Parallel lines and a grid are elements that bring order and rigid structure to a design solution. Lines set the direction for the eye as it fleetingly glides across the picture, emphasizing the surfaces, giving volume to the image. Light shading instead of filling creates the effect of weightlessness and airiness of the object.
It is easier to create parallel lines, a grid of rectangular cells, and a lattice in vector graphics programs such as Adobe Illustrator, for example. You can download a suitable texture or ready-made clipart.
But there is not always time to look necessary textures. Drawing a straight line is easy - draw with any drawing tool while holding down the Shift key. It's difficult to draw multiple lines equally spaced to create a grid, for example. But solving the problem of creating parallel lines in Photoshop is not at all difficult.
1 way.
The fastest way to create parallel lines is to use styles.
Draw a straight line with the Pensil tool (to make the line straight, hold down the Shft key).
Photoshop's built-in styles include Dotted Strokes styles. Select these styles using the Styles palette menu: Window > Styles.
From the style sets, choose the White 1pt 2pt-Spaced Dotted No Fill style or another one if you prefer.
Let's get a line of points.
This line needs to be stretched in width and obtained from the points of the strip. But if you do this right now, you will get a rectangle with a dotted outline. Here's a simple trick: create a new empty layer above the dotted line layer and merge the two layers (select these layers in the Layers panel and do the Merge command).
After that, simply stretch the line wider with the command Edit (Editing)>Transform (Transform).
If you create a new layer above the layer with lines, fill this layer with a gradient fill and apply the menu command from the layers panel Create Clipping Mask to it, you will get this rainbow stripe.
And using the Edit > Transform > Warp command allows you to get interesting effects.
Method 2.
Parallel lines can be created using gradients. The disadvantage of this method is significant - you must first create a gradient using the gradient editor. If you don’t know anything about working with the gradient editor, go here:
The advantage of this method is that, firstly, you can create a striped gradient, save it and use it always, secondly, you can create multi-colored gradients, gradients with blurry or clear transitions from the line color to the background, you can create double, triple lines with different spaces between them. Or download ready-made ones or
Creating a gradient to draw parallel lines is easy. Open the gradient editor and add color markers in the desired positions (just click the mouse in in the right places, color and distance are specified in the appropriate fields.). The Location field specifies the marker indentation in % from the left edge; the distance between markers is the distance between lines.
Small markers next to the color marker determine how blurry the line is. Try moving them closer to the line and see the result.
Handles above the gradient bar control the transparency of the gradient areas. White markers indicate transparent areas (Opacity is 0). This gradient is convenient for drawing on a ready-made background:
An example of using this gradient:
And don’t forget that there are different gradients - diamond-shaped, radial, mirror, which allows you to create different shapes with one easy movement:
3 way.
To begin, draw one line on a new layer.
Go to the Actions palette, create new operation(Line, for example), click the record button and follow simple steps: copy the layer with the line and move it up or down to the desired distance. The job is done, click the Stop Recording button. It should look something like this:
After that, press the triangular Play recording button as many times as you need lines.
As a result, the image has many layers with lines. If you are happy with the result, combine the layers with lines into one layer.
Duplicating the lines layer and then rotating the duplicate at right angles or any other angle makes it easy to create a mesh.
And applying styles - effects:
In this tutorial I will show you how to create beautiful abstract lines, which will be useful in the design of your work. This tutorial is perfect for beginners.
This is what the final result looks like:
Step 1. Create a new document sized 800x800 px, fill the background with black. Create a new layer above the background one, press the P key to activate Pen Tool(Feather). Create a line as in the screenshot below:
If you can't draw the curve, that's okay. To do this, hold down the ALT key and drag the end of the curve to edit its shape:
Press B to activate Brush Tool(Brush), select a 1 px brush:
In the window Color Picker(Color selection) select the required color:
Activate again Pen Tool(Pen) (P), then right-click on the created curve and select Stroke Path(Outline Stroke):
Choose Brush(Brush) from the drop-down menu, make sure that the option Simulate Pressure(Simulate pressure) is active, and click OK:
And we get this beautiful curve:
Step 2. Using the process described above, we create three more lines. Make sure that:
- each line is on a separate layer;
- for the first line, the brush size is 2 px, the second - 3 px, the third - 4 px;
- reduce the opacity of the layers to 80%, 60% and 40%.
