Adobe photoshop drawing lessons. How to draw in Photoshop

Today art is gradually moving into the digital plane. More and more people are striving to create using computers: drawing, creating music and animation. For many, the ability to create digital drawings is not just a hobby, but also a good opportunity to earn money.

You can draw on a computer using various software, but one of the most popular drawing programs is " Adobe Photoshop"But how to learn to draw in Photoshop?

Drawing base

People often ask whether it is possible to draw in Photoshop if you do not know how to draw in principle. Experienced digital artists They claim that this is not at all necessary, because you can learn to draw from scratch. However, the principles of drawing are the same as when creating drawings on paper: perspective, transmission of color and light, shadows, proportions and the basics of composition. That is why it is believed that a person who knows how to draw can master creating digital illustrations It's easier in Photoshop.

Before you start mastering drawing on a computer, familiarize yourself with the basics of drawing in principle. This will make the task much easier, and you will be able to create more beautiful and realistic images on your computer faster.

In addition, it is advisable that you familiarize yourself with the Adobe Photoshop toolkit. This way, you will be able to understand its main features and, if necessary, use them without wasting time searching for the right tool.

How to draw in Photoshop: tablet or mouse?

As a rule, the average user does not have a graphics tablet, so he is forced to arm himself with a regular mouse to draw. Drawing with a mouse has its drawbacks: it is more difficult to control the accuracy of lines and strokes, and your hand gets tired quickly. If you decide to learn how to draw on a computer, at first you should still take an interest in how to draw in Photoshop with a mouse. Once you start creating images with your mouse, you'll be able to see if you enjoy the activity and if you'd like to explore it in more depth.

Sooner or later, drawing lovers decide to buy a graphics tablet. It’s easier to work with it, because it feels like you’re drawing with a pencil, and your hand is in its usual position.

How to learn to draw in Photoshop?

Conventionally, there are three main paths that you can follow to learn how to draw in Photoshop:

• Attendance at in-person courses on drawing in Photoshop. This method quite expensive, but its main advantage is that your teacher will always be next to you, who will help correct the shortcomings of your work.
• Taking online courses on topics that interest you. Although such courses are also paid, they allow you to study at a time convenient for you and at convenient place, saving you from the need to find time in your usual schedule to attend classes.
• Learning from lessons and video tutorials on the Internet. There are many inexpensive and free lessons on drawing. By choosing the ones you like, you can gradually master drawing in Photoshop.

Basic drawing tools in Photoshop

The Brush is the main tool you will use. With its help you can create the most different lines. How to draw in Photoshop using a brush? Just select a tool on the panel and draw the desired line with it. It would seem that everything is simple, but the matter is complicated by the fact that the tool has many settings. If you look into them, you will see that brushes can be of different shapes, sizes, hardness, etc.

The Eraser will help you remove failed details from your drawing. He may also have different shapes, size and hardness. The principle of its operation differs from a brush only in that it erases. It is important to remember that it will be erased as the background color, no matter what it is.

Fill ( Paint Bucket) will help you fill a specific area of ​​the image with the desired color.

Gradient is a fill tool that allows you to create a smooth transition between colors. Gradients can have different shapes and be directed in different directions.

How to draw a straight line in Photoshop?

Drawing, at its core, comes down to drawing lines. Of course, later, with the help of various tools, they are led to the right type, but you still need to draw lines.

To create straight lines in this program there is a tool called “Line”. You can select it by clicking on the icon on the toolbar or the “U” hotkey. Next, you can select the size, thickness, etc. To draw a line, drag the mouse while holding down the left key.

Another way to create a straight line is to use the Brush tool. Select the brush you need and use it to place a point anywhere in the drawing. After that, hold down “Shift” and place a second point. You will see that the points you set will automatically be connected by a segment.

How to draw a curved line?

The easiest way to draw a curved line in Photoshop is to draw it freehand with a “Brush” or “Pencil”. If this option seems too simple for you, you can draw a straight line and then bend it using Photoshop tools. This is done quite simply and does not require any skills. Try it!

I don't have a tablet. I draw very little, and I’m afraid that if I buy it, it will either quietly gather dust on the shelf, or the time, which I already have very little, will be spent on the wrong goals that I pursue in life. But in fact, drawing with a mouse suits me quite well, this, of course, may seem strange, but it’s true.

