This is how you use a Pen Tools. First you click on this button on the left to activate Pen Tools .
Watch as I will trace the hair of this girl.

First, you create points by cllicking with Pen Tools. If you click on an empty area,
the tools will automatically create new shape layer

alt=”Pen Tool Intense Tutorial - The Name is Firewalker” Title=”Added new layer automatically” />

Proceed in clickings the girl’s hair for creating it’s shape. The Pen Tools will proceed in creating paths from the first click that you made.

If your vision are blocked by the shape’s color, turn the opacity down.

If you want to continue the shape, click on the layer’s path in the layers window,

then click on the last point of your shape, the cursor will shows “/” or “-[]-” sign that will alert you to continue from there.

Continue the path until it reach the beginning point and it will show “o” sign on the cursor

Your shape is done, then it’s time to make it more detailed. Use Convert Point tools to edit

Convert point tools can make a curve from the points that you made. So remember the drill, make the points first, then modify the curve.
Click + Drag the points to make a curve. It will show you 2 tangent line for helping you adjusting the curve. At first click, it will create an ideal curve with identical tangent lines.
Release after drag, then you can edit each tangent lines. If you don’t push CTRL/COMMAND key while dragging the tangent lines, the curve will break. Otherwise, the tangent lines will stay identical.

Edit all the points; in my picture I have shown you where you should break (white circle) and where you should not (red curve).

Now, for the intense part, you must distinct which are the shadow part and which are the highlight part.

You will need to make more than one shape for shadows and highlights, group them so that they wouldn’t troubles you later on

It’s done! You can always change the color from each shape’s layer, or you can just merge the group (CTRL+E) and set the Color Overlay (Right Click > Blending Options). But for the warning, you can’t edit the shape anymore after you merged, it’s better to make a copy first, then you merge them.

Isn’t it lovely?

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