Trying to find the right png cutout people or person for an architecture project (often under pressure) can be a very time consuming process, especially when they need to then be placed and given the correct lighting and color in order to blend into the drawing.
When combined with the right presentation tools, cut out people create an illustrations narrative, and provide the viewer with a relationship and connection to the place and space.
So where can you find the best (and free) png cutout people?
In this article we’ve pulled together the best websites that we feel supply a full and diverse range of png cut out people (for free), in a variety of different styles and graphics.
Knowing where to quickly find the right cutouts, means that you can concentrate on spending more time thinking about how to arrange the image and how to best communicate your projects story…
Here’s a quick reference table with links and summaries for the websites we’ve listed:
| No. | Website | URL | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NONSCANDINAVIA | www.nonscandinavia.com | A database offering free, high-res PNG images promoting diversity, providing non-Scandinavian entourage alternatives for architectural projects. |
| 2 | Skalgubbar | www.skalgubbar.se | Features a collection of high-quality cut-out people images, mainly Scandinavian, for architectural visualization, founded by Teodor Javanaud Emdén. |
| 3 | Mr Cutout | www.mrcutout.com | Offers a mix of free and premium cutouts across various categories with an emphasis on ethnic diversity, ideal for architectural visualizations. |
| 4 | Escalalatina | www.escalalatina.com | Dedicated to showcasing Latin American individuals in cut-out images, reflecting local cultures and identities for architectural projects. |
| 5 | Jugaad Render | www.jugaadrender.in | Provides ethnic and culturally relevant cut-out figures for the Indian context, enhancing architectural visualizations with local representation. |
| 6 | Cut Out Mix | www.cutoutmix.com | An artistic and experimental resource for silhouette cutouts, offering a free catalogue and custom services for architectural designs. |
| 7 | Immediate Entourage | www.immediateentourage.com | A subscription-based platform with a vast library of high-resolution images for architectural visualizations, supported by Amazon’s cloud services. |
| 8 | Cutout People by studio esinam | www.studioesinam.com | Features over 10,000 high-resolution cutout people images for architectural firms and visual studios, with monthly updates. |
| 9 | Studio Alternativi | www.studioalternativi.com | A marketplace offering a wide range of digital assets, including vectors, cutouts, images, CAD blocks, and Revit families for architects and designers. |
The below and further detailed resources provide a wide range of people walking, sitting, standing and in groups, all in a ‘drag & drop’ png (Photoshop) format.
01 – Nonscandinavia
As mentioned on their website “The goal of NONSCANDINAVIA is to give architecture students access to a database of free, high-res, PNG images that reflect diversity in all its forms.”
It aims to provide cutout people that are ‘NON SCANDINAVIAN’ and therefore provides an alternative entourage to several of the larger sites and data bases available, such as the below Skalgubbar.
They rightly believe that “renderings should reflect the people in and around the site, and should project a future that values diversity and acceptance of all people.”
Which in most occasions requires carefully selecting people that are bespoke to your project and its context, there is not a one size fits all …and not everyone is from Scandinavia!
02 – Skalgubbar
Skalgubbar, a prominent cut-out people resource, is renowned for its comprehensive and engaging collection. As noted by nonscandinavia.com, it primarily features a vibrant array of Scandinavian individuals engaged in a variety of captivating activities.
This makes it an invaluable asset for architectural visualization and other creative projects.
Founded by Teodor Javanaud Emdén, Skalgubbar is more than just a collection; it’s a personal journey that intertwines with his daily life. Each cut-out is not only a depiction but a representation of Emdén’s friends, offering a unique and authentic touch to the project.
The site’s ongoing expansion and meticulous curation further enhance its utility and appeal to professionals and enthusiasts alike.
03 – Mr Cutout
MrCutout offers a comprehensive collection of both free and premium cutouts, encompassing a wide range of categories like people, vehicles, objects, vegetation, animals, skies, and foregrounds. While not entirely free, the diversity and breadth of the collection provide ample choices.
