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In this tutorial I will show how to use the Pen tool and some techniques for smoothening/feathering selection.
step 1
This tutorial is for those who want to start or just started using the pen tool.
Also includes information about smoothening selections.
For the tutorial i am going to use the picture showed in this step.
We are going to make a selection around the bridge.
step 2
On the picture you see the “Pen” tool selected. (hotkey p).
The drop down menu will appear by left clicking and holding down your mouse a second.
-The most upper tool is the “regular Pen tool”.
-The second tool is the “free transform Pen tool”.
This tool allows you to add selection to your current selection just by clicking, holding down and moving your mouse.
-The third tool is the “Add anchor point tool” this tool adds another anchor point between two anchor points points.
-The fourth tool is the “Delete anchor point tool” this tool deletes an anchor point.
-The last tool is the “convert point tool” this tool allows to change the corners from one anchor point to another.
Does this look confusing?
No worries everything will become more clear in the tutorial.
step 3
Let’s start.
Select the “Pen” tool.
Zoom in 300%.
Our first anchor point is going to start on the edge of the image.
Click, hold the mouse button down and drag to the right. (following the “bridge”)
step 4
Our next point is going to at the end of the third tree. (First read the next part)
Why?!?
After this point there is a new curve (changed direction).
Starting from (anchor) point one you will notice the bridge edge is moving upwards, but the curve is hanging like a smiling smiley.
If we would put the next (anchor) point after this third tree and the third point where the front of the bridge covers the part on the back.
You will notice an other curve more like a sad smiley.
Conclusion: if the direction in the selection changes you should make a new point.
Now make your 2nd point but clicking just a little after the third tree holding down the mouse button and dragging to line so it will follow the bridge again.
Next turn down the opacity for the layer
step 5
For now we are not going to add anymore points.
First we need to make the line wich has been created between the first and second point to match the edge of the bridge.
When we created the first point we dragged to the right. When we did this a new line appeared with a little square. The same happent on the second point. (one to the left and one to the right)
Now hover over the square on the left side of the 2nd point. Hold down “alt” press and hold down your left mouse button and move around till the right part of the line between point 1 & 2 follows the edge of the bridge, release the mouse button and then the alt key.
Now hold down “ctrl” and click on the first (anchor) point. Now do the same as before but now make sure the left part of the line between point 1 & 2 follows the edge of the bridge.
Keep doing this till you got your line where you want it to be.
Note: Increasing and decreasing the size of the line where the squares are on effect wich part of the line gets curved so also use this.
Picture shows my final selection for point 1 & 2.
step 6
Now you will have to finish the selection your self, using the information from the previous steps.
Finished your selection?
My selection is visable in the picture.
What to do now?
In the layer pallete you need to go to the layer with 0% opacity, now hold down “Ctrl” and click on the most left square.
Now your selection is selected.
Now im going to show 2 different ways of making the selection and smoothing down the edges.
step 7
1: After u made the selection by
Ctrl clicking…
Delete the layer with the shape.
Select the Rectangular marquee tool
Right click the image and press save selection (name it: bridge)
Press Ctrl + Shift + i (inverts the current selection).
Press Alt + Ctrl + d (brings up the feather menu) make the amount 2.0
Hit delete.
step 8
2: After u made the selection by Ctrl clicking…
Delete the layer with the shape.
Select the Rectangular marquee tool
Right click the image and press save selection (name it: bridge)
Press Ctrl + Shift + i (inverts the current selection).
Press delete.
Maybe this is what you are looking for.
But like you have seen in the image above you some times want an image with smoothned edges.
Now to smoothen the other way, go to your channels pallet and Ctrl click on the Bridge channel.
Now go to:
Select, modify, border make the amount 5.
Filter, blur, Gaussian blur, make the amount 2.
Note: ofcourse for every idea you have and every picture you change the blur amount or in the first way of smoothening change the feather. Or just dont smoothen at all.
step 9
I hope this helped you out.
That’s all.