how do you cut out complex shapes and paste to a new layer?

[Triton]

Hi, can someone please tell me if affinity photo can do the following:

 

I have a photo of a portrait figure painting that I would like to cut out from the background so it has a transparency. I know this can be done (though so far, even using the refine tool, the edges are very jagged and don't know how to smooth them. Thought there would be a feather tool that could smooth out the edges at the end but seems you can't.

 

Then I would like to cut the head out so it's on a different layer. The same with the arms.

 

I have searched all tutorials and can't find anything. Have I bought the wrong software. is this only something that photoshop desktop can do?

 

I thought there would be a pen tool that would allow you to draw around whatever part you wanted to cut out and then you just paste to a new layer. I believe you can do this with a rectangle tool but not with complex shapes where you would need a pen?

[toltec]

These things are all easy(?) enough in Photo, but do require a fair bit of learning. They are quite complex operations in any software.

 

If the edges are jagged, that usually means the image is rather low resolution?

 

If you look in the Refine Edges panel, there are options to feather. You can do it all around or "paint" the feather around selectively. That won't help much if the resolution is too low.

 

You can indeed cut something out with the pen tool. Make a duplicate layer first, draw a path then click Mask on the context Toolbar.

 

Have you watched these ?

 

 

[Triton]

Hi Toltec 

 

thanks for the reply. Yes I’ve watched both of those videos and for some reason still can’t get a smooth cut, however I suspect you are right re the resolution. 

 

Re the pen tool though, is there any way of making it work ‘freeflow’, as currently It seems to work by drawing a line between each clicked point you make rather than just flowing smoothly as a pencil. 

[v_kyr]

One of the best and most accurate methods for cutting out overall complicate to handle things like hairs in portraits etc. is to use layer fill methods via layer masks. See for example this German video ...

• Haare freistellen

... if you do a Google search you will find for sure similar tutorial videos also in English language, which will show how to do and use this technique.

Another popular one is to use channels here ...

• see this translation

Even those things above show how to do it with PS you can apply and use the same techniques for AP here.

[toltec]

5 hours ago, Triton said:

 

Re the pen tool though, is there any way of making it work ‘freeflow’, as currently It seems to work by drawing a line between each clicked point you make rather than just flowing smoothly as a pencil. 

 

Not really, if you can draw that accurately you might as well create a mask (or selection) by painting with a brush. Quick Mask is quite good for this.

 

The whole idea of a clipping path is precise control over the path by control points and nodes. You could try using the pen in "Smart" mode. As you draw (and click) it tries to intelligently create the path for you. Sometimes it works well, sometimes not but the nodes are easy to edit later.

 

Smart mode