Don’t let the title fool you; you can do this! What we’re doing in this tutorial is creating and manipulating Paths to create more complex Custom Shapes in Photoshop. As we work through this tutorial, you’ll be learning or practicing these:
- Problem-solving
- Using the Shape Tools
- Duplicating a path
- Making a Symmetrical Shape
- Combining paths
- Using a Vector Mask
- Making a path into a Custom Shape
To draw our moth above, we first study it. We see that there are really 4 different parts: the top wing, the bottom wing, the thorax, and the antenna. And these are duplicated for the other side.
For this project, though, I will use a photo and get my shape from that. I like the left wings but I want a little simpler shape. I want the right wings to be just like the left. The thorax is fine, but… I like the right antenna.
When you begin your Path, choose the Pen Tool and be sure that you have chosen Combine Shapes 
in the Options Bar.
I began making this path, dropping points with my Pen Tool. Once I’m done with the first wing, and want to begin the second, I click below the Path in the Paths palette and then back onto the Path. This sort of resets things and tells PS that you’re making a new component to the same path.
But after I got the wings just the way I want them, I decided that I want to rotate them a few degrees clockwise.
To do this, click below the Path in the Paths palette and then re-click the Path.
Ctrl-T to Transform. Then rotate your Path to a more comfortable angle. Enter to complete the Transformation.
Because I’m just making the left half of this and I’m going to duplicate it for the right side, I’ll just do half the thorax, too.
Again, click off the Path and back onto it before getting started on the new path component.
Tip: If you want the center line of the thorax to be perfectly vertical, which you do, hold Shift as you click that first Anchor Point again to close the path. It will likely be a little off of where you thought, but you can adjust it.
Next, the antenna. I’m going to … wing it… for this, because it’s pretty simple.
Now is a good time to test the Path. Drag your Work Path down to the New Path icon to save it. Now save your file.
Click off of the Path in the Paths palette. Turn off visibility for your photo layer. Make a new layer. Choose a color that’s not the same as your background.
Return to your Paths palette and click your Path again. Now click the Fill Path button at the bottom of this palette. Click off of your Path to turn it off. Et voilà!
If your image is not just right, now is the time to adjust your Path.
If it is fine, then let’s duplicate it to make the right side of our butterfly!
I’ve decided that I want to reshape him and then add some detail to my path.
To reshape, first delete your test layer and return to your Paths Palette. Use your Direct Selection tool 
to move individual Anchor points. If you want to move more than one in tandem, hold Shift to add more.
I used the Ctrl-T to transform my Path and make the butterfly taller.
I want to add some detail, in the form of cutouts. I will do a tiny cutout on the antenna end and some on the wings.
To do this, in the Paths palette, click off the Path and then back onto it. Then choose your Pen tool and change the Path Operations to “Subtract Front Shape.” Then do your cutouts.
Be sure to click off of the Path in the palette, and then back on, before beginning each new component.
Here’s my butterfly path filled at this point.
Once you have your path tweaked, tested, and working, it’s time to make the other half:
Delete the layer, or turn off visibility for the test of the butterfly half you just made. Back in the Paths palette, click the Path.
Choose the black Path Selection arrow 
Drag a rectangle around the whole path — all of its components.
Hold Alt and Shift and drag out your duplicate butterfly half. Shift keeps the drag along a straight line.
With this path half still active, go to Edit > Transform Path > Flip Horizontal. And then drag it back into place. Get it lined up and then test your path again, just as you did above.
Save your file.
Tip: If you want your Path to be shaped a little differently, even after you have duplicated it, all is not lost. Rather than starting over, which is always an option, you can use that black Path Selection arrow to choose points to move and then drag them. You can also use Transform, as above.
But we are still sort of limited in what we can do with this. Let’s try something else. What we’re going to make next is called a Vector Mask.
In the Layers Palette, make a new layer and fill it with a gradient, a color, or some design.
Now return to the Paths palette and choose your Path.
Go to Layer > Vector Mask > and choose Current Path.
You can change your background to anything now.
If you’re going to use this shape much, or even if you think you may want to see it again, make it into a Custom Shape! Click your Path in the Paths palette and go to Edit > Define Custom Shape. Done!
I hope you liked this tutorial! 