Question !, outlining I guess ? Options

[xshannnnnna]

How do people outline a person or character [in this case]
like this?
(I use photoshop by the way.)
It's kinda like a soft glow ?

EX:
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=if8lue&s=3

[disclaimer-not my work.]

[fixtatik]

i kinda have the feeling you haven't actually cut the person out of your photograph and still have the original background. are you using photoshop or another editing program? i can explain photoshop, because that's what i have, but any others i'm not familiar with.

first, you're going to need to erase the background from the image, which can be done a few ways.

- use the eraser tool (a little bit of a soft edge)
- use the "magic wand" tool. it's not very reliable, but it's the easiest way
- use the lasso tool (polygon, free hand, or magnetic)
- use the pen tool. by far the most accurate, but takes the most amount of skills. if you use the pen tool, first run along the outline of your person, then control or command click on the layer thumbnail (on the side of your screen). that will pick up the exact outline. pushing control / command + shift + i will select the inverse, then push delete. voila, no more background.

then you can do what everyone else has said, with strokes and outlines and brushes.