We talked about painting in Photoshop with a pencil and brush. Freehand lines are great, but it often happens that you need to depict a smooth geometric figure. Rulers and compasses are a thing of the past, and now you can do it with simple tools editor.
To select one of them, on the tool palette, click the Shapes icon.
Regardless of which group tool you select, the following elements, common to all shapes, will appear on the options bar.
- Selection tool mode. Here you can choose one of three.
- Figure. The value is set by default, and with it a vector geometric figure is created on a separate layer, that is, what you expect from the tool happens.
- Circuit. The outline of the shape is drawn without a fill.
- Pixels. It creates not a vector, but a raster figure.
- Fill. Allows you to set the color and type (gradient, shading) of the drawn shape.
- Stroke. Shape outline settings: thickness, type, color.
- Width and height. They allow you to clarify the size of the figure, when it is not permissible to do this “by eye”.
As always, create a new document with a white background. You can leave the rest of the options as default or choose your own.
Rectangle
Select the Rectangle shape and to draw it, click on the canvas and then move the pointer while holding down the mouse button. The point where you clicked will be the corner of the shape.
On the options bar, click the icon. The geometry settings window will open.
By default, the switch is set to Rectangle. If you set it to Square, then when you draw, you will always get a shape with the same side length. You can achieve the same effect without clicking the checkbox: to get a square while drawing a rectangle, just hold down the Shift key.
If the parameters of your rectangle are known in advance, set the switch to the position Specified size and enter the required values in the fields. The shape will be completely drawn as soon as you click on the canvas with the mouse button.
After setting the switch to the Set proportions position in the input fields that have become available, you can specify the aspect ratio of the created figure.
The From Center check box allows you to draw a rectangle from the center, rather than from an extreme point.
Rectangle with rounded corners
The next item in the list of geometric shapes. It is clear that it differs from the usual rounding at the corners. Accordingly, the settings for this shape and the rectangle are almost identical. The rounding radius can be specified in the corresponding field of the options bar.
Ellipse
The parameters are the same as a rectangle, but instead of a square, you can draw a circle. To do this, in the geometry settings window, check the box in the Circle position, or while drawing, hold down the Shift key.
Polygon
With this tool, you can draw a triangle, a dodecahedron, an icosahedron, a star, or in general any figure that contains from three to a hundred sides. Their number can be set in the Sides input field located on the options panel.
The geometric settings window differs markedly from the previous figures.
- Radius. This field specifies the radius of the future polygon.
- Smooth out outer corners. If the checkbox is checked, then the corners are rounded; if not, the corners are sharp, as in a classic polygon.
- Star. Check the box if you want to get a star at the output.
- Ray depth. This input field specifies how long the rays will be.
- Smooth out inner corners. Check this box if you want the inner corners to be rounded, as shown in the image below.
Line
Use this tool to create really straight lines - it's just not practical to draw them by hand. To achieve maximum accuracy, adjust the geometric parameters in the corresponding window.
- Start. If the checkbox is checked, instead of a line, you will get an arrow that will be drawn at the point where you clicked the mouse button.
- End. Check the box to add an arrow to the end of the line.
- Width. It is specified as a percentage in relation to the thickness (it can be set on the options panel in the field of the same name).
- Length. It is considered in the same way as the width - in relation to the thickness, as a percentage.
- Curvature. The value is specified in the range from -50% to 50% and determines how much the widest part of the arrow will be bent. The figure shows arrows with a curvature of 0%, 30% and 50% (from top to bottom).
Arbitrary figure
In order not to create for each of the dozens of remaining figures own instrument, the developers have combined them here. All elements of the options panel are already familiar to you, except for the most important one - the Shape button, clicking on which opens the shape selection window.
If you click on the gear located on the right side of the window, a menu of additional options will open, containing categories of shapes.
Thanks to the tools discussed, you can literally draw a huge number of shapes in two clicks, which would take quite a long time to create manually.
Photoshop has interesting tool — "Arbitrary figure". In practice, this tool is rarely used, but it still has a number of interesting features. In this lesson, you will get acquainted with arbitrary shapes, as well as learn how to independently add your own sets of such shapes to Photoshop.
