Help with creating curving lines.

[Canna W]

I quite often want to create lines in my manips that are curving, or even curly...ie non-staight lines.An example would might be the attached pic, where I want to 'draw' 3 curving lines between the lower points of the two hearts. Like a necklace with 3 strands, each hanging one below the other.

I'm guessing the way to do it is to create a new layer, make a circular selection that meets both points in an arc, then continues round in a circle, apply stroke, and then erase that bit of the stroke not wanted. (ie just leaving the bit of the circle between the points of the hearts.) Then repeat the same exercise with bigger or smaller, or more or less oblong circles. At the end you should (hopefully) be left with 3 arcs between the points of the hearts.

Two problems.
1) I couldn't select the circle freehand, I'm too clumsy. I also don't think you can use the circular selection tool precisely enough to touch both points of the heart. (Or I don't know how to do that.)
2) I might also want to make the line a bit curvy or wavy in parts, rather than it being a plain arc.

Basically I'm wondering if there is any way to manipulate selections so you can create controlled curves with them. (Using stroke to create the body of the line...) Unless of course there is another way of introducing curved lines....

Hope this isn't too muddling!

[mfischer]

Got Photoshop?
Use the Pen Tool.

[Photodivauk]

Not sure if this is going to help, but wouldn't this be a use for the pen tool? Draw a path, then use the path selection tool and stroke the path?
Photodiva

[Canna W]

Thank you mfischer and Photodivauk! I have never used the pen tool. Now is obviously the time start experimenting .....

[des151]

Canna W,
The pen tool would be the way to go. Try this - after you apply a stroke on its own layer, go to edit/transform/warp. Use the warp tool to apply curves to the stroke.
Ray

[ktg222]

The advice here is correct. The Pen Tool is the tool of choice. If you have not used the Pen Tool before it can be a frustrating exercise. Here is a video tutorial that may help you. http://www.photoworkshop.com/adobe/s...pp/index5.html

k

[Dave.Cox]

Yes, the pen tool is the way to go here. Perhaps this will help:
http://www.davesdfr.com/Media/PenTool2.htm

[Canna W]

Des 151
-------

For the very simple curves I want I will certainly try that, thank you! What a good idea.

ktg222 and Dave Cox
--------------------

Those tutorials were fantastic! It makes me wonder why I have been shying away from the pen tool for such a long time. I'd heard it was difficult, but it obviously isn't impossible. It also sounds incredibly useful...

Thank you again for those refs - it was a hundred times easier watching the video tutorials than it would have been if I'd just tried doing it using my Photoshop manuals.... I'm going to watch them a few times more before I have a go. But I will have a go soon!

Thanks very much for your suggestions.

[des151]

You're welcome.
Ray

[Dave.Cox]

Glad that this helped.

[Canna W]

Well, I've started practising! I used a pic of a doll. I selected her head totally with the pen tool, made it into a selection, and selected the rest of her using an ordinary selection tool.

Look what has happened to her head ....the doll now has a halo!

When I looked at the path I'd made round the head it looked fine. I changed it into a selection, and added the dress. (There was no feathering on the selection.)

I inverted the selection, and blurred the background. I also altered the levels on the background to make it darker...and then she got this shiny yellow halo - obviously to do with the edge of her head. It is also black in places! Has anyone any idea what I am doing wrong please?

[Dave.Cox]

When you converted the path to a selection, you may have had a setting of 1 or more set in the feathering box. This would cause the selection to be feathered. If you saved the path you can try going to the paths pallet, and ctrl click (Or Cmd click for the Mac), to re-select the path. Otherwise, try reselecting the selection, and go to the menu, and select>modify>contract, and contract the selection by 1 or two pixels. Invert again, and delete the remaing pixels on the outside of the selection. This is ususally enough to clean up the halo, but won't be noticable in the final composition. You can also try different layer modes in the layers pallet. For instance, on a dark background like this, you may be able to get rid of it by setting the layer to multiply.

[des151]

Canna W,
I used a channels pallet, plus levels and d/b to make a selection of the doll's head, also a layers mask to clean things up.

Ray

[Canna W]

Dave
-----

I'm afraid I couldn't get your method to work... Maybe because I hadn't done the initial selection on a duplication layer, but on the original layer? When I tried deleting the pixels (with the eraser) I just ended up with white.

Ray
---

Thank you for that, but my knowledge of channels isn't good enough for me to work out what you did. Nor do I know what a d/b is... Anyway, I can still do a selection of the dolls head - so it doesn't matter. You've done a grand job - how did you clean things up please? (I tried inverting the selection and cloning over the yellow bits, but the cloning really stood out.)

[des151]

Canna W
d/b= dodge and burn. I used the burn tool to darken the yellow around the dolls head. I used a layer mask to fine tune the selection of the dolls head. Black conceals,
white reveals.
Ray

[Canna W]

Dave and Ray
------------

Phew, I cleaned it up! I got a mix of cloning and the healing tool to work in the end.

Thank you very much much for your suggestions... I have such a lot to learn....

[Dave.Cox]

Sorry about that, I assumed that you added the new image on a new layer. When you add a new image to an existing image, the work is much easier if you place your new image in a new layer above the first layer. Then you can perform additional modifications on the new layer, such as deleting unwanted pixels and the back layer will show through.

[Canna W]

Ray
----

Thank you! I know about layer masks and dodge and burn, so its making more sense now ...

Dave
-----

Thanks for explaining! Sorry I'm such an idiot...

[Dave.Cox]

Thanks for explaining! Sorry I'm such an idiot...

Ha, no you aren't. You are here to learn, and that is what you are doing, and what this site is for. Keep your questions coming!

[vidyakk9]

I am too late. You can do it with selection tools and transform wrap. Check the attached picture. If you are telling like that reply .
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/g...artsedited.jpg

[0lBaldy]

Originally Posted by Canna W

An example would might be the attached pic, where I want to 'draw' 3 curving lines between the lower points of the two hearts. Like a necklace with 3 strands, each hanging one below the other.

Two problems.
1) I couldn't select the circle freehand, I'm too clumsy. I also don't think you can use the circular selection tool precisely enough to touch both points of the heart. (Or I don't know how to do that.)
2) I might also want to make the line a bit curvy or wavy in parts, rather than it being a plain arc.

Basically I'm wondering if there is any way to manipulate selections so you can create controlled curves with them. (Using stroke to create the body of the line...) Unless of course there is another way of introducing curved lines....

Hope this isn't too muddling!

1) On a new layer.. Using the 'Elliptical Marquee Tool' at normal settings... draw a circle/elliptical shape... then using 'Select'>'Transform Selection'... transform the selection to where you want it by pulling on the anchor points... 'Edit'>'Stroke' at whatever size and color you want.... mask or erase the portions of the line you do not want visible... adjust opacity and/or the layer modes to suit...
Repeat on another new layer for different variations

2) as stated and explained by many others the 'Pen Tool' for curvy or wavy lines could be used in conjunction with method 1) or by itself

method 1) sample