cutting out an image or removing the background

[mekanor]

Ok, so this may seem fairly simple, but on a list of things I am bad at, image editing would be up there along with neuroscience and cooking.


Basically what I want to do is cut a logo from a picture. I'll use this as an example:




I don't have any image editing software aside from MS paint, so I generally use pixlr. All I can find as far as tutorials go is things like this:



In the video the guy uses the lasso tool but then just traces around the person freehand. I don't have good enough control for that, I may as well try and use MS paint...

Anyhow, like I said, it seems really basic, my skills are just somewhat lacking. Surely there's a way to simply cut out something like the logo or a guy from the picture above. I just don't know it.

[briareos_kerensky]

Basically what I want to do is cut a logo from a picture. I'll use this as an example:

With high contrasts and flat fills you can use the magic wand or whatever they call the tool to select pixels of the same color within a certain range. Rebuilidng the sith's robe won't take long (it's a black area with no highlights), the background will be much more difficult.

[speedlolita]

I use the polygonal lasso tool in photoshop to render images.

[charlesr]

Download gimpshop or gimp and use the magic wand thing.

[QualityChimp]

I presume you mean you want to keep the picture, but lose the logo?

I find the magic wand tool never really gives me the results I want, but the lasso tool is great. The Polygonal Lasso is useful as you click as many points as you need around something, so a square would need four clicks, but a circle can be as many as you need.

However, I don't think you need to be cutting too much out, but copying over the top.

I suggest using the clonestamp tool to go over the bits covered by the logo.

Take the guy on the right, behind the Sith. There's no way you can re-draw his face, so I'd get rid of him. Use the orange smoke clouds around him and on the left of the picture to plaster over him.

you can use the clonestamp tool to do that or cut "plasters" from the other clouds and feather the edges of the plaster with a soft-edged eraser tool.

[dataDave]

If you really want to spend time on it you could use a face from some similar art and colour match it. Same with his arm (if that's what that is).

Getting yourself acquainted with layers and masks will help a great deal at this point. Once you understand those you'll unlock the power.

[Decider-VT]

I presume you mean you want to keep the picture, but lose the logo?

I find the magic wand tool never really gives me the results I want, but the lasso tool is great. The Polygonal Lasso is useful as you click as many points as you need around something, so a square would need four clicks, but a circle can be as many as you need.

However, I don't think you need to be cutting too much out, but copying over the top.

I suggest using the clonestamp tool to go over the bits covered by the logo.

Take the guy on the right, behind the Sith. There's no way you can re-draw his face, so I'd get rid of him. Use the orange smoke clouds around him and on the left of the picture to plaster over him.

you can use the clonestamp tool to do that or cut "plasters" from the other clouds and feather the edges of the plaster with a soft-edged eraser tool.

If that's what he wants to do, he can always use this for whatever he wants instead.

[Fader209]

Edit: Just read ^his^ post which is pretty much what I was saying haha. That will learn me to look at the links people post.

[QualityChimp]

I didn't think he wanted to edit that actual picture, it was just an example of a picture with a logo that he wanted removing?

If it's a known image, you can drag the image into a Google image search to see if anything similar pops up, and use the parts of the image that doesn't have a logo on it, but I'm guessing there is no available image, or they'd be no need for the original post!

[Decider-VT]

Haha, I spent longer reading your posts than the OP, and missed the part where he said it was an example. Wood for the trees. At least he has the rest of that man's face, now.

[mekanor]

Thanks for the replies and sorry for the confusion! Reading that first post back I wasn't very clear...

I actually want to keep the logo and get rid of the rest of the picture! I thought maybe there was a tool somewhere I could use to trace roughly around the shape and it found the edges for me or something! I'll try some suggestions though and report back.

[briareos_kerensky]

Doesn't the program you're using have a magnetic lazo?
If you want to crop out the logo, you can use first the crop tool to quickly eliminate everything around the logo and then work with various selection tools to delete the rest; if the logo is as linear as the example you posted, the rectangular selection will probably do most of the work, with the polygonal/magnetic lazo taking care of curves.
If the logo has a lot of curves, on the other hand, it would be best to use bezier tools like the pen (name in Photoshop).