Using The Pen Tool

Using The Pen Tool

How to use one of the most important and powerful tools in Illustrator.

When to use

Use the Pen Tool when you are illustrating or tracing sketches and images. 

Instructions

Making a Point

• Select the Pen Tool from the toolbar or press 'P' on the keyboard
• Click the mouse to create a point, and then make a second and third point.
• Close the shape by connecting your last point to your first point.

Creating Curves

• Click to make your first point with the Pen Tool.
• Instead of clicking and releasing the mouse to make a second point, click and hold and move the mouse around to create a curve.
• As you drag, you will now see a set of blue 'handles' coming off of the second point.
• You can click and drag these handles to influence the direction and swoop of your curve.
• Moving the handles apart will create a steeper curve, where bringing them closer together will create less of a curve.

Influencing The Curves

• If you have your second point with handles coming off of it, you can click to make a third point and your line will go in the direction of the handles.
• If you don't want to influence the direction and steepness of the curve, you can reset the handles by simply clicking on the second point before creating the third.
• You can also modify your curves by selecting a point with your Direct Selection Tool (A) and you will be able to grab the handles and adjust the curve.

Practice, Practice, Practice

• Open the image of the red pepper in the Lesson Files by pressing Command/Ctrl + O on the keyboard.
• Select the pepper and press Command/Ctrl + X to cut it and then Command/Ctrl + W to close out of the window. When prompted, you can say 'Don't Save'. 
• Back in your main document, press Command/Ctrl + V to paste the pepper and scale it down by dragging inwards from any of the four handles of the bounding box while holding the Shift Key until it fits nicely on your artboard.
• Open the Layers Panel if you don't already have it available and add a new layer by clicking the New Layer icon at the bottom of the panel.
• Double click on the 'Layer 1' text and rename the layer 'Pepper'.
• Click on the small box between the eyeball icon and the thumbnail icon to lock the layer with the photo.
• Select your new layer (Layer 2) and then switch to your Pen Tool (P).
• Press 'D' to get your default colors, and then remove the fill color so you are left with a black outline and no fill.
• Click anywhere along the outer shape of the pepper to create your first point.
• Follow along the outer shape of the pepper as you create your second point, remembering to use the handles and clicking and holding the mouse to adjust your curves as you go.
• Zoom in and out as you go to help you create more precise lines, and use the Hand Tool to help you navigate around the image when zoomed in.
• Continue this process until you've traced the entire outline of the red pepper.

Hints & tips

• If you have trouble seeing the path as you begin tracing with the Pen Tool (P) you can double-click on the layer and change the color. 
• The shortcut for the Pen Tool is 'P' on the keyboard.