Create free form shapes for masking

Last updated on Jun 23, 2025

Learn how to use the Pen tool in Premiere Pro to draw and edit custom shapes for masking.

Use the Pen Tool (P) to create curves or other complex shapes for masking. Once you've drawn your object, you can apply effects to the area outside or inside the object boundaries.

  1. Click to create a vertex point, and keep clicking to draw more points, until you're happy with the drawing.

  2. Use Alt (Windows) or option (macOS) while clicking on a vertex point to change it to a Bezier point, allowing you to adjust line segments on both sides of the point.

  3. To apply any selected effect to a clip, drag the effect from the Effects panel to the clip in the Timeline panel.