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PoliteYetPeculiar — Pen Tool Tutorial: Part One
Published: 2006-01-22 07:58:52 +0000 UTC; Views: 13973; Favourites: 134; Downloads: 1771
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Description
This is the first part to my Pen Tool tutorial. The tutorial's a final project for school, but I figured what the hey, it took me forever to figure out how to use the pen tool since I couldn't find any decent ones where I was looking (Google), so I'll make one! ^_^This one's just the basics, and then the next one will be on how to do lineart. ^_^ I <3 the pen tool.
So enjoy! And if you find any mistakes and/or have any critiques, I highly recommend you voice your opinion. This is for a grade, you know.
Ou, and the lacey things in the background are compliments of 's lace brush set. <3
Part Two : [link]
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Comments: 39
waaaaiii this tutorial is really a big help thanks!
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thanks again weeee XD
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Awesome tutorial. xD
This really helped me unlike all the other tutorials. XD
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Thanks! 
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This is so damn simple and I took so long before I realized it I was using it wrong -_-'. Thanks, you have taught me how to properly use the pen tool >_<
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I'm glad it helped you!
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Thanks loads for making this, the pen tool is pretty much the only tool in photoshop i have trouble with, but hopefully not anymore, thanks to you!
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No problem.
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thank you so much! this was an easy to follow tutorial and it helped a ton!
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Thank you very much! I couldn't figure out why my pen tool would only make shapes... now I feel stupid because all I had to do was change one button.
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It's a common problem. 
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lol I was sooooo stupid at pen tool before I saw this, youve made me so happy XD
now I can actually draw with the pen tool. arigato!!!
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Glad I could help! ^.^
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I will most certainly use this on my art. :3 Thank you for this wonderful tutorial!
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No problem... glad that it helped!
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This was very helpful. I have been trying to work out the pen tool for some time and your tutorial really helped. Thanks.
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No problem.
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This is one of the best pen tool tutorials that I've seen that wasn't a video. I don't use this exact method of linearting usually, but I still use paths and the pen tool. Levels is also a nice tool for just grayscale sketches, I find it easier to understand than curves, since it just focuses on blacks, whites, and grays on one slider. You can also set your black point and white point with levels. Oh, maybe you should add that this works fully for photoshop 7, photoshop 6 also supports this to some extent. 6 allows you to stroke paths, but doesn't have the pressure sensitivity option. It also doesn't support vector masks like latter versions do. You also may want to mention the convert point tool and what it can do by itself, and when you hold down shift, alt or ctrl (apple/command on macs). Still, great job on deconfusing the confusing pen tool anyways
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Thanks for your insight on my tutorial. ^_^ I've never used the convert point tool. What does it do?
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I look at my comment from before and think "Wow, do I really ramble that much?" XD The convert point tool (which is located under the pen tool menu) lets you break your bezier handles and allows each side to be manipulated independently of each other. It gives you more control over editing points after you've made your general shape. It also lets you do other things if you hold down the shortcut keys I mentioned. You should try it out sometime, it's quite handy
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I'll definately have to give that a shot sometime. Very handy.
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i just wanted to thank you so freaking much for making this! it helped me aloth. that tool have been bugging me aloth lately. thanks too you i finally know how to use it 
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Glad it helped you out!
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NooooOOOoooOOOooOOOOOooo! I have PS7...does it really matter? lol
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For the pen tool... perhaps. <_<
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this need a looking at th epen is evil so i got a wacom instead
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I have a tablet as well, but the pen tool is useful for when you need a nice curved line which is quite hard to do even with a tablet.
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The pen tool aggravates me. It always bends the wrong side as well when I'm trying to round out things better :3
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I'm I had a little problem with your tutorial but I figured something out.
You should mention something in Step 3 (or possibly 2) when making the new anchor between the two lines. You should say use the Add Anchor Point tool, cause when I was using regular Pen tool, it was making a second line ontop of the original. Just to let you clear that up ^_^;;
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That probably happens because you don't have the "Auto Add/Delete" box checked off at the top (where the settings are).
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With CS, it should automatically add a point. o_o I'll double check though. ^_^ Thanks for your input!
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I use CS and it didnt do for me O_o
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I checked it right after I read your comment and once I hovered the pen tool over the line, it turned into the add anchor point tool. o_o Odd.
I'll be editing it to make a note of this, so no matter. ^_^
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