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Assalamualaikum. Mungkin satu ketika dulu, kita pernah melihat beberapa cover album yang popular dengan multiple outline/stroke. Sebagai contoh, album dari bands terkenal The Beatles, album dari kumpulan Flop Poppy dan banyak lagi.

Contoh :

(gambar dari carian google)

Hasil :

Mari kita mulakan satu tutorial yang ringkas ini.

Langkah 1

Buka Adobe Illustrator
** Untuk paparan screen cukup sekadar 72dpi sahaja.
Langkah 2

Gunakan Type Tools dan tekskan seperti contoh dibawah.

Pada panel Character > Pilih Jenis Font, Pilih Font Style. (Jika boleh elakkan jenis font yang terlalu nipis seperti jenis)

Hasil selepas expand

Langkah 3

Pada langkah ini, jangan klik pada mana-mana bahagian kanvas. Biarkan seletion path itu.

Salin semula vector typo tersebut dengan menekan Ctrl + C untuk Copy, dan kemudian paste semula pada belakang typo tersebut (paste to back) dengan menekan kekunci Ctrl + B.

Pada Panel tools, klik pada kotak stroke (x) untuk memilih warna stroke/outline yang pertama.

Klik dua kali sehingga panel Color Picker muncul.

Pilih warna anda.

Kemudian pada panel stroke pilih saiz stroke.

saiz yang pertama anda boleh setkan pada Weight : 20pt

Langkah untuk menghasilkan stroke yang lain sila ulang dari langkah 3 : Copy dan Paste tadi.

pada bulatan yang saya tandakan (Cap & Corner), itu adalah terhasil daripada corner shape multiple stroke. Untuk membuang kesan tersebut, pada panel Stroke, tik pada Round Cap dan juga Round Join. Hasil akan terjadi seperti dibawah.

1. Ctrl + V (Copy)

2. Ctrl + B (Paste to Back)

3. Pilih Warna stroke

4. Setkan saiz stroke kepada dua kali atau empat kali lebih besar dan ulang langkah ini pada stroke/outline penambahan yang lain.

Hasil selepas penghasilan beberapa outline :

Right click > Ungroup

Kemudian klik pada mana-mana ruangan kosong diatas kanvas untuk menghilangkan selection path.

Pilih Tools Magic Wind

Select (pilih) satu per satu warna pada hasil kerja anda dan groupkan. Right Clik > Group

Lihat pada panel layer

Langkah 4

Langkah ini adalah untuk mengabungkan dan membuang sampah yang terhasil pada pengasingan setiap warna.

- setiap hasil warna yang telah di groupkan akan dijadikan satu group layer.

Pada setiap layer terdapat Toggle Visiblity( Icon Mata) yang boleh di bukan dan ditutup. Jika terdapat sampah yang tidak berkenaan, tutupkan Toggle Visiblity( Icon Mata) ini dan Ctrl+A (Select All) dan buangkan (Delete).

Kenapa tutorial ini, setiap warna di groupkan secara berasingan. Ini kerana untuk memudahkan penukaran warana. Sebagai contoh,

Pilih satu per satu layer dan warnakan.

Siap!

Hasil :

Komen / Pendapat / Pandangan

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Multiple Outline/Stroke Dalam Illustrator ~ Sifoo Grafik Multimedia Malaysia

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Assalamualaikum. Mungkin satu ketika dulu, kita pernah melihat beberapa cover album yang popular dengan multiple outline/stroke. Sebagai contoh, album dari bands terkenal The Beatles, album dari kumpulan Flop Poppy dan banyak lagi. Contoh : (gambar dari carian google) Hasil : Mari kita mulakan satu tutorial yang ringkas ini.

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In the following tutorial you will learn how to use text and the Round Any Corner script to create a simple sticker effect. This effect can be applied to a variety of graphics, including shapes and symbols. Let's get started!

Step 1

First, download the Aaaiight! font and move in your Fonts directory. Then, create a 700 by 300px document, pick the Type Tool (T) and click on your Artboard. Enter your text, follow the data shown below, change its color to R=53 G=103 B=74 then go to Object > Expand. Select the resulting group of shapes, click on the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel then go to Object > Compound Path > Make.

Step 2

Next, you need to add discrete roundness effect for the shape made in the previous step. In order to do it you'll need the Round Any Corner Script. Save it to your hard drive, select the entire shape then pick the Direct Selection Tool (A). Hold Shift and click on one of the anchor points to deselect it. Now, with the rest of the anchor points still selected, go to File > Scripts > Other Script. Open the Round Any Corner Script, enter a 10px Radius and click OK. Double click on the resulting shape (in the Layers panel) and name it "vectors" (or whatever word you used).