There is a group of homogeneous tools on the toolbar (shortcut U ). These include: rectangle, rounded rectangle, ellipse, polygon, line, and arbitrary figure.
There is a box on the attributes panel where you can select a shape from among the standard ones. To do this, click on the small arrow to the right of the thumbnail. Look at the screenshots:
What is an arbitrary figure?
She represents herself vector image, and therefore has no size restrictions. Therefore, it can be stretched as much as you like without loss of quality.
The shape does not have its own color (other than the one we choose before creating), volume, shadows, border strokes or anything else. In this, it resembles a brush, where you set the color yourself, everything else will have to be finished on your own.
How to use?
To draw a custom shape, select it from the drop-down list, then left-click in your open document and move your mouse to the side. You will see that the outline of the future figure has appeared. Moving the mouse in different angles and directions, you control its size and shape, i.e. it can be wide or narrow. Don't forget to choose first desired color and then draw.
Hold down the Shift key to draw the shape perfectly even, without distortion in any direction.
How to set up your shapes in photoshop?
You can independently install a set of figures into your program. The same principles work here as, for example, with or. To install them, firstly, download a set with figures to your computer. These sets have an extension csh.
After that, open the shapes menu. You will see these 4 commands:
Selecting "Download...", a dialog box will open in which you need to specify the path to the file with the extension csh, for example like this:
This set will automatically be added to the end of the list of all shapes. Let's say you had a set with animals in the list, and you loaded arrows. The result is a list consisting of animals and arrows.
Selecting "Replace...", everything will be the same, except that the new figures will not appear at the end of the list, but will completely replace those that already exist. For example, you initially had sets with animals and arrows loaded in the list, and you decided to open with a replacement set of ornaments. As a result, only ornaments will be on the list.
And if you uploaded several sets, deleted any individual shapes using the command "Delete…", in general, you made a set for yourself, then you can save it with the team "Save Arbitrary...". In the future, it will be possible to download it in the same form or transfer it to someone via the Internet.
Last command "Restore Arbitrary..." allows you to return everything to default.
Please note that in the same menu there is a huge list: Animals, Arrows, Nature, Objects, etc. This standard sets, which were kindly provided to us by the developers of Photoshop.
Second installation method with added benefit
Arbitrary figures You can also install directly into Photoshop's system files.
It's a bit more complicated to do this, but the main advantage of this method is that your set will appear in the list that I described above (Animals, Arrows, Nature, Objects, etc.). If you intend to use this tool often, then this installation method will reduce the time, and you will be able to select the desired set in two clicks.
To do this, you need to copy the file with the extension csh in Photoshop's system folder "Custom Shapes", usually her address is: C:\Program Files\Adobe\ Adobe Photoshop CS5\Presets\Custom Shapes.
Noticed an error in the text - select it and press Ctrl + Enter . Thank you!
Drawing tools allow you to create and edit vector shapes. They make it easy to create various elements for web pages.
The following family of tools allows you to create geometric shapes of various shapes.
Rectangle (Rectangle)() - respectively, allows you to draw a rectangle (and with the key pressed - a square), filled with the foreground color.
Rounded Rectsngle (Rounded straight square)- creates shapes similar to those described above, but allows you to set the radius of the rounding of the corners of the rectangle.
Ellipse (Ellipse)- creates ovals (in combination with the pressed key - circles).
Polygon(Polygon)- allows you to create geometric shapes with an arbitrary number of angles, as well as multi-beam stars. By default creates a convex pentagon.
Line- draws straight lines of arbitrary or specified length, thickness, color and direction.
Custom Shape- allows you to create a geometric figure freeform and save it for later use.
Create new file for training.
Left click on tool - figures - on the toolbar, the tool selection window will open:
Here are the main shapes that we can use. Choose any and look at the options panel:
For any figure, you can choose:
- drawing mode:
- shape layer. The shape is created on a separate layer. A shape layer consists of a fill layer that defines the color of the shape, and an associated vector mask that defines the boundaries of the shape. The shape's borders are a path that appears on the Paths tab of the Layers panel.
