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Pen Tool Is killing me :(


NemesisWorks

NemesisWorks

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Hi , I'm totally un-awared from using Pen tool I've tried it some times but nothing fine :S for example I can't draw smooth lines with it. Can you tell me in example how to draw an apple with it? thanx :(
 
It is/can be a very confusing tool to use at first!! But once you get the hang of it, you may find that it is your best friend!! You can create smoother lines than you think. And as JoeD stated --

Practice, practice and practice, that's all I can advice you :B
Click to expand...

:righton: ;) :D
 
Sorry but that video tutorial doesn't make sense, it asks for 25 MB of codecs to be installed. And I'm on Dialup.
 
This is just a little tutorial to make an apple shape in the easiest manner possible. It is not really a pen tool tutorial but may help get the idea across a little bit. In the setup make sure your vector tools are set to drawing Paths (#1). I also have the Auto Add/Delete cheked for simplicity of a later pen tool step (#3). My first step in creating an apple shape is to use the Oval Shape Tool (#2) and draw out a circle, easily done by holding down the Shift key to constrain the shape to a circle.

In the next image I'm creating the apple shape in the most simple manner. The order of the steps isn't important. After drawing the Shape, I went and activated the Pen Tool. When I use the Pen Tool I keep one hand on the mouse or stylus (if I'm using an art pad) and one hand on the keyboard. Two keys are really handy. With the pen tool active, holding down the Control (Command) key will turn the pen into the Direct Selection Tool and holding down the Alt (Option) key will turn the tool to the Convert Point Tool.

A. Move the pen tool over the path approximately where I'm showing and you will see a + appear which means you can add an anchor point. Add two new anchor points to your circular path.

B. I'm using the Direct Selection Tool to make the anchor point at the top of the circle active. Active anchor points are filled in. Inactive anchor points appear hollow.

C. Use the Convert Point Tool on each of the Control Handles and move them up. When you use the Convert Point Tool each of the handles can be moved separately. If you used the Direct Selection Tool, both control handles move together as ends of a straight line with the anchor point a fulcrum.

D. With the Direct Selection Tool click, one at a time, on the two anchor points added in step A and drag them down slightly.

E. Use the same click and drag upward on the two anchor points which were the 'sides' of the original circle.

For the final step I selected a red color and went to the Paths palette and clicked on the button at the bottom left to Fill path with foreground color. There's an apple!
 
Welles I'm glad pplz like you are still on earth. I can't thanx 4 your help specially 4 me. Thanx alot :righton:
 
You're welcome, Evil Nemesis. I hope that helps you a bit in comprehending the pen tool and vector images in Photoshop. Once you understand those, your capacities expand exponentially.

Cheers!
 
Evil Nemesis said:
:) I will wait for more Tutorials on Pen Tool Like this one, from You.
Click to expand...

Only one per customer! ;)

Seriously, though, if you wish to learn the pen tool I have several suggestions where to start.

1. This page contains all the practice templates for drawing with the pen. They are in PDF format and you can open them in Photoshop which rasterizes the image. You will find that the drawings and text are on a transparent background so once you open the PDFs in Photoshop, add a white layer underneath. This series will take you through progressively more complex steps, from making a zig-zag (click move click move click move click) on up. The individual PDFs are small files so you won't have any difficulty downloading them.

http://www.sketchpad.net/drawing8.htm

2. Jay Arraich has a lot of good introductory information on using the Pen Tool here and links his basic beginner's tutorial for the pen tool a short way down the page.

http://www.arraich.com/ref/aatool_pen6.htm

3. For several links which expand on various uses of the Pen Tool, Shapes, and other vector elements of Photoshop, this page is very good.
Photoshop Shape Tool, Pen Tool, Drawing Vector Paths & Shapes

http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/photoshoptutorialsshapespen/index_r.htm

4. If your curious, I've done two other little pen tool tutorials on PSG to help people in specific circumstances.

http://photoshopgurus.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5285&highlight=stroke+pen+tool

http://photoshopgurus.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4597&highlight=stroke+pen+tool

Good Luck! Happy drawing.
 
dear welles i am looking forward for you new tutorials as a newbie photshop user. especially about layers
keep watching u :P
:}
 
Hi ho atlantis,

There are already some excellent tutes done abuout layers. If you have a specific question, that's when we try and provide an answer.

In the meantime, here is a URL which starts a multipage series of lessons on most of the aspects of layers.

http://www.bairarteditions.com/pages/tutorials/photoshop/layers.html

Here's a basic one about combining photographs using layer masks...

http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/20872.html

And for general beginning lessons, check out the list of tutorials in PDF format which theKeeper has created...

http://www.photoshopgurus.com/tutorials_beginner.html
 
pen_intro.jpg


Maybe this can help beginners too :) It's an extract from an ebook I've written for beginners. 8))
 
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