Step 3

Select "vectors" and go to Object > Path > Offset Path. Enter a 10px Offset and click OK. Select the resulting shape, fill it with R=17 G=65 B=75, name it "vectors.dark" then go again to Object > Path > Offset Path. Enter a 5px Offset and click OK. Select the resulting shape, fill it with R=196 G=216 B=207 and name it "vectors.light".

Step 4

Duplicate "vectors" (Control + C > Control + F). Select this copy along with "vectors.dark" and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. The resulting shape should look like in the second image. Rename it "vectors.dark".

Step 5

Make another two copies of "vectors". Go to Edit > Preferences > General and enter "1" in the Keyboard Increment box. Select the top copy and hit the down arrow and the right arrow once (to move it 1px down and to the right). Reselect both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting group of shapes with R=75 G=114 B=80.

Step 6

Now, make two copies of "vectors.light". Again, select the top copy and move it 1px down and to the right. Reselect both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting group of shapes with white.

Step 7

Make a new copy of "vectors.light" and Bring it to Front (Shift > Control > Right Square Bracket). Replace the fill color with the linear gradient shown in the following image. With the shape still selected go to the Appearance panel. Open the flyout menu and click on Add New Fill. This should add a second fill for your shape. Select it and use the same linear gradient but with a different angle. Take a closer look at the gradient. The white text stands for Location and the yellow text stands for Opacity.

Step 8

Select "vectors" and go to Effect > Stylize > Inner Glow. Enter the data shown below and click OK.

Step 9

Select "vectors.dark" and go to Effect > Stylize > Inner Glow. Enter the data shown below and click OK.

Step 10

Select "vectors.light" and go again to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the data shown below and click OK.

Step 11

Finally, for the background, use the Rectangle Tool (M). Create a shape the size of your Artboard (700 by 300px), Send it to the Back (Shift > Control > Left Square Bracket) and fill it with R=196 G=216 B=207. Select this rectangle, add a new fill and use the radial gradient shown in the second image. Select the second fill (from the Appearance panel), lower its opacity to 25% and change its blending mode to Color Burn.

Conclusion

So there you have it, a simple way to make a sticker text effect. Try playing around with different fonts and shapes to come up with new and interesting variations on this style!

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Quick Tip: How To Create a Simple Sticker Text Effect

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In the following tutorial you will learn how to use text and the Round Any Corner script to create a simple sticker effect. This effect can be applied to a variety of graphics, including shapes and symbols. Let's get started! First, download the Aaaiight! font and move in your Fonts directory.

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Paws

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ACTIVITY3 - (INTEMEDIATE)

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In this tutorial I'm going to cover the main features of Art and Scatter Brushes in Adobe Illustrator, how to create and apply them.

We are going to take an abstract approach and create trees entirely using Art and Scatter Brushes made from basic shapes. By the end of this tutorial, you will have a better understanding of these brushes, the settings and the individual options that can be set within each brush. This is why Art and Scatter Brushes are so versatile, so let's start the lesson.

1. Start a New Project

Launch Illustrator and go to File > New to open a blank document. Type a name and set up the dimensions then select Pixels as Units and RGB as Color Mode. Next, go to Edit > Preferences > General and set the Keyboard Increment to 1px then to Units & Display Performance and set the Units as indicated. I usually work with these settings and they will help you throughout the drawing process.

2. Create the First Art Brush

Step 1

Art Brushes are the most common, in my opinion and they are very different from other types of brushes because they take the base symbol and stretch it along a path that has been created. It could be a simple straight line, any other open path or the outline of a shape. The shape of the Art Brush (the base symbol) can be created by modifying basic shapes but more complex brushes can also be created.

Step 2

Step 3

3. Use the Art Brush to Create a Tree

Step 1

Step 2

Next, select the Art Brush saved in the Brushes panel in order to apply it to this path. Keep the Stroke Weight at 1pt but double click on the brush applied in the Appearance panel to open the Stroke Options window and set the Width to 65%.

Step 3

Step 4

Draw other two paths and Stroke them with the same Art Brush then set the Width to 20% to get thinner branches.

Step 5

Step 6

4. Create a Leaf Scatter Brush

Step 1

While the Art Brushes take the base symbol and stretch it along a specific path, Scatter Brushes take the symbol and scatters copies of it along the path. Basically there's a repetition of the base symbol depending on the brush settings.

