Preparing the artboard

The Pen Tool is primarily used to make straight paths, but it can also make curved lines if you click and drag it. It is useful for tracing templates and creating unique shapes.

Start by zooming into the top left of the artboard, to the box labeled "Pen Tool." This can be achieved by selecting the Zoom Tool from the left tool bar or by pressing its shortcut key, (Z). Simply click where you would like to zoom. It is also possible to zoom out by holding Alt (Option on Mac) while clicking. You can move around the artboard by dragging the vertical and horizontal scroll bars on the border of the artboard, or you can hold Space to temporarily select the Hand Tool, which enables you to move around the artboard by clicking and dragging.

Introduction to Layers

Select the Pen Tool (P) from the top of the left toolbar. With the Pen Tool selected, notice how your cursor looks like a pencil with a slashed circle next to it. This is Illustrator's way of telling you that the layer you are trying to draw on is locked and you cannot add or edit paths. Take a look at the Layers panel on the right to resolve this issue. You may find that the panel is collapsed in the bottom right of the program. Simply click on the panel's name, Layers, to open it.

You should see that there is a single layer named "Template," with a lock symbol next to it. Since the template is being used only as a guide, you need to create a new layer. Drawing on a new layer allows you to place paths alongside the template without altering the template itself. In the bottom right of the Layers panel, click on the Create New Layer button, which looks like a square with a plus sign (+) in it.

Double click on the new layer's title "Layer 2", type "Pen Tool", then hit Enter on your keyboard. Renaming layers, especially when creating complex illustrations, will help you quickly remember what each layer contains.

Introduction to Swatches

In the Swatches panel just above the Layers panel, notice that there are several swatch squares of different colors, then two swatches stacked on top of each other at the top of the panel. The hollowed swatch at the top of the panel represents the current stroke color and the swatch on top of it represents the current fill color.

Click once on the fill swatch (the white box in the top left of the panel) to select it, then click on the None swatch color (the smaller white box with a red line through it). Removing the fill but keeping the stroke ensures that you can see both the template and your paths as you place them.

Using the Pen Tool

With the Pen Tool layer selected (highlighted blue), you can now draw on the artboard. Using the Pen Tool in the box labeled "Pen Tool," place an anchor point by clicking once on point 1 at the top left of the flag. Notice that there is now a line that stretches between the anchor point and your cursor. This is a predicted path, which represents the path that will be created once you place another anchor point. Click on point 2 at the bottom left of the flag's edge to create a straight path. If you misclick or are unhappy with your placement of anchor points, you can press Ctrl + Z (Command + Z on Mac) from your keyboard to Undo your last action, then try again.

The template guide begins to curve next, so you will have to create a curved path to match it. To do this with the Pen Tool, you can place your cursor on point 3 in the middle of the flag's bottom edge. Click to place the anchor point, then while holding the click, drag your cursor in any direction. In doing this, you will have created handles, which allow you to immediately adjust the curve of the path. The further you drag the handle, the more intense the curve is. Adjust the handle until the predicted path fits onto the template's line, then release your click. Remember that you can Undo anytime you are unhappy with the placement of your anchor points.

Place your cursor on point 4 where the flag meets the pole, then click and drag your cursor until the predicted path fits onto the template's line again. If you are struggling to make the curve fit, you may find it useful to adjust the previous segment's handles by holding Ctrl (Command on Mac) and dragging the handles closer to their anchor point.

Notice that Illustrator is anticipating a curved path, even though you need a straight path to trace over the edge of the pole. Click on the last anchor point you placed at point 4 to make the path straight again. Notice now that the predicted path is straight instead of curved. Place your next point on point 5 at the base of the flagpole.

Using these methods, continue tracing over the rest of the outline. You many follow the marked points on the template, or you can add any points that you find necessary. You will be revisiting these paths later when you learn how to edit existing paths, so do not worry too much about making mistakes. Focus on learning how the Pen Tool works and how handles effect the shape of the curves. Remember that you can:

• Click and drag the Pen Tool to make curved paths.
• Hold Ctrl (Option on Mac) to readjust handles.
• Click once on the previous anchor point to switch back to a straight path.
• Undo mistakes with Ctrl + Z (Command + Z on Mac).

