Learn how to cut things out like a pro in Photoshop

If you’re using Photoshop, chances are you‘re going to have to clip a subject from its background and work your editing magic. As a newbie, you may have been using the eraser tool to death, making memes that you hope would impress your Facebook friends and go viral. Well, that’s fine. But, ever wondered how to retouch a bad hair cut or trim a bonsai plant for a professional retouching job?

This video is your answer. Watch, practice, and repeat. In no time, you’d be editing fur. Yes, fur. And when you get so pro (or hopeless) that Photoshop is simply too time-consuming, there’s always the Topaz Remask Plugin. It’s not free, but who cares if Nat Geo is calling and you can extract the bear’s fur from the bush in five minutes?

Watch tutorial

Get tutorials & freebies delivered to you.

Subscribe to the Photoshop Roadmap newsletter, a weekly roundup of new tutorials, insights and quality downloads, trusted by 6500+ readers.

Simulate the 2000s Digicam Look in Photoshop and Camera Raw

Early 2000s point-and-shoot cameras produced a distinctive look: punchy contrast, cool color casts from on-camera flash, deep shadows, and a soft glow around bright areas. This walkthrough covers how to replicate that aesthetic non-destructively using Camera Raw, radial gradient masking, and a blurred highlight layer. Watch...

How to Combine Two Photos in Photoshop Using AI Tools

Placing a subject from one photo into a completely different background used to require a long chain of manual steps. Photoshop's AI-powered tools now handle background removal, color matching, and shadow generation in just a few clicks, making the entire process accessible even to beginners. Watch the...

How to Remove Skin Blemishes and Fix Skin Tones in Camera Raw

Two recent additions to Camera Raw make skin retouching significantly faster: an automatic blemish removal tool with separate controls for moles and freckles, and a vectorscope-based skin tone indicator for correcting off-color skin. Both features work non-destructively inside a smart object workflow, so no pixel data is...

Portrait Retouching in Photoshop: Smooth Skin While Keeping Natural Texture

Smooth skin and natural texture are not opposites — achieving both at once is the mark of a professional retouch. This workflow covers blemish removal, flyaway hair cleanup, dark under-eye correction, and eye brightening, all while keeping the skin looking like skin. Watch the Video Practical Tips These key points...

How to Use Camera Raw's Blemish Removal Tool in Photoshop

Camera Raw 18.5 introduced an automatic blemish removal tool that does something previous solutions rarely managed: it removes skin imperfections while preserving the underlying skin texture. It also distinguishes between temporary marks and permanent ones like moles, giving you separate controls for each. Watch the Video Practical Tips These...

Portrait Slice Effect in Photoshop Using Step and Repeat

The portrait slice effect splits a single image into offset vertical bars, creating the illusion of a displaced or fragmented face. The entire technique relies on layer masks and a lesser-known Photoshop shortcut called step and repeat — no filters, no AI, no destructive edits required. Watch the Video Practical...