I use Photoshop CS5 and Logitech mx518 mouse.

It has been serving me for 5 years, it is very comfortable, straight lines, which everyone is so afraid of, are drawn without difficulty. Although I can't sketch a human figure (it's not easy on paper either), here's an example of an eye drawn from scratch.

The main difficulty is still the lack of knowledge and experience.

I’ll try to outline the main features of drawing with a mouse:

It is much more convenient to paint with a standard soft brush. Hardness(Hardness) ranges from 20 before 70% . Flow(pressure) 40% . Opacity(Opacity) is also usually low, but it depends on the situation. I'm afraid this item may cause negative emotions, because almost all the use of a soft brush is frowned upon, but drawing with a mouse using it is much more convenient. There is no way to adjust the degree of pressure, and therefore, if you take hard brush, the strokes will turn out very rough. So you need to be careful.

I repeat, since it is impossible to regulate the degree of pressure, I additionally use an eraser with a low opacity to erase a little the ends of the lines.

Lots and lots of clicks. In general, you need to very quickly not only click on the drawing itself, but also be able to change the size of the brush, its hardness, transparency and switch to the eraser and back, this should be developed to the point of automaticity.

Now, actually, about the drawing itself.

The idea appeared more than a year ago, and I no longer remember how this image appeared in my imagination and what inspired me. I removed some stages in order to get rid of fruitless transformations, since due to lack of knowledge, I have to change a lot in the process. The end result is different from what I originally posted here, I modified it. It’s no good to somehow post a lesson when you yourself are dissatisfied with the drawing.

I intended to draw a girl whose hair turns into water and fills a huge lake. First I always do pencil sketch(but since the idea appeared more than a year ago, it was not saved) and I trace it in Photoshop. As you can see, the idea was a little different and I had already started to implement it, but something didn’t work out.

A year later, a slightly different picture appeared to me; I thought that this must certainly be a waterfall, and not just a stream. Therefore, I changed the sketch already in Photoshop, if there is a basis, then this does not represent a lot of work. Work permit - 3773x5500.

The next stage is definition color range, which is always difficult for me, despite the fact that I have a clear idea of ​​where and what color it should be. To do this, I create a new layer on top of the sketch. Let me immediately mention that in the future I will create many layers on top, gradually gluing them to the base. I don’t use a clear palette; I pick colors by eye or with a pipette from already drawn parts.

I work with the image evenly, but perhaps I will highlight the stages of the face, since on a small scale it is difficult to catch the changes.

I begin to detail the face and outline the hairstyle. To draw skin I take a large one soft brush with a low opacity to soften the color transition. In the process, I turn the face and add richer shadows of orange, yellow, and burgundy tones.

I draw the hair with broken lines and erase its ends. First I take a thick brush and gradually make it thinner and thinner. Using this principle, I draw absolutely everything, not just hair.

And now let’s return, in fact, to the whole picture.

At this stage, the main task for me is to correct the anatomy and prepare some kind of frame for further detailing. To do this, I look at references; I choose a huge number of them, so it’s impossible to single out any specific one. Either using transformation or drawing on top I correct the body. I designate the environment more specifically.

Then I try to enrich the color palette, adding many shades. I paint the sky and go over my hair and skin with the same colors, trying to make it glow. Using a hard brush I make the dress transparent in the leg area and detail the bodice. I draw the mountains in the background, copy them along with the sky and flip them vertically to create a reflection in the water. There was originally a pendant around the neck, which I later found out of place.

I draw the hands and change the appearance of the braid, instead of the usual one I draw “ spikelet”, because I didn’t take into account the fact that it was exactly what I got next to my face. I draw in even more detail the sky, waterfall, reflection in the water, and outline the stems of the plant on the rock.

I had a feeling that there wasn’t enough space around, so I expanded the canvas a little. Fog began to appear below and flowers on the plant.

And finally I apply 2 Alien Skin Exposure 2 filters. It turns out 2 layers on top of the picture:

1. Color Film - Kodak Ektachrome mid-1970s (blue) (lower the contrast a little, Opacity 20%);

2. Color Film - Fuji Provia 100F (Opacity 20%);

On each layer I erase areas that are too dark or overexposed.

The finished result.

Final result

In previous three lessons we talked about processing ready-made images. In this and the next four articles we will talk about the means of creating your own drawings from scratch - drawing tools, of which there are plenty in Photoshop.