Finally, select the left and right anchor points with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and drag the top handles to make them a little longer. You will get a more rounded shape (4).

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Select the leaf-shape and the shape that goes through the middle and press Subtract in the Pathfinder panel (1). Before you continue Group (Control-G) all the angled rectangles. Now, select the new shape of the leaf and the group of rectangles and press Subtract again (2).

Step 5

The leaf is ready and before you save it, select black as the fill color. Drag the symbol into the Brushes panel and choose New Scatter Brush. In the window that opens, type a name, set the Rotation relative to Path and the Colorization to Tints. We will work with the rest of the settings later. Hit OK and now you can find your Leaf 1 Scatter Brush in the Brushes panel.

5. Apply the Leaf Scatter Brush

Step 1

Step 2

The great thing about Scatter Brushes is that you can control the manner in which the base symbol (the leaf) actually scatters. For this, you have four options: Size, Spacing, Scatter and Rotation in the Stroke Options window. You can access them by double clicking on the brush applied in the Appearance panel while the path is selected. I've reduced the Size of the leaves to 12% but depending on the original size of your leaf this value may vary. We want the leaves to be close to each other therefore set the Spacing to minimum, which is 10%. For this abstract tree the leaves are aligned and not scattered therefore set the Scatter to 0% this time. Set the Rotation to 180 degrees only if the tips of your leaves are facing inwards (towards the branches). When you're done with these settings, hit OK and your leaves should look like below. Use the same settings for the other path.

Step 3

Step 4

Follow the second layer of leaves and draw other two paths with the Pencil Tool (N). Apply the same brush and settings then select as the stroke color a lighter shade of green than the previous one.

Step 5

Draw the last two paths and repeat the same things. This time, use a very light green as the stroke color.

Step 6

This is your chance to make a few adjustments. If your layers of leaves are not beautifully aligned, you can move some of the anchor points with the Direct Selection Tool (A) to fix the problem. Don't worry about the overlapping leaves because you will fix this later. If you are happy with your tree, select all the paths that you have stroked with the Leaf 1 Scatter Brush and choose Expand Appearance from the Object menu. As a result, instead of each brush stroke you will get a group of leaves.

Step 7

You don't have to ungroup the leaves to make a few adjustments. Just double click on one of the groups (a layer of leaves) to enter the Isolation mode. Now, you can select each leaf, rotate and move them to cover the empty spots or to free up the cluttered spots. After you are done with a group of leaves, click on the arrow in the upper left corner of your artboard to Exit Isolated Group. Continue with the rest of the groups.

Step 8

In the next image you can see the main areas in which I've rearranged the leaves. At this point the first abstract tree is ready and you have successfully used an Art Brush and a Scatter Brush to make it.

6. Create a Second Art Brush

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Before you save the brush, select black as the fill color for your shape. Now, drag it into the Brushes panel and choose New Art Brush.

7. Create a Second Leaf Scatter Brush

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

8. Apply the Second Leaf Scatter Brush

Step 1

First, make a copy of the tree silhouette. Grab the Pencil Tool (N) and draw a random spiral over the branches then stroke this path with the Leaf 2 Scatter Brush. Since the Colorization is set to Tints the leaves will pick up the stroke color, which is a darker shade of red.

Step 2

Step 3

Add a third stroke and change the color to cyan. Again, drag the sliders and change the values until you get the desired result.

Step 4

For the fourth stroke use dark blue and the same brush of course. Change the settings like in the image or how you want. For this reason the Scatter Brushes in Illustrator are very versatile.

Step 5

In the following image you can see the next stroke.

Step 6

Here is another stroke:

Step 7

Finally, the last one using red as the stroke color. At this point, open the Graphic Styles panel ( Window > Graphic Styles) then drag the thumbnail from the Appearance panel into the Graphic Styles panel to save it, while the path is selected.

Step 8

9. Create and Use a Third Scatter Brush

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Repeat the same thing for the other two trees.

10. Create the Shadows under the Trees

Step 1

The lesson about Art and Scatter Brushes ends at this point but if you want to add the shadows under the trees continue to read a few additional steps. Start by drawing three flat ellipses of different sizes and fill them with the colors indicated. Select all of them and press Vertical Align Center in the Align panel then move them under the abstract purple tree. Still having them selected, go to Object > Blend > Blend Options and choose 20 Specified Steps. Hit OK then go back to Object > Blend > Make (Alt-Control-B). Reduce the Opacity for the resulting blend-group to 50%.

