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About this lesson
The Pencil Tool can be used to sketch or draw small, hard-edged lines. It can also be used with the Symmetry Mode to draw identical lines and shapes at one time.
Exercise files
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Quick reference
Pencil Tool
Learn how to use the Pencil Tool in Photoshop and how it can do some things that the Brush Tool cannot.
When to use
The Brush Tool is very useful any time you would like to draw or paint a mirrored or symmetrical design.
Instructions
Vertical and Horizontal Symmetry
- Begin by creating a 1920 x 1080 document.
- Add a New Layer above your 'Background Layer'.
- Click and hold on the Brush Tool in the toolbar to reveal a few other nested tools.
- From here, choose the Pencil Tool from the menu.
- You can also press Shift+B on the keyboard to select tools nested within the main Brush Tool until you have the Pencil Tool selected.
- You can draw with the Pencil Tool to create line art, and while it doesn't offer quite as much variety as the Brush Tool, there are some benefits to using the Pencil including the Symmetry Modes.
- Click on the Symmetry Mode icon in the top toolbar.
- Choose 'Vertical' from the dropdown.
- You can now scale and reposition the vertical line within your document.
- Once you press 'Enter' or 'Return' on the keyboard, your changes will be applied.
- You can now draw on either side of the line with the Pencil Tool and it will be mirrored perfectly on the other side.
- Delete this and try using the 'Horizontal' option instead to see how it looks.
Exploring Other Symmetry Modes
- There are some less conventional options here such as 'Radial' where you can choose the number of segments you'd like in your shape.
- Try adding a Radial line with 5 segments and begin drawing in one of the sections to see how it's repeated.
- Using an option such as Radial can be very useful if you want to create patterns without having to draw the same shape multiple times.
- Experiment with a few of the other symmetry tools such as 'Wavy' or 'Spiral' to see what they do.
Hints & tips
- Using the Pencil Tool in Photoshop unlocks a variety of Symmetry Modes that aren't available with the brush.
- Symmetry Modes can be a great time-saving technique that can be used to create patterns, textures, and more.
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