Lasso Tool Magic: Floral Explorations in Photoshop

When I began illustrating digitally, I was using a really slow process of building out my flat colors in Illustrator then importing everything to Photoshop where I would add texture and detail.  Not only was the process slow for me, but it wasn’t intuitive or fun and my work had a distinctive digital look that I wasn’t fond of. 

Discovering and mastering the lasso tool in Photoshop changed everything about the way I work and the way my work looked.  When I started combining the lasso tool with my favorite Photoshop brushes, I discovered the building blocks of a digital style that didn’t look so digital. 

Today I use this technique across all of my work from children’s books to greeting cards. 

In this class I’ll break down the basics of using the lasso tool in Photoshop before we move on to some lasso tool practice sheets. 

Then I’ll walk you through three floral demo drawings using the techniques I’ve gone over.  I’ve chosen flowers for our subject matter because the shapes are bold and playful which makes them perfect practice for the lasso tool. 

I’ll start with a single flower drawing, then work on a small flower cluster and finally demonstrate my technique for illustrating this large bunch of flowers. 

By the end of the class you’ll learn how to master the lasso tool in Photoshop and use it to create beautiful textural floral illustrations.  The skills you acquire in this class can then be applied to other styles and subject matter. 

So head on over to the first video and let’s make some lasso tool magic!

PS -- This class now includes a bonus video detailing how these techniques can also be used in Procreate!

• Intro
• Lasso Tool Basics
• Lasso Tool + Brush Tool
• Practice Shapes
• Demo - Single Flower
• Demo - Flower Cluster
• Demo - Flower Bouquet
• PDF Tip Sheet
• Your Project
• Bonus: Procreate Demo