Step 2

Step 3

To create the shadow under the multicolor tree, just select the shadow (all five the shapes) that you have created under the purple tree and make a copy. Then, simply replace the shades of purple with shades of yellow as indicated.

Step 4

The same thing goes for the first tree. Make another copy of the shadow and arrange it under the tree then replace the existing colors with shades of green.

Step 5

Make sure that you have sent the shadows behind the trees and then the trees are ready. Instead of these symbols you can use practically any other and to name a few: hearts, letters, simple flowers, buds, fruit or even birds, why not.

Congratulations! You're Done

So that is all about basic Art and Scatter Brushes, this time around. Besides the ones from the Library you can create various brushes so play around with various shapes from basic to complex, different opacities, colors, settings and widths from now on. Have you found the explanations useful? Let me know.

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Learn More About Art and Scatter Brushes While Drawing Abstract Trees

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In this tutorial I'm going to cover the main features of Art and Scatter Brushes in Adobe Illustrator, how to create and apply them. We are going to take an abstract approach and create trees entirely using Art and Scatter Brushes made from basic shapes.

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ACTIVITY3 - (NEWBIE)

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As an animal lover, I enjoy nothing more than combining my love of vector with my pets in tutorials and today is no exception. In the following tutorial I'm going to show you how to create two simple paw print Scatter Brushes in Adobe Illustrator. These are so easy to do and are aimed at beginners. We'll be creating a dog brush and then showing you how to modify it to be a cat brush. So let's get stuck in!

Step 1

Before we start let's enable Smart Guides (Ctrl + U). This will make things a lot easier for you I promise. We're going to start with the main pad of the foot. With the Ellipse Tool (L) click once on the canvas to get the Ellipse Options box. Enter the values of 50 x 50pt to create an even circle and click on OK. The shapes through out will require a black fill, there are no other colors used.

Click on the canvas again and create a 30 x 30pt circle and then Copy (Ctrl + C) and Paste in Front (Ctrl + F). Use the Selection Tool (V) to move the smaller circles either side of the larger circle.

Step 2

Select All (Ctrl + A) of the three circles and then in the Pathfinder panel click Unite. This will combine the shapes to become one.

Step 3

We're going to use the Pen Tool (P) to remove some of the points around the shape. Some people like to use the Delete Anchor Point Tool (-) for this but either will do the job. I personally use the Pen Tool (P) as it's good for adding and removing points without needing to change tools. So with either tool, hover over the four nodes pointed out below and click on them to remove them. You'll be left with an upside down heart shape. This is the main palm of the paw.

Step 4

Back to using the Ellipse Tool (L), click on the canvas and create a 30 x 40pt ellipse. Duplicate it three times and move them into place as shown below, using the Selection Tool (V). You maybe tempted to add five paws but don't do this as both cats and dogs have only four paws in their prints. This is because their fifth paw known as their " carpal pad" situated is part way up their leg and thus does not touch the ground when they walk.

Step 5

Let's rotate these shapes slightly. Select an ellipse and then use the Free Transform Tool (E) to rotate each ellipse as shown below. I've went for about 15 degrees for each pad.

Step 6

Select All of your shapes (Ctrl + A) and then Group them (Ctrl + G). In relation to my art board, the paw is too big for me. So if you wish to resize it, go to Object > Transform > Scale and reduce the size by entering a Uniform Scale percentage. Here I've decreased it to 50% of it's original size.

Step 7

Duplicate your paw group and then with the Selection Tool (V) move the paw above and to the right. Then with the Free Transform Tool (E) rotate the paws slightly. The reason why we're doing this is because we need a paw print on both the left and right side.

Step 8

Before we create our brush, I'm going to now rotate both of our paws. So first Select All (Ctrl + A) and Group the paws (Ctrl + G). Then while they are still selected, go to Object > Transform > Rotate. Enter the value of -90 degrees to rotate your paws clockwise. The reason I've used this method to rotate the paws is because it's much more accurate to rotate our paws. Previously when we've rotated pads, accuracy was not required so much. So if you wish to rotate something accurately, go with this method.

Step 9

With your two paws selected, go into the Brushes panel and click on New Brush. In the dialogue box, select Scatter Brush and use the settings below. Let's look a little closer at the specific settings for those who are interested.

We're keeping the size to the original size of our shapes, so keep the value for Size set to 100%.

