Pen Tool with Shape Layers

May 28, 2004 | Pen Tool Techniques, Photoshop Tutorials

  • Select the Pen Tool option (Press the letter P on the keyboard). Hold the mouse click and the drop down option reveals five different Pen options.
  • Using Pen Tool with Shape Layer

    This basically creates a Vector Color Filled Shape based on the foreground color of your choice and the Anchor Points you define to create your Shape.

    I started with an Anchor Point at 1 and worked my way to around to connect back to 1 again.

  • I’ve connected the Anchor Points to create a Rectangle Shape.

    Helpful Tips: Easy Selections
    *Hold the Control Key and Click the Rectangle Shape to auto select.

    * Use the ‘Direct Selection Tool (A)’ to select it.

    *Or turn on Photoshop’s ‘Auto Select’ Feature.

  • Remember this Shape is edit able at anytime, meaning as long as the Anchor Points remain, I can use the ‘Add Anchor Point Tool, Delete Anchor Point Tool or Convert Point Tool’ to redefine the Shape the way I see fit.
  • Let’s use the ‘Convert Anchor Point’ Tool.
    Click & Drag on the second (#2) Anchor Point that was created in the Shape in the direction of the arrow.
  • Once you’ve done that, now appears two more Anchor End Points, I labelled A & B. All this does is allow curvature control between two continuous Anchor Points.
    So ‘A’ controls the curvature between Anchors 2 and 1.
    Likewise, ‘B’ controls the curvature between Anchors 2 and 3.
  • So all I did was simply Convert one Anchor point to give it this Shape.
  • Now use the ‘Direct Selection Tool’

    With the Direct Selection Tool selected, click on the ‘A’ End Anchor Point and drag in the direction of the arrow that I have shown. Then, go ahead and click on the ‘B’ End Anchor Point and move in the direction of the arrow I have shown.
    The End picture shows the results.

    Helpful Hint:
    To move the entire Shape use the ‘Path Selection’ Tool as in the above image.

  • ‘Add Anchor Point Tool’
    Select the ‘Add Anchor Point Tool’ and click once in the Area that I have done(Red arrow indicator and labeled 5). A new (A & B) End Anchor Points appear. Switch to the ‘Convert Anchor Point Tool’ and drag in the directions of the red arrows.
  • Just getting you into the habit – click on another area on the edge of the Shape as I have started to ‘Add Anchor Point’. Then switch to the ‘Convert Anchor Point Tool’ to redefine the (what I have been calling A & B) end points.

    The more you practice the quicker you’ll apprehend the geometry behind the the Pen Tool.

  • The Anchor Points I have encircled in red. Now Select the ‘Delete Anchor Point Tool’ and ckick on the original #2 Anchor Point. The area between Anchors 5 & 3 will converge into one.
    (Anchor 5 was created in step #9 above.)

  • The ‘End Shape’ I have captured is the result of this exercise.
    The others are deviant examples of the ‘End Shape’ and quick examples using the ‘Pen Tool’.