Pen Tool 9 Ivy

Ivy Vine

By using this tutorial you agree to my terms

Feel free to use your own colors for this.

For this tutorial you will need Jasc PSP 9 . This was written using 9 but it can be done in 7 and 8 with a few adjustments.

We are going to make a simple Ivy branch using the pen tool.

Open new canvas 800X500. I like big canvas but it is up to you what size you like to work with.

Click on the pen tool, click the point to point bezier check create on vector and show nodes, line size 7. Foreground color #5e6a44 background color set at nil (or turned off)

1. Start in left hand bottom about 100X400 (this doesn't have to be exact just in that general area) Click mouse and hold, then drag the mouse to the right a little. Let go of mouse button. Go to the top right about 700X100. Click and hold mouse button and drag mouse a little to the right and down just a bit. Let go and your line will be curved. Click select none then you can click on each node and turn to curve it more if you like. That is up to you. You can add a couple extra nodes if you like to curve it some more. To add nodes, hold curser over line hold down Ctrl and click left mouse button. Click apply.

2. Add new vector layer. Start at the top of the stem. Change the size to 3 and draw leaf stem same as you did for stem. Only move mouse to the left and up as in screen shot. Click apply

3. Add new vector layer for the leaf. Click on the little arrows in the materials box. We are going to draw using the background. Click it to swap it to change to background.

Make sure you have connect segments, create on vector and show nodes all checked. Click on the leaf stem point, click around till you get the basic leaf shape. When you add the last node click the close contour button. Add some nodes where the red dots are to do some more shaping. To add nodes, hold curser over line hold down Ctrl and click left mouse button. Move the added nodes in a bit. Start at the first node by the stem. Right click on it and go to node type, the symmetric. Grab the arrow point and pull out to the right to curve line. Go on to the next node choose either symmetric or Asymmetric. If you want cusp right click again and you can choose it. Note: Symmetric when you pull both sides move, Asymmetric only one side moves, Cusp makes a point when both lines are pulled down.

Below is what I have done by adding nodes here and there. Continue on around the leaf shaping as you go. Leaves are not perfect That is how I make a leaf using the pen tool.

When you get your leaf done just click the duplicate layer button . Then flip Ctrl + I. Duplicate and flip till you get all the leaves you need to fill up the stem. Then click the object selection tool . Click on each leaf now it will have the selection box around it and you can turn it and move it to where ever you want. You don't have to make any more leaves just use the same one and move and adjust it the way you want. It is still in vector so to adjust it all you have to do it click on the layer New Path then the pen tool and it will have all the nodes there so you can change or add new nodes if you need to. That way you don't have to make a bunch of leaves just the one. As you go down farther to the end of the main stem with the leaves just hit the resize button to 80%. Keep it all in vector and you can have a whole lot of leaves from just the one. LOL

This is what I came up with for the Ivy Vine. Now save your image in vector and then duplicate and convert the layers to raster layers.

4. Turn off all leaf layers and stem layer. Merge visible all leaf stem layers.

5. Click on stem layer. Click Ctrl + A F to select. Then click float and apply cutout horizontal and vertical 0, opacity 100, blur 4 color dark green. Do the same for the leaf stems change blur to 2.

4. Click on first leaf layer. Add new vector layer Use pen tool to draw in the spine using color 4. Convert to raster layer. Gaussian blur 1.50 to 2. Lower opacity to 64% to 85%.