HOW TO USE THE PEN TOOL

Resource: Bezier Game

For many users of Illustrator, there is usually either a love or a hate relationship with the Pen tool.  However, to become really proficient in Illustrator, you need to learn how to use the the Pen tool effectively.  The pen tool is one of the hardest tool to learn, yet it is one of the most important tool to learn because it is used in so many applications (i.e., Flash, Photoshop, InDesign, AfterEffect, Preimere, etc.) and have so many uses (i.e., PathFinder, 3D, etc.).  To use the Pen tool, it is helpful to know some fundamental rules, tips and technques:

VITTAL FEW TIPS:

  1. To remember the two major modifiers keys functionality, it is helpful to think that the CTRL key will CONTROL (or select) anchor points, directional lines and paths and the ALT key will ALTER points or lines. Hence, since the CTRL key does most of the work, it is your best friend when using the pen tool.
  2. When using the Pen tool, it is best to turn the fill off.  Then add a fill if needed after the path is completed.
    NOTE: To turn the fill off (even if you have a fill) with the brush or pencil (but not the pen) tool, double-click on either one of the tools and deselect the Fill new pencil strokes or Fill new brush strokes option.
    NOTE: If you don't need a fill, click on the forward slash (/) which is located below the question mark key (?).  To remember that it is the forward and not backward slash notice the direction of the no Fill or None icon  " / " in the tool bar.
  3. A path is made up of segments (line or curve) connected by anchor points.  These same segments are automatically created when you use other tools (Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, etc.)
  4. Click on the Direct Selection tool (A) first and then click on the Pen tool (P) tool.  This will set up the CTRL key to toggle between the Direct Selection tool and the Pen tool.  If you had selected the Selection tool (V) first, the CTRL key would temporarily toggle between the Selection and Pen tool instead.  The reason for this is that the CTRL key will remember the last used selection tool.  You typically want to use the Direct Sselection tool to modify the paths AS you draw. That way,  you do not have to go back and clean up points after the complete path is drawn.  The Direct Selection tool can double as the Selection tool because you can select the path if it is not already selected then click on an anchor point to modify it.
  5. You can hold down the SHIFT key at any time you are drawing to constrain a segment or a direction line horizontally, vertically or on a 45 degree angle.
  6. Hold down the modifiers key(s) UNTIL after you let go your mouse button in order for the modifier key(s) to take affect.

DRAWING STRAIGHT LINES OR CURVES:

  1. If you click without dragging on two places on the canvas when first using the Pen tool, you will create a line that is made of corner points with no direction lines (or handles).  You can continue to click without dragging to draw additional straight lines (or segments).
    NOTE: A small "x" next to the Pen tool tip indicates you will be drawing a new path.   A small "o" next to the Pen tool tip indicates you will close the path at its original starting point.
  2. If you click and then drag on one or two places on the canvas when first using the Pen tool, you will create a curve that is made of a corner point and a smooth point is you did not drag the first point or two smooth points if you drag at both clicks. As you drag, you will notice two direction lines (or handles) will be seen; however, they are not part of the path and will not print.   They are there to assist you in drawing the curve. As you drag, you can control three attributes of the curve with these direction lines:
    1. The direction of the direction line determines, as the name implies, the direction of the curve from the anchor point.
    2. The angle of the direction line determines, the angle (you guessed it) the angle or the shape of the curve (this is not the angle of the direction line, but the angle of the direction line that is tangent to the anchor point)
    3. The length of the direction line determines the lenght (or height) of the curve (this is not the height of the direction line that is drawn)
      NOTE: Anchor points are square and appear solid when selected and hollow when they are not selected. Diretional points are round.
  3. Once you start a curve, then the next segment will also be a curve unless you "break the back" of the curve by clicking on the anchor point that formed the curve.  This will convert the smooth point to a corner point.  You can then click somewhere else on the canvas and draw a straight line.  It is helpful to think of clicking on the anchor point with the mouse as the straw (the direction line looks like a small "straw") that got broken on the carmel's back (the curve) and fell to the ground to no longer be seen.
  4. You have to "think ahead" of the next point so the you know if you need to click and drag the direction lines (handles) in the correct direction that will be tangent to the curve BEFORE laying down the next anchor point.
  5. To complete a path, you can finish by clicking on the first anchor point you placed on the canvas.  You will "see" a small "o" next to the Pen tool tip cursor to let you know it is the orIginal anchor point. This will "close" the path.  However, you do not need to close a path, you can also CTRL+click anywhere OUTSIDE the path to "complete but not close" the path.
  6. If you leave the pen tool (for example, you selected the selection tool), you will be disconnect from the path. To reconnect, you need to reselect the pen tool (P) and then move the mouse over the point and you will see a "/" at the end of the Pen tip cursor to let you know you can reconnect to the path.

