Photoshop Pen Tool: Love it or Leave it

Apr 30, 2010 // by leeagosila // Blog, Design, Tutorial // 1 Comment

Pen tool is the most unpopular tool among new users of Photoshop. Most Photoshop users actually put off learning how to use the pen tool for as long as possible,while others never get around to learning it because of its bad reputation. On the other hand, people who have taken the time to know this tool, have become addicted to using the pen tool in Photoshop. But why use the Pen tool? There two main uses of the pen tool in Photoshop. First is for creating vector paths or shapes and second is for selecting or masking your images. The Pen tool was actually drafted from Adobe Illustrator into Photoshop. So if you are already using Adobe Illustrator, then it is almost certain that you are already a fan of this tool.

The pen tool is the most powerful tool in making illustrations, drawings both in Illustrator and Photoshop. You can use it to create lines, curves and shapes. However, the use of the the pen tool is perfected through practice and unlike any other tools in which have clear use and limitations, the pen tool is flexible and encourages creativity. As a selection tool in Photoshop, The pen tool is the best tool for smooth-edged selections of pixels in your image. This is especially truein images where you need to extract an irregular shape with different tonal values such as a human face. Many new Photoshop users find themselves struggling with magic wand and magnetic lasso to perform this task.

photoshop pen tool tutorial

Knowing how and when to use Pen Tool, therefore, is essential to every graphic designer, photographer and image editor. However, learning how to use this tool takes time, patience and lots of practice. It is something that you can learn overnight.This tool takes time to master but once you get it, you really get it! And once you get used to it you’ll find yourself using it a lot. Below, we gathered together the best Photoshop tutorials that could help you master Photoshop’s pen tool.

Photoshop Pen Tool Tutorial 01 – Photoshop’s Pen Tool: The Comprehensive Guide
Source: PSDTuts+
Description: The Pen Tool makes appearances across almost the entire Adobe product range. Its function and behavior varies depending on the application, but by mastering it you will find you work quicker, smoother and with better results. This guide will give you a comprehensive basis for working with the Pen Tool in Photoshop.

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Photoshop Pen Tool Tutorial 02 -Learning To Use The Pen Tool In Photoshop
Source: Astahost
Description: The Pen Tool is a great utility that everyone who wants to use Photoshop well should know about. This tutorial covers the basics in using Photoshop’s pen tool, some things to remember about the pen tools and how to use this tool to select or cut out objects.

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Photoshop Pen Tool Tutorial 03 – Pen Tool Crash Course
Source: Photoshop Lab
Description: The Pen Tool can be one of the best tools in Photoshop, if you learn how to master it. Here is a quick crash-course to the Pen Tool. It is up to you to master it. Or not. Whatever you want with it. This tutorial actually teaches you on how to select and extract an image from its background.

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Photoshop Pen Tool Tutorial 04 – Adobe Photoshop Paths Tutorial
Source: Khulsey
Description: This is a basic tutorial dealing with how to draw with Photoshop’s paths and Bézier curves. Although this is a very basic lesson in the use of thePhotoshop’s Pen tool and its ability to create shapes and curves, by using the techniques discussed in this tutorial there is no limit to the complexity of the shapes you can create.

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Photoshop Pen Tool Tutorial 05 – Pen Tool Tutorial
Source: Deviantart User Jo-z
Description: A tutorial on how to use the Pen Tool to draw or make an illustration in Photoshop.

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Photoshop Pen Tool Tutorial 06 -Pen Tool Tutorial – Creating Selections With Photoshop’s Pen Tool
Source: Photoshop Support
Description: The Pen Tool is often used in the creation of sophisticated smooth-edged selections, but strictly speaking it is not one of the selection tools. The Pen Tool creates vector paths instead of selections; these, however, can be converted into selections that in turn can be used to extract or mask groups of pixels.

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Photoshop Pen Tool Tutorial 07 – Become a Master of the Pen Tool in Under 30 Minutes
Source: PSD Fan
Description: Master the use of Pen Tool by tracing an image in Photoshop.

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Photoshop Pen Tool Tutorial 08 – Photoshop Pen Tool: Making Selections With The Pen Tool
Source: Photoshop Essentials
Description: When it comes to making selections in Photoshop, there’s really two types of people – those who know how to use the Pen Tool, and those who struggle. If you want to belong to the first group, then you should read this tutorial.

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Photoshop Pen Tool Tutorial 09 – Coloring/Inking with the Pen Tool
Source: Deviantart user THAZumi
Description: Here’s a tutorial on how to ink or color with the pen tool in Photoshop.

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