The pen tool is the way to go for this. It may seem strange at first, but with some practise it will cost you 40 seconds to make the right curve. Select the pen tool. Click. Click-and-hold-and-drag on another spot. Presto! You are making a curve. Experiment. Google for 'pen tool tutorials Photoshop'. Really. You wasted 99% of that 4 hours. You could have gotten a beer instead of that. Or more. You could have filled your house with S-curved paths. If your house was a giant pc screen. Good luck!