Today I will talk about the group's tools. There are four of them in total.

• Brush. Simulates painting with a real brush. You can change its size, color, shape.
• Pencil. Perhaps the most understandable instrument of the group, because a pencil real life I'm sure everyone used it. If the contours of lines drawn with a brush are blurred, then pencil lines have clearly defined edges.
• Changing colors. Recolors already drawn objects. Thanks to it, you can easily change the color of an element already in the picture.
• Mix brush. A new tool that also imitates a brush, but with it you can mix colors on the canvas and on the brush itself, set the paint humidity, etc.

Now let's take a closer look. Create a new Photoshop document with a white background and experiment with the tools: drawing is useful, fun and won't hurt anyone. To display the tools, click the icon twice with the left mouse button or once with the right mouse button.

Brush

If you have ever painted with a brush (and you have, after all, painted), then you don’t need to explain the meaning of the tool. After activating it, you will be able to draw by dragging the pointer across the canvas while holding down the mouse button.

Take a look at the options bar: all the settings for the brush, like any other tool, are there.

Clicking the icon will access the brush settings. Here you can select a brush from the already ready set or create your own template. You can set the shape, size, rigidity and angle of the tool.

But you can fully enjoy the settings by executing the Window -> Brush command from the main Photoshop menu.

On the left side of the window there are checkbox tabs that allow you to configure, enable and disable certain brush properties.

• Brush imprint shape. The tab open by default contains the parameters we have already discussed.
• Dynamics of shape. Using the elements of this tab, you can configure how the properties of the brush will change directly during the drawing process.
• Drawing. The scattering slider allows you to change the density and width of the lines created. The counter sets the number of scattered elements - the higher the value, the “thicker” the brush draws. The oscillations of the counter allow the elements to be sprayed unevenly. If you check the Both axes checkbox, the paint will also be sprayed horizontally.

• Texture. Here you can select the design pattern and customize it. In particular, set the brightness, contrast and depth of colors.

• You can add another brush to the main brush, the settings of which are set on this tab.

• Color change settings over time: Color tone, saturation, brightness, purity.

• Allows you to set dynamic changes in saturation and transparency.

• The settings determine how the virtual hand holds the hand. In particular, you can set the appropriate tilt angle, rotation and pressure.

• Noise. This is a checkbox that will add noise to the brush mark.
• Adds color to the edges of the brush mark, creating a watercolor effect. The tool does not have a settings window.

• Overlay. Placing a checkbox creates the effect of spray paint splashing from a can. The longer you hold the mouse button down, the stronger the effect.
• Smoothing. By default, the checkbox is selected. Remove it if you want the outlines of the lines you draw to become clearer and sharper.
• Texture protection. Check this box if you want the texture specified in the default settings of the selected brush to not replace the one you set.

These settings should be enough literally “for all occasions.” Experiment to understand their practical application.

Pencil

By choosing this tool, you can create sharp, clear, thin lines, as if you were drawing with a regular pencil. The tool parameters are the same as the brush parameters, even the settings window will be the same (Window -> Brush).

In the options panel, in addition to the icon that opens the template set window, there are several more elements.

Color replacement

The tool allows you to recolor already created objects, and the abundance of settings makes it possible to do this with the highest quality possible, while preserving textures. You can change the values ​​either in the options bar or in the window, which can be opened using the main menu command of the program Image -> Correction -> Replace color.

Mix brush

This tool differs from the already discussed regular brush in that it allows you to mix the color of the brush with the color already in the picture, achieving a more subtle processing of the image. The settings are almost identical to the parameters of a regular brush, and we have already talked about it.

This lesson is over, and I suggest you move on to the next one, from the next one you will learn how to very quickly create even geometric shapes.

They provide very great opportunities for both professional artists and amateur artists. One of these programs is included in the Adobe package and is called “Photoshop”. It is intended primarily for processing and retouching photographs, but it contains a rich set of tools, has an intuitive interface, and mastering it will not be particularly difficult if desired.

The question of how to draw in Photoshop requires at least two clarifications. What device are you planning to use? Mouse or graphics tablet? What type of files are you planning to create? Vector or raster?

Question about drawing with a mouse

In general, learning how to draw in Photoshop with a mouse is possible in the full sense of the word only in one case. The mouse is only suitable for vector drawings. For raster painting, it can only really be used to create works in the spirit of abstractionism or cubism. Carry out clear, precise, complex and beautiful lines Few people can do it with a mouse.