- contours. This mode allows you to draw outlines of shapes that can be filled or stroked with an arbitrary color. Paths appear on the Paths tab of the Layers panel.
- Pixel fill . When working in this mode, not vector, but raster images are created, which can be processed in the same way as any other bitmap
- style and color
- set parameters specific to this figure
Draw rectangles
Let's choose the first shape - a rectangle. Select from the panel mode - layer-shape. Select a style by clicking on the triangle on the right. 
Choose whichever you like. By the way, if you click on the triangle in the circle (on the right), you can select additional styles in the context menu that opens. If you do not want to use a style, then select a white square with a red line through it.
Now you can set the geometric parameters:
- Arbitrarily - as you draw, so be it.
- Square - when stretching the shape with the mouse, the width and height will always be the same.
- Specified size - you can set the width and height of the rectangle (in cm) and click on the canvas. A rectangle with the specified dimensions will appear.
- Set aspect ratio - you can set how many times the width will be less (or more) than the height. When stretching the figure, the proportion will be preserved.
- From the center - draws a rectangle from the center.
- Snap to pixels - rectangle edges snap to pixel borders.
Now select -arbitrarily- and drag your rectangle on the canvas with the mouse. Here, for example, what happened to me when using styles Button, Glass Buttons and Web Styles.
Quite a useful tool for creating buttons and menus for your web pages, isn't it?
Draw rectangles with rounded corners
Let's select the second shape - a rectangle with rounded corners. On the panel, select the mode - the layer-shape, the corner radius - for example, 15 and the color (you can style it as you like). The geometric parameters are the same as for the rectangle.
Here's what I got with various combinations of radius and style.
Why not news blocks and menu buttons?
Draw circles
Let's choose the third figure - an ellipse. On the panel, select the mode - shape layer, color and style. The geometric parameters are the same as for a rectangle, with the only difference being that a circle can be chosen instead of a square. Select -arbitrary- and stretch the ellipse. If you want it to be a circle, then hold down the Shift key or select -circle- in the geometric parameters.
Here's what happened to me: 
Draw polygons
Let's choose a shape - a polygon. On the panel, select the mode - layer-shape, the number of sides in the range from 3 to 100 (for example, 3 - for a triangle, 6 - for a hexagon), color and style. Consider the geometric parameters:
- Radius is the radius of the polygon.
- Smooth outer corners
- Star - with the checkbox unchecked, the polygon is convex, with the checkbox checked, the polygon is concave.
- Beam depth - if the polygon is concave, then its vertices, as it were, form rays. This parameter shows how much of the polygon's radius will be occupied by rays. The higher the %, the longer and sharper the rays.
- Smooth outer corners - with unchecked the corners are sharp; with a tick, the corners are rounded.
For example:
The first nonagon has a radius of 3 cm, the rest of the boxes are unchecked.
The second nonagon has a radius of 3 cm, the checkmark is -star-, the depth of the rays is 25%, the rest of the checkboxes are unchecked.
The third nonagon has a radius of 3 cm, the depth of the rays is 50%, all the checkboxes are checked.
All have a style applied.
Draw lines
Let's choose a figure - lines. On the panel, select the mode - layer-shape, line thickness (in pixels), color and style. Consider the geometric parameters:
If all the checkboxes are cleared, it will be just a line, the parameters set the arrows at the ends of this line.
- Start- arrow at the beginning of the line.
- End- arrow at the end of the line.
- Width- proportions of the arrow as a percentage of the line thickness (from 10% to 1000%).
- Length- proportions of the arrow as a percentage of the line thickness (from 10% to 5000%).
- Curvature- determines the degree of curvature of the widest part of the arrow in the place where it meets the line (from -50% to +50%).
For example:
The first line is unchecked, width - 500%, length - 1000%, thickness - 2 pixels.
The second line has everything the same, but there is a tick at -beginning- and curvature - 5%.
