How to create a silhouette from a photo in photoshop elements

[dorlor123]

I am trying to create a silhouette from a photo in photo elements need some urgent steps.  I tried a method from ehow.com and mommywords.com but its only nonsense Im coming up with.  I have the trial version and would like to purchase but if I can't use it then it wil make no sense.

[Guest]

You'll need to post a sample of your photo, as well as an example of the effect you're trying to achieve.

Ken

[hatstead]

Make a good selection of the subject that you want the silhouette of. This is key.

Go to Layer>new>layer via copy. This puts the selection on its own layer

Press CTRL+left click the layer thumbnail of this layer to make the selection active

Go to Edit>copy to put it on the clipboard

Create a new canvas - File>new>blank file

Layer>new>layer and name it color cutout

Again, Layer>new>layer and name it silhouette cutout. This layer will be at the top of the stack of the 3 layers

Fill the background layer with color - for example 9369BF

Paste the cutout selection into both the color cutout and silhouette cutout layers (Edit>paste)

Set your foreground color chip to black, then fill the silhouette cutout layer with black (Edit>fill selection>black)

If you want to refine it a bit by showing a tad of color, access the eraser tool with 8-10% opacity to erase the black color around the edges or at a  special location

[Guest]

Another way to create a silhouette is to use Layer Masks.

Here's the original:

1. Make a selection of your object:
   
2. In the Layers Panel, use the icon at the bottom to create a new layer.
3. With that new layer selected, use the icon at the bottom to create a mask.  It will automatically use your selection:
   
4. Click on the mask area and use Ctrl+I to invert the colours of the mask.
5. Use Ctrl+J to duplicate that layer.
6. Click on the mask image of that new layer to highlight it, and use Ctrl+I to invert the colours of the mask.
7. Click on the image area of the top layer to activate it and use the Paint Bucket tool to fill it with black.
8. Click on the image area of the lower layer to activate it and use the Paint Bucket tool to fill it with white.
9. Your layers will look like this:
   

The final result:

Ken

[Guest]

Now that I'm getting into this...

The most versatile method is to use a Clipping Mask.

1. Make your selection:
   
2. Hit Ctrl+J to copy the selection onto its own layer:
   
3. Create two new layers, one above and one below the previous layer:
   
4. Hold down the Alt key and click the dividing line between the top layer (Layer 3) and the middle layer (Layer 1).  This will create a Clipping Mask from the middle layer (Layer 1):
   
5. Now, you can fill the top layer (Layer 3) and the bottom layer (Layer 2) with anything you want -- solid colours, gradients, other images, etc.:
   

The final result:

The beauty of this method is that you can easily change the silhouette shape on Layer 1 by erasing or painting with any colour and the changes are automatically revealed in the silhouette and its background.  The clipping layer (Layer 1) only uses transparent and non-transparent information to do its work, which is why you can paint on it with any colour.

Ken

[hatstead]

to dolor123

Many ways to make a silhouette using Elements, as you can see. You need to become familiar with the program.

There are galleries available on PBase to get some ideas.

[Link removed... at least one picture at the link is of a full frontal nude woman... which is not suitable for this forum... Mod]