Distort/Stretch Image along a curve

Question

I have a logo file that is a right-angled triangle with some lines radiating out from one corner. It reminds me of a sail on a boat. I'd like it to look more like a sail on a boat but still retain recognition to the original logo. A sail on a boat is bowed outwards but the corners remain in the same place. The effect should be an implied 3d look due to the distortion of the lines on the sail and the now curved edges of the triangle. The logo is a flat single color. I'm thinking I can get the effect I want without changing that. Making the color a gradient along the path of distortion could however make the effect more pronounced.

I am not a graphical designer but have access to Adobe products. Is there a specific feature that would help in this regard that I could research?

Answer 1

I guess you know nothing of drawing. Try it.

Adobe Illustrator and also Photoshop, but in a much more limited and inflexible way has a possibility to draw and edit Bezier curves (=Paths)

In the left there's a closed path which is drawn with the Pen by clicking 4 times.

2. The drawn path has got intermediate anchor points (=nodes). The edges are clicked with the anchor insertion tool 3 times approximately in tne middle. The inserted anchors are dragged a little aside with the direct selection tool to get new corners.

3. The new corners are smoothed by dragging with the anchor type tool. You can see the Bezier handles which are pulled out of the anchors to make curvature.

4. The black stroke is removed and a gradient fill is inserted.

You should work some path drawing tutorials. In the web there's tutorial videos available for all skill levels. Adobe's own documentation is also very useful. You'll learn soon how to draw simple curved shapes straight in the fly without making at first a polygon.