Photoshop Beginner Tutorial: Drawing Shapes with Various Shape Tools – Tool Tutorial

Earlier we introduced the introduction to Photoshop: the use of drawing tools. Today we introduce the use of various shape tools in Photoshop.

Adding shapes to your images is easy with Adobe Photoshop: you can draw shapes using a variety of shape tools, or choose from a large selection of pre-drawn shapes. Vector shapes can be arranged on separate layers for easy modification and overlay effects. In this tutorial, you’ll add background and foreground shapes to an image, and learn a little about gradient effects and layer effects.

1. Open the image in Photoshop.

Choose File > Open, or double-click the thumbnail in the file browser. For this tutorial, you’ll probably want to start with an image that has at least two layers. We added shapes first to create a more interesting background in the image.

2. Select the Rectangle tool.

Select the Rectangle tool from the toolbox. By default, the Shape Layers button in the options bar is selected. Use this option to create a vector shape that is automatically placed on a new layer. (You can create a path or rasterized shape on the current layer by using the adjacent icon in the palette.)

3. Create a rectangular shape.

In the Layers palette, select the bottom layer of the image. Create a rectangle that covers the right half of the image by clicking and dragging. By default, this rectangle uses the foreground color. To change the color, double-click the layer thumbnail to display the color picker, then select a new color.

4. Add a gradient effect to the shape

Now we will add two more rectangular shapes, this time applying a gradient effect. Use the Rectangle tool to drag a new rectangle to cover the top left quarter of the image. Click the foreground color swatch and choose a new color for the rectangle. Choose Layer > Change Layer Contents > Gradient. Leave the default selection for Gradient, Foreground Color to Transparent. Set Style to Linear and Angle to -50. Repeat these steps to create another rectangle, but this time set the angle to 20.

5. Load the custom shape.

Select the Custom Shape tool in the toolbox. In the options bar, click the down arrow to open the custom shape picker. Click the black triangle to open the palette menu, select All, then click Append. This will load all Photoshop pre-drawn shapes into the Custom Shapes palette.

6. Draw custom shapes

Now we will add a custom shape to the foreground to achieve the overlay effect. Select the top layer of the image and use the Foreground color palette to choose a color for the new shape. Select a custom shape from the Custom Shapes palette. (For our image, we selected the sunburst shape.) Hold down the Shift key to constrain the proportions, then click-drag in the image to draw the shape.
Because the sunburst shape is a vector shape on its own level, it can be easily moved or resized. Select the layer, then use the Move tool to move the shape, or choose Edit > Free Transform to resize, rotate, flip, or bevel it.

7. Fill the custom shape with a pattern.

Next, we’ll apply one of Photoshop’s pattern effects to make our shapes more interesting. Select a new shape in the Layers palette, then choose Layer > Change Layer Contents > Pattern. In the Hatch dialog box, click the pattern to open the Patterns palette. Click the black triangle to open the Palette menu.
The Palette menu displays different pattern groups (artistic surfaces, colored paper, natural patterns, etc.) that you can add to the basic pattern palette. Select a pattern group, then click Append. Click a pattern to apply it to the custom shape. To change the shape back to a solid color or gradient, choose Layer &g againt; “Change Layer Contents” command.

8. Add layer effects to the shape.

To further enhance the shape, you can add layer effects to the shape. With the shape layer selected, click the Add Layer Style button. Choose Stroke from the menu. In the Layer Style dialog box, choose settings for stroke color, width, and position, then click OK.
Use the Mode menu in the Layers palette to try different blending modes on your layer, such as Hue, Darken, or Composite. To remove a layer effect, just select the effect in the Layers palette and drag it to the Delete Layer icon.

Earlier we introduced the introduction to Photoshop: the use of drawing tools. Today we introduce the use of various shape tools in Photoshop.

Adding shapes to your images is easy with Adobe Photoshop: you can draw shapes using a variety of shape tools, or choose from a large selection of pre-drawn shapes. Vector shapes can be arranged on separate layers for easy modification and overlay effects. In this tutorial, you’ll add background and foreground shapes to an image, and learn a little about gradient effects and layer effects.

1. Open the image in Photoshop.

Choose File > Open, or double-click the thumbnail in the file browser. For this tutorial, you’ll probably want to start with an image that has at least two layers. We added shapes first to create a more interesting background in the image.

2. Select the Rectangle tool.

Select the Rectangle tool from the toolbox. By default, the Shape Layers button in the options bar is selected. Use this option to create a vector shape that is automatically placed on a new layer. (You can create a path or rasterized shape on the current layer by using the adjacent icon in the palette.)

3. Create a rectangular shape.

In the Layers palette, select the bottom layer of the image. Create a rectangle that covers the right half of the image by clicking and dragging. By default, this rectangle uses the foreground color. To change the color, double-click the layer thumbnail to display the color picker, then select a new color.

4. Add a gradient effect to the shape

Now we will add two more rectangular shapes, this time applying a gradient effect. Use the Rectangle tool to drag a new rectangle to cover the top left quarter of the image. Click the foreground color swatch and choose a new color for the rectangle. Choose Layer > Change Layer Contents > Gradient. Leave the default selection for Gradient, Foreground Color to Transparent. Set Style to Linear and Angle to -50. Repeat these steps to create another rectangle, but this time set the angle to 20.

5. Load the custom shape.

Select the Custom Shape tool in the toolbox. In the options bar, click the down arrow to open the custom shape picker. Click the black triangle to open the palette menu, select All, then click Append. This will load all Photoshop pre-drawn shapes into the Custom Shapes palette.

6. Draw custom shapes

Now we will add a custom shape to the foreground to achieve the overlay effect. Select the top layer of the image and use the Foreground color palette to choose a color for the new shape. Select a custom shape from the Custom Shapes palette. (For our image, we selected the sunburst shape.) Hold down the Shift key to constrain the proportions, then click-drag in the image to draw the shape.
Because the sunburst shape is a vector shape on its own level, it can be easily moved or resized. Select the layer, then use the Move tool to move the shape, or choose Edit > Free Transform to resize, rotate, orTurn or bevel.

7. Fill the custom shape with a pattern.

Next, we’ll apply one of Photoshop’s pattern effects to make our shapes more interesting. Select a new shape in the Layers palette, then choose Layer > Change Layer Contents > Pattern. In the Hatch dialog box, click the pattern to open the Patterns palette. Click the black triangle to open the Palette menu.
The Palette menu displays different pattern groups (artistic surfaces, colored paper, natural patterns, etc.) that you can add to the basic pattern palette. Select a pattern group, then click Append. Click a pattern to apply it to the custom shape. To change the shape back to a solid color or gradient, choose the Layer > Change Layer Contents command again.

8. Add layer effects to the shape.

To further enhance the shape, you can add layer effects to the shape. With the shape layer selected, click the Add Layer Style button. Choose Stroke from the menu. In the Layer Style dialog box, choose settings for stroke color, width, and position, then click OK.
Use the Mode menu in the Layers palette to try different blending modes on your layer, such as Hue, Darken, or Composite. To remove a layer effect, just select the effect in the Layers palette and drag it to the Delete Layer icon.

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