The Pen Tool Tutorial: Part 2
I my first post in this series, I tackled the basics of what the pen tool was, and how to use it. In part two, I’d like to discuss Adobe Illustrator’s complementary pen tools.
To see the tools I’m speaking of, click on the Pen Tool in Illustrator and hold the left mouse button down. You’ll see the Pen Tool, Add Anchor Point, Delete Anchor Point, and Convert Anchor Point. In addition to these tools, there is another complementary tool. The second tool on the toolbar is a white arrow named the Direct Selection Tool. This will also be used to help your work.
First, the Pen Tool is responsible for creating points and creating curves as you work. The problem is that many of us can’t see how many points we need, where we need them, and how the curve needs to bend as we work. That’s why these tools are helpful – if we don’t get what we need at first, we can use them to clean up the mess and realize our vision of the picture.
The Add Anchor Point Tool is simple enough – if, as you’re creating your graphic, you realize that you need a point somewhere you did not initially draw it, you can add the point later. This is very helpful because if you don’t have a point to work with, you can’t bend at that spot. See the example below for pointers.
The Delete Anchor Point Tool should be self-explanatory, but many people question the need for it. The reason you would remove anchor points is this: as you’re working, the more anchor points you have – the more potential you have for lines bending, stretching, and skewing. If you don’t need the power of a point in a given spot, you really don’t want an extra point sitting there. It makes your life more complicated. The animation below shows how removing an anchor point can resolve an issue.
Now we get to the fun tools. A common problem I’ve had to deal with over the years is my inability to get curves right the first time. The Convert Anchor Point Tool and Direct Selection Tool allow me to change a curve many times over, including creating curves that the Pen Tool by itself can’t create. Let’s start with the Convert Anchor Point Tool.
The Convert tool allows us to create a curve where there wasn’t one in the first place. In the example below, I actually create a straight line out, then back. Afterward, using the Convert Anchor Point Tool, I create a curve by clicking on one of the end points and pulling out; then clicking the other end point and pulling out.
The Direct Selection Tool allows me to click any point and do one of two things – either change an existing curve, or move the point altogether. Simply click on one of the extended poles coming from a point and drag it back and forth to see the change of the curve, or click directly on a point to shift that point. It is extremely valuable when you realize, for example, that a dog’s snout is far too long!
Finally, if you return to the Convert Anchor Point Tool – it also allows you to create a curve that is different on either side of the point. If you want a wave instead of an arc, that’s how you do it.
Stick Around
In the next installment of this tutorial, I’ll show how to use the Pen Tool to create some very interesting characters.
Until then, please feel free to check out our classes in Adobe Illustrator to give you more experience with these tools.
