Brush Shape Dynamics - thin begining - big middle - thin ending stroke

[ra...@adobeforums.com]

Have CS3 on XP.

I am trying to get a pen stroke that starts out thin...gets normal size in the middle...and then shrinks back down to a thin line at the end.

In brush dynamics... I am able to get a thin ending on a stroke but not a thin beginning. Im using the size jitter control set to fade at 300 to get a line that fades to thin OK at the end...but I cant make the beginning thin!

I am trying to stroke a curved path for Christmas designs...scroll kind of looks...thin beginning...fat middle...thin end.

Thanks

[Jeff_...@adobeforums.com]

Graphics tablet with pressure sensitivity...

[Ed Hannigan]

You might be better off doing this kind of thing in a vector program.

[ra...@adobeforums.com]

In the picture showing the brush...in the brush pallete...the image in Photoshop shows a pinched beginning and a pinched end of the pen stroke...just what im looking for!! But I cant get that look!!!

I could possibly borrow a tablet...but I want to use the vector type path pen in Photoshop because I can get nice long smooth curves and then use that path to stroke with the brush.

So, How can I get a thin beginning and a thin end on a pen stroke??

Thanks

[J_Ma...@adobeforums.com]

Read Jeff's post #1. If you check off the shape and other dynamics you'll see a more accurate preview of your brush. See the yellow warning:

<http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1iO5VurwiLoZfxnaCUXyAxFxPmXZK>

I think a rotated oval is about the best you can do without a tablet:

<http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1TjdbdC1E8UllaYQehxLsEoKhaeXc>

[Myle...@adobeforums.com]

As the others pointed out, use Illustrator for this kind of thing. Other alternatives include After effects with Trapcode 3D Stroke and certainly there's something you can do in Flash. you may also have a chance of getting this effect with more artsy paint programs like ArtRage or Painter...

Mylenium