Sony Online Entertainment, but the techniques I show can be applied to a variety of images. </span></p><p>Step 1: Opening an image</p> Open your image in [Removed for Content] by either navigating to the image, right-clicking, and selecting "Open With [Removed for Content]" or by double-clicking on the [Removed for Content] icon on your desktop, going to "File" in the Main Window (the one titled "[Removed for Content]" in your toolbar), "Open," and navigating to the image on your computer.<img src="http://www.freewebs.com/kethaera//Tutorials/Tut1.JPG" alt="" border="0" />Step 2: Adding an Alpha Channel<p>My image is a JPEG image, probably the most common computer image type, identified by the .jpeg or .jpg file extension. JPEG images don't allow any clear, or transparent, parts, so if we tried to erase anything in the image now, [Removed for Content] would replace it with white instead of making it clear. To get clear, we have to do what's called "adding an alpha channel " to our image. To do this, righ-click where it says "Background" in the Layers, Channels, etc window. Select "Add Alpha Channel" from the list.</p><p><img src="http://www.freewebs.com/kethaera/Tutorials/AddAlphaChannel.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></p><p>Step 3: Using the Crop Tool</p>To get your image down to a more workable size, use the Crop Tool. Select the Crop Tool Button, the start at the upper left corner of the part of the image you want to save, then drag down and right. You can drag the edges of the selection in or out to adjust the part you want to save, then hit enter when you're done.  If you need to see your image bigger or smaller, select "View" from the Image Window, go to "Zoom" and you can select different sizes; 100% being the actual size of the image.<img src="http://www.freewebs.com/kethaera/Tutorials/CropButton.JPG" alt="" border="0" /><p>Step 4: Using the Paths Tool</p><p>There are many ways to cut a part of an image out from the rest, but I find the Paths Tool in [Removed for Content] to be a fast way to do it.</p><p><img src="http://www.freewebs.com/kethaera/Tutorials/PathsButton.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></p><p>Select the Paths Tool, the begin to left-click around the edge of the part of the image you want to cut out. Each click will leave a circle that connects to the next circle you make. When you finish going all the way around, click near your first circle to make a complete circuit. You have now made a path.</p><p>WARNING: If you choose any other button at this time, your path will seem to disappear! You can get it back, however, by going to the paths tab at the top of the Layers, Channels, Paths Window (third tab from the left in a default install). I'll inform you of what to do next in the next step.</p><p><img src="http://www.freewebs.com/kethaera/Tutorials/PathOutline.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></p><p>Step 5: Converting a Path to a Selection</p><p>If your image still looks like the one above, with the connected circles showing, simply choose "Select" from the Image Window, then "From Path". This will turn your path into a selection, indicated by the "marching ants" around your image.</p><img src="http://www.freewebs.com/kethaera/Tutorials/SelectFromPathInvert.JPG" alt="" border="0" />Note: If you're having to go from the Paths Tab because you chose another button and your path seemed to disappear, use the "To Selection" at the bottom. From here on out, you're back to the regular part of the tutorial, so you can go back to the "Layer" tab (first button on the left).<img src="http://www.freewebs.com/kethaera/Tutorials/PathTabSelect.JPG" alt="" border="0" />Now from the "Select" menu again, choose "Invert." Before, your selection was the part of the image you wanted to keep. Now we're selecting everything you DON'T want to keep. From "Edit" at the top of the Image Window, select "Clear". This deletes everything that's selected, in our case, the parts of the image we don't want to keep. Because we added an alpha channel at the beginning, this makes our background clear, indicated by the checkerboard background in [Removed for Content].<img src="http://www.freewebs.com/kethaera/Tutorials/EditClear.JPG" alt="" border="0" />

[Kethaera]

