Creating smooth lines in Photoshop. Techniques for working with a pen when creating lines

The Phoroshop program, in addition to its wide possibilities for processing ready-made images, such as photographs, provides many different possibilities for drawing. You can draw with pencil and brush tools. This immediately creates raster image. You can correct what you have drawn by erasing the created elements with an eraser.

Tool Pen Tool(Pen) is designed for drawing vector contours. Vector contours can be saved, edited, enlarged, reduced. The possibilities of this tool are endless. But mastering how to work with it is not easy.

What are contours and why are they needed?

Contours are vector line objects, utility objects that allow you to easily and quickly create interesting images. In general, a contour consists of one or more straight or curved segments. Anchor points mark the position of the end points of path segments. The shape of the path segments is determined by the guides extending from the node points.

Outlines themselves in Photoshop have neither thickness nor color. They are an auxiliary tool for performing various actions: selecting complex shapes, constructing images, for curvilinear arrangement of text (along some curve), etc.

The contour can be closed, having neither beginning nor end (such contours include ellipses and arbitrary polygons),

or open, having separate end points (for example, a zigzag or wavy line).

Contours are saved in the current document together with raster objects. All contours in the document are available in the palette Paths.

What can you do with the contour?

1. Construct any outline, trace it (Stroke Pass command, right-click on the outline - select from the menu) to form a line (specify the stroke tool, having previously selected the color, thickness and other parameters);

2.If the contour is closed, you can paint the inner area with any color (Fill Pass command, right-click on the contour - select from the menu) or convert the contour into a selection (Make Selection command, right-click on the contour - select from the menu).

Drawing shapes (rectangles, ellipses, etc.) is essentially drawing inline paths a certain shape, the inner area of ​​which is painted in the selected color.

How to draw a free-form outline?

You need to draw the outline with the Pen Tool.

To draw a straight path, you determine the position of the node points of the path by clicking the mouse, and Photoshop program automatically connects them with straight lines.

To create a curved segment of a contour, you need to click the point at which the direction of the curve changes and, without releasing the left mouse button, move the pointer. A guide will appear on the canvas (it determines the bend of the segment) and a curve that will bend smoothly as you move the mouse. When the curve takes the required shape and size, you need to release the mouse.

If you hold down the Shift key while working with the tool, a contour of the correct shape will be created (adjacent corner points will be located at angles that are multiples of 45°, and smoothing points will be placed on the arc of an imaginary circle).

Pen Tools

The Photoshop toolbar tool Pen Tool includes several tools:
Pen Tool (Pen) - designed for drawing a vector contour (the contour is specified by a set of its anchor points);
Freeform Pen Tool (Free pen)- intended for drawing a vector contour (the contour is specified by a set of hand-drawn lines);
Add Anchop Point Tool reference point) - designed to add new anchor points to an existing vector contour; with its help you can change the shape of the contour, move nodes or guides;
Delete Anchop Point Tool - designed to delete existing anchor points from a vector path; it can also be used to change the shape of the path, move nodes or guides;
Convert Point Tool (Angle) - designed to change the type of anchor points and the shape of existing vector contours.

By default, the Pen Tool is active in the “Pen” group; to select another tool in this group, you need to right-click on the group button (hold it down for a few seconds), and then click the name of the required tool in the menu that appears on the screen.

A hotkey is also used to call up the tools of the Pen group. "R". Pressing this key activates the last used tool in the group. To switch between instruments in a group, press the key simultaneously. "R" and a key "Shift"(as a result of each click, the next tool in the list is activated).

Pen tool options panel

In the tool options panel Feather The following elements must be noted:

Then, using the corresponding buttons, you can go directly from the options bar to the Pen Tool, Freeform Pen Tool, Rectangle Tool, Rounded Rectangle Tool, Ellipce Tool, Polygon Tool (Polygon), Line Buttons are responsible for setting one or another mode for combining contours (new contour, adding to an existing contour, subtracting, intersecting contours, etc.) and are similar to the same settings for the selection tools.

There are buttons for Shape Layers mode

  • Style- is intended for selecting the style that will be used when filling the contour. By clicking on the list expansion button, you can view the available samples Photoshop styles CS4
  • Field Color- designed to display and change the fill color of the outline. When you click on a field on the screen, a color selection dialog box appears in which the user can specify the desired fill color for the outline.

Did you find everything very difficult? Nothing like this! A simple example. Try it, everything will work out!

25.01.2017 28.01.2018

Hello to all Photoshop lovers!

