This is not the only way to do this, nor is it the best (although I think it is) this is simply what I know.
First open your image,
Click on the paths tab.
Then click on the little arrow circle.
From there you want to select the option new path. Be sure to name it.
The next step is to trace around the core of the image with your pen tool. Note what I did at her head. I drew a straight line through it! This was on purpose. There is a function called feather that is used tho make the edges of selections softer. That crazy hair of hers needs more feathering then the rest. (Most hair does, in this case you choose the hardest possible image!) But lets not get ahead of ourselves.
Now make another new path and do the armpit on her right (or your left). Its the easiest.
The next armpit will need to be done in 2 parts. Make another path and cut out the edge of her skin and dress, make sure to go take the line into the hair itself. We will be cuting out the hair with a different path.
Now I want you to make yet another path, this time we are going to trace the outline of the hair in the left armpit. This might sound funny but you will want to creat a large overlap into the core image.
Now the last part to trace is her messy hair on your right hand side. When tracing this be sure to take a large portion of overlap into her face. When we merge these we dont want any missing bits.
Now we get to actualy cut her out. Yes this was all prepwork! Right click on your "core" path and click make selction. Since this is mostly covering her skin and dress enter 1.5 into the feather radius. Under the operation portion of the box you want to click new selction.
Next right click on your right armpit path and click the make selection option. Keep your feathering at 1.5 but choose subtract from selction instead. Do the same to you left arm pit selection without the hair as well.
Now you want to make a selection of your hair paths. This time try a feathering of 2, and be sure to select the "add" option.
Now it is finsihed!
As you ca see I used too much feathering. I should have used lower numbers. The great thing about this method is that if you phail, you can redo it easily. No retracing! (unless you made a tracing mistake, even then you just have to redo a section) I am not going to bother fixing this because I want to see orin or someone else try!
EDIT: If the links stop working its because someone is reporting these images for sexual content. I might have to redo this later... :/
If you do wind up going with mine I will redo the feather. As I said, the numbers are slightly too high. You wont notice on the Abstract, Blue Solution or Deep blue themes but on the white Default one it stands out.
EDIT:
Here is the new verison with the toned down feathering. Best I can do with this. Didn't trace close enough to the skin.
Tried to follow Nexus's tut. Some parts were easier than others to clean up. Unfortunately the frizzy hair was a bit to thin and didn't contrast enough withe the background, so I had to cut most of it away. I think it looks decent overall though.
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Mephistoles