Photoshop: Sometimes the simplest things

Here I was thinking that I was getting the hang of this Photoshop stuff. I've done about 4 projects in the past week that all turned out ok (not great, but ok). I expect that more practice will improve things, just as it did for me when the lightbulb went off with Poser and Paintshop Pro.

But this morning I'm at the edge of frustration over the simplest of things. I mean, this is so simple I'm embarrassed to admit I can't figure it out. I tried searching the web for answers and my HUGE "photoshop tutorials" favorites folder, and I've poured through my two Photoshop "how to" books -- I can make spider-web cracked glass on an image but I can't do this simple thing.

It's leading me to believe that Photoshop is a remarkably powerful tool for manipulating images but lacks some things if you're trying to invent your own wheel.

Enough ranting. Here's what I want to do.

I have Chip's PSD templates. I have a photo of an outfit I want to approximate. It will be pink satin and I want to create wrinkles and folds in the material. THAT part will actually turn out to be easy when I figure out the first bit ...

I want to create a new Layer over the template and then use a bezier line drawing tool to create the scoop of the bodice and sculpt some stitching along the side seams. In Paintshop Pro, the line tool had a "bezier" setting which allowed you to create a straight line, then click and drag it into a curve -- the shape of the curve depending on where you click and how far/what direction you drag. Once done, I would then be able to fill inside my hand-drawn shape with a fill tool.

I played with Photoshop's pen tool for a while, and all I can make are these useless geometrical shapes. I don't want a shape. I want a line, and more specifically I want a line that curves a certain way between my starting point and ending point -- and I want to be able to manipulate that curve before I accept the final curve.

It's hard for me to believe that Paintshop actually did something (back in version 5) that is superior to Photoshop (version 7), but it's starting to look that way.

So I stand before you, egg on face, hat in hand, admitting that I'm just a DENSE person. I could create the basic outline in Paintshop and then import it to Photoshop, but of course that defeats my real goal here, of learning how to use Photoshop.

~sigh~ Help?

I dont know the answer right offhand myself but try those links. The first one looks especially promising but then again you know how that goes as well lol. Do a google search and use bezier and photoshop if these don't help. Good luck! When you figure it all out, you can do a tutorial for the rest of us )

http://www.informit.com/guides/content.asp?g=photoshop&seqNum=72&rl=1

http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/glossary/l/blbezier.htm

Hmmm... interesting question. I don't have an answer built into Photoshop. When I want to do vector graphics like this I switch over to Adobe Illustrator. The pen tool there acts exactly as you are wanting.

-Ghoti

Easy one. In Photoshop, just as in illustrator, all anchor points are "corners" by default, meaning they have no bezier handles. In order to give handles to a point, you must convert it from a "corner point" to "smooth point". That's what the Convert Point Tool does. I'll walk you through it:

1. Use the pen tool to create a line. For simplicity purposes right now, give the line only 2 points. You can do more complex lines later, of course, but for now, keep it simple.

2. Click and hold (or right click) on the pen tool icon on the toolbox to bring up the tools that are underneath it. At the bottom of the pop-up list you'll see Convert Point Tool. Click it to select it.

3. Now click anywhere on your line and you'll see it's 2 endpoints displayed as small squares. Click on one and drag it in any direction to bring out its bezier handles.

4. Manipulate the handles to tune your curve.

5. If you want to convert the point back into a straight anchor (corner), simply click it with the Convert Point Tool, and don't drag. This will retract the handles back inside the point.

If you need a more detailed explanation, see "adding, deleting, and converting anchor points" in your Photoshop help. Assuming your Photoshop installation was done in the standard manner, you can find it here:

file:///C:/Program%20Files/Adobe/Photoshop%207.0/Help/Help.html

Otherwise, just search help for "convert anchor".

Chosen I think you misunderstand, or I am not following the directions correctly. I've tried them, and it seem that it creates a filled in shape when you mess with the bezier handles. What Cindy wants, (and I would love it myself to create custom tatoos without having to hand draw them), is have just the line be curved. When I try what you suggest I get something to the effect of a half moon or an oddly shaped figure 8 with the 2 "holes" filled in.

granted it creates kinda cool art like this: Here

Cindy, the Photoshop pen tool has several settings. For some unknown reason, the "Shapes" setting is the default. It makes shapes, as you've found out.

But there is a setting that makes just the curves, which you can then choose to stroke, or fill, or treat however you want to treat them.

To change modes, look at the tool bar at the top of your screen while you are using the Pen tool.

On the far left, just after the Presets drop down, are three little icons. The leftmost one is a square, with tiny squares at the corners. That's the one that makes shapes.

The second icon shows a pen tip inside a square. That's the one that makes paths, which is what you are after. Click on it, and the pen tool will behave like I think you are expecting it to. In other words, the tool behaves exactly like its counterpart in Illustrator. You can pull out the corner handles as you make them, or pull one out, hold Option/alt and click on it again and pull in a different direction to make a corner point, etc.

Or you can just make a straight line, and then edit that line, as Chosen has said. If you want to just grab the straight line in the middle and pull it down into the curve you want, just add an anchor point between the two at the ends, and drag. (The Add Anchor Point tool is on a fly-out from the Pen tool.)

You can drag the line and pull to shape it between any two curve or corner points, and to some extent between any curve or corner points and a fixed point (one without handles.)