Once you trace all the way around the template lines, you can close the path by clicking on the first anchor point you placed. Below is the finished product, with anchor points and handles highlighted for your reference. Yours may have more or less anchor points and handles.

Using the Curvature Tool

The Curvature Tool is primarily used to make curved paths, but it can also be used to create straight lines if you double click with it. Like the Pen Tool, the Curvature Tool is useful when you need to trace over templates or create unique shapes, though it is most useful when creating flowing designs or those with a lot of curves.

Move to the top right of the artboard labeled "Curvature Tool" using either the Hand Tool (hold Space) or the scroll bars on the sides of the artboard. Select the Curvature Tool (Shift + `) from the left toolbar.

To keep your work organized, be sure to create a new layer by pressing Create New Layer in the Layers panel. Rename it to "Curvature Tool" by double clicking on its title. Notice that each layer has a color automatically assigned to it, which you can see to the left of the layer name. When you create and select paths in the Curvature Tool layer, they will be highlighted with the color that corresponds to their layer. Your colors may differ from the colors that appear in the images used for this tutorial.

With the Curvature Tool selected, you can begin to trace the template lines of the flag. Click once on point 1 at the bottom left of the flag. For the first anchor point you place with the Curvature Tool, you will not see a predicted path that indicates where the path will be because it requires at least two points to predict a curve. Place the next anchor point at point 2 along the bottom curve of the flag. Notice that a straight path has been created, but the predicted path attached to your cursor indicates that it will be changed to fit the curve of the next path segment you create. Note that handles are still created on curved paths, but they will not be visible unless they are directly selected.

Continue placing points on point 3, then point 4, then point 5. Notice how the curve on the existing paths attempt to smooth out as you continue placing points. If you are unhappy with the placement of any of your points, you can always Undo your last action.

Next for the flagpole, you will need to create a straight path. To do this with the Curvature Tool, double click on the last anchor point you placed, then place the next one on point 6 at the bottom of the pole. For a faster workflow, it is also possible to create straight paths by double clicking or holding Alt as you place anchor points.

Using these methods, continue tracing over the rest of the outline. You may follow the template points or add more points if you find them necessary. Focus on learning how the Curvature Tool works rather than perfectly replicating the template lines. Remember that you can:

• Double click on the previous anchor point or double click when placing the next anchor point to create a straight path.
• Undo mistakes with Ctrl + Z (Command + Z on Mac).

 

Once you have traced around the whole flag, you can close the path with a straight segment by double clicking on the first anchor point you placed. Below is the finished product, with all anchor points highlighted and no visible handles. Yours may have more or less anchor points and handles.

Saving your work

It is a good idea to save your work often to prevent the loss of your progress in instances where the program is forcefully closed. Press Ctrl + S (Command + S on Mac) on your keyboard to save your work. You can also go to File from the Menu, then Save. The program will quickly save the changes you made, indicated by the text "Saving..." that appears next to the title of the file.

If you are unsure whether your file saved, it may be useful to know that Illustrator will mark the end of the file name with an asterisk (*) if there are unsaved changes.

If you still see the asterisk next to the file's name, save (Ctrl + S (Command + S on Mac)) the file again. Once the asterisk goes away, it is possible to close the file and the program without losing your progress.

Concluding Pen and Curvature Tools

The Pen and Curvature tools are used to create paths but they each have their own methods. A decision on when to use one tool over the other may only be a matter of preference, though some recommend the curvature tool for designs with more curves.

In this section you learned:

• How to move around the artboard.
• How to create new layers and rename them.
• Each layer has a color assigned to it. When paths are created and selected, they will be highlighted with the color that corresponds to their layer.
• You can Undo mistakes with Ctrl + Z (Option + Z on Mac).
• The Pen Tool makes straight paths, but it can also make curved lines if you click and drag it.
• The Curvature Tool makes curved paths, but it can also make straight paths if you double click.
• You can edit paths as you create them.
• How to save your file.

If you would like to see more tips for using both the Pen and Curvature Tools, watch the video tutorials listed below to learn more. These resources will also be listed at the end of the tutorial so there is no need to watch them immediately. You can move on to the next section, Creating and Combing Shapes, when you are ready.

• How To Use The Pen Tool in Illustrator by Design Made Simple.
• How the Curvature Tool Works by Graphic Designer PRO.
• Pen Vs Curvature Tool by Graphic Designer PRO.