Imagine you were to draw a rectangle which covered both paws, the distance between the left and right of this rectangle would be the Spacing it used up. So what I'm asking of this brush is that the space between each instance of the brushes, to overlap by 10%. Therefore the Spacing value is set to 90%.

Image you were to draw a line. Scatter refers to how far away from the line the instances of the brush will be. As I want the paw prints to follow the line (through the center of the line with a paw on each side), I've set this value to 0%.

Again imagining the line going from bottom to top, so the paws were pointing upwards. Rotation refers to now much each instance is rotated from that upwards pointing position. As I want to keep them all pointing in the same direction, this value is set to 0%.

Rotation relative to: Path / Page refers to regards of what direction the line is drawn in, do you want the brush to follow the bottom/up orientation of the Page or would you prefer the paws to follow the direction of the Path. We're wanting the latter in this instance.

Finally, we're looking at Colorization Method. If you're creating a black fill brush and only black, always set your brush to the Colorization Method Tints. When it is set to Tints, whatever stroke color you select will change the color of the paws to exactly that color. You don't have to select a Colorization Method, however just changing this to Tints will make it much easier to use should you wish to use the brush in the future. Click on the Tips button to find out more about the different Colorization Methods.

Once you've click on OK, below is an example of your newly created paw print brush. I've drawn the line from right to left with the Paintbrush Tool (B) and then applied our brush.

Step 10

So let's create a quick variation of this brush and this is the cat paw. Their main pad/palm area is the only thing which is different. So create your toe pads as you would a dogs. For the pad/palm use the Pen Tool (P) and draw an "M" shape with straight lines. You don't need to make any curves at all so don't worry if you've not mastered the Pen Tool (P) yet. Change the Stroke Weight to 14pt and here's the important part... change the Cap to Round Cap and the Corner to Rounded Corners. This will create the shape you need for the pad/palm.

As before, Group each paw together (Ctrl + G) and duplicate to create your second paw.

Step 11

The difference with this paw brush in the Scatter Brush Options is that the Size will be smaller, here I've set it to 80%. The obvious reason is because domestic cats are smaller creatures than domestic dogs, this is of course not the case if we're comparing Maine Coons and Chihuahuas!

I've set the Spacing this time to 120%. This is because cats strut and tend to glide at a faster pace than a dog, whom are usually clumpy and more heavy footed. All other options remain the same.

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Quick Tip: How to Create a Simple Paw Print Scatter Brush in Adobe Illustrator

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As an animal lover, I enjoy nothing more than combining my love of vector with my pets in tutorials and today is no exception. In the following tutorial I'm going to show you how to create two simple paw print Scatter Brushes in Adobe Illustrator.

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VECTORIA

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Test VECTOR

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Pen Tool Exercise

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USING PEN TOOL

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kipidap

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jgn frust, jgn give up, ini lah seni

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ACTIVITY2

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If you use Adobe Illustrator, then it's almost certain that you use the Pen Tool when creating your paths. This comprehensive guide aims to introduce or remind you of features, shortcuts, and methods for working with what is arguably Adobe's most essential tool.

1. Functions

Pen Tool (P)

Click on artboard to create paths with straight segments, click and drag to create paths with Bezier curves.

Note the tooltip which gives you precise pixel coordinates wherever your cursor points

Add Anchor Point Tool (+)

Click on a path segment to add anchor points.

Delete Anchor Point Tool (-)

Click on anchor point to remove from path.

Convert Anchor Point (Shift-C)

Click on an anchor point and drag to create bezier handles where there were none, click on an anchor point with handles to remove them.

Alternatively, click and drag midway along a path to manipulate it as a curve.

Scissors Tool (C)

Not part of the Pen Tool group, but definitely associated with it. Click on a path segment to divide into two paths.

2. Keyboard Shortcuts

Select Pen Tool (P)

Select Add Anchor Point Tool (+)

Select Delete Anchor Point Tool (-)

Select Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C)

Select Scissors Tool (C)

Join two anchor points (Command/Control-J)

3. The Cursors

The Pen Tool takes on different forms depending on what you're doing when you're using it. Each cursor intuitively makes you aware of the action you are about to perform.

