Couple of very easy photoshop questions

[Dr.Lecter]

Hello, i'm kind of new to photoshop and i have some questions and if someone could give me an answer it would be realy helpfull:
1. How to i break an image in two, but not following a line, but more like a courve, much like breaking an image in two pieces of a puzzle. Please, if you can, walk me step by step through this, 'couse well... i don't quite understand photoshop :))
2. How can i make use of those custom shapes found under the custom shape tool. I want to color one with a specific gradient or that sort of thing and i can't figure out how.

Thank you and best of luck.

[DDD]

1. use the pen tool to creat your shape, then convert this shape to a selection, cut it out and paste it on a new layer. If you only want it in 2 pieces that would be the way I would do it. Also look into a plugin called "puzzle pro" that would be the best way to go.

2. got to think about. I have not done a custom shape in quite some time.

[senocular]

2. custom shapes are selectable from the... err "properties" bar (Im not sure of its name offhand). Just select the shape there and draw it on the screen. I suggest using a shape as opposed to a path or filled pixels (first of the collection of boxes on the left). Drag the shape on the screen and double click the layer in the layers panel to give it a gradient fill fill effect :)

[mlk]

2. How can i make use of those custom shapes found under the custom shape tool. I want to color one with a specific gradient or that sort of thing and i can't figure out how.

Thank you and best of luck.


sadly enough, photoshop doesn't allow you to give specific colors to certain area of the sahpe, you have to break it apart by hand and fill it afterwards (or make different shapes on different layers and fill them each)

[Dr.Lecter]

i didn't expect a response so quicky so i thank you ( all of you :) ). Hope i can do the stuff i want to do... again thank you