Photoshop Pen Tool Drawing Savvy

PREFACE: One of the least used tools and processes in Photoshop are the pen tools and vector drawing. People just seem to forget them in Photoshop in favor of Illustrator. Fatma sent in this five-page article which was originally called Draw a cute elephant in photoshop. There are lots of images, and extensive instruction -- but once we ran the tutorial and dug into it's lessons it became clear that the true value of this tutorial is not drawing an elephant -- but rather discovering the true flexibility of the drawing tools in Photoshop. So we renamed the article.

The tutorial is generated in Adobe Photoshop CS, but most of the techniques are valid in most versions of Photoshop after version 6. Some of the menus have changed since CS3, but that's just Adobe's way of 'churning' for upgrade revenue -- the techniques remain valid.

By the end of this tutorial you will be able to :

• Use the shape tools.
• Combine shapes.
• Create and edit paths.
• Use simple shapes to create complex shapes.

Draw a cute elephant in photoshop

Fatma Alemadi

In this tutorial you’ll learn how to draw a cute elephant using basic shapes and using the pen and path tools in photoshop to create a re-sizable file.

During this tutorial we'll be using pop-up windows for many of the diagrams. If this link doesn't work, turn on pop-ups in your browser. Here is the full version of the final result

Here is a list of the tools and menus we'll use, along with a diagram of basic pen tool vector work.

Step 1: Basic head shape

Create a new document. In this project the final result will be a vector drawing which mean it can be re-sized to any size without using the resolution so I start with a relatively small size around 600 by 600 pixel.

1. Change the foreground color to #c2d0d0. Draw a circle.
2. We want to draw a new shape on the same layer you can click shift once and start drawing the new oval shape using the Ellipse tool or make sure the layer is selected, click on Add shape and draw your new shape.
3. Now choose the direct select tool (or press A).We need to edit the points. Pull the top direction point on both side upward (Look at #3 above)
4. Push the other 2 low direction points inside.

Now hide this layer to work on the trunk next.

NEXT: Draw the trunk, fit to the head...

Step 2: The trunk

We will start on a new layer by drawing arectangular. Then hold shift key (or Click on the add to shape ) and draw another rectangle at the bottom (Look at the picture above ).
This way the two shapes are on one layer.

Next

1. Move the 2 points at the bottom (Push them ) inside.
2. Right click the right line (like on the picture above) and choose Add anchor points. Make sure to add another one on left side.
3. Look at picture 3 below . We moveddirection points of the 2 new points to the left to create the curves. Make sure to do this for left and right side.
4. Push the 2 bottom points again to achieve the right shape.

Next, We will work on the other rectangle for the bottom of the 'nose'.

1. At the bottom line right click on the middle to add a new anchor point and then push the point upward.
2. Push the 2 top corners to the inside until there intersect or the first shape lines.
3. Now choose Convert point tool click on the point in the bottom corner and pull according to the arrow direction (see above).
4. Do the same for the other side.

Show the head layer. Now I worked a little bit with the trunk size and move the point to make the trunk size fit the head 

I needed to merge the head and trunk layer so later when I add the effects it looks smoother. If we do merge layers the old fashioned way the layer will rasterized and when we’ll loose all the paths and points.

1. Click on the trunk layer and Ctrl/command + c to copy.
2. Click on the head layer and Ctrl/Command +v to paste.
3. Delete the trunk layer and now you should have the trunk and the head on one layer.

Double click the head layer to add the following effects.

NEXT: Step 3: Creating the Eyes

Step 3: Eyes

We create the eyes by using simple circles, and then modifying them by using the anchor point handles. I started with a white circle as you see in the demo but I later changed the color to #ecf0f0. Name the layer eye. Follow illustration below.

1. Move the left direction point for the top point to the left/down side. Then moveright direction point a little bit to the right/up.
2. At the left point push the lower direction point inside.

I changed the color here and move the point a little bit more. The left direction point of the lower point was pulled a little to the right.
Try playing around the points until you get the right shape.

Double click the layer to add the following effects :
 Layer Styles Effects "Inner Glow"
 Layer Styles Effects "Stroke"
 Layer Styles Effects "Gradient Overlay"

Your results should look something like this

Next, for the 'iris' draw a small blue (#32c9df) circle, name the layer “blue“ and add the following effect:

Now we want to draw another shape to cut a small triangle from the circle just like a slice of pizza.

Choose the pen tool and make sure to click on Subtract from shape button. Start clicking to create points like the image above to draw a triangle. At the final step you can see that I’ve re-sized the original shape. So again try playing around and moving the triangle to get the “perfect” position and size.

