Expert: Amy - 4/17/2007

Question
Hi,

I need to draw a line with the pen tool which vary between staight and curved
lines. I also have a multi coloured background (tif) made up of lots of
different coloured and would like the line I have drawn to have a mix of the
colours from the background tif.

How do i blend the line into the tiff to only leave a multi coloured line?

Which would be the best program to do this in and how please?

I hope I have explained this clearly.

Thank you

Answer
Hi Trina.

I think the best way to do that would be on PhotoShop.

Open tiff in PhotoShop.

Using the Pen tool, draw your line. Make sure you are in Path mode and not in Shape Layer mode (options bar is immediately below menu bar at the top of your screen).

Create a new layer in front of the original image and switch to that layer: Layer 1

Hit D to make the foreground color black.

Select the pencil tool.

Select an appropriate stroke width for the pencil tool (how wide you want the final stroke to be) - I chose 3.

Switch to the Path Selection Tool (A).

Select the path you drew using the path select tool.

Open the Paths Window.

With the path selected, and working in the new blank layer you created, use the flyout menu in the upper right corner of the Path Window and "Stroke Path." Choose the pencil tool in the resulting options box.


The stroke will appear as a black line on the new layer. Once it is stroked, you can delete the path if you want.

Again, working in the newer layer, using the magic wand tool with the Contiguous setting unchecked, select the area around the line, then Select Inverse. (Shift+Ctrl+I) Your line will now appear selected.

In the layers windows, switch to the layer the image is on.

Hit Ctrl+J a new layer will be created using only the portion of the image that the line was drawn in top of.

There are probably other ways to do this.

Let me know if any of this is unclear.

-Amy Pace