About Drawing with the Pen Tool (2)

Ok, what are we going to draw with the pen tool. It can sometimes be frustrating, but with a little practice, this may be the drawing tool that gives you the most satisfaction.

Select the “Pen” tool (1) and select no color in “fill” (2).

Be careful when you start drawing, layer 1 is selected (3).

One more thing.

When we work with the Pen tool, we also frequently use the “Direct Selection” tool, the white arrow in the toolbar, to quickly switch from the Pen tool to the Direct Selection tool, remember to hold the Alt key your keyboard pressed.

When everything is set up as it should, click in the image for the first anchor point, that is the starting point, and drag in the direction you want to begin the line.

Release the mouse button.

Click (this is the second anchor point) and hold the mouse button, at the point where you want the line to end.

Drag the mouse pointer left, right, top or bottom, so that the line has the right shape.

Each line you draw with the pen tool has two handles. At least when you clicked and dragged, you have specified the anchor point.

You can use each of these levers to determine the correct form for your line.

For our third line we have to change direction (first line went upwards, the second line too, and the third is to the right). Click the third anchor point, with the Alt key and drag in the direction you want. This, by no means, draws the entire size of the line. As in Photoshop, if we know where you want to go, that is enough. Release the mouse button. OK, now is the time to determine the direction of our third line.

Repeat this for each anchor point you add.

Click and drag for the shape of the line to be determined. Hold the Alt key pressed and drag the second handle to determine the direction of the next line.

If you are completely around and back at the beginning, that is the first anchor point, then a circle will appear next to the cursor and you click and drag to determine the shape of the last line.

Then select the entire drawing and give it some color.
You can drag the template layer to the trash when you no longer need it.

For your information:
You can add anchor points at any time by clicking on a line with the “Pen” tool. And you can remove anchor points at any time by clicking the anchor points with the “Pen” tool.

You can change the form of a line at any time by clicking with the “Direct Selection” tool and dragging the handles of an anchor point.

When you click an anchor point with the “Direct Selection” tool, you get to see the two handles of the anchor point, plus those of the adjacent anchor points. But if you wish to see all the anchor points and all levers in your image, hold the Alt key on your keyboard pressed when you click the anchor point again.

 

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