Drawing a path traced from a photo
Now you’re ready to draw a path around a real object. You’ll use the techniques you’ve practiced to draw a path around the edge of one orange out of several. The path you draw will later be converted into a layer mask, so that you can change the color of that orange. The orange is partially covered by surrounding oranges, so the path you draw will be a combination of curved and straight segments, like the shapes you’ve practiced on. Later, you’ll combine the altered image with text and a shape layer to create a promotional postcard for a citrus farm.
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From Photoshop or Bridge, open the 08Start.psd file.
The image includes two layers: the background layer, and a template layer named Path Guide that you will trace to draw the path.
Choose File > Save As, rename the file 08Working.psd, and click Save. If the Photoshop Format Options dialog box appears, click OK.
Select the Pen tool, and then, in the options bar, choose Path from the Tool Mode pop-up menu.
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Because Path is now selected in the options bar instead of Shape, what you see when you draw will be different than in the practice exercise. You’ll be drawing a path, not a shape. The path you draw will appear as a temporary work path in the Paths panel, and a shape layer won’t be created.
The reason you’re switching to a path is because you won’t need to print or export the path you’re about to draw. You’ll be creating a mask from the path, so the path itself doesn’t need to be a visible part of the final document. For more information about shapes and paths, see the sidebar “Comparing shapes, paths, and pixels.”
COMPARING SHAPES, PATHS, AND PIXELS
When you use the Pen tool or the tools grouped with it, or the Rectangle tool or any of the tools grouped with it, a menu in the options bar lets you choose whether you want the tool to draw a shape, a path, or, in some cases, pixels.
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This is an important decision, because each option has different advantages:
Shape. A shape is a vector object created on its own layer in the Layers panel. You can apply the same layer effects, masks, and other properties that you would to a pixel layer. The difference is that you can continue to edit the shape as a vector path, using path editing tools such as the Pen tool and the Direct Selection tool. You can’t edit a shape layer using pixel-based tools such as brushes.
Because a shape is a layer, it’s always visible when its layer visibility is enabled, and it will print and export. When it’s selected in the Layers panel, you can apply and change its fill and stroke color.
A selected shape layer also displays its path in the Paths panel.
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Path. A path is a vector object that doesn’t display, print, or export, so it doesn’t appear in the Layers panel. It lives only in the Paths panel. But the path is useful there, because you can use it as the basis for selections, clipping paths, type on a path, and other “backstage” roles.
Because a path is not a layer, it’s visible in the document window only when it’s selected in the Paths panel, and it can’t have a stroke and fill. If it’s hard to see, you can improve its visibility by clicking the Path Options menu (the gear) in the options bar, and adjusting the path’s Thickness and Color. Because a path isn’t visible in a printed or exported image, those options affect only the visibility of the path while drawing in Photoshop.
Pixels. Some tools, such as the Rectangle tool and the tools grouped with it, also offer a Pixels option. Drawing with the Pixels option creates pixels on the currently selected layer, without creating a vector path or shape layer.
Because the Pixels option creates a pixel layer and not a vector path or shape, you won’t be able to edit the resulting layer using path editing tools. You edit the layer using pixel-based tools such as the brushes, eraser, and selection tools.
With the Pen tool selected, click point A. A new temporary Work Path appears in the Paths panel.
Click point B, and drag to the open circle on the right to create the initial curve.
Click point C, and drag to the open circle to its right.
Continue tracing the orange, clicking and dragging curve segments for points D through F.
Click point G (do not drag). This creates the corner at point G.
At points H and I, click and drag to their corresponding open circles to create their curved segments.
Click point J to create a corner.
Hold down Shift to create a perfectly level segment as you click point K.
At points L, M, and N, click and drag to their corresponding open circles to create their curved segments.
Position the pointer over point A, and when you see a small circle by the Pen tool pointer, click to close the path. The circle indicates that the pointer is close enough to close the path.
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TIP
To move the entire path, drag it with the Path Selection tool, grouped with the Direct Selection tool.
Evaluate your path. If you want to adjust any segments, do step 15; otherwise skip to step 16.
Select the Direct Selection tool (
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)), and then press the Esc key (or click in the document window away from the path) so that no points are selected, but you can still see the path. Then do any of the following with the Direct Selection tool as needed:
To reposition a point or a straight segment, drag it.
To change the shape of a curved segment between two points, drag the segment (not points).
To change the shape of a curved segment extending from a point, drag its direction point to adjust the angle of that direction line.
When you’re done, leave the path selected, and save your work so far.