Trying to create a shape with curvature pen tool in Photoshop

[Terry DeLaney]

I have watched several YT videos on using this tool. None can tell me how to keep my shape from disappearing. Click, click, click. I have my shape. But how do I keep it from disappearing?

What I'm doing is tracing over a commercial page. The reference image is "placed" behind my canvas.


{Title edited by Moderator}

[Ranjisha Sengupta]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out.

Which version of Photoshop are you using? It isn't easy to understand what you are trying to do.

It would be great if we could see what you're seeing. Please post a screen recording of what's happening, and we will help sort it out. Here are instructions for making a screen recording - https://bit.ly/3Fkf5Vd.

Here are some steps to draw and edit vector paths; please have a look: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/how-to/draw-edit-curves-curvature-tool.html

Let us know how it goes.

Thanks.

Ranjisha

[Leslie Moak Murray]

Are you trying to save it as a Custom Shape? - Then you go Edit>Define Custom Shape.

Are you trying to preserve it in a layer? - With the Pen Tool Selected, right-click and choose "Fill Path>Foreground Color" form the dropdown menu (you would first make the desired color your Foreground Color).

[Terry DeLaney]

http://www.140iq.net/misc/Pen Tool.mp4

The video shows what happens when I draw a circle and press Esc and Enter.
Both actions delete the circle. According to some YT videos I've watched,
one of those keys is supposed to lock the shape to the canvas.

[Ricebug]

http://www.140iq.net/misc/PenTool.mp4

I had to delete the space to make the link pop.

[Ricebug]

https://140iq.net/misc/PenTool.mp4

Third time's the charm...

[Conrad C]

What you are describing and what your video shows is probably normal…if the tool is set to create a Path (vector object). But it sounds like you want it to create a Shape (vector layer that can be filled and printed/exported).

Therefore, before you start drawing, check the options bar and make sure the tool mode is set to Shape.

If that works, go back to the videos you were watching and see if they showed how they set that tool mode.

It also helps a lot to show the Paths panel when using a path tool. You will be able to see that pressing the Esc or Return key did not make the path “disappear”; what really happened is the keys deselected the path…it was present in the Paths panel the whole time, and could be reselected at any time by clicking it in the Paths panel.

But you would not be able to fill or export that path unless it was also a shape layer. If you drew a path but you need it to be a shape layer, if a path tool is active there is a Shape button in the options bar that you can use to convert the path to a shape layer.

Setting the tool mode correctly applies to all tools that can draw vector paths and shapes, including the Pen, Curvature Pen,  Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon. Triangle, and Custom Shape tools.

[Trevor.Dennis]

Conrad has told you the correct way to create a shape layer with the pen tools.  If you already have a workpath you wish to make into a shape layer, go Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color

I am not sure if I followed your issues correctly, but if you are losing workpaths, what I always do is having made a workpath, I drag it to the New Path icon at the bottom of the Paths panel (my green highlight).  Alternatively, naming a path will prevent it being overwritten.  You need to be careful deleting or transforming a layer if you also have a path selected, as the path will also be deleted or transformed.  That's a wee gotcha that I have fallen foulf of more times than I can remember.

[Ricebug]

Maybe I'm using the wrong tool. Like I said, I'm tracing over a scanned image from one of those coloring books you see in the retail outlets. Just lines, really. Draw a diamond on a coat and fill it in. Simple.

I was doing the outline work with the brush tool, holding down the Left-Shift key and left-clicking the mouse to make each point "jump" to the next point on the image. But I really like the smooth vectors of the pen tool.