Pen tool – Phootoshop CS CS2 – book recommendations

DF
Posted By
Destin_FL
Sep 6, 2005
Views
720
Replies
10
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Closed
Hello all,
I am trying to begin to understand the Pen Tool in CS2 after many years of avoiding the tool due to being just plain overwhelmed by it, in any graphics apps.
Are there any books that either specifically or to a great extent cover mastering the pen tool? Or websites that cover it? I would love a great book though.

Very sincerely,
Tim
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M
Madsen
Sep 6, 2005
Destin_FL wrote:

Are there any books that either specifically or to a great extent cover mastering the pen tool?

The ‘Classroom in a book’ series covers it well IMO.

—
Regards
Madsen
A
archy
Sep 6, 2005
"Destin_FL" wrote in message
Hello all,
I am trying to begin to understand the Pen Tool in CS2 after many years of avoiding the tool due to being just plain overwhelmed by it, in any graphics
apps.
Are there any books that either specifically or to a great extent cover mastering the pen tool? Or websites that cover it? I would love a great book
though.
There is also some useful coverage, together with good hints and tips about which selection method to use in "How to cheat in Photoshop"

—
archy
"we only live, only suspire,
consumed by either fire or fire" (T.S. Eliot)
H
Hecate
Sep 7, 2005
On Tue, 6 Sep 2005 23:32:15 +0100, "archy" <listsATactuallyDOTmeDOTuk> wrote:

"Destin_FL" wrote in message
Hello all,
I am trying to begin to understand the Pen Tool in CS2 after many years of avoiding the tool due to being just plain overwhelmed by it, in any graphics
apps.
Are there any books that either specifically or to a great extent cover mastering the pen tool? Or websites that cover it? I would love a great book
though.
There is also some useful coverage, together with good hints and tips about which selection method to use in "How to cheat in Photoshop"

And it’s a very good book if you’re into making montages.

—

Hecate – The Real One

Fashion: Buying things you don’t need, with money
you don’t have, to impress people you don’t like…
N
noone
Sep 7, 2005
In article <kAlTe.5610$ says…
Hello all,
I am trying to begin to understand the Pen Tool in CS2 after many years of avoiding the tool due to being just plain overwhelmed by it, in any graphics apps.
Are there any books that either specifically or to a great extent cover mastering the pen tool? Or websites that cover it? I would love a great
book
though.

Very sincerely,
Tim

Tim,

Glad that you did not get Katrina, as previously plotted!

Next, the best "course" on the Pen Tool is the Classroom In A Book for Illustrator (yes, Illustrator). As it is a "native" tool to Illustrator, it gets covered with more detail. I know, I know, you want to use it in PS, and I understand completely, as it is the first tool that I grab for masking in PS. However, its use is a bit counter-intuitive to paint-type, pixel programs, but its really at home in AI.

For a starter, you might want to use it (make sure that you are not set to Object in Options!) to make a mask, but clicking around an object. Go ahead and miss a few edges, but make sure that you close the Path, by clicking on the starting point. Use the Magnifying Tool and get a really close look at your Path (after you have Saved it) and then change the Pen Tool to the Add Point Tool (has the + sign on the pen nib). With your Path active, click on it, then drag. You will see handles, that can be adjusted. Watch the Path and move the Point, and/or the tips of the handles. Anytime that you want to make an adjustment, rather than add a point, just hold down the Ctrl key, and you’ll get an arrow. Experiment with this method around several different objects, and by the time you have done a good, tight outline around each, you will OWN the Pen Tool.

Good luck, as it is worth the effort. Also, remember, from the Path’s Palette, you can Make Selection from that Path.

Hunt
DF
Destin_FL
Sep 7, 2005
Hunt et al,
Thanks so much for the responses. I have Illustrator but never use it because it feels sooooooo counter-intuitive. But I was wondering about the pen tool there vs. Photoshop. I wish the whole pen tool thing didn’t feel so daunting. Ugh. Well thanks to all for the respones!

