Trying to find the right png cut out people or person for an architecture project (often under pressure) can be a very time consuming process, especially when they need to then be placed and given the correct lighting and color in order to blend into the drawing.
When combined with the right presentation tools, cut out people create an illustrations narrative, and provide the viewer with a relationship and connection to the place and space.
How to use cut out people
How a person is blended into the images environment is obviously very important, and there are many tutorials (such as the three video below) that help you to do this. However it is the chose of person and the activities they are performing that really brings an image to life.
…and this includes showing a the full range of ethnicities and cultures.
The three below tutorials although now quite old, have aged incredibly well and are still some of the most informative we’ve come across for learning how to insert people into your visualizations:
Inserting People in Photoshop Tutorial
Viz-People tutorial basic Photoshop people compositing
Using people cutouts for archviz
Whilst selecting and placing people for and into our visualizations is obviously very important, an image can’t hide a bad design and concept.
And so to build upon what we discuss throughout this platform, our set of design resources contained within The Concept Kit provides the tried and tested methods and processes to establishing the bespoke approaches a design project requires.
Make creating your visualizations easier, by starting with a well considered and developed design process.
The Concept Kit
Find confidence in your design approach, and learn the processes that create unique and meaningful conceptual approaches.
Remove the guesswork, and start designing award winning projects.
Cut out people…
Here we have pulled together the best websites that we feel supply a full and diverse range of png cut out people (for free), in a variety of different styles and graphics.
Knowing where to quickly find the right cut outs, means that you can concentrate on spending more time thinking about how to arrange the image and how to best communicate your projects story…
The below resources provide a wide range of people walking, sitting, standing and in groups, all in a ‘drag & drop’ png (Photoshop) format.
01 – Nonscandinavia
As mentioned on their website “The goal of NONSCANDINAVIA is to give architecture students access to a database of free, high-res, PNG images that reflect diversity in all its forms.” It aims to provide cut out people that are ‘NON SCANDINAVIAN’ and therefore provides an alternative entourage to several of the larger sites and data bases available, such as the below Skalgubbar.
They rightly believe that “renderings should reflect the people in and around the site, and should project a future that values diversity and acceptance of all people.” Which in most occasions requires carefully selecting people that are bespoke to your project and its context, there is not a one size fits all …and not everyone is from Scandinavia!
02 – Skalgubbar
Skalgubbar doesn’t need much of an introduction as it is one of the most popular cut out sites available and as nonscandinavia.com suggests, it is full of Scandinavian young and ‘hip’ people doing all sorts of interesting things, which combined with the other sites on here its a great resource to know.
03 – Mr Cutout
Mr Cut Out has a variety of free and paid for cut outs that include png people, vehicles, objects, vegetation, animals, skies and foregrounds, so although not completely free of charge, there is lot to choose from.
04 – Escalalatina
Inspired by and much like SKALGUBBAR with its Scandinavian themed people, Escalalatina is a growing open source collection of cut outs of Latin Americans.
05 – Jugaad Render
Following the trend of ethnic and culture based cut out people, Jugaad is a free resource for Indian entourages.
06 – Cut Out Mix
Cut out mix “promotes an artistic and experimental approach to the amazing world of silhouettes for architectural and design projects.” Offering an alternative way around any potential copyright infringement, by removing the cut out’s identity altogether.
This a growing resource with a free catalogue and a custom made service for specific walking/sitting/standing requirements.
07 – Immediate Entourage
www.immediateentourage.com
Immediate Entourage is a resource-rich platform that grants full library access to subscribers, enabling them to benefit from hundreds of high-resolution images immediately upon signup. With the backing of Amazon’s robust cloud services, the platform guarantees quick and reliable downloads.
08 – Cutout people by studio esinam
www.studioesinam.com
Studio Esinam’s “Cut Out People” is a comprehensive cutout library specially designed for architectural firms and visual studios. Utilized by numerous leading studios globally, it boasts an extensive collection of over 10,000 high-resolution cutout people, with new additions being made monthly.
The library aims to offer a varied assortment of individuals that authentically represent the activities of urban living in a sincere and realistic manner.
Enjoy!
How to cut out a person from an image
Cutting out a person from an image, also known as image segmentation or masking, can be done using several software tools like Adobe Photoshop, GIMP (which is free), or even some online tools.
Below are basic steps using Adobe Photoshop. These may differ depending on your version of Photoshop and the complexity of the image:
- Open your image: Launch Photoshop and open the image from which you want to cut out a person.
- Select the object: Photoshop provides several tools for selection.
- Quick Selection Tool: This tool allows you to “paint” a selection, with Photoshop determining the edges as you go. To use it, select the Quick Selection tool from the toolbox, then click and drag over the person to start selecting them.
- Magic Wand Tool: This tool selects similarly colored areas. You can use it by selecting the Magic Wand tool from the toolbox, then clicking on the areas of the person you want to select. Adjust the tolerance to increase or decrease the range of colors that the tool selects.
- Pen Tool: This tool allows for the most precise selection but also requires the most skill to use effectively. It creates a path that you can turn into a selection.
- Refine your selection: No matter which initial selection tool you use, you’ll likely need to refine your selection, especially for complex shapes or if the person is against a busy background. You can add to your selection by holding the Shift key while using a selection tool or subtract from it by holding the Alt or Option key. There’s also the option for “Select and Mask” to further refine the edges of your selection.
- Copy and Paste the Selection: Once the person is selected accurately, you can cut them out from the image. Simply press Ctrl+C (or Cmd+C on a Mac) to copy the selection, then Ctrl+V (or Cmd+V on a Mac) to paste it. The pasted selection will appear as a new layer, and you can use the Move tool to position it wherever you want.
- Save your image: After you are satisfied with the editing, save your image by going to File > Save As, and choose the desired format.
A detailed breakdown of this can be found below:
Remember, the quality of the cutout will heavily depend on the complexity of the image and the level of detail in the areas around the person in the image. Some photos might need a lot more work than others, and practice definitely helps in refining your skills.
Alternatively, there are many apps and online tools that use AI technology to remove backgrounds or cut out persons from images. These may be a quicker, albeit potentially less precise, option. – examples of these include remove.bg and Adobe’s own Photoshop Express app.
As discussed throughout the below Concept Kit, how a project is represented can often be the difference between wining and losing your presentation, but it must be backed up by a successful design.
No amount of cutout people can save a poorly executed concept! Click the link below to find out more.
archisoup.
Construction detailing is difficult!
But it doesn’t have to be! – learn from and use a standard library of parts to correctly create and formulate construction drawings that work.
FAQ’s about cut out people
What does picture cut out mean?
The term “picture cut-out” often refers to the process of removing a specific object, person, or area from an image, effectively “cutting” it out from its original context. This process is typically used in photo editing and graphic design to isolate certain elements of an image for use in a different context, such as in a collage, composite image, or simply to remove an unwanted background.
For example, you might cut out a picture of a person from a group photo if you wanted to use that individual’s image separately. The resulting cut-out image can then be used independently, inserted into another image, or manipulated in other ways depending on your needs. This process can be done with software like Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, or even some mobile apps or online tools.
