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This lesson demonstrates how to create a page curl from scratch using the Pen Tool.
My tutorial Here demonstrates this tool in detail.
Undo and Navigation Steps
Two ways of undoing steps are from the top menu, Edit then Step Backwards. Alternatively, click a previous snapshot in the History Palette.
Navigate (zoom in and pan) your image using the Navigator Palette,
or the Zoom Tool. 
Activate The Hand Tool by tapping the Spacebar, keeping the Spacebar pressed, pan your image in the usual way. 
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Open a photograph onto Photoshop’s workspace; then drag out its menu to display the grey workspace. Enlarge your image, and position it so you can see the bottom-right corner - as illustrated below.
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Unlock the background layer by double-left-clicking it, and replying OK to the New Layer prompt.
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Then activate The Pen Tool.
And set the following Paths attributes.
For the purpose of this lesson, I am creating a fairly large page curl.
You are looking to remove a curved section (corner) from your image; therefore,
left-click to apply your first Anchor Point.
Move to the bottom-left of your image, then click a second Anchor Point, and this time drag it, to produce a curve.
Now, continue left-clicking to form a triangular Path.
Note
Before closing the Path, ensure the Path beyond the curve does not transcend the image. To do this, Ctrl-click over an Anchor Point, and gently pull the Path away from the image. 
 
Tip
If you make an error, utilise the History palette to retrace your steps, then reapply your Path segments.
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After you have created the triangular Path, click the first Anchor Point to complete the Path. Then from the Layers palette, click the Paths tab, then click open the drop-down menu and choose Make Selection.
In the subsequent Make Selection dialogue box, set a Feather of 0, and click OK. The Path will change to a selection marquee.
Tip
Click the Layers tab to display your layer.
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Now, from the top menu, choose Select then choose Inverse.
 
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Press your keyboard’s Delete key, then press Ctrl then D to remove the marquee. Your photograph will now have a transparent triangular corner.
 
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Zoom into the transparent corner.
Now, you are looking to create a Path in the shape of a page curl, to the bottom-right side of your image. Therefore, apply your first Anchor Point where I have indicated below, (with the red arrow). Then, working slightly away from the photograph, apply a Path around the contour of the curve - as circled below.
Important
It is very important that the Path does not touch the image - it needs to be as close to the photograph as possible - without touching it - as illustrated below.
If this is not carried out, a black line will be visible around this part of the page curl, when it is complete.
Remember!
After you have clicked a (segmented) path along the curve, you can Ctrl-click, and tug the Anchor Points to reposition the Path - additionally, for better control, apply further Anchor Points.
Continue the Path, towards the left, as demonstrated below.
Then (if you are creating my first stylised page curl), click two Anchor Points onto the Path - then Ctrl-click and gently tug them, to create a gentle S (Bezier) curve.
Now, without closing the Path, add an Anchor Point very near to the first anchor point you applied.
Then apply two additional Anchor Points to the Path, and gently tug them to create an S (Bezier) curve.
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Now, click the very first Anchor Point, to complete the Path.
Note
The Path created for my yellow page curl example is easier to create, this is because it has one curved and two straight Paths - as demonstrated below.
 
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After you have created (and closed) the triangular Path, convert the Path to a selection marquee, as described in Chapter 4. Then Inverse the marquee, as described in Chapter 5.
 
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To create the shading, we will apply a gradient; therefore, press D to set the Foreground and Background to the default black and white.
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Then activate the Gradient Tool. 
Now, click the Reset Gradient tab, and set the gradient to the Foreground to Background black and white - as illustrated below; ensuring the gradient is set to Reflected.
Now, beginning where I have circled below (or thereabouts) - press the Shift key, and stretch a gradient line, diagonally, towards the bottom-right corner.
Note
Always experiment with the gradient’s position; additionally, experiment with different gradient (Blend) Modes and Opacities.
Tip
For a deeper shading, apply the gradient twice.
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After the gradient application, press Ctrl then D to remove the marquee.
13/ (Optional)
To further darken the gradient’s shadow, activate the Burn Tool.
And set the following attributes into its Options bar.
Then carefully darken the page curl’s shadow. Then extend the darkening to the following area to emulate a slight shadow to the photograph.
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Now, enlarge the transparent background by first activating the Crop Tool.
Then surround your image with a Crop bounding box, and enlarge the bounding box by pulling the vector deformation boxes - outwards. Press your Enter key to complete the change.
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If necessary, surround sharp corners with the Lasso Tool, then press the Delete key.
Note
To apply a shadow to the yellow reminder note, isolate the following area with the Polygonal Lasso Tool, (and a Feather of 2). 
Then activate the Brush Tool, and with a Soft Brush, and an Opacity of around 4, carefully apply a shadow inside the marquee - then press Ctrl then D to remove the marquee.
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From the top menu, choose Layer then choose New Fill Layer and fill the layer with a Solid Colour, Pattern or Gradient, as described in my lesson Here. I am filling my layer with the pattern tile of this lesson. Remember to drag the Fill Layer below
Layer 0.
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To apply a Drop Shadow to the page curl image, (from the Layers palette), click the Add a layer style (f-fx) icon, and apply a Drop Shadow of your choice; I chose the following settings.
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Finish by cropping the extraneous space, and your work is ready to save, or to pin to your notice board, as described in my lesson Here.
Wendi E M Scarth. Top of Page - Home.
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