Desaturating a Background

All you need is Paint Shop Pro and an image with a central focal point. This tutorial was inspired by a Photoshop tutorial.

1.,  Open your image, make a copy of it if you want to save the original.  In your palette area, right click on the background and promote it to a raster layer. Duplicate the image so you have two copies.

 

2.  Go to your selection tool and choose Freehand, then select whichever one you feel comfortable with.  I used point to point.  Select all around your subject. When through, promote selection to layer.  Do not deselect. Now you have three layers.

3.  Hide the top two layers.  Click on the bottom layer.  Go to effects, Photo: and click on black and white film.

Now here is where you can use any distortion filter you'd like for the background. I chose Effect: Art Media: Brush Strokes

 

4.  Now you can unhide your top layer, and delete the second layer. Now you have almost the final result.  I found I had to go in and touch up the selection I made, by erasing bits and pieces.  After I was satisfied, I merged all.  This is the final result

 

 

Any questions, please let me know...