We adjust the location of the lines and get the following result (4 lines on 4 layers):
Step 3. Create a group "Lines" Layer - New - Group(Layer - New - Group) and move all 4 layers with lines into it. Duplicate the group once and merge the copy of the group into one layer (CTRL+E). Reduce the opacity of the new layer to 70% and move the lines lower and to the left to create the effect of depth:
Continue duplicating the layer to create more lines:
Now we need to add some color to the lines. To do this, use an adjustment layer Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Hue/Saturation(Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Hue/Saturation) for layers with lines (don't forget to create a clipping mask for the adjustment layer CTRL+ALT+G).
Choose any color you like:
We continue to add more colors. You can use Free Transform(Free Transform) (CTRL+T) to adjust the angle of the lines:
We also adjust the size of the lines:
Step 4. Now let's add some gray lines. To do this we go Image - Adjustments - Desaturate(Image - Adjustments - Desaturate) or SHIFT+CTRL+U to desaturate one of the layers:
Mixing the gray lines together with the rest:
And we get the following result:
Step 5. Almost finished. Now we combine the layers with the lines that we created into one (CTRL + E), then duplicate them, rotate them, change their position:
Let's add abstract dots around the lines to diversify the work. To do this, set up a brush as shown below (press F5 to bring up the brush parameters window).
IN Adobe Photoshop There are a huge number of built-in functions that can be used to create various objects, retouch photos and more. A novice user who has just begun to comprehend the basics of this program would do well to consider the problem of how to draw a straight line in Photoshop. And those who have been in this environment for a long time may be interested in remembering the basic ways of drawing a straight line. One method or another will be useful in individual cases.
How to draw a straight line in Photoshop?
There are many ways and techniques of drawing different lines and elements. But before you draw a straight line in Photoshop, you need to keep in mind that there are three main and quick ways line images: Brush, Pen, and Line tools. Despite their simplicity, it can be assumed that everyone has their own drawing technique and each user chooses the tool himself, guided by his preferences and the task that faces him.
Brush tool
The simplest and clear method- drawing using the Pencil and Brush tools in Photoshop. It is worth keeping in mind that these tools draw and do not create some kind of object, so the image of the lines will be on the selected layer itself. You can avoid this situation and draw the line on a separately created layer. In this case, you can edit the brush mark without restrictions without harming other layers.
To draw a line, just select the Brush or Pencil tool. Then click on the left mouse button and use the cursor to set the direction of the line. In addition, you can use the right mouse button to open an auxiliary window with settings, where you can select the type of brush, determine the hardness and shape of the tip.
A straight line can be drawn using the tool in question using the method of multiple magnifications of the image. The closer the image is, the greater the chances of drawing a more or less straight line manually. A perfectly straight line can be created by holding down the Shift key and using the same Brush/Pencil tool. By activating the right tool, hold down the left mouse button and the Shift key - we observe the construction of a straight line, controlled by the cursor.
Line tool
There is another way to draw a straight line using the Line Tool in Photoshop. The quick access panel includes a block that combines a number of geometric tools, including the one in question. The created lines will be distributed into new layers, which will be formed automatically after constructing a straight line.
Before drawing a straight line in Photoshop, you need to select the tool of the same name and click on the left mouse button at the point where the beginning of this element will be. To complete the construction, you need to click on the LMB again.
The convenience of this method is that lines can be combined into a common layer and provide full editing of a group of constructed elements. The merged layer, after finishing work on it, can be rasterized, but you will no longer be able to work with the merged elements in vector graphics format. You can format a rasterized layer in the same way as others. Another advantage is the fact that you can edit the lines themselves without losing quality. The vector line editing menu is located at the top of the program - its header. Here you can set the line color, its outline, shape and thickness.
Pen tool
A universal tool for creating shapes of varying complexity. Using this function and the method of repeatedly enlarging the image, you can select hard-to-reach areas in the image in a new shape. So, for example, you can draw both straight lines in Photoshop and curves. Mastering this tool is extremely important - it is used everywhere in many creative works, when it is necessary to cut out an image or create a new graphic interpretation.
