Refining Shapes (Selections) With the Path Tool
The "Path" tool allows you to define an area, and to refine the shape of that area, with great precision: using the path tool with its associated "pen" tool options, you can create a shape with a very smooth shape having graceful and gradual curves.
The "Path" tool with its pen options can be used to design a shape from scratch, but since we've been exploring what it's like to work with traditional media -- pencil and pen on paper -- before digitizing our imagery and moving over to the computer, we're going to start a different way. The instruction here assume that you've already scanned your shape drawings. The next step is to create a selection from the shape drawing you wish to refine.
Here's a good way to get going:
- Fill a shape using the paint bucket tool. Make sure that the "Contiguous" box in the options bar near the top of your file's window is checked. If your shape is not in fact contiguous (and, by the way, it is supposed to be contiguous!), you'll have to click the paint bucket in more than one area, while holding down the "Shift" key to add to your initial selection.
Note that you may need to play/experiment with the tolerance of the paint bucket tool.
- Now, assuming your shape has filled in pretty well, click on the color fill with the magic wand.
At this point, you may want to try out one or the other of two methods within the "Select" menu item that allow you to smooth or refine a selection. Go to "Select - Modify - Smooth" or go to "Select - Refine Edge." Either option will let you smooth the edge of your selection. If, after trying this and then re-filling your refined selection on a new layer, you see that your shape looks great, you can stop here and move on to working with your next shape(s). However, you may find that you still want to improve the quality of your shape; in that case, proceed as follows.
- Go to the top menu bar and go "Select -- Save Selection." You can give the selection a name that you'll associate with this particular shape, so you'll be able to find and "Load" it later.
- Go to the "Paths" palette. If you don't see it anywhere (it is often grouped with your "Layers" palette), go to Windows in the top menu bar: "Paths" is one of the items in this menu, and you should select it.
- Go to the pop-up menu in "Paths" and select "Make Work Path." Doing so while you've got a selection active will convert that selection to a path.
Here's what a work path looks like:
In order to actually work with this "work path," you've got to see the anchor points that define it. And to do that, go to the "Tools" bar and select the pen tool that has a "+" symbol (see screen shot): this is the "Add Anchor Point" tool.
Using the "Add Anchor Point" tool, click anywhere on the work path. You'll suddenly activate all the anchor points, making them visible:
Actually, if you look carefully at the previous screen shot, you may notice that certain lines still seem not to be defined by anchor points: these are the lines that define the openings I've made in my shape. If I want to select those, too, I'll need to click on each of those "shapes," too.
- Now, you can alternate between use of this "Add Anchor Point" tool and use of another version of the pen tool: the delete anchor point tool. One of the primary ways to smooth out a path, as you'll soon see, is to delete many of the anchor points defining it. Try this: click on one or two anchor points that seem to create "bumps" in a line along your path. You may see immediate improvements: sudden smoothing out of this boundary line, or edge.
- But you'll almost certainly also need to move anchor points around, in order to get exactly what you want. To do this, you've got to use the "Add Anchor Point." If, while on this tool, you click directly on an existing anchor point and hold your mouse click down, you'll find that you can move that anchor point around. By wise and crafty moving of anchor points, combined with the deletion of some of them (as suggested just above), you can accomplish a lot.
- In the process of moving anchor points, you'll discover a strange aspect of "paths" called "Bezier curves." You'll notice a pair of tiny black boxes at the end of lines that seem to grow out of your anchor point. As you move these boxes, or handles, around, you actually re-draw the section of your path that lies between this anchor point and the adjacent one. I don't think I can put into words the "feel" of working with these Bezier curves. You've really just got to try them out and figure out how they work through some trial and error. But I will offer a couple of suggestions I think will really help you in the process:
- First, use bezier curves minimally. Try to accomplish most of your refinements by deleting and by moving around anchor points
- Second, don't let the "handles" of the bezier curves get really long. Keeping the handles short minimizes some of the crazy curved shapes and loops that these bezier curves sometimes generate.
- Think of the bezier curves as tools with which to make only subtle refinement.
Following these three guidelines/pieces of advice will, I believe, make your experience with bezier curves less frustrating and more successful. For your viewing pleasure, here (see below) is a screen shot of a bezier curve with crazy loops. I've circle the two handles that allow control of the curve. Again, moving these handles back in towards the anchor point -- shortening the handles -- will allow the user to gain control of the situation, minimizing the crazy loops!