Photoshop: Painting over subjects with the Remove Tool

Photoshop Try it →Watch full video →PHLEARN · Dec 2025

Demo summary

A final demonstration shows manually painting over a person in a photo using the Remove Tool to perform a quick, non-destructive deletion.

Step-by-step

Select the Remove Tool from the toolkit
Paint over the person or object you want to remove
Ensure the 'Sample All Layers' or 'Create New Layer' option is checked for non-destructive editing
Click the check box at the top of the interface to process the removal

Tips

Make sure 'Create New Layer' is checked to keep the removal on its own layer in the layer panel

Highlights

“Boom. Simple. ... that's literally all there is to it.”

All demos from “AI's 1-Click Distraction Remover in Photoshop | FREE AI Series - Day 3”

0:431:05Remove background people with Photoshop Remove ToolThe demonstrator uses the 'Find Distractions' feature within the Photoshop Remove Tool to automatically detect and delete people from the background of a portrait.Photoshop· AI Object Remover/Eraser
2:270:36One-click wire and cable removal in PhotoshopUsing the Remove Tool's 'Wires and Cables' distraction finder, the video shows how to instantly clear complex power lines from an urban photo.Photoshop· AI Object Remover/Eraser
3:090:29Manual object removal with Photoshop Remove ToolThe user demonstrates painting over specific small objects (light bulbs and supports) with the Remove Tool to erase them manually.Photoshop· AI Object Remover/Eraser
4:151:04Remove objects using Generative Fill and Firefly Image 3The demonstrator uses the Selection Brush to highlight a distracting sign and applies Generative Fill (powered by Adobe Firefly) to generate three different AI variations of the background.Photoshop· AI Object Remover/Eraser
5:330:25Painting over subjects with the Remove ToolCurrentA final demonstration shows manually painting over a person in a photo using the Remove Tool to perform a quick, non-destructive deletion.Photoshop· AI Object Remover/Eraser
Watch “AI's 1-Click Distraction Remover in Photoshop | FREE AI Series - Day 3” →

AI Object Remover/Eraser

0:260:55Remove simple objects with Photoshop Remove ToolThe creator demonstrates how to remove a trash can from a photo using the Remove Tool with 'remove after each stroke' enabled and Generative AI turned off for speed.PiXimperfect
1:280:53Remove complex objects using Generative AI in PhotoshopThe video shows how to remove a photobomber from a portrait by enabling the Generative AI option within the Remove Tool to reconstruct complex backgrounds.PiXimperfect
2:570:48Manual stroke selection for object removalThe creator demonstrates unchecking 'remove after each stroke' to carefully paint over a bird before triggering the AI removal with the Enter key.PiXimperfect
4:121:07Automatically find and remove people in PhotoshopThe demo shows the 'Find Distractions' feature in Photoshop 2025, which automatically detects and selects background people for one-click removal.PiXimperfect
5:240:32Remove wires and cables automaticallyThe creator uses the 'Find Distractions: Wires and Cables' feature to automatically identify and erase power lines from a complex urban photo.PiXimperfect
1:152:23Remove objects with Nana Banana and Flux Kontext ProThe user demonstrates selecting a fence in Photoshop Beta and using the 'remove fence' prompt with both Nana Banana and Flux Kontext Pro to compare their object removal capabilities.photoshopCAFE
0:431:05Remove background people with Photoshop Remove ToolThe demonstrator uses the 'Find Distractions' feature within the Photoshop Remove Tool to automatically detect and delete people from the background of a portrait.PHLEARN
2:270:36One-click wire and cable removal in PhotoshopUsing the Remove Tool's 'Wires and Cables' distraction finder, the video shows how to instantly clear complex power lines from an urban photo.PHLEARN
3:090:29Manual object removal with Photoshop Remove ToolThe user demonstrates painting over specific small objects (light bulbs and supports) with the Remove Tool to erase them manually.PHLEARN
4:151:04Remove objects using Generative Fill and Firefly Image 3The demonstrator uses the Selection Brush to highlight a distracting sign and applies Generative Fill (powered by Adobe Firefly) to generate three different AI variations of the background.PHLEARN
5:330:25Painting over subjects with the Remove ToolCurrentA final demonstration shows manually painting over a person in a photo using the Remove Tool to perform a quick, non-destructive deletion.PHLEARN
0:431:53Remove objects with Photoshop Generative FillThe user demonstrates how to select and remove a hand from a product photo using Photoshop's Generative Fill and the Object Selection tool to isolate the product.Creative Pad Media