Buttons or Labels - Part 1

In this (long) lesson I'll be showing you how to draw shaped buttons or labels, which will allow you to do
several things, such as add a title to a picture, design buttons for your web site, highlight/enhance an area
of your digital image ...

Brush tool (and options bar shown here)

Time to start. Create a new file 400px by 400px at 72dpi. Yes, YOU have to make your own digital image this time!

Next, click the Brush tool (on the toolbar) or on the keyboard type b.

Note the Brush options (they actually are at the top of the workspace, but shown here for your delight!)

Somehow you must select a 100px brush with a soft edge! (Hint ... try clicking the little arrow - next to the tiny brush icon)

With your new image open (and looking too white) let's choose a colour. As usual with Photoshop, there are different methods ...

Click on the color bar in the color palette

Click on the color picker on the toolbar

Color = Colour (Photoshop spells a la USA!)

Use the brush tool in combination with your preferred method of colour selection to create an effect similar to this.

Use any colours you like, but take a look at the brush's options (first picture on this page) and try lowering the opacity to 20% for example.

Now you can see that a variation in the opacity of the brush allows you to 'build up' colours- rather that a 100% 'blast' of colour.

NOTE by painting/brushing on a NEW LAYER you always have the option of deleting the new layer and starting again. OR adding another layer on top and painting/brushing different colours AND changing the layers BLENDING MODE - as you did in previous lessons - didn't you?

This is not supposed to be 'the finished article', it's just a base to work on. But I bet you learnt about the Brush tool (and options), Layers (and blending modes), colour choice, opacity and how to yodel (ha ha just joking)

Now click on the Shape tool.

Here's the option bar (defaults/last used)

Create another layer on the layers palette, rename it to SHAPES IN HERE.

Make sure that this new layer is active (tiny brush - remember?)

Now click and drag a shape! As shown on the left.

Because you have previously selected white the shape is white - try a new colour and draw another.

You now have a few round cornered rectangles adorning your workpiece ... but somehow it's not that good ... it seems too much effort to try and arrange them neatly ... let's see what we can do about that.

NOTE you can alter the layer's opacity and get a nice effect too - don't just sit there ... experiment away!

Whoa! What happened? Well by now you should be getting used to Photoshop ...

If you look carefully you'll be able to follow these menu choices ... View>Show>Grid.

Also the Extras are ticked.

Also the Snap is ticked.

Look at the image and you'll see the grid is now visible.

If you drag a shape now (stick to the rounded rectangle) you should see that it 'snaps' to the grid.

NOW you can arrange these buttons/lables in an orderly fashion!

Below you'll see the finished article - with a drop shadow .... I'll leave you to work that out ...

Hint ... layer palette, bottom left, f icon

(and DO try some of the others too)