Your image should now look something like this:<img src="http://www.freewebs.com/kethaera/Tutorials/BackgroundCleared.JPG" alt="" border="0" />I used the Path Tool again to remove the part between her arm and body, but I did not "Invert" because the selection was already the part I wanted to clear.<p>Step 6: Using the Eraser Tool</p>There will inevitably be parts of the image that still need to be removed, either where you got a little off with the path tool, or between the arm and body, etc. For that, we'll use the eraser tool.<img src="http://www.freewebs.com/kethaera/Tutorials/EraserButton.JPG" alt="" border="0" /><p>Select the Erase Tool Button, the use your mouse to "draw" everywhere you want to erase the background. It takes a little while to get comfortable with "drawing" with a mouse, so be patient, and if you make a mistake, you can undo it either by selecting "Edit" -> "Undo" from the Image Window, or pressing [Ctrl] + [z] on your keyboard. When you're happy with everything you've erased, you're ready to move on to the next step. Don't forget to save occasionally by going to "File" -> "Save As" from the Image Window! Save in [Removed for Content]'s default .xcf format to keep your transparent background and any layers, paths, etc you may have.</p><p>Step 7: Improving the image's contrast</p><p>I find that most in-game screenshots are rather dark, even if they were taken on quality settings, so I start getting my cut-out character ready for a sig by improving the contrast. From the "Colors" menu at the top of the Image Window, select "Levels". </p><p><img src="http://www.freewebs.com/kethaera/Tutorials/ColorsLevels.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></p>This will bring up a window that looks like this:<img src="http://www.freewebs.com/kethaera/Tutorials/ColorsLevels2.JPG" alt="" border="0" /><p>You can adjust the levels either by sliding the three triangles I've circled or by adjusting the numbers that correlate to the circles as I've indicated. The white triangle brightens the image, the black triangle darkens it, and the grey one in the middle adjusts the contrast between the two. As you move the triangles (or adjust the numbers up and down) you can the results on your image. Feel free to play around with these, there are no "perfect" numbers as each image is different. You can always use the "reset" button at the bottom of the window to return the sliders to their original positions. When you're done making your changes, press the "OK" button. I always like to see how much of an improvement over the original I've made, so I "Undo" the changes and "Redo" them. What a difference!</p><p>Step 8: Using the Blur Tool</p><p>You may notice that your image has a lot of pixelation; areas that look kind of spotty or splotchy. I use the Blur Tool to take care of this.</p><p><img src="http://www.freewebs.com/kethaera/Tutorials/BlurTool.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></p><p>You can see my settings above, but the most important thing is just not to use too big of a brush. First, I "draw" with the mouse around the edges of the image. This will clear up any jagged edges left from cutting the image out of its background. Then I go over the areas where there is pixelation. </p><p>This is my resulting image:</p><p><img src="http://www.freewebs.com/kethaera/Tutorials/Blurred.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></p><p>As you can see, there's still a little bit of pixelation left, but you have to balance between removing pixelation and blurring so much that you lose detail. Besides, when you put the character into the final image, you'll resize it much smaller, and you won't see as much of the remaining pixelation.</p><p>At this point, your image looks good enough to go ahead and use in a sig. What I do from here is mostly just my own taste, such as fixing the clipping in this particular image (where her shoulder is coming through the dress) and tweaking hair, eyes, etc. I'll cover things like that in later tutorials.</p><p>This is my final image after all tweaking.  </p><p><img src="http://www.freewebs.com/kethaera/Tutorials/KCutout.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></p><p><span style="color: #ff99ff;">This tutorial is also available on my <a href="http://www.freewebs.com/kethaera/tutorial1.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>, if you'd like to bookmark it.</span> <span style="color: #ff99ff;">If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post here, PM me, or <a href="[email protected]" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">email me</a>.</span></p>

[Beckah]

Thanks for posting this!  I am going to give it a try tomorrow afternoon <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Kethaera]

<cite>Lillyanna@Kithicor wrote:</cite><blockquote>Thanks for posting this!  I am going to give it a try tomorrow afternoon <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />" /></blockquote>You're welcome. Let me know if you need any help. I also recommend <a href="http://www.gimptalk.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.gimptalk.com</a> for tutorials.

[Beckah]

Well....I gave it a shot! heheTake a peek. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img mce_tsrc=" />" /><img src="http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk147/LillyEQ2/?action=view&current=Lilly-Test-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <img src="http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk147/LillyEQ2/?action=view&current=Lilly-Test-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" />Bah...picture's won't work for some reason?  Ok...well <a rel="nofollow" href="http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk147/LillyEQ2/Lillytest.jpg" target="_blank">Before</a> and <a rel="nofollow" href="http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk147/LillyEQ2/Lilly-Test-1.jpg" target="_blank">After</a>They need some work, but that was my first try! I don't think it turned out too awful.

[kyrr]

I vote for a sticky! Helped me make this sig:<img src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m191/Bluberry_Cixia/freezzinsig.jpg" alt="" border="0" />Also that link for [Removed for Content] talk isn't working for me for some reason. Make more tutorials!! <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />

[Kethaera]

Great work, both of you! Much better than my first attempts, that's for sure. As for the link, I think something's wrong with their server or something, because I can't get to it either.