Here’s a super easy way to quickly make some wave shapes to add some extra flow to your scrap pages.
1. Open a new document in the size you normally scrap. For me that is the standard 12 x 12 (3600px x 3600px).
Go to your tools panel (Window->Tools) and choose the rectangle tool.
2. Make a rectangle shape on your canvas in the form of a strip, horizontally going outside the document bounds of your canvas. The color doesn’t really matter.
Depending on how many waves you want either duplicate the rectangle layer or draw more rectangles.
I decided for 3.
Make sure each has a different color so you easily can see the bounds. You can change the color by double-clicking the little square icon left to the layer name in your layer panel.
3. Go to Edit, choose Transform -> Warp
Grab one of the handles (circled green here) and drag it up or down to curve the rectangle.
When you are happy with the result repeat with a handle from the top.
Do you like your wave? To apply the transformation to your rectangle shape hit “Enter” on your keyboard or the little checkmark symbol.
Repeat the process with your other rectangles. Don’t worry if you’re not happy with your first try, it takes a bit of practice. If you don’t like the transformation you always can click on the deny icon left to the checkmark and start over.
Here’s my result
4. Now it’s time to “style” your waves. You can change colors, apply layer styles or clip papers to them.
I added dropshadows to the waves and clipped papers to them. I also added my background paper.
To clip a paper to a wave simply open the paper, place it on top of the wave layer, right-click on the paper layer and select “create clipping mask”
When you positioned your paper you can link the paper and wave layers by clicking on the paper layer, pressing CTRL and clicking on the wave layer to highlight both layers. Then right-click and choose “link layers”. Alternatively you can click the little chain icon on the bottom of your layers panel.
Now you can add photos, elements and journaling to your layout. I loved playing around and placed some water splashes and a mask for my photo between the waves.
Here’s my final page:
All papers and elements used in this layout are from the LAD collab Beachcombing, photo of swimming gull for mask and the seal are my own. Font used for title is Sunny Dino
Enjoy playing and happy scrapping! See you next time 😉
Hugs,
Manu (Manu Scraps)
Thank you so much Manu — I have been learning so much with these little LAD tutorials. You all make it look so easy!
Thank you 🙂
Since Photoshop Elements can not warp like this do you have any suggestions for a work around for PSE users?
[…] are several ways to achieve this look. You can draw with the pen tool, or warp rectangles, both of which give you fine control over your shape and its […]
Thank you so much