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Pen Tool Curve
Started by mrchew, Aug 07 2006 12:43 PM
3 replies to this topic
#1
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Young Padawan
Posted 07 August 2006 - 12:43 PM
I have a silly question. I'm trying to make a curve for a header in photoshop that looks like the image below. Ironically, I created the image below about a year ago when I used to use photoshop a lot but fogot how I did it. Everytime I try to create a curve with the pen tool, it always automatically colors above the curve line. I want to fill all color everywhere below the curve line as shown in the image, and have the top half of the banner something else. Can anyone help? Thanks in advance
#2
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Young Padawan
- Location:Oregon City, Oregon
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Posted 07 August 2006 - 02:08 PM
What you can do is use the Rectangle tool to draw a shape the size of the banner, so you can start from there (make sure on the properties bar at the top left that the "shape layers" button is selected.)
Then take the Pen tool and check Auto Add/Delete on the properties bar. Click hold down Ctrl and click the top left corner of the rectangle you just made, the cursor should change to the Direct Selection tool (a white arrow) and four squares will appear on the corners of the path.
Still holding Ctrl, click and drag the same corner down to the desired position. If you're not holding control, it will be deleted.
Let go of Ctrl and hover over the now diagonal path to a couple hundred pixels to the right of the corner you just moved. The Pen tool should have automatically changed and should now have a little plus sign next to it, if you're right above the path. Click to add an extra anchor point. Again, hold down Ctrl and click and drag the point you just made to put it at the desired curve.
If you want to make the same shape as your banner, you'll need another anchor point a little ways to the right. Then curve it as necessary.
You shouldn't have to switch away from the Pen tool the entire time, because there are keyboard shortcuts to switch from function to function.
Ctrl - Switches to Direct Selection Tool
Alt - Convert Point Tool
Adding and deleting points are automatic from the check box you clicked earlier.
An alternative way is to just create the entire thing from scratch and use the pen tool to create the curve you want, and so it doesn't color above the curve like you said, click in outside the bounds of the document and down and around to come around and join with the other side.
Personally, I like the first method because it's more practice for the Pen tool.
Then take the Pen tool and check Auto Add/Delete on the properties bar. Click hold down Ctrl and click the top left corner of the rectangle you just made, the cursor should change to the Direct Selection tool (a white arrow) and four squares will appear on the corners of the path.
Still holding Ctrl, click and drag the same corner down to the desired position. If you're not holding control, it will be deleted.
Let go of Ctrl and hover over the now diagonal path to a couple hundred pixels to the right of the corner you just moved. The Pen tool should have automatically changed and should now have a little plus sign next to it, if you're right above the path. Click to add an extra anchor point. Again, hold down Ctrl and click and drag the point you just made to put it at the desired curve.
If you want to make the same shape as your banner, you'll need another anchor point a little ways to the right. Then curve it as necessary.
You shouldn't have to switch away from the Pen tool the entire time, because there are keyboard shortcuts to switch from function to function.
Ctrl - Switches to Direct Selection Tool
Alt - Convert Point Tool
Adding and deleting points are automatic from the check box you clicked earlier.
An alternative way is to just create the entire thing from scratch and use the pen tool to create the curve you want, and so it doesn't color above the curve like you said, click in outside the bounds of the document and down and around to come around and join with the other side.
Personally, I like the first method because it's more practice for the Pen tool.
#3
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Young Padawan
Posted 07 August 2006 - 10:33 PM
sq3r, on Aug 7 2006, 03:08 PM, said:
An alternative way is to just create the entire thing from scratch and use the pen tool to create the curve you want, and so it doesn't color above the curve like you said, click in outside the bounds of the document and down and around to come around and join with the other side.
I like the idea of this alternative method. I tried the other way with your directions but got lost and couldn't figure it out. Is there an easier way to do it as mentioned above? Thanks.
#4
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Young Padawan
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Posted 08 August 2006 - 04:12 AM
Yeah sorry, those instructions were sort of scattered :x
Well I think I could explain the second method a little better.
Okay, assuming you have your banner-sized document open already, select the Pen tool, of course, and click somewhere just outside the left boundary of the document, and about half way down from the top.
Now click a little ways into the document, it doesn't matter because you can move all the points any time. And click again a little further across, but stay within the document bounds. Depending on how many curves you want, you can either stop now or make more points inside the document.
After you're done with that, click just outside the right boundary of the document, then click down and around until you meet up with the first point, and stay outside the document.
Once the shape is joined, the anchor points will disappear. Just hold down Ctrl and click anywhere on the path to bring them back.
To make the points you placed curvy, hold down Alt and click the point and drag to the left or right. Two handlebars will come out and you can see how the shape will be bending.
Once you let go, the handlebars will still be there, and you can grab each one individually to change the shape of individual sides. You can also hold down Ctrl and click on the path itself (not the anchor point) and change the curve that way.
To move the entire anchor point, hold down Ctrl, click it, and drag it to wherever you want.
Hopefully that made a little more sense. It's hard to make up a tutorial without images and stuff D:
Well I think I could explain the second method a little better.
Okay, assuming you have your banner-sized document open already, select the Pen tool, of course, and click somewhere just outside the left boundary of the document, and about half way down from the top.
Now click a little ways into the document, it doesn't matter because you can move all the points any time. And click again a little further across, but stay within the document bounds. Depending on how many curves you want, you can either stop now or make more points inside the document.
After you're done with that, click just outside the right boundary of the document, then click down and around until you meet up with the first point, and stay outside the document.
Once the shape is joined, the anchor points will disappear. Just hold down Ctrl and click anywhere on the path to bring them back.
To make the points you placed curvy, hold down Alt and click the point and drag to the left or right. Two handlebars will come out and you can see how the shape will be bending.
Once you let go, the handlebars will still be there, and you can grab each one individually to change the shape of individual sides. You can also hold down Ctrl and click on the path itself (not the anchor point) and change the curve that way.
To move the entire anchor point, hold down Ctrl, click it, and drag it to wherever you want.
Hopefully that made a little more sense. It's hard to make up a tutorial without images and stuff D:
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