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After-the-Aftermath — Super Smooth Lines Tutorial V2
Published: 2009-07-19 18:14:58 +0000 UTC; Views: 8369; Favourites: 209; Downloads: 147
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Description
WARNING! HUGE FILE!I felt that the "Super Smooth Lines Tutorial" on my old account, ~wilddire , needed some updating, so I did a little redux of it for CS4, though the method'll work with pretty much any version of Photoshop.
Learn how to get super smooth, super sharp lines in 4 easy steps!
This isn't the only way to do it, it's just how I do it.
Tutorial by ~After-the-Aftermath 2009.
EDIT: Many of you have asked if this will work with Elements. It will! With the brush tool selected, go to "More Options" and you will find some of the settings I mention in this tutorial. Play with spacing and hardness to get a smoother line. Hope this helps you Elements users.
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Comments: 42
Ten years old and still useful...it help me a lot THANK YOU!
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Hej, I've created a global pen smoothing app for mac OS X. Check it out - Hej Stylus!
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Thank yo for sharing this! I FINALLY have a PS brush that I love! ^^
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I'm pretty sure I haven't commented on this yet...
Oh my GOD this tut was a lifesaver. This is an AMAZING brush and thank you for sharing!! 8D
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Where is more options....i keep looking in the elements help sections, but they don't telll me anything D: (I have photoshop elements 7)
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Awesome tutorial! But I have one question. how can you make the brush look like that, with pointy end?
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The pointy end is created with pen pressure, and this requires a tablet. However, if you don't have a tablet, you can fake pen pressure using a mouse. I think I left instructions for another person below. Scroll down and you will see
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Can't wait till this weekend to try this. Looks great!
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aw thanks this was so helpful! some people do something with Vector Lines. but the explanations were kinda awful.
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aw thanks this was so helpful! some people do something with Vector Lines. but the explanations were kinda awful.
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Thank you so much for making this. owo I've been wondering how in the world people make such crisp lineart for years, now. <3
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i did the sharper lines, but like they dont fade out on either end like what you have shown.. do you know what i mean ? D:
how do i fix this~
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Okay, first question. Are you using a tablet? If not, then you won't get the pen pressure feature, or fading out on either end, that you see here. You can fake it with a mouse by setting, on the Shape Dynamics tab, the Size Jitter control to "Fade." Then play with the number next to it to get a longer or shorter fade.
If you ARE using a tablet and you aren't getting pen pressure, first go back to the Shape Dynamics tab and make sure the "Size Jitter" control is set to pen pressure. If this still doesn't work, try closing Photoshop, making sure your tablet is on, and then reopening Photoshop and checking to make sure all the settings are right.
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Okay, I'll try to help you out...
1. Go back through the tutorial and be sure ALL of your settings match mine exactly.
2. Are you using a tablet? Sometimes using a mouse will still make the lines look blurry/jaggedy after these options are changed.
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damn,will you make a tutorial for the mouse?
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The lines should look a little sharper after changing these settings, but the jaggediness will only go away with practice drawing with the mouse. You can get tablets pretty cheap if you shop around, but if you don't want to get one, you can fake the "pen pressure" feature. All you have to do is, with the brush tool selected, open the brushes panel as shown in the tutorial and on the SHAPE DYNAMICS tab, set the "Size Jitter" control to "Fade" instead of "Pen Pressure." You can then change the number next to it to get a longer or shorter fade. This gives the illusion of pen pressure, and with some practice it can look really nice. All the other settings on the tutorial can stay the same.
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Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks~
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A couple things that could fix your lack-of-pen pressure problem:
1. When using a tablet, always turn on and connect your tablet first, and THEN open Photoshop, or whatever image program you're working with. I find if I have Photoshop open when I turn on my tablet, the pen pressure won't work.
2. On the SHAPE DYNAMICS tab, make sure you set the Size Jitter control to "Pen Pressure" (as seen in Step 2). Make sure the other "controls" on the SHAPE DYNAMICS tab are set to "Off."
If those don't work, let me know and I'll try to help you out!
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ahh... i'm using mouse.. i don't have any tablet pc.. Is it still possible for me to use pen pressure with a mouse?
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Unfortunately, no, pen pressure does not work with a mouse. You can find decent tablets for pretty cheap if you shop around. This article: [link] has some suggestions for cheap tablets. If you can afford something a little pricier, I recommend anything from Wacom.
If you don't want to get a tablet, there IS a way to fake pen pressure with a mouse. All you have to do is, with the brush tool selected, open the brushes panel as shown in the tutorial and on the SHAPE DYNAMICS tab, set the "Size Jitter" control to "Fade." You can then change the number next to it to get a longer or shorter fade.
And just a side note: you don't HAVE to have pen pressure for this tutorial to give you a sharper line. Just follow the steps and it should still give you a smoother, bolder line, just without the pen pressure.
Good luck!
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Hi!
I need help with something >_< I did exactly everything you said on this tutorial, but my brush doesn't have the fading out effect like yours (and also in the beginning of the line)
You think you can help me? I really need to get good lines since we have started drawing with tablets at school >__<
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Okay, there are a couple things that could fix your lack-of-pen pressure problem:
1. When using a tablet, always turn on and connect your tablet first, and THEN open Photoshop, or whatever image program you're working with. I find if I have Photoshop open when I turn on my tablet, the pen pressure won't work.
2. On the SHAPE DYNAMICS tab, make sure you set the Size Jitter control to "Pen Pressure" (as seen in Step 2). Make sure the other "controls" on the SHAPE DYNAMICS tab are set to "Off."
If those don't work, let me know and I'll try to help you out!
Also, sorry for my late reply. D:
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Thank you so much!! 
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Thank you for this, it seems really helpful <3, I have one little problem D; I use Photoshop Elements 6 and I can't find the icon or anything that goes to the Brushes panel >< Can you please help if you know what to do? sorry for the trouble.
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I believe if you have the brush tool selected and go to More Options you'll find what you're looking for. It might not have all the options I have here, but if you play with the spacing and hardness, you should be able to get a sharper brush. Hope that helped.
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my lines aint so smooth when i open that lil' box!
do ya know what to do?
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Hhm, let's see... Have you changed all the settings indicated?
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no, i'll try that =3
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Will this work on elements? Because I can't seem to find the icon you are talking about.
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Oh, my, I'm sorry for taking forever to reply. I don't believe this tutorial works in Elements. Sorry.
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I didn't really go look over all the numbers and whatnot.. But...
Is this smoother then the last one?
-just spent a few mins making the settings identical to your old one- 'xD
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The lines from this tutorial here are a bit bolder and sharper because I used the "Depth" settings in this one, but overall, I used the same steps in both versions--this one is just more organized and easier to understand.
So in short, either one would yield the same overall result.
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Ah, okay~
Urg... A little agitated, cause whenever I restart my computer, my brush settings go back to how I had em before. x____x
-has had to revisit this page multiple times-
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Agh. D: That's odd. I might look that up sometime, but in the meantime, here's a "fast three settings" you can do when it resets like that: 5 brush size, 20 depth, 5 dual brush. Do that and you'll have a fast, smooth, bold line.
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