Cutting Out Character Images

I have Photoshop CS3, but I've never been all that great with the program. How can I cut out my characters from images in the game?

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Virtue: The-Invictus (Blue)
The Emissary of Justice - Level 50 Fire/Fire Blaster
The Emissary of Justice. - Level 50 WP/Fire Tanker
Mesmerius - Level 50 Psi/Mental Blaster
Nucleoa - Level 50 Rad/Son Defender

Select the Lasso Tool with L key, make sure it is the lasso tool and not the polygonal or magnetic tool. On the top bar you will see 4 squares, if the first square is clicked, each time you make a selection... that is to say left click your mouse in one spot, while holding down the left click and coming back to the same spot (kind of like drawing a circle) and letting go... each time you do that, the previous selection you make will disappear when you draw a new one.

What you want to check is the 2nd box, the one that "adds a selection", so that you can make mutliple passes or selections on the intricate outline of your character.

So that is one way. Another trick is to draw a steady short line with the lasso, then hold down the Alt key, and the lasso turns into the polygonal tool for as long as you hold the Alt key. Why not just start out with the polygonal tool? Well it's a bit tricky, and if you let for a second, the computer closes the shape for you automatically, and not always in the best way.

If you hold the Alt key before you start, then you'll see a little minus sign next to the lasso, and any shape you close will be taken away from the previous selection if any. So careful, do a little dash and then hold the alt key. Though with add a selection checked, you don't have to hold the alt key at all, each "closed" shape you draw will be added to the previous one.

In this way, you can draw smaller shapes inside your character, or hug the edges from top to bottom or which ever part you start with... I sometimes draw the first closed shaped around the largest part, and then add smaller selections to the rest till I have everything.

However, you can go backwards, select as close to the whole shape as you can, then using the "minus" box, the 3rd of the 4 boxes, take away parts of the whole selection that are not your character.

I hope my explanation wasn't too confusing.

Here is a visual guide by someone less chatty...

LJ

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Whoops forgot to add you can also use the magic wand, AND better yet CS3 has a selection wand that let's you just pass it over like "toned" areas...

When in doubt, turn to you tube and type in "Photoshop CS3 Selection Tool"

LJ

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