How To Draw An Arrow In Photoshop Cc 2019

I was looking for a way to draw a curved arrow in Photoshop, only it seemed like there wasn't a clear answer. There were a lot of complex steps and it certainly wasn't a beginner-friendly procedure at first glance. Luckily, after a lot of fourth dimension spent working in Photoshop, I began using a different mode of creating curved arrows. With this technique, you tin create a curved arrow in seconds, and relieve it every bit a shape preset to utilise in the future!

To draw a curved arrow in Photoshop, select the Line Tool, click the gear icon in the upper setting bar, then set the Arrowhead choice to "End." Now click and drag out to create your arrow, printing Command/Command + T, right-click and choose Warp. Lastly, set the warp preset to Arc to curve the arrow.

At present that might seem like a longwinded process, but I promise information technology's quick and painless. Plus, at the finish of this tutorial, you'll learn how to save these shapes as custom shape presets and so yous never take to practise the piece of work once again!

Let get started.

How To Draw A Curved Arrow In Photoshop

Step one: Create A New Document

Open Photoshop and create a new sail. Become to the File option on the meridian left-hand corner of your screen, so click new.

Pace 2: Create A New Layer

After you've created a new project, nosotros're going to create a new layer to work on. To do this, go to the lesser right-hand corner of your screen and click the new layer icon (a square with a plus sign in it).

Step 3: Access The Elliptical Marquee Tool

After you've created a new layer, you're going to create a circle to employ as the body of your curved arrow. This is where the elliptical marquee tool will come in.

Select the elliptical marquee tool from the Tools menu to the left of your screen or press M on your keyboard. If y'all don't encounter it, click and hold on the rectangular marquee tool and and then select the elliptical option.

Step 4: Create An Elliptical Marquee Choice

Once you've selected your elliptical marquee tool, depict a circle on the new layer. Y'all can make it every bit big equally you lot want your arrow to exist.

Step 5: Add A Stroke To The Active Option

What's surrounding the circle is what's known every bit marching ants, these signify a selection on the paradigm. In one case you've drawn your circumvolve to your desired size, click the Edit button at the top left-hand corner of your screen, then scroll downwardly and select Stroke.

Once you've hit stroke, you'll see a pop-upwardly carte where you lot can determine on the details of the stroke. Make the width 25px, select the color as blackness, location equally centre, and then click ok.

When you lot're finished applying the stroke, your circumvolve will wait like this:

Step 6: Add A Layer Mask

Now that you've fatigued the circle, information technology's time to go on to make information technology a wonderful curved arrow. It'due south always best to do every bit much not-destructive work as possible, so we're going to use a layer mask to cutting this circle in half.

Go back to the bottom left-hand corner of your screen and select the layer mask icon (rectangle with a circle in it) to activate a layer mask.

Step 7: Access The Brush Tool And Prepare The Foreground Color To Black

After you've added your layer mask, select the brush tool and set up your foreground color to black to mask a portion of the circle.

Stride viii: Select Your Layer Mask

Now that you've selected your brush, and fix your foreground colour to blackness. Click on the layer mask so that you can mask out your circle rather than work on the layer itself.

Step nine: Paint Over Half Of The Circle To Mask Information technology Out

Now you're all set to cut your circle in half to requite you lot that curved arrow look. Begin masking out a portion of your circle similar what y'all meet below. To mask out your image, simply paint over the areas of your circle that you desire to get rid of.

Step ten: Access The Pen Tool

Now that you accept the curve of the arrow, it's time to brand the arrowhead. This is where the pen tool comes in. Access the pen tool by clicking it on your toolbar or press P on your keyboard.

Step eleven: Use The Pen Tool To Draw The Arrowhead

In one case you've clicked the pen tool, create a new layer and begin cartoon a triangle at the start end of the curved line. If you didn't get information technology right on the first try, don't sweat, printing the Command or Control push button, and select an anchor point to accommodate it to your liking.

You tin can learn more well-nigh using the pen tool and working with ballast points here.

Step 12: Fill up The Arrowhead

Now that you've fatigued the arrowhead via pen path, y'all need to fill it. Correct-click on the path and select "fill path" to color the arrowhead black.

Now You've Made A Curved Arrow!

At that place yous have it, you've fabricated a curved arrow using the elliptical marquee tool and a triangular pen path!

How To Make A Curved Arrow With The Line Tool

In the concluding method y'all learned to create an arrow in a half-circumvolve, but what if you desire a more subtle bend? With the line tool y'all tin can apace create a subtle bend to your pointer without dealing with any paths! Hither's how to practise it.

Pace 1: Access The Line Tool

Select the line tool from the toolbar or press U on your keyboard to access your shape tools.