How the Brush and Pen Tools Work Together
You can easily draw with a pen straight line in Photoshop. To do this, you must first select the "Brush" tool, where using the right mouse button, a dialog box opens and the desired hardness, size and color are entered. future line. Now you should activate the Pen tool in the quick access panel (in addition to the regular pen, there are other types of the Pen tool in the block, but we won’t need them). Place the first anchor point in the place where the beginning of the line should be. Then we put another point - the end of the line.
The Pen tool does not create a work object, but only a path. In order for the user to turn the path into a real object, he needs to stroke the path. The Paths panel is located by default in the lower right corner, where layers are usually located. In this window, select the "Contour" tab, where you can see our work contour. Right-click on the outline and select "Stroke Outline". In the Photoshop window that appears, the brush is in the box by default - you don’t need to change anything, just confirm the action.
In this tutorial I will give 3 simple examples, how to draw curved line in Photoshop. Let's get started.
Method number 1. Circle.
To begin, draw a regular circle using the tool oval area. With this tool it is easy to draw a circle in this way: having selected the tool, change the tool style from "Ordinary" on "Specified size" and simply set the same size for the height and width of the circle. Or you can do all the operations not with a circle, but with an ellipse. Then just click on the sheet with the mouse, and you will have a selected area of a given size. After that, right-click on the selected area and select the item from the menu “Stroke”. In the window that appears, select the color and size of the brush. Next, just press on your keyboard "Ctrl" + "D" and your selection will disappear.
Now create another layer on top of the circle. And in a new layer draw a circle, but without a stroke.
Now simply fill the inside of the selection with the same color as the background and press the keys "Ctrl" + "D" to remove the selection.
Method number 2. Rectangle.
To begin, draw a rectangular area, outline it, but do not remove the selection yet (how to do this is described in method No. 1).
Then go to menu “Filter” (Filter) – “Plasticity” (liquify). Or press the keyboard shortcut "Shift" + "Ctrl" + "X".
And bend your figure, then press OK. After that, all that remains is to deselect and use the eraser to remove unnecessary details.
Method number 3. Feather.
Perhaps the easiest way is a tool "Feather". Many people do not understand what this tool is for only because they do not know how to use it. Everything is simple here. Selecting a tool "Feather", first give it a style "Paths". Then simply mark a dot on the sheet with this tool. Release the mouse button and place a second point on the other side, but this time, without releasing the mouse button, drag and you will see how the outline of a curved line appears.
After this, all that remains is to trace the outline, as in the first method with a circle, and also by right-clicking on the outline, select the item "Delete outline".
This method is very convenient for drawing wavy lines.
Wavy lines It is more convenient to draw with a pen with an anchor. To do this, you need to use a pen to place two points on the page, which will automatically be connected by a line. And then, pulling the middle of this line, use the same pen to bend the line.
The graphic editor Photoshop is rightly considered to be a rather complex program. He has a large number of tools, and therefore is able to perform many tasks. Well, in order to understand all its nuances, you need to make every effort, spend a lot of time and, of course, have a great desire, otherwise nothing will work out.
Of course, not all teams are within the capabilities of a beginner, for example, but this is only at first. But you have to start somewhere! I suggest starting with a simple, but at the same time very necessary lesson: how to draw a straight line in Photoshop. So, let's figure it out.
Brush and Pencil tools
There are several ways to draw a regular straight line in Photoshop, it all depends solely on the user’s preferences. By the way, this is also possible in several ways. To begin with, I would like to introduce you to the tools that are not the most obvious for these purposes: “Brush” and “Pencil”.
Please note that if you hold down the key before drawing, the line will not turn out strictly straight, so do not forget to perform this simple action.
Line Tool
This method of creating a straight line is perhaps very obvious and lies on the surface, and, nevertheless, beginners may not know about it. The point is that this tool is part of a group of others called by the U button on the keyboard. You can also call it manually; to do this, on the vertical Panel, click on the “Rectangle” button with the right mouse button. A small menu with a list will appear possible tools, among which is the one we need - “Line”. 
Click on it, and then adjust the header with customizable parameters, for example, you can adjust the line thickness. Now let's start drawing: to do this, simply pull the computer mouse to the side while holding its left button. If you press in parallel, you will get a vertical or horizontal line. Also, if you hold down the same key and drag the line along an inclined line, the line will accordingly be inclined at an angle of 45 degrees.
That's all science, as you can see, absolutely nothing complicated! Patience, a little practice, and you will succeed.