How to Draw Dialogue Balloons in Photoshop
The dialogue balloon is a classic tool for visual communication. We associate dialogue balloons with printed comic books, but as art and graphics have moved into the digital realm, so too has the dialogue balloon.
It is relatively easy to draw dialogue balloons in Photoshop. With simple use of the Marquee and Lasso tool, you can create rectangular or elliptical balloons designed to complement any project, whether you are creating a comic strip or an advertisement.
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Instructions
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Open Photoshop, and open the image to which you want to apply dialogue balloons. This can be any image, including cartoons, photos or other graphic work. However, it is important to make sure the image is large enough to include the dialogue balloon and its text without concealing important parts of the image.
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In the Layers palette, create an empty layer on top of your image by clicking on the "Create a new layer" button at the bottom-right corner of the palette. Click on your layer to make it active. Name this layer "Balloon."
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Click on the Marquee tool. This makes the Selection tool bar active. "New selection" should be selected in the Selection tool bar by default. Select the rectangle or the elliptical shape, depending on the requirements of your design. Click on your "Balloon" layer, and drag out your shape if you want to use the freehand method.
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Add a stem to your dialogue balloon to show who or what is speaking in your image. In the Selection toolbar, click on "Add to selection." Grab the Lasso tool, and draw a shape that connects with the dialogue balloon and leads to the speaker. This combines both shapes in one whole.
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Click on the Paint Bucket tool, select the color you want to fill the dialogue balloon with, and click on the balloon to fill it. Add text to the balloon by creating another layer. Name it "Dialogue." Make sure the layer is active, select the Type tool, click where you want the text to appear, and type out your text. When you are satisfied with the design of your dialogue balloon, click on the Layers drop-down menu and select "Merge Layers."
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Tips & Warnings
In the Style drop-down menu in the Selection toolbar, select "Fixed Aspect Ratio" or "Fixed Size" if you do not want to use the freehand method. This is a good option when precision is required.
Stroke the balloon to add a border, adjust the opacity, or add a shadow to your text for enhanced visual effect.
Save frequently while working, or set up auto-save features to avoid the loss of your work due to program or computer failure.
