Masking Hair in Photoshop CS3

Masking hair is one of the harder challenges faced when you want to move a subject from one background to another. Here are two techniques for getting this done.

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Dear Viewers:

I know that many of you were having issues with the sound in this video tutorial. I contacted the tutorial’s author, Chris Alvanas, and he sent a new copy of the video with higher sound levels and some bonus information. Sorry about the problems with the original. Thank you for the feedback.

Web Editor - Layers

 

Comment by Web Editor | May 19, 2008 @ 1:53 pm

 

I am sure this is good tutorial. Too bad you can’t hear it. However the opening splash screen is very. That is alway important.

 

Comment by Bobby | May 20, 2008 @ 10:03 pm

 

Love it

 

Comment by Mark G. | May 21, 2008 @ 3:36 am

 

The intro audio for all of your videos is freaking ridiculously loud and unnecessary. Decent tutorial though.

 

Comment by Dorn | May 21, 2008 @ 9:59 am

 

Agree. The sounds was pretty bad. But great source!

 

Comment by Jesse | May 21, 2008 @ 3:31 pm

 

You guys are working on the sound right? Great tutorial otherwise.

 

Comment by D. McMillan | May 21, 2008 @ 10:18 pm

 

So far, it’s a nice screen. Will something show up on it soon? I hope so. I’ve been waiting 20 minutes….and still nothing. Works great otherwise!

 

Comment by Richard Oleck | May 22, 2008 @ 3:11 pm

 

Can hardly hear anything. I will be back later one. Too bad. Thank you

 

Comment by Jaline | May 22, 2008 @ 4:26 pm

 

Video works fine here, audio too. Er well had to turn it up after turning down the blasto music intro. The intro music woke the dog & his fleas up.

Good tutorial

 

Comment by keith | May 22, 2008 @ 7:31 pm

 

wonderful tutorial :-)

 

Comment by Mchilly | May 23, 2008 @ 12:37 am

 

Thanks for the tutorial. Sorry, but that background is pretty hideous…looks like a tie dye nightmare. That said I liked the calculation (blend) work.

ALSO! Why! Would so many people comment on the freaking audio? Simmer down nerds…check back later.

 

Comment by ryan | May 23, 2008 @ 3:35 am

 

intro sound is damn loud but almost you cannot hear the voice in actual tutorial!

 

Comment by migz | May 23, 2008 @ 4:09 am

 

Thanx, great tutorial, but I agree with Ryan, the background you’ve chosen is horrible!

 

Comment by Jean-Sien | May 24, 2008 @ 3:12 pm

 

The tutorial was very helpful. The sound was low, but just bumping it up all the way I heard it just fine. If you can’t really hear it you can always hook up your computer to speakers!

 

Comment by phamala | May 25, 2008 @ 4:15 am

 

Can’t hear it either!!

Hope volume is corrected soon.

 

Comment by Eileen | May 25, 2008 @ 1:08 pm

 

Just as the video tutorial was getting interesting, it cut off to an advertisement for Layers Magazine and would not go back!!! Very annoying.

 

Comment by Gerard Clark | May 26, 2008 @ 9:10 pm

 

May 27-Brilliant information! No sound problems or ad probs my end.
Well done and thanks

 

Comment by John | May 27, 2008 @ 2:01 pm

 

Too bad you don’t have someone familiar with sound booth so you could adjust the intro audio level.

 

Comment by craig | May 28, 2008 @ 1:27 pm

 

Use headphones to hear it. Nice tut, but a little long winded. Some of us don’t have a lot of time to listen to a lot of jibba jabber.

 

Comment by Fred Sampson | May 29, 2008 @ 5:42 pm

 

Details of the hard light layer that you briefly mention would make an informative tutorial alone. Ay chance that we could find out how you achieve this?

 

Comment by Nick | May 31, 2008 @ 11:03 am

 

Nice tutorial. Tell people to get speakers and turn down their T.V.’s

 

Comment by Shawn | June 2, 2008 @ 12:01 am

 

Very informative, very helpful!!

Thank you

 

Comment by Julie Marmor | June 2, 2008 @ 9:38 am

 

Chris, I have 2 of your DVD’s…I just love them. Regarding your audio, don’t put the mic right in front of your mouth, place it to the side of your mouth. When you pronounce words that start with B or P, your mouth let’s out a burst of air called “plosives” and that burst of air overdrives the audio signal and distorts. Place the mic to the side of your mouth and your audio will sound amazing! Also, normalize your audio track and that’ll make it sound even better. Keep up the great work!!!

