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Posted on 06/03/10 9:19:02 PM |
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Tricia T
* Posts: 1 Reply |
Pen tool
I am kind of new to photoshop. Why not use the paint brush (with a tablet) which is easier and more artistic to me rather than the pen tool? If I mix pixels and the pen tool (vector) which is great for smoothness and enlarging without pixels but when using both.. why would you do that? I am trying to figure out if i want to take the time to become comfortable with this tool. Why not just use illustrator? Thanks. I just bought the Art and design book. It looks wonderful. Thanks for your help. I have alot to learn and probably need to order the other book. I have always just done things my own way in photoshop. |
Posted on 07/03/10 07:53:11 AM |
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Nick Curtain
Model Master Posts: 1768 Reply  |
Re: Pen tool
Hi Tricia I have never used illustrator, so perhaps I'm not best placed to answer your question. However, what I would say is that the pen, once mastered, is a fantastic tool for making accurate cutouts. Paths can be transformed and stroked with other tools, for example the brush and eraser. They can also be turned into selections and vice versa. You can hand draw a curve with a tablet or mouse, but the pen will allow you to draw a perfect bezier curve and for someone like me who is not an artist by any means, the tool is so valuable. I would take time to learn how to use it. Nick |
Posted on 07/03/10 1:38:48 PM |
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Babybiker
Shadow Spectaculator Posts: 151 Reply  |
Re: Pen tool
Hi Tricia, and welcome to the forum... just a quick post to echo what Nick has said, and to say that learning to use the pen tool isn't as difficult as it may first seem. I think everyone is daunted by this one particular part of PS when they start experimenting with it (there are probably countless threads on it, on this very forum) but if you practise using the images and techniques given by Steve in "Cheat in Photoshop" it shouldn't take you too long at all - and the effort is worth it - within a week or two you may well have compensated for the time spent getting to grips with it. Give it a go, after all, you have very little to lose, and a lot to gain! Stuart |
Posted on 07/03/10 4:21:42 PM |
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Paul 2007 thru 2010
Lego Legend Posts: 361 Reply |
Re: Pen tool
Enable the rubber band for the pentool. That really helps. Also learn what the control and alt keys can do when drawing your path. Using the control key allows you to edit points and reposition them as you go. Making the pen tool go round a curve is really easy when you know the trick. You need to imagine a line extending from each end of the curve you want to follow. Now, where they meet is where you need to drag your mouse. Click at the start of the curve then while holding the mouse drag to this imaginary intersection and let go. When you now move the mouse to the other end of the curve, the line should follow the curve almost exactly. 
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Posted on 07/03/10 5:20:51 PM |
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Jota120
Ingenious Inventor Posts: 2615 Reply  |
Re: Pen tool
I second Nick and Babybiker. I think I might have given up on many aspects of PS without the pen tool. Do it your own way, its like learning to ride a bike, once you get your style, its so quick and fun. Just my hint (might be bad) I use ctrl/cmd-Z and History to skip back to points that do not work as I go along. I enjoy painting, and you can not "do" things like hair etc with pen, but for linear, acute, oblique and beautiful curved edges, nothing like it, especially when so fast (work flow). All other parts of PS are link with it as others hint before. Oh! I 95% use it for compositing and selections, not the art part!, but that is not true, use it for art too with brush etc...... 
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Posted on 08/03/10 3:11:06 PM |
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cy98
** Posts: 104 Reply |
Re: Pen tool
Yes to all of the above. It is almost as fast as using the lasso tool once you get the hang of it. Although I don't really use this feature with the pen tool you end up with a vector drawing. This is scalable so you don't loose definition when enlarging, or so I read. |