how do I do that?

Hi Guys,

I have been requested to create something very similar to the Yin Yang symbol. Having yet to master the finer workings of the pen tool, I am struggling a bit. Can anyone help?

Thanking you...

My totally-serious, not-meant-to-be-smartass answer:

"Practice."

Sometimes the best way to learn something is to be under the gun and forced to learn. Sounds like you might have written a design check that your Path Tool skills can't cash. I hope you post-dated the check.

Depending on how complex the design is you might be able to get away with using other selection methods to define your shapes besides the Pen Tools. But only you—being aware of your skill level—will be able to know whether you can make it work.

For the Yin yang - try starting with two identical abutting circles, and use the pen only to make a smooth join between the two.

Always better with mathematically based or symetrical objects to start with perfect vectors to begin with and adapt them if necessary.

create a new doc thats perfectly square. then use guides to divide your canvas into 4 equal parts.

using your elliptical marquee tool create a perfect circle (hold shift)that touches all four sides of your canvas. fill it in with whatever color you like on its own layer. delete one vertical half of the circle (using the guides)

now using the elliptical marquee your guides, create another perfect circle (hold shift) thats half the size of your canvas. fill it on its own layer

move the half size circle to the bottom half and the center of your canvas. copy the half size circle and move it to the top half and center of your canvas.


now this is what i do on mac

go over to the layers pallete and hold the command key. this should give you a cursor with a marquee on it. select the large circle half. it should give you a marquee around your half circle.

at the layers pallette still holding the command key, press and hold the shift key. this should give you a cursor with a marquee AND a +. with this, select one of the half circles.


let go of the shift key but dont let go of the command key. now press and hold the alt/option key. this shouldbe a cursor/marquee and a - . now select the other half circle.

now on your canvas you should have a marquee shaped like one perfect half of a yin yang symbol. create a new layer and fill it with black. copy that layer, rotate it 180 degrees and invert the color to while. line it upand there you go


hope that wasnt too confusing. it took WAY longer to write than it did to do. i did it in about 3 minutes

heres my final product with the steps above:D

Milhouse, while reading your post I said "hell yeah, that'll work...."

I was think along those lines....and I'm pretty sure it was something along those lines that U23 was hinting at...
that it a ton more accurate than using the pen tool..(without all the tweaking).


oh yeah....and
Welcome to the team

thanks milhouse ! I make Yinyang!thanks your tutorial

Or if you don't feel like doing the work:

I found an .eps outline of it for you. You just have to fill it in how you want.