The Pen-Tool

Learn how to use the best tool in photoshop... The Pen-Tool!

Step 1

In this tutorial I will teach you how to use maybe the best tool there is in Photoshop. But maybe also the hardest to learn. I use this tool every time I use photoshop. For me the tool has no more secrets. And I want to achieve the same thing for you, because this is a GREAT tool to create vectors or to separate a picture from the background!

Step 2

When you select the standard Pen-Tool, you will have the opportunity to do many things. Just click around and notice it works the same as the Polygonal Lass-Tool, only now you can scroll while selecting. Notice the squares. These are Anchor-Points. More about those later!!!

Step 3

If you click first somewhere in the screen, and then click, BUT you hold the mouse button and drag the mouse across the screen. Notice that you can create a curve:

Step 4

You can't create a straight line after a curve, therefore you must do something else first. Hold ALT and drag the anchor point somewhere else.

Step 5

Then click somewhere else and notice that you can create a new curve from a straight line!

Step 6

The Freeform Pen-Tool can be used for many drawing-purposes. It works a bit the same as the pencil in Flash, because it tightens the lines you draw. Not much cools can be done with this unless you're very skilled with a mouse or have a drawing tablet.

Step 7

Select the +Add anchor-point-Tool and click anywhere on a line to create a new anchor-point to make a different curve or edit the current curve:

Step 8

The +Remove anchor-point-Tool works the exact the opposite; click on an anchor-point to remove it and make the line continue along the other anchor-points!

Step 9

The COnvert Point-Tool is used to modify existing anchor-points. Just select the tool and click on an anchor-point. Then drag it around to change the curve:

Step 10

Below you can see 3 different things I created with the Pen-Tool! Good luck and I hope you will enjoy this tool as much as I do!