(Caps Lock to toggle between pointer and cross hair)

Prepared to begin path

Whilst midway through creating or editing a path (with grid coordinates)

When mouse button is pressed

When ready to add an anchor point to path

When ready to remove an anchor point from path

When hovered over begin point of path; to close path

When hovered over endpoint of existing path; to continue path

When ready to convert path or anchor point

When ready to, or in the action of manipulating a curved path

When ready to join new path to existing path

4. Secondary Mouse Controls (With Path Selected)

1. Pen Tool hovers over anchor point: changes to Delete Anchor Point Tool

2. Pen Tool hovers over path segment: changes to Add Anchor Point Tool

3. Pen Tool hovers over end anchor point: changes to Continue Anchor Point Tool

5. Keyboard Controls

1. Hold Shift to constrain movements to 45°, 90°, 135° or 180° whilst creating or editing anchor points and handles.

2. Select anchor point with Direct Selection Tool (A) and click Delete. Anchor and adjoining path segments will be deleted leaving two paths.

3. Pen Tool-Option (Alt): changes to Convert Anchor Point Tool.

4. Pen Tool hover over bezier handle + Command (Control): allows editing of bezier curve.

5. Pen Tool-Option (Alt) whilst creating bezier curve: splits curve (unhinges handles).

6. Pen Tool hover over bezier handle + Option (Alt): splits curve (unhinges handles).

7. Scissors Tool (C)-Option (Alt): changes to Add anchor point tool.

8. Add Anchor Point Tool-Option (Alt): changes to Delete Anchor Point Tool.

9. Delete Anchor Point Tool-Option (Alt): changes to Add Anchor Point Tool.

6. Preferences

You can access the preferences which influence the Pen Tool (P) and other related tools by going to Illustrator > Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display.

Selection & Anchor Display

Tolerance

Radius of the selection area around anchor points. Must be between 1 and 8 pixels, 1px if you're deadly accurate with your mouse or have a lot of anchors in close range of one another, 8px if you prefer less precision. 3px is the default value.

Object Selection by Path Only

When checked, this option allows selection of objects only by clicking their paths. Clicking on their filled areas is ineffective, comparable to working in Outline mode ( View > Outline).

Snap to Point

Also checkable via View > Snap to Point, though via the Selection & Anchor Display dialogue the tolerance can also be determined from 1 to 8 pixels. This value again represents the radius around anchor points. When lining up two objects, anchor points from one will snap to points of the other should they be positioned within the specified range.

It's worth noting that since the release of Adobe Illustrator CC 2014 Bezier handles are immune to grid-snapping. You can therefore make sure your anchors all stick to the grid (great for web use) whilst maintaining precision with free curves.

Anchor Point and Handle Display

Determines the way in which your path anchor points and handles are displayed.

Highlight Anchors on Mouseover

When checked, highlights anchor points when hovered over with cursor.

Show Handles When Multiple Anchors are Selected

When checked, this options displays the handles of points when multiple points are selected. Otherwise, handles of multiple selected points are not displayed.

Hide Corner Widget

Corner widgets allow you to drag corners in order to make them rounded. You may find it helpful to specify the corner angle at which you no longer want to have the widget displayed. Choose from 105°, 120°, 135°, 150° or 165°.

Enable Rubber Band

When wanting to lay down an anchor point I always find it helpful to know what the path will look like. Checking the Rubber Band option gives you a preview of the path before you commit.

7. Other Shortcuts and Tips

Select the Direct Selection Tool (A) before selecting the Pen Tool (P). Hold-Command (Control) to give you access to the last tool selected (in this case the Direct Selection Tool) for editing of paths and handles without deselecting the path.

With path selected, use the Spacebar to give you access to the Hand Tool (H). Move your screen without deselecting the path or changing tools.

While creating or editing an anchor point, click and Click-Hold-Spacebar to alter the position of the anchor point you're working on. Since the release of Adobe Illustrator CC 2014 this manipulation is also possible on the closing anchor of a path.

With the Direct Selection Tool (A) select the end point and starting point of a path. Command (Control)-J to Join.

With the Direct Selection Tool (A) select the end point and starting point of a path. Command (Control)-Option (Alt)-Shift-J to join and average simultaneously.

Bear in mind that the colour of your highlighted paths and their Bezier handles is dependent on the colour of the layer they're placed on.

To smoothen a path by reducing the number of anchor points open the Simplify dialogue ( Object > Path > Simplify) and adjust according to your needs.

Conversely, should you want more anchor points to improve manipulation go to Object > Path > Add Anchor Points. A new anchor point will appear after every existing anchor point on the selected path.

To prevent the Pen Tool (P) from changing its function when interacting with other anchor points or paths, open the general preferences dialogue ( Illustrator > Preferences > General) and check the Disable Auto Add/Delete option. The Pen Tool will now only draw paths.