 

Comment by Dean | June 2, 2008 @ 6:46 pm

 

nicely done, great tutorial helpful

 

Comment by Henry Osias | June 5, 2008 @ 9:07 am

 

i like this effect

 

Comment by some1ulike | June 6, 2008 @ 4:57 am

 

Wow, what a great technique - and to think how long I’ve spent trying to figure out hair cut-outs!
Thanks.

 

Comment by John Gauld | June 6, 2008 @ 7:44 am

 

Very good tut…best one I’ve seen for masking hair.

 

Comment by Celeste | June 9, 2008 @ 5:42 pm

 

I enjoyed this tutorial. Sound was fine too. Thank you

 

Comment by Frances Waltman | June 12, 2008 @ 3:57 pm

 

Excellent!

 

Comment by Ril | June 13, 2008 @ 8:29 am

 

FOrget the sound, man this was a great tutorial

 

Comment by Larry D | June 15, 2008 @ 4:59 pm

 

Why are so many people ungrateful? You get a free tutorial.All you do is complain, complain, complain! Be thankful that we have these kinds of resources online for free. Take what you want from this turorial and stop whining! Thanks you to Chris for making an informal video. :)

 

Comment by Liza | June 18, 2008 @ 2:51 pm

 

not bad..its professional work..but its so long…it can be showed i think in 4 minutes….

 

Comment by ARCH | June 30, 2008 @ 4:39 pm

 

the problem i had is that I couldn’t add a drop shadow to the head after it popped through the mask

 

Comment by mark | July 2, 2008 @ 1:53 am

 

I guess you could go one step further and use the mask to cut the image?

 

Comment by Mark | July 2, 2008 @ 2:17 am

 

very nice tutorial, just divine you hear.. but tooooooooooooo loooong, u can explain us more in less time i think!!!!!

 

Comment by Chriz | July 2, 2008 @ 1:59 pm

 

Great work. Is there a place to get fake eyes to change the eye coors?

 

Comment by Mikeal | July 10, 2008 @ 3:47 pm

 

Great tut. Learned a lot!

 

Comment by solhaven | July 11, 2008 @ 12:55 am

 

This is very useful for professionals because we have the time and zeal for learning but are short of time to go to any Institute for the same. In this regard you guys are really excellent and of great help.

Please tell me how I can get tutorial (CD or DVD).

Please tell me price also

 

Comment by Rajesh Gulati | July 16, 2008 @ 6:44 am

 

Great tutorial! Long enough but not too long, although, as long as you tell me why you’re doing something or not doing something make it as long as you need to. Although the audio needed adjustment for my taste, a quick flick of the finger solved that problem. Thanks.

 

Comment by Paul | July 16, 2008 @ 7:02 am

 

really great and easy to follow. I like how you took a very hard subject and simplified it. thx

 

Comment by Jane k. | July 22, 2008 @ 10:50 pm

 

I stumbled across this tutorial and now I am convinced “I know nothing”…lol. I will definitely get a subscription and watch more video.

 

Comment by Curtis Blackhand | July 28, 2008 @ 3:48 am

 

Thank you, excellent tutorial!!

 

Comment by patris | July 30, 2008 @ 7:59 am

 

nice and thanx buddy

 

Comment by vimmy | July 31, 2008 @ 1:24 am

 

give me this tutorial below the email address

 

Comment by kpmb | August 6, 2008 @ 6:40 am

 

Audio was breaking up through most of the video then there was no sound.
I will try later.

 

Comment by Sagman | August 13, 2008 @ 3:09 pm

 

Great job. I love this tutorial. Thanks for the post.

 

Comment by Chim Chim | August 27, 2008 @ 4:01 pm

 

This is sick, but very god, thanks :D .

 

Comment by Grafiko | August 27, 2008 @ 6:31 pm

 

I do not believe this

 

Comment by fornetti | August 31, 2008 @ 8:35 am

 

WTH! Why is everyone complaining about the Idea, I’ve watched several of his tutorials and it sounds perfect to me, nothing wrong with it. For those of you with this issue, you might just want to check out your cheap ass sound card. I have high def 5.1 audio and everything sounds just fine!

 

Comment by Anthony | September 11, 2008 @ 9:59 am

 

Who cares about the background, its a tutorial!!! Thanks very much for such a great site which has changed the way I work in Photoshop and other adobe packages. Keep up the good work. Fab tutorial

 

Comment by James | September 12, 2008 @ 2:37 pm

 

لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله

 

Comment by zezo | September 21, 2008 @ 5:33 am

 

wonderful tutorial
ماشاء الله على الشغل الجامد
بس ياريت يبقى التنفيذ على صوره اكثر تعقيدا
لأنى ملاحظ ان الخلفيه شديده السهوله…..صح؟

 

Comment by zezo | October 5, 2008 @ 5:16 am

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