SELECTING AND DESELECTING:

  1. To deselect a path, CTRL+click OUTSIDE the path with the Pen tool selected.  This temporarily enable the Selection tool.  It will also complete the path and release the Pen tool. You can also choose Select > Deselect from the main menu or click on another tool.
  2. To select the path, CTRL+click ON the path with either the Selection or Direct Selection tool.
  3. To select a segment of a path, click on the path with the Direct Selection tool.
  4. To select a point, use the Direct Selection tool and click on a point. To select multiple points, SHIFT+click on them or lazzo them with the Direct Selection tool.

ADDING, DELECTING, MOVING or CONVERTING:

You don't have to use the other tools under the Pen tool to add or delete anchor points. 

  1. To add a point simply click on a line or curve with the Pen tool selected.  Clicking on a line will create a corner point and clicking on a curve will create a curve point.
  2. To delete an anchor point simply click on an existing point on a segment (line or curve) or an anchor point. Do not use the ALT key, it will convert the point.
  3. To delete a path, select it with the Direct Selection tool (A) and press the Delete key or select Edit > Cut from the main menu.
  4. To convert a line-to-a-curve or a curve-to-a-line after a path in drawn, simply click on a curve anchor point to convert it to a corner point and click on a corner point and drag to access the handle point and then use the ALT key to move the direction handles.
    NOTE: Clicking on a smooth point with the Convert tool will delete both handles and clicking on a corner point will add two handles that you can "pull" out.
  5. To move an anchor point while you are drawing, hold down the spacebar before releasing the mouse. To move an anchor point after it is drawn, use the Direct Selection tool and click on it to move it. You can also use the arrow keys to move a selected anchor point or points by one pixel. Add the SHIFT key to move by 10 pixels.

Below are some common techniques that you can use together to drawn any shape.

Straight Line to Straight Line

  1. Click (without dragging) to create the starting anchor point for the path.
  2. Click again (without dragging) to complete the path.

Line to Curve

  1. Click (without dragging) to create the starting anchor points for a line.
  2. Click the same anchor point again and drag out an direction handle in the direction you want the curve to follow or click the ALT key when you click to add the second anchor point to automatically pull out the direction handles without having to click to second anchor point two times.
  3. Click again to finish curve or click-and-drag to modify curve.

Curve to Curve

Once you start a curve, you will continue in a curve unless you "break the back" of the curve by clicking on the point in the curve.

  1. After creating a curve (see above), click and drag to "pull out" the direction handles in the direction you need to go on the last anchor point.

McDonald Curve

To create what I call a McDonald curve (the golden arches), press the ALT key and position the cursor either over the last anchor point or its direction point until the cursor change to a caret and then click and drag the direction line up in the direction of the curve and then release the mouse first and then the ALT key.
TIP: Each time you want to change the direction of a curve at a specific point, pres the ALT key to create a corner point and pull the direction point in a "V" shape with the previous direction arrow.  Notice you did not "break the back" of the direction line, you only "bend the back" of the direction line.

Oval or Circle

You only need two anchor points to draw an oval, but you need four anchor points to draw a circle.

  1. To draw an oval click and drag from right and then directly below the original anchor point click and drag to the left and finally click and drag to the right again at the original anchor point.
  2. It is best to use the grid to draw a perfect circle. Click and drag to draw a point at the top of the circle x number of grids. Then continue in a clock-wise direction on the right side, bottom and left side using the same step. Complete the circle at the original circle. It is easiler to use the ellipse tool to create a circle.

Cut a Segment

You can use the Scissors tool to "cut" a path segment.  the cut has to be made on a line or a curve and not an anchor point. Two anchors points will be created; however, because they are on top of one another, you will only be able to see one point.  After selecting a point, you can also click on the Cut Path at Selected Anchor Points button in the Control Panel to cut a path.  You can then move one of the endpoint.

Join  and Average Segments

To join the anchor points of an open path or the endpoints of two separate open paths, select both endpoints and choose Object > Path > Join (CTRL+J). This will create a STRAIGHT path between the two anchor points.

If you want to get the "average" of  two endpoints, select the endpoints and choose Object > Path > Average (ALT+CTRL+J).  This will create two points on top of one another.

It is important to note that when you average two endpoints, they will NOT join the points together and create a SINGLE path.  However, you can join and average two endpoints by selecting ALT+CTRL+SHIFT+J). This is useful when you have half of a profile of an object (i.e half of an heart shape) and then you reflected a copy to the other side and you want to join and average the endpoints altogether for each set of endponts.

Download example drawings: DrawingsWithPenTools.ai