Drawing Tools

Pen Tool

• The Pen Tool is used to create shapes or paths. A path is a connection between two anchor points with no thickness (until a stroke is applied) and are easily editable. The shortcut for the Pen Tool is the letter "P";
• Clicking with the Pen Tool creates anchor points and connects them with straight lines (paths);
• To complete a shape, return to the starting point (indicated by a circle icon next to the pen);
• Clicking and dragging creates handles that allow you to draw curved paths;
• Handles control the curvature of the line and the direction of the handles affects the next curve;
• To break or redirect a curve, press Alt/Option and drag the handle. This lets you manipulate the direction of the next segment of the curve;
• Holding Alt/Option breaks the handles, allowing independent control of curve direction. Without holding Alt/Option, handles move together symmetrically;
• Open paths (non-closed shapes) with a fill can result in unexpected fill behavior; it's best to remove the fill for open paths;
• To edit paths, use the Direct Selection Tool to adjust anchor points and handles;
• To continue drawing on a path, hover over an existing anchor point with the Pen Tool to continue drawing from that point.

This is the link to the website mentioned for practicing the Pen Tool: Link.

This game will significantly help in developing proficiency with this tool. Hope you have fun with it!

Curvature Tool

• Found just below the Pen Tool in the Tools Bar, this tool automatically creates curved lines without the use of handles;
• You can adjust the position of the anchor points by dragging them, which changes the curve;
• Similar to the Pen Tool, you can return to the starting point to complete a closed shape;
• To convert a curved segment into a straight line, double-click on an anchor point;
• This tool is useful for creating smooth, flowing curves without the need to adjust handles manually, making it faster for certain tasks.

Pencil Tool

• Found under the Paintbrush Tool in the Tools Bar, this tool mimics drawing with a real pencil, capturing every stroke and converting it into a path, which is great for freehand drawing and works best with a graphic tablet and pen;
• By default, the tool captures all irregularities in your drawing;
• To smooth out lines, double-click the Pencil Tool and adjust the Fidelity slider to "Smooth.";
• For more precise, detailed lines, set it to "Accurate";
• Hold Alt/Option to draw straight lines while using the Pencil Tool;
• Hovering over a path (without the asterisk symbol) allows you to modify the existing path. You can click, hold, and drag to adjust parts of the path without starting over, making it highly editable;
• Adjusting the path may add more anchor points, depending on the smoothness settings;
• The Pencil Tool is ideal for freehand drawing and offers flexibility in editing paths after they are drawn.

Joining Paths and Anchor Points

• To join paths:
  • Select the paths you want to join;
  • Go to Object > Path > Join in the menu bar;
  • The closest anchor points of the selected paths will be joined together;
• You can also join specific anchor points manually:
  • Select the Direct Selection Tool;
  • Hold Shift and select the two anchor points you want to join;
  • In the Properties panel, click the "Connect Selected End Points" icon to join them;
• After joining paths, you can adjust individual anchor points to fine-tune the shape;
• You can also add new anchor points to further refine your design.

Practice

Task

Use any of the previous tools, or maybe all of them to draw the Car and the Ship shapes in the images attached to this chapter.