Disable Auto Add/Delete

Since the release of Adobe Illustrator CC 2014, control over Bezier handles has improved. Now, whilst dragging handles of an anchor point press and hold Command/Control to independently stretch and shrink the leading handle, whilst keeping its movement paired to the trailing handle.

8. Best Practice Suggestions

Drag handles from the first anchor point when beginning a curved path.

Drag your handles around just one third of the curve you're creating for a smooth path.

Position anchor points on a curve where the paths begin to change direction, not in the middle of its curve.

Be sparing with your use of anchor points, fewer points = neater path.

9. The Pen Tool Exercise

This is all well and good in theory, but while these tips are fresh in your mind why not put them into practice? Download the Pen Tool Exercise file and follow the guides to create precise paths, using the hints and shortcuts covered in this article.

If you need some inspiration for your designs, check out the popular vectors on Envato Market. If you're struggling to create a particular vector with the Pen Tool, you might find something there that you can use in your project.

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Illustrator's Pen Tool: The Comprehensive Guide

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If you use Adobe Illustrator, then it's almost certain that you use the Pen Tool when creating your paths. This comprehensive guide aims to introduce or remind you of features, shortcuts, and methods for working with what is arguably Adobe's most essential tool.

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ACTIVITY1 (NEWBIE)

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What You'll Be Creating

It's springtime, and it would be a good time to create a garden scene. You will use just basic shapes and the Pencil Tool in Adobe Illustrator. You will be surprised how many different objects you can create from a rectangle, ellipse and triangle!

1. Create Growing Carrots

Step 1

Press Control-N to create a New document.

First we are going to create a carrot. Using the Ellipse Tool (L), draw an ellipse (color R=245, G=128, B=37). Then take the Direct Selection Tool (A) and select the left and the right anchor points of the ellipse and move them upwards.

Step 2

Step 3

Increase the width of the stroke and change its color to R=141, G=139, B=0. Use the Pencil Tool (N) to draw the leaves of the carrot.

Step 4

Add a container for the carrots. Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a rectangle. Keep it selected and go to Effect > Warp > Bulge. Adjust the options as shown on the image below.

Step 5

Place a carrot behind the flower pot: select the carrot, then right-click > Arrange > Send Backward.

Step 6

2. Create a Decorative Tree

Step 1

Before starting with the tree, verify that the stroke color is deleted, then select the fill and set its color to R=163, G=165, B=16.

Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to draw a circle. Then draw a second but smaller circle inside the first one with the color set to R=173, G=174, B=40.

Step 2

Now add a long rectangle using the Rectangle Tool (M). Set its color to R=114, G=108, B=1. That's the stem.

Step 3

Step 4

Put all the parts together.

Step 5

Let's decorate the tree with flowers.

Take the Polygon Tool (M) (fill color R=230, G=227, B=208) and click on your art board. A dialogue window will appear where you need to set 6 sides and press OK.

Step 6

Put a circle at the center ( R=242, G=235, B=70). And there is your flower.

Step 7

Fill the tree with flowers by Copy-paste.

3. Create a Simple Fence

Step 1

Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle, set its color to ( R=34, G=188, B=185).

Then take the Pen Tool (P) and add one anchor point as shown on the picture. Keep it selected and move it up.

Step 2

Step 3

A slightly darker rectangle with fill color R=2, G=155, B=147 perpendicular to the pickets will finish the fence.

4. Create a Ladybug

Step 1

Draw an oval ( R=238, G=53, B=36) with the Ellipse Tool (L).

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

A black circle will be the head of the ladybug. To place the head behind the body, press Control-X and Control-B.

Step 5

Step 6

Distribute black circles with no stroke color over the body. Now you have a ladybug! Select all parts of the insect and Group them ( right-click > Group).

Step 7

Put the ladybug on the fence.

5. Create a Birdhouse

Step 1

We will start with a light green rectangle ( R=163, G=165, B=16) and a dark green circle ( R=114, G=108, B=1).

Step 2

Step 3

Put the roof in place.

Step 4

All you need to do now is to create a long rectangle using the Rectangle Tool (M) with the fill color R=112, G=50, B=33.

6. Draw a Bird

Step 1

Start with the body. Take the Eyedropper Tool (I) and simply click on the fence to take the same blue color (or you could also choose the container where the carrots are growing).

Draw an oval by using the Ellipse Tool (L). After that take the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C) and simply click on the left and right anchor point of the oval.

