Draw Curved Lines in Photoshop

Photoshop is a powerful program that offers the ability to create and edit just about any image. With all its tools, creating a curved line is as simple as a few clicks. That said, it is one of the key skills all beginners need to pick up, as it introduces you to one of your most powerful tools -- the Pen Tool.

Steps

  1. Choose the Pen tool (P) from your toolkit on the left side of the screen. This is one of the most useful and powerful tools in Photoshop, though it is a bit tricky to get used to. It is right above the Text tool in the tool kit. You can also press P to get right to the Pen Tool automatically.
  2. Make sure that "Path" is selected from the options bar at the top of Photoshop. When you click on a new tool, a set of options appears on top of the screen. With the Pen tool, make sure the drop-down menu on the far left is set to "Path" and not "Shape" or "Pixels."
    • On newer versions of Photoshop, you can click the Gear Icon to turn on "Rubber Banding." This gives you a preview of your line as you draw it, which is usually helpful for beginners.[1]
    • The rest of the settings can be left as they are.
  3. Click on screen at the beginning of you curved line. This creates an "anchor point," or a little black square that helps define your line. Your line will be made up of anchor points and handles, but you'll get to handles later. For now, just place the beginning of your line.[2]
    • You can click and drag this point to start curving it immediately. For now, however, wait on bending and curving the line until a little later.
  4. Click and drag to create your second point and begin curving your line. Click on the second point in your line, but don't release the mouse yet. Instead, drag the point around to curve your line, getting used to how the line responds to your movements. The straight line with two circles on the end is your "handle" and this dictates how the line is curved. You can adjust these handles later, so they don't need to be perfect now.[3]
    • A longer handle leads to a slower, more gentle curve. A short handle is a sharper turn.
    • Crossing over the handle leads the line to curve back on itself. Try to use the handles to outline your curves, as if they formed a fence around the actual curve to ease it in the right direction.
    • Adobe recommends making the handle about 1/3 the distance to the next anchor point you're going to click.[4]
  5. Continue adding anchor points and handles, knowing you can always adjust them later. Finish drawing your line with the pen tool. If you need to get rid of a point, hit Ctrl+Alt+Z (PC) or Cmd+Opt+Z to move backwards. Hitting the Del key will delete only the most recent point. Keep adding points until your whole curve has the shape you're looking for.[5]
  6. Stop using handles to get sharper angles and turns. If you want a sharp angle in the middle of the curve, you need to avoid the handles. Hold down Alt (PC) or Opt (Mac) when creating new points to ignore the handles from the previous point.[5]
  7. Fine-tune and adjust your curve using the Convert Point tool. Don't worry -- it is easier than it sounds. Click and hold the Pen icon in the toolbar, bringing up a series of similar tools used to draw unique paths. At the bottom is the "Convert Point Tool," which allows you to click on any anchor or handle and adjust it to your liking. You can also Add or Delete Anchor points.[6]
    • You can even adjust your beginning point. If you're making new curves, you can click and drag the first point as well to make handles right off the bat.
  8. Finish the curve by connecting the beginning and end, or clicking on a new tool. Once you're done working, click a new tool to escape the path creation mode. You can also Ctrl-Click or Cmd-Click anywhere to stop working on the path, or connect the beginning and end if you want a full shape, not just a line.[5]
  9. Right-click on the line once you're finished creating your curve to turn it into a line. Keeping one of the pen tools on, right-click on the curve and select "Stroke Path." This will bring up the "Stroke" dialogue box, allowing you to color in your path to finish your line. Select "Brush" under "Tool." This automatically uses whatever brush you have set to trace over your path.
    • You must adjust your brush settings before clicking "Stroke."
    • If you need to, hit B before right-clicking to adjust your Brush. Whatever Brush settings you have on, including color and thickness, will be used to stroke your path.
  10. Click on "Paths" in the Layer's Palette to adjust old outlines. The pen tool doesn't actually draw anything. Rather, it makes "paths," which are re-usable outlines that can be used for a variety of functions. To re-stroke a line, adjust your original path, or re-use the path, simply click on "Paths" in the Layer's Palette to the far right of your screen, then select the path you want to use.[7]



Tips

  • The Pen tool can be fickle, but it is worth getting used to. The same tool is used to make precise, perfect selections, cuts, and shapes.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/drawing-pen-tools.html
  2. ↑ http://graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/41839/using-the-pen-tool-to-draw-curved-lines-whilst-staying-at-anchor-points
  3. ↑ http://www.peachpit.com/guides/content.aspx?g=photoshop&seqNum=72
  4. ↑ http://photoshopcafe.com/tutorials/pen/pen.htm
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 http://www.webmaster-talk.com/website-design-forum/16605-photoshop-drawing-a-curved-line.html
  6. ↑ http://www.photoshopessentials.com/basics/selections/pen-tool-selections/
  7. ↑ http://www.newtutorials.com/curved-lines-tutorial.htm
Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Draw_Curved_Lines_in_Photoshop&oldid=354051"