Specializing in people PNG cutouts, MrCutout’s library is an essential resource for architectural visualizations. It serves as a daily go-to for architects, 3D artists, and graphic designers seeking high-quality entourage cut out people.
The library stands out for its emphasis on ethnic diversity, reflecting the vibrant multicultural fabric of contemporary society.
The range of activities depicted in the free PNG people cutouts is extensive, from everyday actions like walking and standing in urban settings to specific tasks like gardening.
MrCutout’s library is user-friendly, offering advanced filtering options based on age, lighting conditions, the number of people in an image, and other criteria.
Furthermore, the person PNG selections in MrCutout’s library are versatile, seamlessly fitting into various environments such as urban landscapes, residential areas, business districts, restaurants, cafes, shopping centers, hospitals, airports, and train stations.
This versatility ensures that users can find the perfect cutout for any setting or project need.
04 – Escalalatina
Escalalatina emerges as a vibrant and essential resource, akin to SKALGUBBAR’s Scandinavian-themed cut out people, but uniquely dedicated to showcasing Latin American individuals.
This initiative was born from the necessity experienced by a collective of young Latin architects.
Frustrated with the lack of local representation in graphic materials and the frequent reliance on foreign models, they sought to create a platform that truly reflects the diverse faces of Latin America.
This open-source collection is more than just a repository of images; it’s a celebration of Latin identity and culture.
Escalalatina invites contributions from anyone willing to capture and share the rich tapestry of Latin American life, thus continually enriching the database with images that resonate with authenticity.
The primary aim of Escalalatina is to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of Latin American communities among professionals like architects, engineers, designers, artists, and developers, as well as government entities.
By providing these true-to-life representations, Escalalatina empowers these professionals to create projects that are not only culturally relevant but also genuinely representative of the people they serve.
In essence, Escalalatina is not just a collection of images; it’s a movement, a statement, and a commitment to ensuring that the people in our designs are as real and as diverse as the communities we aim to represent.
It stands as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Latin America, proudly declaring, “We are all Escalalatina.”
05 – Jugaad Render
Jugaad, catering to the evolving needs of architecture students, offers a unique and free resource designed to enhance their architectural visualizations.
This innovative platform focuses on providing ethnic and culturally relevant cut-out figures, specifically tailored to represent the rich diversity of the Indian context.
By integrating these figures into their designs, students can add a realistic and contextually appropriate touch to their depictions of unbuilt architecture, bringing their visions closer to the cultural essence of India.
06 – Cut Out Mix
Cut out mix “promotes an artistic and experimental approach to the amazing world of silhouettes for architectural and design projects.” Offering an alternative way around any potential copyright infringement, by removing the cut out’s identity altogether.
This a growing resource with a free catalogue and a custom made service for specific walking/sitting/standing requirements.
07 – Immediate Entourage
Immediate Entourage is a resource-rich platform that grants full library access to subscribers, enabling them to benefit from hundreds of high-resolution images immediately upon signup.
With the backing of Amazon’s robust cloud services, the platform guarantees quick and reliable downloads.
08 – Cutout people by studio esinam
Studio Esinam’s “Cut Out People” is a comprehensive cutout library specially designed for architectural firms and visual studios.
Utilized by numerous leading studios globally, it boasts an extensive collection of over 10,000 high-resolution cutout people, with new additions being made monthly.
The library aims to offer a varied assortment of individuals that authentically represent the activities of urban living in a sincere and realistic manner.
09 – Studio Alternativi
Discover a vast marketplace brimming with both complimentary and premium digital assets tailored for architects and designers. Studio Alternativi’s extensive collection includes vectors, cutouts, high-quality images, CAD blocks, and Revit families.
Whether you’re seeking people, plants, furniture, or other essentials for your design projects, you’ll find a comprehensive range of resources on our user-friendly website.