Step 2

Step 3

Using the Direct Selection Tool (A) and by moving the anchor points make the created shape more rounded. Add a small eye - circle with fill color R=20, G=48, B=47.

Step 4

Step 5

Keep the color of the legs and create an oval. Select the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C) click on the right anchor point of the oval. Then select the top and bottom anchor points of the oval using the Direct Selection Tool (A). Move them to the left.

Step 6

Put the wing in place.

7. Place the Bird Over the Birdhouse

Select the whole bird and Group it ( right-click > Group), place it over the birdhouse and send the bird to the back ( right-click > Arrange > Send Backward).

8. Create a Plant

Step 1

Let's create a flower pot. Make the fill color brown ( R=112, G=50, B=33) and draw a rectangle. Then go to Effect > Warp > Bulge and adjust the warp options as shown on the image below.

Step 2

Add a small horizontal rectangle of the same color at the top.

Step 3

Creating a leaf starting from a green oval. You need to get sharp corners with the help of the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C).

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Place the plant in the flower pot.

9. Create a Watering Can

Step 1

Using the Eyedropper Tool (I) take the blue color of the bird you created before and draw a rectangle. Then go to Effect > Warp > Bulge with the Wrap Options shown below.

Step 2

Remove the fill color and make the stroke color the same blue. Increase the stroke on the Stroke panel and draw a circle (for a nice round circle you need to hold the Shift button). That's the handle.

Step 3

Now remove the stroke color and make the fill color blue again. Select the Polygon Tool and simply click on your art board. Set 3 sides in the new window and press OK. After that use the Direct Selection Tool (A) and change the shape of the triangle:

Step 4

Place it on the top of the watering can.

Step 5

Create a blue rectangle once more and make it narrower at the spout.

Step 6

A blue triangle turned upside down will serve as a sprinkler.

Step 7

Do you remember how to create a flower? You may also just take one of those you made for the decorative tree.

Step 8

Decorate the watering can with the flower.

10. Create the Gardening Gloves

Step 1

Assemble three shapes as shown on the image. Fill color is R=163, G=165, B=16.

Step 2

Create one more copy of the mitten and make it darker ( R=141, G=139, B=0). Place it behind the first one.

11. Create a Seed Packet

Step 1

To create a seed packet you will need a green rectangle R=163, G=165, B=16. Make one more copy of it ( Control-C, Control-F). Then take the Pen Tool (P) and add one anchor point at the bottom part of the green rectangle. When you are done, pick the Delete Anchor Point Tool (-) and remove two anchor points at the lower edges of the rectangle to create a triangle (see picture below). Shift the remaining anchor point at the tip of the triangle upwards.

Step 2

Now get a copy of the created triangle ( Control-C, Control-B). Stretch the new copy down and set its color to R=141, G=139, B=0.

Step 3

Pick your favorite font and simply type "Seeds" on the packet. The color used for the text is R=112, G=50, B=33.

Step 4

Step 5

Copy the single seed to make three of them. Place on the packet.

12. Create a Gardening Trowel

Step 1

Step 2

Add one more rounded rectangle with blue fill color ( R=2, G=155, B=147).

Step 3

Now add the main part of the trowel based on a blue oval ( R=34, G=188, B=185). You need to select the left and right anchor points using the Direct Selection Tool (A). Move them downwards.

Step 4

Merge all the parts and group them.

13. Create a Gardening Fork

Step 1

Take the elements you made in the Step 12.2 and draw one more rounded rectangle like the one you can see in the picture below. Set its color to R=34, G=188, B=185.

Step 2

Add three identical rounded rectangles.

Step 3

Keep the three newly created rectangles selected and go to Effect > Warp > Arc. Adjust the wrap options.

14. Put Them All Together

Step 1

You may bring all the parts you created together. See how it looks!

Step 2

Conclusion

Great job! You just created a sweet little garden scene. Print it out - and you will have spring greetings. Using the separate objects you can create garden icons. Hope you learned some new tricks which you can use in your future art projects.

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Create a Garden Scene with Basic Shapes in Adobe Illustrator

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It's springtime, and it would be a good time to create a garden scene. You will use just basic shapes and the Pencil Tool in Adobe Illustrator. You will be surprised how many different objects you can create from a rectangle, ellipse and triangle! Press Control-N to create a New document.

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ACTIVITY1

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Easy Character Design - Envato Tuts+ Design & Illustration Tutorials

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If you're new to vector, one of the first projects you may wish to take on is creating a cute, character from scratch. These types of projects introduce you to fundamental drawing concepts of...