Photoshop for Beginners 2024 - Lesson 6 - The Pen Tool

[@larryim2000]

Thanks, Terry, for your commitment to the photography community to do these lessons on Photoshop!

[@tv510]

My pleasure! I learn new things myself, when I go to plan a lesson to explain something I do just about every day, so its a win - win.

[@guylehman9482]

Thank you so much for how you teach. I can definitely learn from you teach. If a question comes to mind you usually answer it in you next sentence. I truly appreciate you and these lessons. Thank you!

[@tv510]

Hi Guy, thanks for watching, I'll keep them coming.

[@TheTennfisher]

Thank you Terry, for another excellent lesson.

[@tv510]

You are welcome, I'll keep making them.

[@jimstueck8428]

This is the "BEST" of any Pen Tool Tutorial I have ever watched. Recently I came across a classic repair shop where the owner gave me permission to photograph the cars that come and go there. I have never been an auto photographer but I know people get sharp lines around these cars with the pen tool. I have gone back to every tutorial I have seen or can find and still could not do it. This tutorial and the others is helping round out Photoshop, which I have been using for years! Thanks so much!

[@tv510]

Perfect, glad its working for you.

[@juliobarkan9529]

Cool tool. I already have an idea on where to use this. But it would help for us dummies who never used Photoshop and trying to learn and remember all the short cuts is to mention what you are useing to do different functions ie: zoom in or out or delete something you have already done. It really would be helpful for us. Thanks. Terrific job. You made it sound easy.

[@tv510]

Hi Julio, I will do more of that, thanks for the suggestion.

[@rudyzangwill8651]

Absolutely "bang-on" lesson. I love how you explain the pen tool...the examples are very intricate and personally, I see this as the best tool for me. I know practice, practice, practice is essential and when I produce something worthwhile, it must be incredibly fulfilling. I appreciate this lesson beyond measure as I have sat frustrated through a myriad of "suggestions" on "how to" object selection. In this case, I heard and learned and am really looking forward to hopefully mastering this tool. I photograph almost exclusively cephalopods and you can imagine my apprehension capturing each little sucker. Thank you so much..."let's get started".

[@tv510]

Thanks Rudy! Cephalopods? That is some intricate work. Good luck and thanks for watching.

[@kathrynhayden7548]

This is the first time I have actually been able to use the pen tool without frustration! Using the rough outline with the direct tool made all the difference ... and doing this way actually really helped get better at using the curves (or rubber band points as you describe them). As a photographer this is spot on!!

[@tv510]

Excellent Kathryn, it just takes a bit of practice and then you are good to go. Thanks for watching.

[@scottbohon9474]

This is the best lesson I've ever run across regarding the Pen Tool. I've been confused by it before, but now I want to practice! Thanks so much for these incredible lessons! When you are using shortcuts, please mention them as often as you can, since there are so many of them. Thanks!

[@tv510]

Will do Scott, I might make a video just about shortcuts. Thanks for the idea.

[@sakkiasakeshn]

One of the best illustration on Pen tool .Thank you so much Terry

[@tv510]

You are very welcome, thanks for watching.

[@theirlife4216]

I learned a lot! Thank you! Can you please show how to draw arches and curved lines with pen tool?

[@tv510]

Thanks for watching, At 4:42 of this video, I show you how to make straight lines into curves and arches. Thanks again.

[@sizefive]

Great I like the steps. Adding anchor points later.

[@tv510]

Yes, it works pretty well and certainly fast enough.

[@birdie399]

Excellent lesson, I’m on the road to success thanks to your instruction.

[@tv510]

Yes! Congrats.

[@PatriciaPearl-t6t]

You made that look easy ! now to try it out myself. Thanks Terry

[@tv510]

It is easy. Just takes a little practice. Thanks for watching.

[@panayiotispanayides2141]

What is the shortcut for the colour balance window you bring up?? Great tutorials have learnt so much and I am now not so afraid to use photos shop haha

[@tv510]

YES! Once you get you used to it, and understand it - the digital world just opens up. The shortcut for the Color Balance is MAC: CMD B or on the PC CNTL B - thanks for watching.

[@richardrodriguez9547]

Thanks again for continue to demystify PS!

[@tv510]

Cool, I love hearing that!

[@raylynch8419]

Another great tutorial. Thank you Terry 👍🏻

[@tv510]

Very welcome Ray.

[@saidkhalamahmed5439]

Thank you, these lesson are very helpful, thanks again for the work you put in, I am now a subscriber 👍

[@tv510]

Welcome aboard!

[@jimstueck8428]

Yes! Putting points on both sides of a curve is key. Both outward and inward curves! Anything else is too confusing.

[@tv510]

Thanks Jim, for watching!

[@annahann313]

Thank you❤

[@tv510]

You are welcome. Thanks for watching.

[@alancolledge1936]

Hi Terry, I eagerly anticipate each lesson but I’m struggling to see the practical uses for the pen tool as opposed to using a mask other than for making a composite image. Am I missing the point? If I am, could you do a short video on the type of scenarios that it would be most useful for?

[@tv510]

Hey Alan, that is good idea. Let the think on that. The main and only reason I reach for the pen tool is accuracy. Most all these other selection methods are much faster. However, if you want accurate, you can't beat the pen tool. Thanks for the idea, let me see if I can fit it in.

[@rudyzangwill8651]

Hi again, Terry. I guess I spoke to soon. I worked on my path, then selection, today. When I converted the path to a selection, I not only acquired the marching ants around the path, but also around the entire perimeter of the image. Help, please. Do I have to start over (BTW, the selection came out awesome)

[@tv510]

Hi Rudy, Likely you just need to invert the selection. Since instead of selecting everything inside the marching ants, you have selected everything but. Easy solution. Mac: Shift+Command+I or PC: Shift +CNTL+I. (BYW that is the letter "i") Good luck!

[@bsacamano]

Hi Terry, I have a question. You made a path for the image but then turned it into a selection. Why the need for a path of it becomes a selection? I am sure I am missing something here. You should know that these are the best PS courses I have ever had and, I have had more than a few. Thank you!

[@tv510]

Hey Jim, first off the pen tool is MUCH more accurate than any of the selection tools. No selection tool and make an as accurate selection as the pen tool can. The second thing, is the pen "path" is just that, a path or a line. So when saving a path, it takes up virtually no extra space in the file. On the flip side, if you saved the same selection, Photoshop thinks you want to save ALL the pixels inside of that selection. That can increase the size of the file.

[@TheHauntingFiles]

thank you so much Terry great vid once again

[@tv510]

You are very welcome, thanks for watching.

[@kirbz_zz]

thanks

[@tv510]

No problem, thanks for watching.

[@akhileshverma3801]

I am into bird photography, how to accurately select birds with perch ?

[@tv510]

Whenever I want total accuracy, I reach for the pen tool. Some of the other methods are much faster, but upon close inspection, they aren't perfect. When selecting feathers or hair, there are other methods that we will cover in future episodes.

[@randelltuttle143]

Can you edit quick select with the pen tool?

[@tv510]

Yes, in fact I will make a video on how to do that. Thanks.

[@tv510]

Hey Randell, here is the video on how to do it. kzbin.infoQwxnirzBGno

[@randelltuttle143]

@@tv510 thank you, sir!

[@AOWANDERS]

this is not for beginners. Contract, invert, reselecting an outline with hotkeys, creating layers and paths????? Sorry a beginner barely knows how to open this absurd program! This is not for beginners.

[@tv510]

Sorry you felt this was over your head, but if you start at the beginning of the class, it might make more sense. This is Episode 6 in series.