Enhance your creative work with our top-tier, diverse digital products, all conveniently located in one accessible online destination.
Enjoy!
How to use png cutout people
How a person is blended into the images environment is obviously very important, and there are many tutorials (such as the three video below) that help you to do this. However it is the chose of person and the activities they are performing that really brings an image to life.
…and this includes showing a the full range of ethnicities and cultures.
The three below tutorials although now quite old, have aged incredibly well and are still some of the most informative we’ve come across for learning how to insert people into your visualizations:
Inserting People in Photoshop Tutorial
Tutorial on people compositing
Using png people cutouts for archviz
Whilst selecting and placing people for and into our visualizations is obviously very important, an image can’t hide a bad design and concept.
And so to build upon what we discuss throughout this platform, our set of design resources contained within The Concept Kit provides the tried and tested methods and processes to establishing the bespoke approaches a design project requires.
Make creating your visualizations easier, by starting with a well considered and developed design process.
Do you find design projects difficult?
...Remove the guesswork, and start designing award winning projects.
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Construction detailing is difficult!
But it doesn’t have to be! – learn from and use a standard library of parts to correctly create and formulate construction drawings that work.
FAQ’s about cut out people
What is a cut out image called?
In the context of architecture visualization, a “cut out” image is commonly referred to as a “scale figure” or “architectural entourage.” These images are used in architectural renderings and drawings to give a sense of scale and life to the spaces depicted.
They are typically silhouettes or simplified representations of people, sometimes also including trees, cars, or other elements relevant to the environment. The use of scaled figures helps in understanding the size and proportion of architectural spaces in relation to human scale.
How to cut out a person from an image
Cutting out a person from an image, also known as image segmentation or masking, can be done using several software tools like Adobe Photoshop, GIMP (which is free), or even some online tools.
Below are basic steps using Adobe Photoshop. These may differ depending on your version of Photoshop and the complexity of the image:
- Open your image: Launch Photoshop and open the image from which you want to cut out a person.
- Select the object: Photoshop provides several tools for selection.
- Quick Selection Tool: This tool allows you to “paint” a selection, with Photoshop determining the edges as you go. To use it, select the Quick Selection tool from the toolbox, then click and drag over the person to start selecting them.
- Magic Wand Tool: This tool selects similarly colored areas. You can use it by selecting the Magic Wand tool from the toolbox, then clicking on the areas of the person you want to select. Adjust the tolerance to increase or decrease the range of colors that the tool selects.
- Pen Tool: This tool allows for the most precise selection but also requires the most skill to use effectively. It creates a path that you can turn into a selection.
- Refine your selection: No matter which initial selection tool you use, you’ll likely need to refine your selection, especially for complex shapes or if the person is against a busy background. You can add to your selection by holding the Shift key while using a selection tool or subtract from it by holding the Alt or Option key. There’s also the option for “Select and Mask” to further refine the edges of your selection.
- Copy and Paste the Selection: Once the person is selected accurately, you can cut them out from the image. Simply press Ctrl+C (or Cmd+C on a Mac) to copy the selection, then Ctrl+V (or Cmd+V on a Mac) to paste it. The pasted selection will appear as a new layer, and you can use the Move tool to position it wherever you want.
- Save your image: After you are satisfied with the editing, save your image by going to File > Save As, and choose the desired format.
A detailed breakdown of this can be found below:
Remember, the quality of the cutout will heavily depend on the complexity of the image and the level of detail in the areas around the person in the image. Some photos might need a lot more work than others, and practice definitely helps in refining your skills.
Alternatively, there are many apps and online tools that use AI technology to remove backgrounds or cut out persons from images. These may be a quicker, albeit potentially less precise, option. – examples of these include remove.bg and Adobe’s own Photoshop Express app.
As discussed throughout the below Concept Kit, how a project is represented can often be the difference between wining and losing your presentation, but it must be backed up by a successful design.
No amount of cutout people can save a poorly executed concept! Click the link below to find out more.