If you want to create, you need to use the Pen tool.

Variants of this tool allow you to create points and lines and then manipulate them so that they bend in the desired direction, creating geometric correct forms. Then these figures are filled in the right color. The advantages of this method of drawing are that the drawing can be easily changed and corrected at any time (which is why vector graphics are so popular among animators), and also that it has almost nothing to do with the ability to draw “by hand.”

It is by using vector graphics tools that you can truly draw in Photoshop from scratch with the mouse.

Using a graphics tablet

However, the program's capabilities do not end there; it offers many possibilities for how to draw. Photoshop has a whole range of tools for painting. A graphics tablet allows you to use them to their fullest potential. Many people are both beginners and professional artists buy this device instead of looking for some tricky ways to draw in Photoshop with a mouse.

The tablet will allow you to draw clear lines, simulating drawing different instruments. Mastering the drawing technique will take some time, but it will be worth it. You can adjust the degree of pressure of a pencil or felt-tip pen, as well as a variety of other tools simulated by the program.

Brush

The basic tool for drawing in Photoshop is numerous brushes with a huge number of fine settings. In addition to the built-in brushes, you can create them yourself. In addition, you can find huge databases of brushes for every taste online.

Beginning of work

Before drawing lines in Photoshop, you need to create a new document and - preferably - a new layer. This always gives special advantages. Working with different layers will allow you to edit fragments of your drawing independently of each other, change the composition, delete unsuccessful lines without affecting successful ones, and without distorting the background.

So, in the “File” menu, click on the “New” line, in the window that opens, set the document parameters (size, color environment, etc.). The canvas has been created. Save the document.

In the “Layers” menu, click on the line “New” - “Layer”. Set its parameters. By default, you will create a transparent layer on top of the background. You can delete, rotate, move or edit it at any time without affecting other layers.

Now select the Brush tool. In the drop-down list, select its shape, adjust the size and hardness. Set the color of future lines.

Now you can draw lines or spots. As you work, don't forget to save your document regularly.

If you are satisfied with the drawn fragment of the image and you would not like it to be damaged during further manipulations, create a new layer and work in it. You can then merge both layers for further processing.

Fine brush settings

Before drawing in Photoshop, it is appropriate to study the brush settings, because the capabilities of the tool are in many ways the defining moment for the artist.

The “Brushes” palette will allow you to control the line and make it more alive.

You might like the following customization options.

"Dynamics of Form". It allows you to make a line thicker or thinner depending, for example, on rotation or pressure.

"Texture". This parameter is designed to simulate drawing a certain structure on a canvas, and it can also be customized.

"Color dynamics". You can adjust the brush so that the shade of the line changes and the drawing looks more natural.

"Wet Edges" This option allows you to simulate painting with wet paint. True, it does not have additional settings, but works on the “on/off” principle. (you can only remove or check the box when selecting an option).

There are other settings that will make drawing in the program closer to natural.

Editing Images

One of the reasons to ask the question of how to learn to draw in Photoshop is the ability to quickly edit and “finish” the work, quickly transform a draft into a finished copy.

The benefits of drawing on a computer are well felt if you need to finished work edit something that can rarely be edited on paper or canvas.

1. Relatively easy editing of small and main lines of the image. Let’s say it’s quite easy to correct a finished portrait without compromising the quality of the drawing.
2. Creation of numerous copies of work, the ability to return to a certain stage of work.
3. Adjustment and radical change of composition. Often the compositional solution is found only after the work is ready. In this case, you need to either come to terms with the mistakes made, or redo the work again and again. In Photoshop, when working in layers, you can always not only change the composition, but also feel free to experiment without wasting effort and precious time.
4. Adjustment and replacement of background and texture.
5. Adjusting the color scheme.

The capabilities of the program are so great that, as a rule, everyone finds their own way of how to draw in Photoshop. Most often, an artist or designer uses a limited number of functions, which are sufficient to achieve the main goals of the work.

Drawing tools let you create and edit vector shapes. They make it easy to create various elements for web pages.

Create a new training file.

Left-click on the -shapes- tool in the toolbar, the tool selection window will open:

Here are the basic shapes we can use. Select any one and look at the options panel:

For any shape you can choose:

• drawing mode:
  • Shape layer. The figure is created in 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 shape's boundaries. The outline of a shape is a path that appears in the Paths tab of the Layers panel.
  