Duplicate the blue circle layer. Change the color to black and re-size it by clickingCtrl/Command + t.Name the layer black. (below left)

Draw a white circle at the top right corner. Name the layer “small white light” that’s a long name for a small circle (below, center)

Now let’s group the eye parts layers. Select the eye part layers keep pressingCommand/Ctrl while clicking on each layer then press ctrl/commend +g. Name the new group eye.

Right click the new group and choose duplicate group. Move the new group to the right. (Below, left)

In the new group choose the layer “eye“. Choose Edit > Transform > flip horizontally. Now move the 3 other layer to the left. (Above, right)

NEXT : Create a smiling mouth using and modifying shapes

Step 4: Mouth

For the mouth we’ll start with an arrow.

Draw the arrow and flip it horizontally ( Edit > Transform > Flip horizontally ).

Use the convert point tool. Click at the point at tip of the arrow and move the mouse up while clicking. This will convert the corner to a curve (See this animation).

Use the direct select tool , select the four points by drawing a rectangular around them and move them to the left. (See this animation)

Delete the top right point right click > Delete Anchor point.

Move the remaining right point up. Delete the point shown above in the image (Right click > Delete anchor point). I decided later to move the point on the middle of the arch to the left.

Change the color to #7b8989. Duplicate the layer (Ctrl/Command+j).

Flip the new layer (Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontally). Keep one on the left side and move the other to the right.

You will need to rotate each shape to fit (Ctrl/Command+t).

NEXT: Add the finishing touches

Step 5: Face finishing touches

Now we'll draw the eyebrow using a simple wedge.

1. Draw a rectangular (#869595).
2. Delete the top right corner (Right click > Delete anchorpoint)
3. Add 2 new point (See step 3 previously).
4. Move the points upward and play with the points to achieve the desired shape.

Duplicate the shape layer(Ctrl+J) and flip one horizontally (Edit > Transform > Flip horizontally ) to create the other eyebrow.

Now we utilize the same shape, but remove anchors to repurpose it into wrinkles for the trunk ...

1. Duplicate one of the eyebrow layers (ctrl/command+j) and rotate the shape to the left.
2. Delete the top left corner.
3. Move the left direction point of the top point to the left.

Duplicate and re-size to create the trunk “wrinkles” or what ever they are called LOL.

NEXT: complete the ears and body using simple shapes

Step 6: Ears & Body are circles!

Ears are pretty easy. Just draw a circle (#bccbcb) and add the Gradient effect.

Duplicate the layer and re-size the circle to create the inner circle.

Now duplicate the 2 layers and move them to the right to create the right ear. I enlarged the right ear to add more cattiness to it 

Step 7 : Body

Now we'll create the body using another series of circles with gradients

Start with a wide oval shape using the Ellipse tool (#c3d0d0) and add the gradient effect.

Draw another circle inside the big one (#ebf2f2). Add the same gradient effect.

Select the first circle layer then right clickand choose copy layer style. Right click the new circle layer and choose Paste layer style.

This way the gradient effect will be copied and applied to the new circle. Change theopacity to 55%.

NEXT: Take these steps to add legs

Step 8 : Legs

Now we'll use the rounded rectangle tool to create legs

1. Use the rounded rectangle tool. Make sure to change the radius to 111px. Foreground color =#c3d0d0.
2. Copy the body gradient effect and paste it to this layer.
3. (At 2 below) pull the lower direction point to the right side.
4. Pull the lower direction point down.
5. Move the top right point to the right to make the leg wider at the top.

Move the leg layer under the body layer.

Now to create the nails.

1. Start with a white circle.
2. Choose “Convert point tool ” click once on left and once on the right point(Yellow points above).
3. Move the lower point up using the direct select tool.
4. Pull the direction point of the top point. Pull the left one to the left and the right one to the right to make the curved area wider.

Duplicate the nail layer twice. At the end you should have 3 layers. Arrange them on a raw. You might need to rotate the one of the left a little.

Group the leg and the nails layers (Ctrl/Command+g). Duplicate the group and flip it horizontally (Edit > transform > flip horizontally ). Move the left leg lower than the right leg.

NEXT: let's finish up with front legs, or arms...

Step 9 : Arms, Hands

Start with a raindrop shape (#cbd6d6 ).

Copy the layer style from the body to apply thegradient effect.

1. Move the right point to the left side.
2. Move the lower direction point of the the same point down and slightly to the right.
3. At the lower point move the right direction point up/left.
4. Pull the left point upward.
5. Pull the lower direction point to the bottom and the top direction point to the top.
6. This will be the left arm.

Duplicate and flip horizontally to create the right arm.

Step 10 : Final touches

I rotated the head to the left, and set the Background color (#c1d3e1) with an opacity of 45%

Then, I added a shadow circle under the elephant to give it a sense of "place" -- with color #c9c7c7 and pacity42%