Wendy and I were talking the other day about masking... specifically, that neither one of us are any good at it. I just don't get it (yet), but I realize I probably should. So, for making selections, do you prefer quick mask or the pen tool?

Am I just stupid?

Pen tool unless the object has a fuzzy/furry edge.

Cutting things out is my least favorite part of chopping. >_>

by the way... for my fellow newbies, PSC has some great tutorials for the pen tool:
http://photoshopcontest.com/tutorials/15/pen-tool-as-mask-selector.html
and for masking here:
http://photoshopcontest.com/tutorials/9/masks.html

what about the lasso tool? Thats all I ever use for cutting. Usually the one that cuts in straight lines, I forget what its called. I just make really small lines when I'm cutting curvy objects. Some may say that this is too hard, but thats what I grew up using in other photo editing software. Like Microsoft paint. I never took the time to perfect using quick masking or the pen tool since lasso always works for me.

Mason, invest a half hour in Reinmans tut that clantoncs linked and you'll be both faster and cleaner.

The pen tool is faster and cleaner. I had forgotten the lasso even existed, it's useless.

The lasso's still useful, just not for cutting objects out.

thats what I mean. It may be useless for you guys, but I am used to it. It just depends on how good you are with it. You are all probably a hell of a lot better at using the pen tool than me, and to me, its useless because I can do everything with the lasso. see what I mean?

A curve that would take you 50 or 100 clicks with the lasso tool would only take 2 or 3 with the pen tool. It's an intimidating, frustrating tool to use at first, but it's well worth it.

Change is good, mason.

Im with you mas...I use the pen tool some times but I find for me the polylasso tool serves my perpose and I have had many complements on my clean chops so it just shows that its not the tool but how ya use it. The pen tool is a time save but for me traveling around the cut out image gives me a feel for how it should look, and if you work close up to the pixels you get a great perspective of the texture and the finer details of the image. Yep takes longer and yep ya use more clicks...but for me its the feel and the artisitc feel that I get from the long way round.

I know, but I really don't mind. I don't use nearly 100 clicks, and I use tools like the pen tool in other apps all the time, but I just never liked it much in Photoshop. Maybe its better in CS? I dunno, I'm using 7. I'm pretty sure that if I really wanted to, I would do fine with it, but I am content with the lasso. its very dependable for me.

the pen tool is god, and quick mask has its advatages. But I would not say the lasso is usless, it sometimes comes in handy for me. however the freehand lasso and the magnetic one are a pile of old tosh only the polygon lasso has any real practical use IMO

i do a rough cutout using the lasso tool, then clean up the edges with a soft brush eraser
(drop shadow brush) to leave a nice warm fuzzy edge for better blending

Hey clanton thanks for making this topic! I saw it's name and new it must be your topic hahaha
I've read all the comments and as clanton and me suspected it is just whatever works best for you that you should learn. But if you are new to PS you dont know where to begin the journey through photoshop as it has so many options.

Clanton, i think we should try masking a few times, if in the end we still dont seem to get it we just use our pentool right? But at least we should try, maybe you do get it and you can get it to do something for you the pentool can't?
If you want to laugh try that magnetic lasso tool, hahaha then you will think like: what the f*ck happens here? it just grabs pixels or something , strange tool.
Realy clanton we have so much to learn, and all the people here will get us through that. Try ReyRey's experiment of turning a person into stone. Just try its fun!

Wow! the lasso? I tried that and I just kept screwing everything up. I was using the magnetic lasso which to me sounded the easiest. I'll give the polygonal lasso a try later--but that too is still just procrastinating learning how to mask.
Actually, not many people are singing the glories of the mask (well, Marco... sort of). All the tutorials I've read make masking out to be this God-like feature of photoshop... just hype?