The third line has everything the same, but the -end- checkbox is ticked and the -beginning- checkbox is unchecked.
The fourth line has both checkboxes, width - 500%, length - 1000%, curvature - 15%, thickness - 5 pixels.
All have a style applied.
Draw arbitrary shapes
Let's choose a figure - an arbitrary figure. On the panel, select the mode - shape layer, color and style. The geometric parameters are the same as for a rectangle. But here there is a choice of the figure itself:
Draw multiple shapes on one layer
The principle here is the same as with tools. rectangular selection(in the first lesson, we made a non-standard selection area using the tools on the options bar: add to selection, subtract from selection, etc.). The same tools are available in the Shapes Options bar.
For example, create a rectangle shape, now in the options bar click on the "add to shape area" icon, and now select an ellipse shape. Move the mouse cursor to the upper border of our rectangle, press the left mouse button and, without releasing, stretch the ellipse. It should look something like this:
If the ellipse is not stretched as you would like, you can fix it. To do this, take on the toolbar Path selection tool-
Move the cursor to the border of the ellipse and, holding down the left mouse button, drag the ellipse where it should be. Using all these tools, you can draw shapes of varying complexity.
Save Shapes
Let's say we liked the last shape we created and want to use it in the future. To do this, you need to save it. For this menu Edit -> Define Custom Shape. Give a name to the new shape. 
Now our shape has appeared in the drop-down panel for selecting arbitrary shapes.
Adobe Photoshop is widely used for work with images, providing a really wide range of possibilities. Most users use Photoshop for photo retouching, but, in addition, the program allows you to create: drawings, paintings, graphics - of varying degrees of complexity. Photoshop has several tools for creating drawings. First of all, you need to learn how to draw the simplest elements like triangles, lines, ellipses and other things, since they are used very often when creating various kinds of drawings. In this article, we will take a closer look at how to draw the simplest shapes in Photoshop. Let's figure it out. Go!
Learn the basics of computer graphics
After opening Adobe Photoshop, pay attention to the toolbar. To go to the shapes, click on the rectangle icon. In the pop-up window you will see the following tools:
- "Rectangle";
- "Rectangle with rounded corners";
- "Ellipse";
- "Polygon";
- "Line";
- "Arbitrary figure".
The editor offers several classic and freeform shapes
There are three drawing modes in total:
- A new shape is created, for which you can make a fill layer or a vector mask.
- Shape outline is created and painted over with any color.
- Pixel mode. In this case, the images are raster, not vector.
For each selected figure, geometric parameters are set, in other words, proportions. To draw a rectangle, select the appropriate tool, set the desired outline settings and fill color. And now just place the cursor at the point on the sheet from which you want to start drawing. Holding down the left mouse button, stretch the rectangle as needed.
There is nothing easier than draw a line. For this, a tool of the same name is used.
For a circle, use the Shift key or the advanced settings menu
Let's move on to how to draw a circle in Photoshop. Here everything happens in a similar way. Select the Ellipse tool, decide on the color and thickness of the outline. If you want to get a circle, not an ellipse, hold down the "Shift" key on the keyboard or set the "circle" in the geometric parameters section.
We draw a beautiful composition with standard means
Now let's figure out how to draw a triangle in Photoshop. In this case, everything is not so obvious, but it is not at all more complicated. All you need to do is select "Polygons" and in the small "Sides" box, set the number of corners. Accordingly, to get a triangle, enter the number "3". Then everything is done in exactly the same way as in the previous cases. Using the Polygon tool, you can get a shape with any number of corners. If you need to get right triangle, draw a square, and then cut off half diagonally.
Arrows at the beginning or end can be set in the tool properties
Let's see how to draw an arrow in Photoshop. This can be done in two ways. The first is that you need to select the "Line" tool, then in the options window mark which side of the line the arrow will be on (at the beginning or at the end), then you need to set the thickness of the arrow in pixels. Place the cursor at the desired point and start dragging the line with the mouse. The second way - select "Custom Shape". On the top panel there is a table with templates, among them there is also an arrow.
Templates that are included in the standard configuration of the application