Drawing a straight line in Photoshop is not at all difficult, just move the mouse cursor, but, alas, this movement does not always turn out straight. In this lesson we will learn how to draw straight lines.

To make the line in Photoshop smooth, hold down the keyboard SHIFT and you will draw a straight line in Photoshop. This allows you to draw straight horizontal and vertical lines. You can also draw diagonally; to do this, click the left mouse button once on the area where the line begins, and a second time where it ends (with the SHIFT). This will draw a straight line at the given coordinates.

There are several ways to draw straight lines in Photoshop, giving them color, thickness and other styles. The following tools are commonly used: Brush, Pencil, Pen, Line, Rectangular Marquee. Which tool is best suited for the task is up to you to decide. Each method has its pros and cons.

Draw a straight line with the Brush Tool

The easiest way to draw a line is with a tool Brush (Brush Tool). Create a document in Photoshop (Ctrl + N) with an arbitrary size, I have this 800x600 pixels:

Activate the tool Brush (Brush Tool). Tool hotkey - B.


At the top settings panel change tools if necessary size And rigidity brushes:

We draw the line:

Somehow it’s not quite even, you’ll reasonably notice, right?

To draw perfectly straight line, you need to hold down the key before starting to draw Shift, draw a line and release the key. This is how smooth the line turned out:

Keystroke method Shift before starting to draw a line, it helps to draw a strictly horizontal or vertical line at an angle of 90 degrees, but if you need to draw a line, for example, diagonally, then you must first click the mouse button at the beginning of the line and hold down the key Shift, draw a line, then release the mouse button and Shift.

Draw a straight line using the Pencil Tool

Tool Pencil Tool is in the same tool group as the tool Brush, hotkey calling the tool - B.


Drawing a line using the tool Pencil Tool similar to drawing Brush- click the mouse at the beginning of the line, hold down the key Shift and draw a line.

Draw a line with the Pen Tool

To draw a line with the tool Feather It will take a little longer than in previous cases.

Activate the tool Pen Tool tool hotkey - P.


Don't forget to make sure that the tool Feather is in mode "circuit". You can view this at top panel instrument settings:

Create a new layer, click on the layer creation icon in layers panel:

Draw a straight line - just put two points. To draw a horizontal or vertical line, hold down the key again Shift:

To start drawing new line, hold down the key Ctrl and click on the canvas; if this is not done, the lines will be created continuously.

Draw arbitrary curved lines and hold down the key at the end Ctrl with a mouse click on the canvas to complete the lines.

The lines are ready, but, unfortunately, they are only visible in Photoshop in the tab Outlines (Window-Paths), if you save the image, for example, in jpg* format, the lines will not be displayed.

In order to make them visible, we return to the tool Brush, V top panel adjusting instrument settings size, brush hardness and if necessary, select the brush itself. We will need a round brush:

Choose a color:

Activate the tool Feather, right-click on the canvas and select “Stroke Path”:


The following window will open in which you need to select as the source "Brush", and a tick "Simulate pressure" (Simulate Pressure) It is advisable to remove it to get straight lines:

Result:

If you leave a checkmark “Simulate Pressure”, the lines will become thinner towards the ends:

Draw a line with the Line tool

One of the most common ways to draw a straight line in Photoshop is the Line. Located in the left panel:

The great thing is that you can easily adjust the color and thickness of the line:

With the clamped SHIFT I draw straight lines. They are created by the shape tool from a vector. You can easily draw a vertical, horizontal and a straight line at a 45 degree angle.

Straight line using selection in Photoshop

It happens that you don’t want to bother with the settings of vector shapes and brushes. Therefore, you can simply select the desired area in Photoshop, for example, in the form of a line and fill it with color.

There is a Rectangular Marquee tool in Photoshop:

For example, we need a long and thick line in Photoshop. Select the desired area:

Choosing a tool Fill and set the color for the future line.

Fill the selected area with color and deselect it CTRL+D. We have a straight line.

Like these ones simple ways draw a line in photoshop. We hope you found this information useful! Good luck in your creativity and good mood!

In this short lesson I will tell you how to quickly and easily draw wavy line in Photoshop! The creation process is very simple and you can remember it without special effort. The only thing you will have to deal with is learning how to select the desired bend and wavelength in the line.