The last icon on the top toolbar makes un-editable shapes, by the way. It's called "Fill Pixels," or something like that.

To use your path, once you have it, you can click on it with the solid arrow to select it, or use the Paths palette to deselect it (click in the open area below the Paths,) save it (double click on it,) make it visible to work with (click on the thumbnail) and so on.

To fill the path, select it (so the control points are filled,) and click on the Fill icon (at the bottom of the Path Palette, on the far left.) That fills it with your foreground color. If you hold down Option/alt when you click, you'll get the Fill dialog, that gives you all the Fill options (foreground, background, color, blending mode, preserve transparency, etc.)

To stroke it with whatever Brush you are currently using, click on the Stroke icon (empty circle at the bottom of the Paths palette, second from left.) If you hold down Option/alt while you click, you can choose which tool you want to use to stroke it. (But it will still use the settings for that tool, so you'll need to set that up first.) You can even simulate pressure on the brush from there.

The next icon (dotted circle) loads it as a selection, and Option/alt allows you to choose the feather radius, and Selection type. (New, add to current, etc.)

The next icon lets you turn a selection into editable paths, and the last two allow you to start a new workpath, or trash one that you have.

If you have any other path questions, feel free to ask! It's one of the tools that I use constantly, since I never could draw a straight line! (Or a smooth curved one, for that mater.)

Wow, this got long; but I hope it helps. (I highlighted the actual instructions, to make it easier to pick them out.)

I love you Robin. Marry me and have my kids..



Better yet, don't marry me and just keep telling me how to do these things..

ROFL!

Thanks, Tharkis.

Ummmm, I pick Option #2.

From what I understand, you just want to make a curved line, right?

That happened to me too! Ha! Drove me nuts for days.

Anyway, here's how you do it.

1. First, select the Freelance Pen Tool.



2. Draw a line. It doesn't have to be fancy.



3. Then, select the Pen Tool > Add an Ancher Point.



4. Click on one of the ends of the line.



5. You can use the points to drag the line, however you want it to look, etc. You can even add more anchor points for a more elaborate line.



6. When you are satisfied with how it looks, right click (anywhere, really) and choose "Stroke Path."



7. A menu will pop up. You can stroke the path with a number of tools. Just make sure that if you choose "Brush", "Pencil", "Dodge", etc, that the settings on that tool are what you want (for example, if you chose "Brush", and you wanted a thin black line, you should make sure that the Brush is set to 1px and the color black).



8. Now, delete the line.



9. Yayyy!! Now you have a curvy line!!



To have this line on its own Layer, simply create a new layer and follow the steps above. Good luck!

Lo, if you want to do this with the Freeform Pen, that works too, of course. (Although it has the same 3 options; Shapes, Paths, or Filled Pixels, so make sure you're in the right one.)

But you don't need to change to the Add Anchor Point tool, since you're not adding an anchor point. What's happening is that the tool automatically changes to the Point Selection tool when you try to add a new point directly on top of an existing one.

To just get the Point Selection tool, hold down the Command/ctrl key, click on one end of the line you just made, and go from there. You can do this with the Freeform Pen tool, or any of the other Pen tools.

You only need the Add Anchor Point tool if you want to put a third point between the two in your example.

Be aware, though, that the Freeform Pen is for automatically interpreting freehand drawing as Bezier curves. So, if your line is long, or curvy, you are likely to wind up with more than two points. If that happens, and you don't want them, you can just use the Remove Point tool to make them go away, of course.

You don't need to delete the path, either, unless you want to. Just click the empty portion of the Paths palette, and the path will become hidden. You won't see it, but it will still be there, in case you want to revise that layer at a later date, unless you start a new path.

If you want it there forever, of course, just Save the path. You can have different ones saved, for necklines, pockets, cut-outs, etc., and keep them all handy in case it doesn't look the way you thought it would when you see the garment on the AV.

And, Cindy, if you do use the Freeform tool, it just makes a workpath. So all the things about the Paths palette are still valid for this method, as well.

(edited to inclued info re; saved paths.)

Yeah, but I hate the normal Pen tool. You're correct in that PS interprets the sloppy line you draw and smooths it out, but sometimes (for me anyway) it is easier to work that way and just delete the anchor points I don't need. And sometimes the unpredictable line ends up looking quite nice after all

The only thing I don't understand is why Robin gets marriage proposals, and I rarely get so much as a thank you. Maybe I should buy stronger deodorant or something.

Anyway, that makes twice now that I've mistakenly assumed people would notice there are tool settings buttons at the top of the screen for each and every tool. I'll have to remember in the future that a good amount of people evidently don't look at the top of the screen. I can see how the interface can be information overload at first, and such things easlily could go unnoticed. I'll be sure to assume nothing, and to include tool settings notices in all my future tutorials. Thanks for the reminder.

ROFL! Lo, I wasn't saying you have to use the Pen tool! Use whatever tool you are most comfortable with.

I was just saying that you can save mousing over to the toolbar and choosing another tool by simply holding down the Command/ctrl key.

ROFL!

Chosen, I'm guessing it's because they haven't seen your AV. If they knew you looked like Seven of Nine...

Ok I'll bite...

Will you marry me chosen?

*braces for the rejection*

Oh I know what she looks like. She's my favorite member of the sci-fi geeks group. I mean come on! She's a Gate Builder after all.

Hehe, I feel better now. Deodorant bill secure.