Photoshop Advice Needed!

Hi Gang,

I've used PhotoShop for years and years. I mostly use it for editing photos and for making the odd graphics here and there, things like new forum headers, avatars etc. I'm really good at understanding how to use layers and I also can get by pretty well using things like effects and filters etc.

But one of the things about PhotoShop that has held me back and stopped me from making better graphics, is the fact that I have never really understood a good approach to actually drawing custom shapes. Years ago, I used to draw the outline of what I wanted on paper, I would then scan the outline in to PhotoShop and then try to using the shape that way. The problem with that approach being, that the outline typically appeared pixelated and the edges rough. So to make a long story shot, what I normally end up doing, is compromising on what I would really like to do, by having to resort to clip art or standard shapes.

So given that, I was wondering if our resident graphic art gurus, could impart any advice on what the best approach to creating custom shapes and graphics is. Is Adobe Photoshop a decent program for this purpose? And if it is, what is the best approach to creating custom shapes?

Thanks in advance for you help.

 

Photoshop would be perfect to creating your custom shapes. The tool that comes to mind would be the Pen Tool to craft out your shapes or create any custom shaping. Anchor point placements are a great way for further versatility into refining that shape to get it looking exactly how you envision the shape to me.

Anchor points & paths are controlled by two tools Path selection Tool which gives you control of the entire path & and then you have the Direct selection Tool which gives you control of manipulating/crafting out the anchor points/ within the entire shape/path.

Visit this page to give you more insight of these tools with regards to shapes/paths etc. The tools I mentioned are the ones you really want to fluent yourself with if custom shape creation is something you want to learn. Heathrowe.com - Adobe Photoshop Tutorials

 

Thanks for the advice Shelly, I'll give it a go.

 

Mastering Photoshop With Paths - Smashing Magazine

This article will give more in depth info than other sources on the internet, IMHO.

 

have you ever used a drawing tablet? Capcom has some for as low as $80 and they're GREAT for using with Photoshop. you can plug it in through USB and draw directly onto the screen.

 

Hey thanks for sharing this link...
But I've no Idea to work with Adobe photo shop...
But I want to learn the use of Photoshop...
Someone knows the links to tutorials???

Any helps will be appreciated in this regard...