1. Let's start by creating an area on which there will be a wavy line

2. Select the desired area of ​​the area, along the edge of which a wavy line will run

3. After selecting in the “Quick Mask” (Q) mode, distort the selected area with the Wave effect. Menu path: Filter → Distort → Wave:

4. Then We return from the “Quick Mask” mode (Quick Mask, Q) and get a suitable selection area:

5. Crop the selected area:


That's it, you have drawn a wavy line or a wavy edge to the block. This technique sometimes used in landing page design, so you will definitely need it! As I already said, the main problem here is the height and width of the wave step, take time and practice to understand what kind of wave is obtained with this or that change in settings.

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Good day, dear readers of my blog. It would seem, what does it cost to draw a straight line in Photoshop? Hold down Shift and there you go. Nevertheless, this can be done in as many as three ways. Everyone's result will be different.

In this article you will learn three ways to draw a straight line in Photoshop. Which filter to use to create a wave. How to do this with the help of another interesting instrument. I'll show you how to achieve a dotted line and draw under certain angle.

A lot of information awaits you. Shall we get started?

Line Tool

First, I'll show you how to use a tool that's designed to create straight lines. In this place you can have a rectangle, oval, ellipse or polygon. Just hold down the left mouse button for a few seconds to open a menu with additional tools.

First things first. One of the most important parameters– thickness. Thanks to the line, you can even draw rectangles. You just need to make it fatter.

Next comes “Fill” and “Stroke”. Click on the color block to the left of the inscriptions and select a shade. If you want to make a stroke, enter its width. Now, my screenshot shows the option without it. The no color icon looks like this. Gray line crossed out in red.

You can see the settings and the result in this screenshot. It's not very visible, but the thickness here is 30 pixels. On big picture 30 pixels may look like a modest stripe. Everything needs to be adjusted to your own dimensions.

This is what the line will look like if you select red for the stroke color.

The next button will allow you to create a dotted stroke.

If you reduce the thickness and remove the fill, you will just get a dotted line.

Here you can align the stroke to the inner edge, outer edge, or center of your outline.

And round the corners. True, it will not be so noticeable.

If you press Shift while you're drawing a line, Photoshop will automatically create a straight line. Horizontal or vertical. Depending on where you are taking her.

If you need a line at a certain angle, then the easiest way is to look at what the information window shows and adjust it manually, pointing it in a certain direction.

Well, now I’ll show you another one.

Brush Tool

I drew these rectangles using lines drawn with a brush.

Choose the type and size that suits your brush line.

Place a dot at the expected beginning of the line, hold down Shift and left-click where the strip should end.

There are two lines in front of you. The yellow one was painted using the Line tool, and the purple one was painted with a brush.

How to make a wave

No matter what tool you use, the easiest way to create a wavy line is to use a filter. Go to this category, find “Distortion” and select “Wave”.

Based on the preview picture, you will quickly understand what's what and how to set it up. The amplitude should be approximately the same. If it doesn’t work, you can just click on “Randomize” until a suitable one appears.

The last applied filter is always quickly accessible. I apply it to the layer with yellow stripe, drawn by the tool.

This is the result I got. As you can see, it is different.

Pen Tool

To be honest, I still can’t use a pen professionally. I know that you can draw anything with it: smoothly, quickly, fun and cool, but it takes me a lot of time and the result is not always at the level I expected. And yet I can even draw straight lines with a pen. It's worse with curves, but I'll try. I select “Feather”.

I put a dot, then a second one. While I haven't released the mouse button, I adjust the smoothness.

I do the same thing with each new point.

After all the manipulations are completed, right-click and select “Stroke outline” from the menu that appears.

You can choose several tools: pencil, brush, stamp, pattern, and so on. Now let this one be a brush.

I press the right mouse button again and select “Delete outline”.

This is the result I got.

Well, don’t forget that you can always use your collage making skills. Read the article about how to take a line from any picture and insert it into your image.

If you want to learn how to professionally use the pen and other tools found in Photoshop. I can offer you a course " Photoshop for beginners in video format ».

Lessons created by professionals will teach you everything you need to know about this program. You will save a lot of time searching for answers to this or that question. Ideas on how to complete the task will spontaneously appear in your head.


By the way, do you know how to make sure that you always have interesting needs related to Photoshop? This could take your relationship with this program to the next level. All you need is to be passionate about web design. People of this profession never sit idle. There are always clients, projects and new tasks.

There is a job for everyone, and you can do what you really like and bring good money. Read the article about or. Stop inventing tasks for yourself, let someone else pay money for your time.

Don't know where to start? Take the course Commercial Web Design Basics " Try a few free lessons, this will help you understand yourself and understand whether you are ready to explore new horizons.


An online course with the support of the author is a reliable investment in your future profession.

