With photoshop there are always several ways to accomplish the same thing.
To select the car it depends on how good I want it and how much time I have. If I want it good then I zoom in close and use the selection tool and trace the edges manually. Then once everything is selected I like to hit (ctrl+d) and give it a feather of 1-2 px. Then Ctrl+j is new layer via copy or Layer/new/layer via copy.

second way for speed is either magic selection tool if it has definate edges all the way around or the magic wand ussally set at a tolerance of 20-30 depending upon definition of the photo. Just have to play with settings eventually you will know by instinct.

 

Ok...I did a little example here just to show ya that sometimes its not worth it to spend an hour on something when only 5 minuets is needed....

So here's the orginal


Here's what I came up with after using the magic wand in litterally about 5 minuets


And finally I messed around with it using the selection tool, zoomed in, and everything thing else I could think of to make it look as best as possible



So besides the drop, wheels, shaved handles and a little tint would you say that the quaility between picture one and picture two is worth 55 minuets????? HELL NO!!! I think not...unless your a photoshop god (which im not), its really no point in using all those fancy black & decker selection tools and what not. So you remember when your mama use to tell you "If your going to do a job do it right or not at all", well for once in your life you can flush that crap down the toilet cause im here to tell you... ITS NOT WORTH IT CUD!!!!

 

Which one is more believable?
Pic # 2!

I like the details much better, the reflection of the paint in the wheels, the removal of door handles & exhaust tip and badges, filling in and cleaning up around the driving/fog lights, refined highlights and softened shadows.

For a draft to give you a visual idea 1 is great. If your getting paid then 2 would be well on it's way to almost done.
When I'm doing an ad for a client it's not unusual to spend 45 mins to an hour on each image of the ad to refine it and convert to CMYK and select and create the clipping paths then save it to be placed in Quark or illustrator and composed with others into a completed ad. to be Web Press or Heat Set press ready. Lot more to it before during and after too depending on the ad specs, but thats the nut shell.

 

Hey, guys...

I hate to sound ungrateful or demanding or anything negative here, but could someone elaborate on this pic some? The more I look at this pic the more I like the look. I'm starting to think maybe I should have the grill powder coated black along with the taillight trim, paint the bumpers, and then leave the window trim and door handles chrome, and to go with that I'm thinking about AR Torque Thrust II's... probably 15's or 16's, or maybe 15" front 16" back with the same side wall...

I'm also thinking since the grill has a thin black line running around the headlights I'll powder coat that black and use a chrome pinstrip to run around where the black was...

I can't wait till I can get her to the paint booth...

BTW, thanks to everyone who's helped otu here...

 

Anyone else...?

 

okay i had time and was bored so heres as close to that orange as i can get...

 

Just like the time I was going to waste responding to this; ITS NOT WORTH IT!