How to Draw Lines With Pen Tool in Illustrator

Drawing with the Pen Tool around

I ever suggest taking the following preparatory steps ahead new users start drawing with the Pen creature:

• Later you'll see how Illustrator's astute guides can be laboursaving when workings with the Pen tool, but ab initio they're too distracting. Since the smart guides are ruttish by default, turn around them off by choosing View > Canny Guides or pressing Ctrl-U (Windows) or Cmd-U (Macintosh) and making sure that the fresh guides are deselected.
• When you start drawing with the Pen puppet, it can be rough to draw when the path has a fill, sol let's make it a little easier. Select the Pen tool; then modify the Replete color to None and the Stroke Gloss to Black person in the instrument panel.

We'll begin by workings with a straight path and so bit by bit move toward more than complex shapes, using keyboard commands and various tools as we start along. Apiece bold objective in the following tutorial will be followed by specific instructions on how to get the described ensue. I've also included a video for each objective, which you pot sentiment to see the process in action.

Cast a straight line that's dead horizontal or erect (video 1).

1. With the Pen tool elect, lay the pointer away from any other paths that you've drawn. Clack once on the artboard to set a gunpoint. Position the pointer somewhere to the right of the original point, hold set the Shift primal, and click again. Holding downbound Shift as you create the track makes the line perfectly horizontal.
2. Position the pointer somewhere below the point you just created. Hold down the Shift key and click to make up the third point of the path. Posting that the line you just created is absolutely vertical because you held down the Shift Florida key.
3. Press P to stop drawing the former shape. This action creates what's named an open path, because the shape you created isn't closed, like a rotary or square would be. To create a closed path, you could position the pointer over the freehand detail and click to close the path. If you effort it, watch the work of the Spanish pointer. As you hover over the first stop, the pointer cast changes to display a round with the Pen tool, indicating that clicking there would create a closed path.

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Video 1

Draw a curved shape (video 2).

1. With the Pen puppet designated, position the pointer away from the previous way of life you drew. Click once on the artboard to set a item.
2. Position the pointer to the right of the originative taper off, click, and then drag aside from the 2nd point, without releasing the mouse button. Drag up, down, left, and right to take care the effect on the path. Release the mouse button, and you have a curved course.
3. Press P to stop draught the previous figure.

As you drag away from a point with the Pen creature, you create direction lines for an anchor show. These direction lines control the direction of a breaking ball and the arc of the bender.

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Video 2

Produce a U shape with the Pen tool (video 3).

1. First, trip out the smart guides by choosing View > Smart Guides. When you're more experienced at drawing with the Pen creature, you'll probably turn the smart guides on and off a lot, depending on whether you need to align points as you draw.
2. With the Pen puppet chosen, position the arrow away from any previous paths you drew. Click once along the artboard to set a orient; then drop behind down, without releasing the mouse button. Hold down the Shift key and press down on a little more. Notice that the direction line snaps to vertical. Drag the pointer an inch or two from the compass point you situated; release the mouse button and then the Shift.
3. Put the pointer straight to the right of the original point, until a horizontal green conjunction templet appears when the pointer is aligned with the first bespeak (that's share of the smart guides helping you). Hold down the Shift key, chatter, and draw upwards from the second point without emotional the mouse clit. Drag up, down, left, and right to see the effect on the path. Release the pussyfoot button and then the Shift key, and you possess a U-formed course.
4. Choose Delete > Unmake Pen to remove the stopping point point created. (Instead of redrawing a path, you can undo a series of points created.) Redraw the last stop.
5. Press P to stop draft the former shape.

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Video recording 3

1. With the Pen creature elite, position the Spanish pointer away from any past paths you drew. Click one time on the artboard to set a point.
2. Position the arrow below the original level. Get across and drag down from the second direct, only don't release the mouse button yet. Adjudge down the Spacebar and dredge the mouse (you're unruffled pressing the sneak button). Card that you ass drag the last item you drew to reposition it. Release the mouse clitoris and then the key. Continue drawing with the Pen tool.
3. Press P to stop draught the path.

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Video recording 4

1. Turn off sharp guides by choosing View > Smart Guides. Select the Direct Excerption tool in the Tools dialog box, and then reselect the Pen instrument. (In a second, I'll explain why you did that.)
2. With the Pen tool elect, side the pointer away from any previous paths you drew. Pawl once on the artboard to set a point and puff down to start a curve.
3. Position the pointer to the right of the novel point; dawn and then drag up from the second point. Hold John L. H. Down the Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) key to access the last elect Selection joyride temporarily (the Direct Natural selection tool or "blank arrow"). Set up the arrow over the last manoeuver; then click and drag it to another position OR drag the direction lines. Release the key and then continue drawing with the Indite tool.
4. Press P to stop drawing the path.

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Video 5

Commute points from smooth to corner as you draw (video 6).

1. With the Pen tool designated, position the pointer away from any previous paths you drew. Click once on the artboard to set a orient and drag down to start a curve. Release the pussyfoot button.
2. Position the pointer to the right of the fresh point. Click and dredge up from the second point and release the mouse button when you've created a curve.
3. Hold down the EL (Windows) or Option (Mac) key. The pointer turns into the Convert Anchorman Luff puppet. With the key still held down, position the pointer complete the direction handle you dragged away from the point, and drag to "split" the direction handles. This sue allows you to change the point to a niche point in time with direction lines.
4. Release the sneak button then the key, and stay on drawing with the Compose tool.
5. Press P to occlusion drawing the path.

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Video 6

Make over a bend, followed by a straight line (video 7).

1. With the Pen joyride selected, position the pointer out from any past paths you John Drew. Thread a curve that consists of two points with direction lines.
2. After slow the sneak inaccurate from the second point and releasing the sneak push button, office the pointer over the last point. The pointer now displays an upside-down v. Click the next-to-last point; the steering credit line you dragged out is deleted.
3. Position the pointer to the right of that backbone point and chatter without dragging. You've created a curve, followed by a aboveboard line.
4. Press P to stop draft the path.

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Telecasting 7

Create a straight line, followed by a curve (video 8).

1. With the Pen joyride selected, position the pointer away from any previous paths you drew. Draw a straight line that consists of two points without direction lines.
2. After creating the second point and releasing the computer mouse button, stance the pointer over the last detail. The pointer displays an upside-down v. Click and drag from the last point to pull out a new direction business line. Drag it in the general direction that the curve will go. Position the pointer to the redress of that anchor compass point; then click and drag outside to create a curve.
3. Press out P to stop drawing the path.

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Video 8

Return to an existing path and add to it (television 9).

1. At some point you'll undoubtedly draw a path and then want to stay it tardive. With the Pen tool selected, set down the pointer away from some previous paths you drew. Draw a straight line that consists of deuce points without direction lines.
2. Press P to stop draftsmanship the path.
3. With the Pen tool selected, position the pointer terminated the last point worn. Notice that the pointer now displays a slanted line close to the Pen tool. Pawl the channelis, and you can continue drawing. If you want a curve, dredge a direction line from the mainstay point first, and then continue drawing points. Otherwise, just continue to line backbone points.
4. When you're through with adding to the course, press P to stop drawing.

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Video 9

How to Draw Lines With Pen Tool in Illustrator

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