Step 2: Adjust The Line Weight

Subsequently you lot've selected the line tool, go to the toolbar at the acme of the window and arrange the line weight. This volition decide the line'south thickness. Every bit y'all can encounter, I chose 10 pixels, but you can brand your line as thick as you want.

Step 3: Add together The Arrowhead

After deciding on the line'due south thickness, it's time to determine where you're going to add the arrowhead. Photoshop allows you to add an arrow at the beginning or end of a line. Select the gear icon beside the weight option, then select "Start" or "End" from the dropdown menu to decide where to put your arrowhead. I've chosen to put the arrowhead at the end of my line.

Step 4: Pick A Color Fill For The Arrow

Earlier you lot depict your pointer, in that location's one terminal affair to pick, and that'south the colour. Since you'll be using the shape tool, you can utilise the "Fill" and "Stroke" options to color your arrow. The Fill up option colors the entire pointer, while the stroke choice adds an outline.

Click the Fill option in the upper toolbar and select the colour you want your arrow to exist. Repeat this step for the stroke option every bit well.

Stride 5: Depict Your Arrow

At present it's time to depict your arrow on the canvass. The shape tool creates a new shape layer each fourth dimension yous draw on the canvas, so if you lot dislike your arrow, you lot tin can delete the layer and restart with ease. Try non to worry about the straightness of the line likewise much, since you'll exist curving it soon plenty. Hither's what my line looks like:

Step vi: Activate The Free Transform Tool

Once y'all've drawn an arrow that y'all're happy with, it's time to use the gratuitous transform tool to curve it. Click the Edit button at the top of the window and selecting "Costless Transform Path" from the dropdown bill of fare. You tin can too access the free transform tool by using the shortcut Command or Control + T.

Footstep 7: Activate The Warp Tool

After yous've activated the free transform tool, right-click on your arrow and select "Warp" from the dropdown menu.

Stride 8: Curving Your Arrow

The warp tool allows yous to twist your images in all sorts of means, yet for this tutorial, we simply need to give the pointer a slight curve and a preset will suffice.

Become to the toolbar at the top of Photoshop and, from the Warp option, click "custom" to reveal a dropdown menu. From that menu, select the "Arc" pick. This will apply a preset warp to your arrow to add a slight bend to the unabridged shape.

At present Your Have Another Curved Arrow!

Now you lot've successfully made some other curved arrow. Hither's how mine turned out:

How To Save Curved Arrows As A Custom Shape

Now that yous've created your curved arrow, it's time to salve it as a custom shape, so y'all tin reuse it whenever you want.

Step 0: Flatten The Layers

This method tin be used to brand a custom shape out of the curved arrows made in both the first and second methods. However, since multiple layers were used to make the curved pointer in the get-go method, you're going to need to merge the layers earlier making it a custom shape.

Concur Command or Control and click on layers used to make the curved arrow (this doesn't include the background layer). Next, correct-click on any of the selected layers and select "Merge Layers" from the dropdown menu. Now the layers are one, and you lot can make them a custom shape.

Stride 1: Create A Selection Around Your Shape

Hold Command or Control and click the layer thumbnail of your pointer in the layers panel. This will turn your shape into an active choice (it'll be surrounded by marching ants).

Stride 2: Go To Edit > Define Custom Shape

Next, click Edit in the menubar and select "Define Custom Shape" from the dropdown menu.

Pace three: Name Your Custom Shape

Later on yous've clicked the "Define Custom Shape" pick, you'll see a popup card asking you lot to name your shape. Type whatever proper name works for you.

Footstep 4: Access The Custom Shape Tool

Now that you've created a custom shape using your curved arrow, it'south fourth dimension to test it out. Actuate the custom shape tool by correct-clicking on the line tool and selecting "Custom Shape Tool" from the popup menu.

Stride 5: Locate Your Custom Shape

Once you've selected the custom shape tool, become to the toolbar and click the Shape option next to the gear icon. Scroll down the dropdown carte until you meet your curved arrow custom shape and click information technology to actuate it.

Step six: Draw Your Curved Arrow Using Your Custom Shape Tool

At present that you've selected your custom shape, test it out by drawing on the canvas. By clicking and dragging out on your sheet, you lot will create an exact copy of the arrow y'all fabricated earlier. This time without whatsoever manual steps required since there is a premade shape to use!

Then now yous know how to create 2 dissimilar types of curved arrows in Photoshop. Whether you desire a circular curve or a slight bend, these two techniques have yous covered. If y'all plan to employ these shapes more than often in the time to come, I highly recommend saving these as custom shape presets to utilize in the hereafter!

After you lot end editing your arrow, to may desire to change the color of it. To assist you learn how to do but that, bank check out this next tutorial on changing the colors of shapes in Photoshop!

Happy Editing!

Source: https://www.bwillcreative.com/how-to-draw-a-curved-arrow-in-photoshop-2-easy-ways/

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