Wallace wrote:
I use a wacom pen tablet and draw out very complex selection the freehand way. I can zoom-in and select as close as I wish around the subject.
I also find the paths tool to be intensive work, which would take me near double the time making selections with it.
You tutorial is fine, but it seems like a great deal of information for a true Gimp newbie to absorb in only a minute.
The main advantage of the paths tool is the perfect curves you can get. They require much less (or 0, sometimes) cleanup time after. Also, the path is handy to keep around if you want to regain your selection without having duplicate layers everywhere (yes, you can use a mask.
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I also use a wacom tablet sometimes, but mainly for adding back detail like hair and feathers after cropping something out. I'll go back and add detail in that way. As steady as my hand is, I am unable to get the smooth curves that are quite easy to get with the paths tool. Once I got used to the paths tool, I found it saves a lot of time over other methods, including trying to zoom in and erase with a wacom pen. The more you zoom in, the longer it will take. It's like changing your racing track from a few hundred feet to miles. YMMV however.
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)