New Tutorial- Paper Curling Effect

[Leejune]

OK, am stumped before I begin, have gone to help, but can't find anything respecting vectors! The instructions "choose the rectangular Vector Shapes Tool" has me beat before I start. Yes, am a beginner, but am itching to try this tutorial. Can you help please? ;\

 

[AppleCider]

Leejune, it's the rectangular shape tool It's on the right side of your toolbar, about halfway down. If you see a shape other than the rectangle just click and hold on the tool until the rectangle shows, then choose it.

In this tute, you'll need to go to the options bar and make sure the "make work path" icon is selected (it's the middle one; looks like a square with several points).

Unfortunately, that's all the help I can give anyone for this tute...I MUST teach myself the pen tool, which has always been my nemesis!

 

[sfm]

hey that's cool the pen tool and I had an argument......... we wrestled for about an hour......... the winner? no one........... I clicked the close button [confused] just couldn't do it so for me now I have to leave this although I really really want to do it but I just don't have the time trust me I really don't [upset]
wish I could master the pen tool I will one day
sfm

 

[Leejune]

Thanks Apple Cider, I presume the rectangular tool on the right (sort of raised) is a vector tool. Believe I have located the "make work path" so now will begin. Wish me luck!!! You have scared me about the pen tool

 

[Leejune]

Got the first part done, but know it will take me some time to get through all the steps; a real challenge for me, but I like challenges, and this is the only way to learn. So onward and upward [confused]

 

[AppleCider]

Leejune, didn't mean to scare you! Some people "get" the pen tool right away....I'm not one of them. Hopefully you will, an can teach mea [slick]

 

[theKeeper]

Just stick with it ladies... it'll come to you eventually.

If you own a Vector app like AI or XaraX or CD, learning the PS Pen tool would be second nature to you. But in any case, it's really NOT a tough tool to learn... honest! [honesty]

I believe i did supply all the necessary instructional example images you'll need, to ensure you use the correct tools & settings. If anyone thinks i didn't please let me know. But first make sure it's not just you being confused, ok?! hahaha

Here guys, try this if you think you need help with the Path Tools: http://photoshopgurus.info/beginners/learning_fundamentals/selection-tools5.shtml

Onward'n'Upward indeed!

 

[Leejune]

Believe I have the vector shape OK, however, am now having a problem with curling the paper! On page 2, paragraph 3 - hint - you indicate that I should "hide" the workpath by checking the large checkmark on the right hand side of the Options Bar. Believe at one time I saw this but it is not present now. Went to Windows to see if I should reset my tools (or some such thing) but could not find anything like that. Am wondering if by not hiding the workpath is the reason I cannot get the proper curl to my page?

 

[Guest]

But in any case, it's really NOT a tough tool to learn... honest!

Yeah right Mark, maybe that's why everybody complains about it
Trust me, I gave it a try, I know all the extra ALT, Ctrl & Shift key combinations that you can use with the pen tools, but I still think that they are very clumsy [confused]

The vector tools in Xara X are way better. I don't know exactly what it is, but I always get my vectors done in Xara X in a fraction of the time it would take me in Photoshop.

Just my 2 cents of course

 

[Leejune]

My gosh, Gaussian, if you have trouble with the vectors, or whatever, don't know why an amateur like me is persisting. Have put in about three hours on this tutorial and am not even close. Looked at Xara x - but haven't got the bucks to get this software. Will give it a rest for awhile, and maybe something will click in the meantime.

 

[theKeeper]

...don't know why an amateur like me is persisting.

Well because Leejune... you haven't learned how to use the tool yet. That's why!

Ok i've spent some more time creating a page that i hope will provide further details into the making of this effect. Please go back and retry the tute. And now, look for a link at the top and bottom of each page called: "Quick-View Image Sequence". This should help clear things up a lot.

Leejune... if you cannot see the large checkmark, that's ok. That's not a prerequisite to doing the effect. It's not visible all the time. Only when you have the "Path Selection" tool active -- the black arrow cursor, used to select your whole Path. For the sake of argument though, just forget about that part.
Most of the time you'll be using just the "Direct Selection" tool -- the white arrow cursor, which allows selection of individual control points.


