Chapter 1: Painting and Drawing with Elements

In This Chapter

arrow.png Making pencil sketches and brush strokes

arrow.png Using Brush presets

arrow.png Creating basic and custom shapes

arrow.png Editing shapes

Feel free to keep on your street clothes for this chapter on drawing and painting. The tools you work with in Elements are self-cleaning and don’t require that you wear a smock. Painting is a basic skill that you need to have down pat in Elements. After you get familiar with the technique of painting strokes and working with brushes, you’re well on your way to mastering more advanced skills, such as retouching, which come easier to you if you already have some strong painting skills under your belt.

In tandem with painting, of course, comes drawing. The Elements shape tools add an important dimension to your drawing capabilities. This chapter introduces you to a plethora of tools and techniques. We start with painting and then move on to drawing. Master both, and they can serve you well.

Introducing the Pencil and Brush Tools

The Pencil and Brush tools are like chocolate and mint: They not only work well together ...

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