How to Draw an Arrow in Photoshop

In the following tutorial, you will learn everything you need to know about drawing an arrow in Photoshop.

If you don't have the time to learn how to draw intricate arrows in Photoshop, you can always try Envato Elements, where you can find plenty of arrow brushes that can be used to create arrows in Photoshop with a simple click.

What You'll Learn in This Quick Photoshop Tutorial

• How to create an arrow in Photoshop


• How to draw a line with arrows in Photoshop


• How to draw an arrow in Photoshop

1. How to Add Arrows in Photoshop Using Custom Shapes

The first method that you can use to add arrows in Photoshop is via the Shapes panel. Open this panel (Window > Shapes) and select Legacy Shapes and More from the drop-down menu to add the Legacy Shapes and More set of custom shapes.

Dig down into this set of custom shapes and go to All Legacy Default Shapes > Arrows where you will find a set of 20 custom arrow shapes. Simply click and drag the desired arrow to add it to a design.

Once you add the Legacy Shapes and More set of custom shapes, you can also access them while the Custom Shape Tool (Shift-U) is active.

Focus on the Options bar and click the Shape thumbnail to open the Shapes fly-out panel. Again, explore those subsets until you get to the Arrows set of shapes. Select the arrow shape that you like, and click and drag to add it to a design. Hold down the Shift key as you click and drag to constrain the proportions of your arrows.

2. How to Draw a Line With Arrows in Photoshop

The second method that you can use to add arrows in Photoshop is via the Line Tool (Shift-U) from your toolbar.

Select it and focus on the Options bar, where you can choose the settings for the arrow that you're about to add. Once you're happy with the settings, simply click and drag to create a new arrow shape. Hold down the Shift key as you click and drag to easily create a straight arrow.

3. How to Create an Arrow in Photoshop Using Shape Tools

The third method that you can use to add arrows in Photoshop is via the shape tools.

Create a rectangle and a triangle using the suitable shape tools and put these two shapes together to create a basic arrow in Photoshop.

You can further edit these shapes using multiple anchor points.

For example, you can use the Add Anchor Point Tool to add an extra anchor point to the bottom side of your triangle. Turn this point into a sharp point using the Convert Point Tool, and then use the Direct Selection Tool (Shift-A) to move the point roughly as shown below.

4. How to Draw Arrows in Photoshop Using Brushes

Finally, you can use brushes to easily draw arrows in Photoshop.

Select the Brush Tool (B) from your toolbar, select the desired brush, and simply click and drag to draw your brush.

Drawing an arrow in Photoshop can be a bit challenging, especially if you're looking to create some intricate arrow designs.

This is where Envato Elements comes in handy. Among millions of design resources, you will also find some amazing arrow designs, this being one of the many examples: Hand drawn arrows brushes. All you have to do is double-click the "63 Arrow Brushes.abr" file that comes with the pack, and a set of 63 arrow brushes will be added to the Brushes panel (Window > Brushes).

Select the arrow brush that's right for your project, and with a simple click, you can add a smooth wavy arrow like the one shown below.

Congratulations! You're Done!

Now that you know how to draw arrows in Photoshop, feel free to use these techniques in your future projects.

You can find some great sources of inspiration at Envato Elements, with interesting solutions to improve your design portfolio.

Want to Learn More?

We have loads of tutorials on Envato Tuts+, from beginner to intermediate level. Take a look!

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