Brush Tool

[noeltoddusa]

When I use the brush tool, and refine the cut out exporting it png. It is very grainy around the edges of the cutout. This has just begun to happen as of late. Can some one help me?

[Gabe]

Hi @noeltoddusa,

Welcome to the forums. 

I suggest you watch these 2 videos. If you still have issues, let us know:

• Making Selections
• Refining Selections

Thanks,

Gabe. 

[Granddaddy]

What is the background like that you are trying to select this person from?

Most tutorials I've seen select a person from a background in which the person's clothing and hair contrast sharply with the color and texture of the surrounding background. It all looks so easy.

My extractions more typically have me selecting blonde hair against an off-white or yellowish wall or against white vertical blinds in front of a window. I've just finished extracting a group of people wearing black pants against an almost black background and dark brown shoes against a dark brown floor. The Refine Edge tool created a selection that either chopped off part of the clothing or included unwanted parts of the background. Refine Edge was not able to find the edges,, though I can see them clearly enough on the screen if I lean in close. On output I was getting something like the mottled edges in your example.

The solution I've been successful with is that I output the refined selection as a mask. Then I use either a black or white paintbrush to paint on the mask where I can follow the outlines I need.

When painting on the mask, make sure the mask layer is selected and only the mask layer, not the pixel layer that is being masked. Painting with white on the mask reveals more of the underlying pixel layer (for instance, where refine edge has left a mottled effect on the subject's clothing). Painting with black covers up the part of the underlying pixel image that I do not want in the selection (e.g. the background beyond the edge of the subject's clothing that refine edge was not able to clearly distinguish).

I got the idea after viewing "Refining Selections in Affinity Photo" by Affinicasts at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S61L9InG8tg  The author outputs the refined selection to a mask for further editing of the mask. Even though his original subject contrasts sharply with the background, Refine Edge was not able to make an adequate selection.

[carl123]

I suspect the image you have to work with is small and poor quality.  I have attached another which is medium size and better quality.

Have a go with that one and see if it works better for you.

There is no reason it should not but that particular image does present some problems in getting a clean "cut" around some areas, especially the arms but it is doable.

 

[noeltoddusa]

Thank for all the input. I have watched recommended videos and taken into consideration that quality on my image may have been very poor. Can anyone help me with creating SVG in affinity. I have tried to create an SVG to import into mo2 MotionVFX 3D program. I saw a video where an SVG was imported from affinity and it worked. I have tried everything and I can't seem to get it done. Thank's also for the images WELL DONE!