Yeah we were blessed re: Katrina. I feel terrible for those folks. I have given to Red Cross and packed up stuff for the church to carry over there.

Tim

Tim,

Glad that you did not get Katrina, as previously plotted!

Next, the best "course" on the Pen Tool is the Classroom In A Book for Illustrator (yes, Illustrator). As it is a "native" tool to Illustrator, it gets covered with more detail. I know, I know, you want to use it in PS, and I understand completely, as it is the first tool that I grab for masking in PS. However, its use is a bit counter-intuitive to paint-type, pixel programs, but its really at home in AI.

For a starter, you might want to use it (make sure that you are not set to Object in Options!) to make a mask, but clicking around an object. Go ahead and miss a few edges, but make sure that you close the Path, by clicking on the starting point. Use the Magnifying Tool and get a really close look at your Path (after you have Saved it) and then change the Pen Tool to the Add Point Tool (has the + sign on the pen nib). With your Path active, click on it, then drag. You will see handles, that can be adjusted. Watch the Path and move the Point, and/or the tips of the handles. Anytime that you want to make an adjustment, rather than add a point, just hold down the Ctrl key, and you’ll get an arrow. Experiment with this method around several different objects, and by the time you have done a good, tight outline around each, you will OWN the Pen Tool.

Good luck, as it is worth the effort. Also, remember, from the Path’s Palette, you can Make Selection from that Path.

Hunt
E
edjh
Sep 7, 2005
Destin_FL wrote:
Hunt et al,
Thanks so much for the responses. I have Illustrator but never use it because it feels sooooooo counter-intuitive. But I was wondering about the pen tool there vs. Photoshop. I wish the whole pen tool thing didn’t feel so daunting. Ugh. Well thanks to all for the respones!

Tim

/snip/

The Pen Tool in Photoshop is very much like the Pen Tool in Illustrator. Learn one and you’ve learned them both.
—
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MR
Marv Raybin
Sep 11, 2005
You cannot beat these QuickTime free movies about the Pen Tool. They need to be downloaded and un-rared. Part 1 is 16MB and Part 2 is 10MB.

http://www.wz2k.co.uk/pages/downloads/download-search.php?tu torialName=pen+tool&Submit=Search

Marv

"Destin_FL" wrote in message
Hello all,
I am trying to begin to understand the Pen Tool in CS2 after many years of avoiding the tool due to being just plain overwhelmed by it, in any
graphics
apps.
Are there any books that either specifically or to a great extent cover mastering the pen tool? Or websites that cover it? I would love a great
book
though.

Very sincerely,
Tim

DF
Destin_FL
Sep 12, 2005
Marv,
Geeeeez-louise. Perfect. I learned about 8 months of farting around with these pen tools in a 6 minute video! Thank You!!!!!!!!

Tim

"Marv Raybin" wrote in message
You cannot beat these QuickTime free movies about the Pen Tool. They need to be downloaded and un-rared. Part 1 is 16MB and Part 2 is 10MB.

http://www.wz2k.co.uk/pages/downloads/download-search.php?tu torialName=pen+tool&Submit=Search

Marv
SS
Synapse Syndrome
Oct 11, 2005
"Destin_FL" wrote in message
Hello all,
I am trying to begin to understand the Pen Tool in CS2 after many years of avoiding the tool due to being just plain overwhelmed by it, in any graphics
apps.
Are there any books that either specifically or to a great extent cover mastering the pen tool? Or websites that cover it? I would love a great book
though.

I don’t know what your slant on using photoshop is, but if it photography this is a great book:

http://www.photoshopforphotographers.com/

I learnt using the pen tool as a superiuor way to make selections from the book, when I bought the v5.5 version in 1997.

ss.
DL
Denrael Leandros
Nov 28, 2005
I have to agree, I learned more about mastering the pen tool from these two videos than my entire time playing with it myself.

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