How to make precise/exact "cut-outs"

[knowoneuno]

I watched a YouTube video

as I am trying to learn the BEST way to make a cut out, of this jet, so I can place it in a new background.

What is your recommended way of making the precise and exact cut out that I need? To me, this video just doesn't work for me.

I know that one of the most frustrating things about Photoshop is that there are 10 ways to skin the cat. I'm looking for the BEST way, for a non Photoshop expert to learn to utilize.

Here is the photo of the jet I'd like to cut out of the background, precisely.

 

[IamSam]

What is your recommended way of making the precise and exact cut out that I need?

I know that I have personally made my recommendations to you several times on this matter. So if you genuinely want the best, most precise and exact............you already know what you need to do.

 

[jkemp]

Been doing this professionally for years now. There's just nothing better then doing it by hand. The pen tool for everything that has hard edges, the refine mask tool for things like hair and fur... Once you have a pretty good mask, you soften it a little (very little, depending on the image... often something like 0.5px) and then go around and re-work the edges so they're flawless. I usually simply use the brush tool and sample colour as I go... Trickier parts with lots of textures and such might get a little more love with the stamp tool or whatever is needed. This step gets way easier to do if you put the masked layer over a plain coloured layer, so any fringing is really obvious.

Shortcuts and workaround can be cool to save some time, but you asked for the "BEST" way. This is it, IMHO.

 

[knowoneuno]

Been doing this professionally for years now. There's just nothing better then doing it by hand. The pen tool for everything that has hard edges, the refine mask tool for things like hair and fur... Once you have a pretty good mask, you soften it a little (very little, depending on the image... often something like 0.5px) and then go around and re-work the edges so they're flawless. I usually simply use the brush tool and sample colour as I go... Trickier parts with lots of textures and such might get a little more love with the stamp tool or whatever is needed. This step gets way easier to do if you put the masked layer over a plain coloured layer, so any fringing is really obvious.

Shortcuts and workaround can be cool to save some time, but you asked for the "BEST" way. This is it, IMHO.

Thanks! All of your Photoshop experts sure love the Pen tool !! LOL !! I posted a thread a while ago about making cut-outs of the interiors of these jets, and once again, the pen tool was the winner of the contest, so to speak. I just need to use it more often (the pen tool) to get used to it better.

 

[knowoneuno]

Totally agree with you!

And this is what drives me crazy about Photoshop.......LOL !!

 

[jkemp]

All of your Photoshop experts sure love the Pen tool !! LOL !!

Haha. That's a way to see it. I would say I REALLY HATE the pen tool. It's tedious and unpleasant to do... Not a lot of fun... Big shops have people devoted to the close-cutting process, leaving the artists to work on the important parts... As a freelancer, I've paid for closecuts in the past, but it's often easier, and faster to do them myself. It's just the best way to do it... I usually try to make every path I think I'm gonna need right at the beginning... kinda to get it out of the way.

The more you do it, the faster you'll get.

The whole edge refining part I described above is a time saver too... you do get to spend time dealing with it, but it allows you a little more freedom over the pathing... as you don't have to worry about your path being absolutely perfect...