  
  • Outlines. This mode allows you to draw outlines of shapes that can be filled or outlined with any color. Paths appear in the Paths tab of the Layers panel.
  
  
  • Pixel Fill. When working in this mode, not vector, but raster images, which can be processed in the same way as any raster image
  
  
• style and color of the figure


• set parameters specific to this figure

Let's select the first shape - a rectangle. In the panel, select the mode - shape layer. Select a style by clicking on the triangle on the right.

Choose any one 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 crossed out with a red line.

Now you can set the geometric parameters:

• Arbitrarily- as you draw, so it will be.
• Square- when you stretch 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 proportions- you can set how many times the width will be smaller (or larger) than the height. When stretching the figure, the proportion will be maintained.
• From the center- draws a rectangle from the center.
• Snap to Pixels- the edges of the rectangle are snapped to the pixel boundaries.

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. In the panel, select the mode - shape layer, corner radius - for example, 15 and color (you can style it as you want). The geometric parameters are the same as for a rectangle.

This is what happened to me various combinations radius and style.

Why not news blocks and menu buttons?

Drawing circles

Let's choose the third figure - an ellipse. In the panel, select the mode - layer-shape, color and style. The geometric parameters are the same as for a rectangle, with the only difference being that you can choose a circle instead of a square. Select -randomly- and stretch the ellipse. If you want there to be a circle, then hold down the Shift key or select -circle- in the geometric parameters.

Here's what I got:

Drawing polygons

Let's choose a shape - a polygon. In the panel, select the mode - shape layer, the number of sides in the range from 3 to 100 (for example, 3 for a triangle, 6 for a hexagon), color and style. Let's consider the geometric parameters:

• Radius- radius of the polygon.
• Smooth outer corners
• Star- with the checkbox unchecked, the polygon is convex, with the checkbox ticked, the polygon is concave.
• Beam depth- if the polygon is concave, then its vertices seem to form rays. This parameter shows what part of the polygon radius will be occupied by rays. The higher the %, the longer and sharper the rays.
• Smooth outer corners- with the checkbox unchecked, the corners are sharp, with the checkbox checked, the corners are rounded.

The first hexagon has a radius of 3cm, the rest of the checkboxes are unchecked.

The second hexagon has a radius of 3 cm, the -star- checkbox, the depth of the rays - 25%, the rest of the checkboxes are unchecked.

The third hexagon has a radius of 3 cm, the depth of the rays is 50%, all the boxes are checked.

All have a style applied to them.

Drawing lines

Let's choose a shape - lines. In the panel, select the mode - shape layer, line thickness (in pixels), color and style. Let's consider the geometric parameters:

If all the checkboxes are unchecked, there will be just a line, the parameters are set by 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 where it meets the line (from -50% to +50%).

The first line has all checkboxes unchecked, width - 500%, length - 1000%, thickness - 2 pixels.

For the second line, everything is the same, but there is a checkmark at -beginning- and the curvature is 5%.

For the third line, everything is the same, but the -end- is checked and the -beginning- is unchecked.

The fourth line has both checkboxes, width - 500%, length - 1000%, curvature - 15%, thickness - 5 pixels.

All have a style applied to them.

Drawing arbitrary shapes

Let's choose a figure - an arbitrary figure. In the panel, select the mode - layer-shape, color and style. The geometric parameters are the same as for a rectangle. But here there is a choice of the figure itself:

If you click on the triangle in the circle (on the right), you can select additional shapes in the context menu that opens.

Drawing multiple shapes in 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 Shape Options panel.

For example, create a rectangle shape, now in the options bar click on the "add to shape area" icon, and now select the ellipse shape. Move the mouse cursor to the upper border of our rectangle, press the left mouse button and, without releasing it, stretch the ellipse. It should look something like this:

If the ellipse is not stretched as desired, you can correct it. To do this, select the path selection tool from the toolbar:

Move the cursor to the border of the ellipse and, while holding down the left mouse button, drag the ellipse where it should be. Using all these tools, you can draw shapes of varying complexity.

Saving the 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 any figure. Give the new shape a name.

Now our shape has appeared in the drop-down custom shape selection panel.

This concludes the lesson. Next time we'll deal with outlines and raster images.