DRAW MYGRAPHICSLAB: ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS6
IN THIS LESSON, YOU WILL LEARN TO: Set Pen tool stroke and fill Draw line segments with the Pen tool Draw curves with the Pen tool Create open and closed paths with the Pen tool Add and delete anchor points Convert anchor points Move and align anchor points and segments with the Direct Selection tool Use smart guides Draw with the Pencil and Eraser tools
THE POWER OF THE PEN TOOL When you draw in Illustrator, you generate anchor points (pivot points for paths) and paths (the line segments between anchors) Two ways to generate anchor points Draw with a shape tool, the Pencil tool, or the Line tool When you use this technique, you appear to be drawing paths, but Illustrator is generating anchor points for you Draw with the Pen tool When you use this technique, you are consciously defining anchor points as you draw Two ways to use the Pen tools Draw with the Pen tool Use the assorted pen tools (Add Anchor Point, Delete Anchor Point, Convert Anchor Point) to adjust artwork generated with shapes and other tools
THE CONVERT ANCHOR POINT TOOL Using the Convert Anchor Point tool to edit a path generated by the Star tool
SET PEN TOOL STROKES Stroke color can be defined in the Tools panel; more attributes can be defined in the Control panel In Tools panel Assign a color, or set Stroke to None In the Control panel Color / alternative colors Thickness Brush definition Order of operations (when to set stroke) Variable width profile Before drawing: Define stroke, draw path After drawing: Select path, define stroke Defining the stroke thickness for a selected object
SET PEN TOOL FILLS In the Tools panel Assign a color, or set Fill to None In the Control panel Set color / alternative colors Order of operations (when to apply fills) Before drawing: Define fill, draw path After drawing: Select object, define fill Selecting a fill from the Control panel
MORE ON STROKES AND FILLS There are almost limitless attributes and effects that can be applied to strokes and fills Fine-tuning strokes Caps, joins, and style defined in the Strokes panel Stroke colors fine-tuned in the Color panel Fine-tuning fills Graphic styles library presents dozens of groups of combinations of effects Swatch libraries organize colors and fills Choosing a fill from the Beach swatch panel
DRAW LINE SEGMENTS WITH THE PEN TOOL To generate straight angle anchor points Rather than click and drag, click and click to define anchor points Constrain angles to 45 increments by holding down the Shift key as you click To generate curved anchor points Click, then click and drag, to define curve of the vector defined by the anchor points Constrain control handles that define the curve to 45 increments by holding down the Shift key as you click Generating a curved anchor point with the Pen tool
DRAW OPEN PATHS WITH THE PEN TOOL An open path has different first and last anchor points (not airtight ) Open paths can have fills Create anchors and segments until you have the desired open shape To complete the shape, select another tool or press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) Pen tool remains active until you close the path or select another tool Applying a fill to an open path
DRAW CLOSED PATHS WITH THE PEN TOOL Closed paths have the same first and ending anchor point Shapes are closed paths You can also draw closed paths from scratch with the Pen tool To close a path Click the original anchor with the Pen tool to complete an object To create closed paths from selected objects, choose Object > Path > Join Closing an open path
ADD ANCHOR POINTS Restraint! Fewer is better Fewer anchor points = smaller file size Fewer anchor points = smoother paths Fewer anchor points = more easily editable paths When you need more anchor points Click with the Pen tool on a path to automatically add an anchor point OR Click with the Add Anchor Point tool in the Pen tool group Extending a path with the Pen tool
DELETE ANCHOR POINTS Deleting an anchor point deletes the line segment that it defined Two ways to delete an anchor point Select the Delete Anchor Point tool and click on the point Select the anchor with the Direct Selection tool and press Delete on the keyboard Reduce the number of anchor points Select the anchor(s) with the Direct Selection tool and choose Object > Path > Delete Anchor Points To simplify a path and remove possibly unnecessary anchors, choose Object > Path > Simplify Reducing the number of anchor points can radically simplify a traced image path.
CONVERT ANCHOR POINTS The Convert Anchor Point tool: Converts straight angles to curved anchors Converts curved anchors to straight angles To convert an anchor point Click a curved anchor point to convert it to a straight angle Click and drag a straight angle anchor point to convert it to a curve Use the Convert Anchor Point tool to click and drag anchor control points to fine-tune a curve Adjusting a curve with the Convert Anchor Point tool
MOVE ANCHOR POINTS Click and drag on an anchor with the Direct Selection tool to move it and reshape a drawing or shape Reshaping an object with the Direct Selection tool
ALIGN ANCHOR POINTS Anchor points can be aligned horizontally or vertically with the Align panel OR You can use Smart Guides to align anchors as you draw or edit a path
SELECTING PATH SEGMENTS Path segments can be selected with the Direct Selection tool When you select a path, you select the anchor points on either end of the path segment When you move a selected path, you move the anchor points at both ends of the path When you delete a selected path in a closed path, you convert it to an open path Moving two anchor points by moving a selected path segment
DRAW WITH THE PENCIL TOOL Generates anchor points, but is more intuitive than the Pen tool Pencil tool paths can easily be extended with the Pencil tool Pencil tool paths can be edited with the Pen tool this is adjustable in the Pencil Tool Options dialog box Smoothing a Pencil tool path with the Smooth tool
SMOOTHING PENCIL TOOL DRAWING Double-click the Pencil tool to open the Pencil Tool Options dialog box and adjust smoothness Use the Smooth tool to smooth Pencil tool paths Setting options for the Pencil tool to pick up and extend existing paths
USING THE ERASER TOOL The Eraser tool simulates the behavior of a regular pencil eraser The Eraser tool works on selected objects If no objects are selected, the Eraser tool works on any object to which it is applied The Eraser tool cuts holes in shapes Not all objects are erasable the Eraser tool does not work on raster images, type, and other objects
USING THE PATH ERASER TOOL The Path Eraser Tool Divides paths Can be found on the Pencil tool tear-off menu Using the Path Eraser tool to remove an area of the stroke
WORKING WITH PATHS IN OUTLINE VIEW Editing a path in Outline view Outline view Good for Displays only paths, not fills or effects Allows editing Identifying and isolating paths Editing paths quickly, without waiting for effects to apply Choose View > Outline to toggle on or off
OUTLINE PATHS TO CREATE SHAPES Selected paths can be converted to shapes, with the outline of the path converted to a stroke: Choose Object > Path > Outline Stroke A handy technique for turning a thick stroke into a path surrounding an editable fill Tends to generate too many anchor points often takes a bit of cleaning up Left: The original stroke. Right: The outline.
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW Edit paths generated by shapes with: The Direct Selection tool The pen tools The Pencil tool The Path Eraser tool Draw paths with the Pen tool Draw paths with the Pencil tool Cut holes in fills with the Eraser tool
REVIEW: KEY POINTS The Pen tool For drawing illustrations For generating scalable, easily editable vector files Drawing with the Pencil tool Intuitive, like drawing with a real pencil Smoothness is adjustable in the tool dialog, or smoothable with the Smooth tool