OK it's all over Now. It's up to you. Decide when you are ready and start conquering new heights. If you liked this article, subscribe to the newsletter and take one step closer to your cherished goal every day.

Learn as much as you can about the Internet, write your success story, stop sitting around waiting. Take action. Your dream is realized by others every day. Today they are doing what you have been wanting for so long. Do they think about preparedness? The right moment is right now. Don't miss it. You have the strength to do this.

I wish you good luck. Until next time.

Good day everyone, my Dear friends and guests of my blog. Today I would like to tell you how to draw a straight line in Photoshop or its online versions. Of course, the segment looks much neater than something drawn with a trembling hand. Oh, this trembling hand)). Well, okay, let's not pull the cat by the rubber band. Go!

First, let's look at the simplest methods drawing.

Draw lines horizontally and vertically

The easiest way to draw a straight line is to take any drawing tool (pencil or brush), hold down the key SHIFT and lead in the direction you need (up down or left and right). Rest assured while you hold shift, there will be no trembling hand, everything will be recorded.

Drawing lines at an angle

If you want to draw a line at an angle, select the brush (pencil) tool from the toolbar in the same way, and then put a dot in the place where you want the beginning to be.

Now, hold down the key SHIFT and click in the place where the end should be. After this, the line will be instantly drawn automatically from the start to the end point.

In addition, you can make a real broken line. To do this, you just need to poke in the places where it should break. Just remember to do this with the Shift key held down.

Drawing straight lines using guides

Just yesterday I published an article about that, and today this topic will also be very useful to us. To do this, pull out the guides from the ruler area with the mouse button held down and place them in the places where you need them, and then take the pencil again and draw along it. Thanks to its binding property, it will magnetize your drawing to itself.

Only, unlike the previous method, you will not be able to move away to a long distance, since after all, the guide really acts like a magnet. As long as you draw close, the drawing is attracted, and as soon as you move away, your trembling hand comes into play again.

Figures

And of course, we must not forget about the main tool, namely the figure of the same name. In order to draw a straight line in Photoshop this way, you need to go to the “Shapes” tool and select the “Line” tool there.

Before you start drawing, go to the tool settings above and see what you can customize here:


Now just left-click anywhere on the sheet, after which you will see the beginning. It will be as if nailed down, and at this time you will be able to decide where the end will be. You will end up with what we expected. It is noteworthy that with this tool you can draw lines at an angle, and not just vertically or horizontally.

Drawing lines with the Pen tool

Previously, we used as one of the selection tools. But of course, this is not all of his abilities, and now we will draw a straight line using him.


Now everything is displayed as it should, and you can make not only straight lines, but also broken ones. So this once again proves that Photoshop is just a versatile program and the same tool can perform different functions for different jobs.

Rectangular Marquee Tool

Enough extraordinary way draw a straight line, but nevertheless, some Photoshop users really like to use it.


As a result, we got a black stripe that you can turn into a line. To do this, just go to the transformation mode ( CTRL+T) and simply increase or decrease the length and width by left-clicking on the edges.

Well, if you want it to be at an angle, then use the same transformation to turn it over. To do this, place the mouse cursor next to the corners of the selection until the cursor changes to a curved arrow.

How to draw a line in Photoshop online

I know that not everyone is ready to install a cumbersome program on their computer, so we will try to make do with a special service. In fact, it’s not difficult to draw a straight or broken line in Photoshop online, simply because this version is highly neutered, there are very few ways there.

The first method is that you will need to select the Brush or Pencil tool and poke anywhere on the canvas to create a starting point. Now hold down the key SHIFT and poke the one where you would like to see end point. After this you have a straight line. This method is similar to what we did in the program.

The second method is that we select the Draw tool, assign any color (or leave the default one), hold down the left mouse button and start drawing a black rectangle. You yourself can control how thick or long it will be.

But it is important to remember that there is no Transform tool in Photoshop online, so the segment you draw cannot be changed, enlarged, reduced or rotated at an angle.

Well, that's basically all I wanted to say. I hope you now understand how to draw a straight line in Photoshop different ways and without any effort.

Well, if you don’t know Photoshop or don’t know it well, then I recommend that you watch these wonderful video tutorials, where they will tell you and show you from A to Z how to work in Photoshop. All lessons are told in simple human language and with great interest. If you don't mess around, you can learn Photoshop in just a couple of weeks. Highly recommend.

Well, this is where I end my lesson, I hope that you liked my article today. Don't forget to subscribe to my blog and share the article materials on in social networks. I'm waiting for you again. Good luck to you. Bye bye!

Best regards, Dmitry Kostin.