THE P En TOOL AnD PATHS PA LET T E I'Ve SaID that masking is the art of using the image to select itself, and that's generally true. But this lesson is an exception. I'm going to show you how to use the pen tool to draw meticulous, painstaking outlines, one point and control handle at a time. The pen is unlike just about everything else in Photoshop in that it doesn't modify, or even acknowledge, pixels. Instead, it creates and edits vector outlines, just as in Adobe Illustrator. In fact, except for some tiny differences, Photoshop's pen and Illustrator's pen are one and the same. So what good is the pen tool, and why are we discussing it in a channels and masks book? Because it enables you to trace outlines that no other function in Photoshop can see. You can draw organic paths that look super sharp, super smooth, and super precise, with every edge exactly where it should be. Then you can convert that path to a selection outline, complete with the best antialiasing in all of Photoshop, while leaving the path intact for further refinement. Imagine trying to separate one of the tempting apples in Figure 11-1 from its nearly matching background using one of the traditional methods we've covered so far in this book. Your eye can pluck your desired apple without difficulty, but Photoshop can't--just look at those color channels! The pen tool lets your human eye and its minion, your hand, show Photoshop where the curves of the apple are and capture them precisely enough to honor the smooth skin of your subject. I'll be honest: The pen is tough to master. It's a little tricky to control, there are no shortcuts, and you have to hand-position each and every anchor point and control handle. If you have experience with Illustrator's pen, you're in good shape. If you're a photographer who hates to draw, well, your learning curve will be steeper. But the results are well worth the effort. RGB Red channel Green channel Blue channel Figure 11-1 . 397 apples istockphoto.com/gbrundin