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+--- Thread: Cropping around hair... (/Thread-Cropping-around-hair)
Cropping around hair... - bcripps - 07-03-2018
Hey Gimpers:
I’ve been using Gimp for a couple of years, on and off, mostly for layering photos and using a layer mask for cropping. I still have trouble cropping around hair, especially around woman’s hair that is always curly and wispy. I struggle with extreme magnification and one of the fuzzy brushes trying to pick out individual locks of hair and depending on the background shade, sometimes it works. But most times I end up with a woman’s head that looks like it has been cut out with kindergarten scissors.
Any advise or hints about cropping around hair would be much appreciated. Or maybe a way of filling in the background so it looks natural. Or anything else.
Much thanks,
Bry
RE: Cropping around hair... - rich2005 - 07-04-2018
One of the 'holy grails' & I have never found an easy way. In Gimp 2.10 there is fore-ground select with an option Engine Matting Levin which is supposed to retain those semi-transparent pixels. For some reason not in all versions of Gimp 2.10 I think the Windows version is ok.
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Missing in the linux flatpak. edit: I see you are using linux 2.(8).14 You might get a linux 64 bit appimage from https://github.com/aferrero2707/gimp-appimage/releases/ Careful which one you pick, they are in alpha sort not by date, latest is 5 down gimp-git-2.10.3-20180628......
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A search will bring up some info. example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiGeNodq0WA
Tedious but I think a layer mask with a tiny fuzzy brush is best. I suspect that is what you already use.
Edit: Matting Levin works in my linux 2.9.9 appimage so quick-ish example. Pulled this from google. I think larger rather than smaller works best with this tool.
FG-select invokes the free select tool to draw roughly round the subject. https://i.imgur.com/1TSaLuA.jpg
That gets an outer mask and a brush to paint an inner mask. https://i.imgur.com/a1enEFj.jpg
After the tool does some calculating (takes time, be patient) https://i.imgur.com/WAogRke.jpg
Hit enter to get a selection and complete the tool. Selection can go straight to a layermask. https://i.imgur.com/OtZx0il.jpg
As you can see less-than-perfect but a starting point to tweak the layer mask.
RE: Cropping around hair... - bcripps - 07-04-2018
Thanks for this, Rich. An interesting and new approach for me. Let me sift through the information you provided and do some experimenting. I'll get back to you...
Again, thank you,
Bry
RE: Cropping around hair... - bcripps - 07-05-2018
Hey Rich... found this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jle81ofRLok
Seems close to what I want. I couldn't get audio with the Lion example so it was impossible for me to follow.
Still fooling with this...
Bry
RE: Cropping around hair... - bcripps - 07-09-2018
This was also helpful, Rich:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnbxtMCHKV0
But everyone doing a video picks the ideal picture of a girl on a white background! I pick photos for content, not how much contrast one has over another. So I got the perfect photo for a book cover but the subject is posed on a darkish background and is brunette! I'm still looking for a video that covers that :-)
Thanks for your help,
Bry
RE: Cropping around hair... - Ofnuts - 07-09-2018
(07-09-2018, 06:05 PM)bcripps Wrote: This was also helpful, Rich:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnbxtMCHKV0
But everyone doing a video picks the ideal picture of a girl on a white background! I pick photos for content, not how much contrast one has over another. So I got the perfect photo for a book cover but the subject is posed on a darkish background and is brunette! I'm still looking for a video that covers that :-)
Thanks for your help,
Bry
Yes, the photos used in Youtube tuts are "carefully selected".
RE: Cropping around hair... - Pat625 - 07-19-2018
Would this one be a bit more helpful?
http://www.gimpusers.com/tutorials/mask-hair-strands