Use the "mouse writing" as a template and then use the Pen tool to create a smooth version. Stroke the resulting path and add layer styles to taste.
-phil
Phil’s suggestion is the way to get the most freedom in creating your headline. As a cheap and dirty option, how about using the lower case letters of the font Dymaxion Script and then rasterize and style it?
< http://desktoppub.about.com/library/fonts/hs/uc_dymaxionscri pt.htm >
You might get a more realistic result if you did this in a 3D program or ; or use Illustrator CS’s 3D facility.
Draw your "writing" with the pencil at 12 pixels/stroke at 1-pt/color to suit. Then go to Effects/3D/Extrude & Bevel.
Choose: Off-axis Front; Set a extrude-depth of 2 pixels; Classic bevel: Height = 2 pixels; Closed end-cap; Click "More Options" and adjust your lighting options.
(I have even used simple old Dimensions to make springs and paper clips etc. in the past.) If you don’t have CS, start in Illustrator in Classic and then open the path in Adobe Dimensions.
Creating wires:
Use the pen tool to draw a path for your wire.
Make the foreground colour the colour you want the wire to be.
Pick a small hard-edge brush
Go to the paths palette & in the drop down menu choose "Stoke Path" When the stoke path appears, choose brush from the tool pop up menu & click OK to stoke it with the hard edge brush.
You will not need the path you created anymore, so you can delete it.
Now choose bevel & emboss from the popup menu at the bottom of the layers pallette. Increase the depth to your liking.
If you decide that you want the wire a different colour… use hue & saturation to chang the colour.
Great link Phil— the past 2 issues of Photoshop User had tutorials by Bert on the Oakland Theater.
That’s a great link: but I do notice that Bert Monroy mentions that he uses Illustrator AND Photoshop
The advantage of using Illustrator CS is that your original path remains invisible but editable. You can change the shape of the path at any time and the 3-dimensionality will re-apply itself; or you can change the values in the 3D dialog and they will be applied to the path.
Then just copy/paste as pixels into Photoshop (where you can enhance with Effects if required).
I changed the image — this version is a lot more wirey.
It was done entirely in Illustrator (as described earlier) but the shadow was added in Photoshop using Layer Style Effects.
Sorry, Ann. My comment was mostly about Photoshop vs [true] 3D programs. ("You might get a more realistic result if you did this in a 3D program….") I actually wasn’t disputing the benefits of Illustrator.
(Although I think Bert’s primary weapon is Photoshop) 😉
-phil
Nice wire!
Thank you Phil.
Actually Illustrator CS’s 3D Effects palette is like a turbo-charged Adobe Dimensions and can be quite useful if you don’t have access to a full-blown 3D program.
Ann , sorry I´m a very bad Illustrator user ,
and Illustrator helpfile search for "3D" gives zero , so is there some "3D Effects palette" that I cannot find ? what menu ?
regards
If you are using CS, go to Effect menu and you should see "3D" in the drop-down menu. For wire-making, choose "Extrude & Bevel" from 3D’s fly-out menu.
Message #3 should take you the rest of the way from here.
Ann , thank you very much , very usefull "style " source …
So glad that you now find yourself suitably wired!