Man, i am seriously curious to know just what it is people find so hard about Pen/Path tools. I swear to God it's NOT a hard or complex tool. It just has a few more functions/options than the other tools.
And with the new Vector shape tools, you don't even really HAVE to start anything from scratch -- except for specialized selection shapes.

Perhaps it's just a case of people trying to give the Path tools more meaning than they actually have...?! It's just a shape and selection creating tool after all... not rocket science! [honesty]

Does the info i have on the page i linked to above not help anyone with learning this tool?! [stuned] [confused]

 

[Leejune]

First of all Mark, want to thank you for taking the time to clarify with pictures the method of getting that curl done. Images 6, 7 and 8 show me where I was going wrong and your images for the shadow also make things clearer. Have to go out this morning, but believe me, will give this another whirl this afternoon. Just wanted you to know how I appreciate your time and effort in clarifying things in this tutorial.

 

[wbiss]

Mark:

Man, i am seriously curious to know just what it is people find so hard about Pen/Path tools.

Mark, for me it's the fact that I learn't to draw with AI's tools... and they behave quite differently than PS's. [confused] To this day, I struggle with PS's vector tools and 9 times out of 10, I draw my vectors in AI and then paste them into PS... [shhh]

But, I will have a go at your tute real soon...

All peoples struggling with the pen tool, check out this tutorial attachment.

 

[Guest]

Don't get me wrong, I never said that the pentools are difficult to use, just clumsy, that's a difference.

It's like the old Windows 3.11 operating system; easy to use, but very clumsy.

I'm visiting Talkgraphics for over a year and I know for a fact that lots and lots of people share my opinion

Might be because we're just looking at it through our Xara X B7 glasses

 

[Leejune]

Think I did it! Believe me I did alot fiddling around, even with Mark's great images to tell me what to do. However, think I learned some things, and let's face it, this is a reasonable facsimile ;\ However, it was fun, and will keep at these exercises until I know what I am doing????

 

[wbiss]

Good for you Leejune! Big "thumbs up" for perseverence. And, a good job well done too! It's no easy task mastering that pen tool so you've got to be feeling really good right now, having done so!

 

[theKeeper]

Yup, an A for perseverence Leejune.

That's a good first attempt, keep at it.
You'll notice you learn a couple new things each time you do a tutorial -- particularily if the effect/techniques are unfamiliar to you.
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Guys i have to say that i myself am at a loss to identify with those that say they're only used to using one program's tools for Vector graphics. I too have AI and XaraX and have no problem at all in using either of those program's tools for Vectors, as well as Photoshop's somewhat basic tools.

My point is this... at the core, they all use the same types of tools. Click a Pen tool to add points, that can be strung along to form a closed Path shape. Or, use the premade shape tools for the automatic creation of more basic shapes.

Direct Selection tools are then used to edit the individual points along a path. Beziere control handles can be added or removed, and edited at the same time.

Learning how Vectors are created, and what tools are generally needed/used to create this type of graphic, is all that one should need to know, to have a fairly solid understanding of how to create them using any program that has Vector graphic capabilities. The slight variations in the tools from app to app should not be holding you back.

In fact, as of PS7, there's only one big difference i see between PS and AI that stands out in my mind (excluding special vector brushes)... in PS, you have to manually 'Save' each Path to retain it for future use. Vector specific apps store the paths be default because that's their generic function; i.e. they don't use pixels by default like PS does.

Anywho...
If someone is having a problem creating ANY type of shape using the Vector tools in Photoshop, i'd like them to tell me right now. And i'll explain as explicitly as possible to them how to use the tools to achieve their goal. I want to know where exactly people are getting confused, and what exactly it is that is holding them back from be confident about using the Vector tools in PS.

 

[Leejune]

This is another try, think it is abit better, do not quite understand what we are doing in section 3, of page 4, nor do I know how the get the scalloped edge of the paper, that has a nice effect.

 

[Leejune]

Oh yes, and any further instructions would be welcome.

 

[wbiss]

Yes, Leejune! Your second one shows considerable improvement!

I haven't gotten around to doing Mark's tute yet, so I'm sorry that I can't help you out with "further instructions". :\ But, it looks to me that you're beginning to nail this technique! Well done!