Week #3

April 12 - 17

Drawing and Shape Tools

Clipping mask

Clipping masks are objects that mask other artwork so only areas within the shape are visible. The shape in the front is going to be clipping, it means the other shape will mask inside the front shape. Your artwork takes the form of that front shape. In order to make the clipping mask, you need to pay attention that both shapes have to be in separate layers.

Have a shape for your mask. This is the shape that you want to fill. Place the vector on top of the background shape. There are three ways to create a clipping mask:

Select all and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make.
Select all and right click > choose Make clipping mask
Command/Ctrl + 7

Pen Tool

The Pen tool creates paths that are connected with points. The simplest path you can draw with the Pen tool is a straight line, made by clicking the Pen tool to create two anchor points. By continuing to click, you create a path made of straight line segments connected by corner points. Make sure that you need to close paths after you finished drawing.

Pen tool family

With the Pen tool selected, click to add points.

or:

To add a point, choose Add Anchor Point Tool (+) and click on a path segment to add anchor points.
To delete a point, choose Delete Anchor PointTool (-) and click on the point to remove it from the path.
To Move a Point use the Direct Selection Tool. This will allow you to select an anchor point and move it to adjust your path to the way you want it.

While drawing, click on an anchor point and drag to create Bezier handles. If you hold the mouse your handle appears if you hold shift handles are straight. If the path is already completed you can still choose the Pen tool, click and drag the point while holding the Alt/Option key. You can reset/break curves by holding the Alt/Option key.

Not part of the Pen Tool group, but definitely associated with it. Click on a path segment to divide it into two paths.

It adds the gradient effect. with this tool, you can create shadow/highlight effects. When you create a mesh object, multiple lines called mesh lines crisscross the object and provide a way to easily manipulate color transitions on the object. By moving and editing points on the mesh lines, you can change the intensity of a color shift, or change the extent of a colored area on the object.

You can create mesh objects from vector objects, with the exception of compound paths and text objects. First trace your shape, then select it and add meshes by clicking along With mesh tool.

Select the Mesh tool, and select a fill color for the mesh points.
Click where you want to position the first mesh point.
The object is converted to a mesh object with the minimum number of mesh lines.
Use the Lasso tool and Eyedropper tool for a better result

With the Shape Builder tool, you can intuitively combine, edit, and fill shapes on your artboard.

Create several overlapping shapes on which you want to apply the Shape Builder tool.
Select the shapes that you want to combine using the Selection tool.
Select the Shape Builder tool and then click and drag across the selected shapes. The selected shapes are combined into one shape.

Tips:

The Shape Builder tool also enables merging objects, breaking overlapping shapes, subtracting areas, and more.
While using the Shape Builder tool, hold Alt/Option and drag to delete from the intersected areas.
With this tool, It is easier to work in outline mode (command + y )

Pathfinder panel

Summary of Pathfinder options

Add Traces the outline of all objects as if they were a single, merged object. The resulting shape takes on the paint attributes of the top object.

Intersect Traces the outline of the region overlapped by all the objects.

Exclude Traces all nonoverlapping areas of the objects, and makes overlapping areas transparent. Where an even number of objects overlap, the overlap becomes transparent. Where an odd number of objects overlap, the overlap becomes filled.

Subtract Subtracts the frontmost objects from the backmost object. You can use this command to delete areas of an illustration by adjusting the stacking order.

Minus Back Subtracts the objects in back from the frontmost object. You can use this command to delete areas of an illustration by adjusting the stacking order.

Divide Separates a piece of artwork into its component-filled faces (a face is an area undivided by a line segment).

Trim Removes the part of a filled object that is hidden. Removes any strokes and doesn't merge objects of the same color.

Merge Removes the part of a filled object that is hidden. Removes any strokes and merges any adjoining or overlapping objects filled with the same color.

Crop Divides artwork into its component-filled faces, and then deletes all the parts of the artwork that fall outside the boundary of the topmost object. It also removes any strokes.

Outline Divides an object into its component line segments, or edges. This command is useful for preparing artwork that needs a trap for overprinting objects.

Infographic of the main options:

create Pattern

Select your shape > Go to Object > pattern > make and click on DONE

Tip:

You can still edit the pattern after adding it to a shape.

Right click on the shape that you recently added the pattern to it. Go toTransform>scale > uncheck transform object and just check the Transform Patterns

and change the size of your pattern

Image Trace

Image Trace lets you convert raster images (JPEG, PNG, PSD etc.) to vector artwork. Using this feature, you can easily base a new drawing on an existing piece of artwork by tracing it.

Open or place a raster image in your Illustrator document. File > Place
Click the Image Trace button in the Control panel or the Properties panel.

Note:

The resolution of your placed image determines the speed of the tracing.
Adjust the results of the tracing in the Image Trace panel (Window > Image Trace).