Workshop
Q&A
| Q1: | How can I use paths to draw shapes onto my pictures? | |
A1:
| Choose the Shape tool that's appropriate, and choose Shape Layer on the Tool Options bar. Your shape will appear on a new layer in the foreground color. To draw a custom shape, select the appropriate Pen tool and draw the path you need. After you have placed the path, stroke it or fill it as necessary. | | Q2: | What does the Magnetic Pen do that the other Pen tools don't? | |
A2:
| The Magnetic Pen bases its selection on contrast. This automates path creation to some degree because you don't have to rely on your own hand-eye coordination to follow a complex path. | | Q3: | How do I know what tolerance to set when I convert a path to a selection? | |
A3:
| That depends on how smoothor how accurateyou want the finished path to be. A tolerance of 1 pixel or less will make the path follow the selection as precisely as possible. A tolerance of 510 will give you a smoothed-out path, following your selection to within 5 to 10 pixels. |
Quiz
| 1: | What does it mean to stroke a path? Using the points and Bézier handles to refine its shape Adding a color to it so it becomes a line Painting over it with short strokes | | 2: | How do you turn a selection into a path? Select it and press Command+P Select Make Work Path from the Paths palette menu Line it with bricks | | 3: | What does the Rubber Band option do? Makes your paths visible as you click the mouse Makes paths spring back to a straight line when clicked Makes lines "stretchy" |
Quiz Answers| A1:
| b. Think of stroking it with a paintbrush. | | A2:
| b. Don't try a. unless you want to make a printout. | | A3:
| a. All paths are visible as you draw them (while you drag to set the handles), but the Rubber Band mode makes the path visible as you move the mouse. |
Exercises
Start a new page and use the Pen tool to draw a star-shaped path and a freeform path with lots of curves. Stroke both of these paths with a color. Then use the Magnetic Pen tool to trace around them. Notice that as long as you stay fairly close to your original line, the Pen tool places a path right at the edge of the line. Fill these shapes with a color. Draw two more paths inside these shapes, and fill them with a different color. Add a couple of shapes with a Shape tool. Try a custom shape. Practice with the Path tools, adding points and refining your paths until you're comfortable with them all. |