Davinci Resolve Tutorial: How to cut background – two ways.

Today I am going to show you how to cut out background from foreground/object.

I am using two masking techniques to cut out the object. Recently I found out another one which is even better(in some cases) or maybe faster than these two options but it’s also available only in the Studio/Paid version of Davinci Resolve 17. Still I am really considering to buy the Studio Version because of such optimized ways to get the job done faster.

The first way is to mask out the background through the power window – > choose the pen tool and make a contour of the image – point by point.

These dots are the pen tools “markings” where the image will be cut out from the background.

On the image in red square you can see the icon of the pen tool.

Here you can see the red line – there on the middle of it I am putting another point so I can smooth the curve.

After closing and finishing the main work with the pen tool I am ready to cut out most of the background.

Here I am clicking with the right mouse button on the node grid space and I am choosing “Add Alpha Output”. Link the node with the cut out image to the Output bus and the image is cutted out.

Finally you can play with the softness panel so you manipulate all pen tool points at once. These settings are: Soft 1, Inside and Outside. The result of this operation is this slightly blurry effect over the contour.

The first way is more tedious way to cut out image. In some cases it’s more appropriate because you have better control but sometimes you can’t cut out very well hair or more complex substances.

The second way is by using the Qualifier Tool.

The qualifier tool is left on the power window tool – the pipette.

This tool works in a similar way of correcting skin tones, correcting the color/lightning/shadow for different surfaces etc.

Pick the Qualifier and after that choose the background. Choose Invert Icon under Selection Range Panel so you manipulate the object not the background. After that play with the Qualifier Settings until you clean the image enough. Until the background left overs/ spots are almost invisible – if that’s possible in your case.

Hue, saturation and luminance settings are important here.

Finally I am showing you this character over a background. For best results you can twinge the Denoise Setting under the Matte Finesse Panel.

Before Denoise – There are visible white spots from the background near the head of Ken.

After Denoise – The white spots are reduced – less visible.

Here my denoise settings are about 10.9.

In general these are the two ways to cut out image from the background.

Thank you.