The Pen Tool is one of the most highly underestimated and underused tools in Photoshop and we want to show you how great and useful it actually is.

KEY POINTS:

• The Pen Tools is great for making Paths > Paths can be turned into Shapes, which can further be turned into 3D extrusions.
• Photographers and retouchers typically use the Pen Tool to make and easily adjust complex selections.
• Click and drag to create a point and a line.
• Pull handles to curve the lines between points.
• Hold Option (Alt) key to adjust and manipulate the shape of any of the created curves.
• Hold Command (Control) key to adjust and move around any of the created points.
• Close your Path by clicking on the first point you’ve created.
• Save your Paths and create new ones if you need more selections.

 

 

 

the Curvature Pen Tool is used to demonstrate how quickly archways and headlights can be selected within seconds. To locate the Curvature Pen tool, you must click and hold onto the Pen Tool itself, to reveal the other options. Once the Curvature Pen Tool is selected, an additional new feature to take advantage of is Path Options, which allow you to customize the color and thickness of your path.

Set to a Path by default, you will begin by clicking on the area of the image where you wish to set your first Anchor Point. Then, you will select your second Anchor Point, which will still render your segment as a straight line, similar to how the Pen Tool normally functions.

The third Anchor Point is when the path will be curved, and begins to showcase the magic of the Curvature Pen Tool. Once you have closed off and adjusted your Path, you can convert it to a Shape, Selection, or a Mask, moving onto the next step of your workflow in seconds.

With the added precision of this tool, you will no longer have to fight with tricky Bezier handles, and can make your selections quickly, and accurately.