Deleting background from picture..

[lorikalous]

Need simple step by step instructions on how to delete the sky and ground from a picture of a truck..I am new with this Photo Shop and know this can be done..but can't seem to get any where..Need easy step by steps!

[Mac McDougald]

Select truck with the various selection tools of your choice.
Select/inverse.
Delete.

If you make your pic a layer to begin with, will delete to transparent.
If not a layer, will delete to background color selected.

Mac

[RobertHJones]

OK, let's try this:

1. Open the picture of the truck.

2. Go to the menu and click on "Windows" then "layers". The layer palette
should appear with one layer listed called "background".

3. Double click on the background layer in the layer palette. A pop-up
called "new layer" will appear. Click on "OK". This will change the
background layer to a regular layer.

4. Go to the toolbar on the left and select the "selection brush" it's the
3rd one from the top in the first column.

5. Go to the options bar at the top (just under the menu). There will be a
box with a line and a small button that looks like an inverted triangle.
Click the triangle and a brush selection box will appear. The drop down
menu should say default brushes. Pick a hard edge brush (the ones in the
first row). Adjust the size to something you can trace comfortably with.
You'll probably need to change sizes from time to time while you are tracing
to get the small areas.

6. move the cursor over the truck, make sure caps lock is not on, you should
see a circle for the cursor. Click on the image and a line of "marching
ants" will appear to show the selection. Trace over the image of the truck
until the selection covers the entire truck.

If you wish, you can set the selection brush to mask mode in the options
menu. Then, instead of the "marching ants" you'll get a red cover where
ever you paint with the brush. paint until the truck is covered up entirely
but not covering the parts you want to delete.

7. go to the menu and select "edit" then "clear". The parts not covered by
the selection will be erased.

8. go to the menu and select "Select" then "deselect" to clear the
selection. You should now have the truck all by itself on a transparent
background.

If you have trouble tracing only within the boundarys of the truck, you can
trace outside instead. If you do, make sure you paint over the entire area
you want to delete and leave the truck alone. Then, go to the menu and
select "Select" then "inverse" to change the selection to the truck. All
the other steps are the same.

[lorikalous]

I am having trouble with Step 4, can not find the "selection brush"

[Chuck Snyder]

Lori, are you using Elements 1 or Elements 2? If Elements 1, there is no
selection brush and you'll have to use the Lasso tool instead.

Did you get my return e-mail yet?

Chuck

[Chuck Snyder]

And to finish the thought, if you Elements 2, it's the third tool down on
the left in the toolbox, right under the Lasso.