PEN TOOL: How to draw a "crescent moon" shape ?
Ed State
I'm in the process of teaching myself the "scary" pen tool once and for all! ...and I've been doing my own tracing exercises lately, and THOUGHT I was kicking some real butt. I thought there was no shape I couldn't conquer!
Only, I recently ran into a simple "crescent moon" shape. And I'm a bit stumped.
I can do it pretty easily with 3 points: 2 on the tips, converted to corners, and then one on either the inside or outside curve.
But, based on the 'ol "put the points at the END of your curve "rule" (as opposed to the middle), part of me thinks I should be able to do this with just 2 points.
Right?
I'm sure this is a simple thing... but the best I can get is a "half circle" shape, with one straight side and one curved side.
Am I over-thinking this?
Thanks in advance!
e
Ed State
Instead of the "mini arrow" tool (the you get to adjust the handles when you use the direct selection tool), i found that if I use the "convert direction" tool on the handles, it lets me adjust that one handle independently, so I can "tuck" the curve back up under itself.
Hmmm... apparently I'm not as advanced as I thought!
:)
Ok, so since using the "convert direction" tool on the handles un-links them (apprently?)... how do I re-link the handles?
tia,
e
Silkr...@adobeforums.com
Click once will convert the point back to a corner point.
Click and drag will create a curve point with both handles fixed symmetrically from each other.
James_...@adobeforums.com
A basic (and important) aspect of drawing with the Pen:
You're in the process of drawing a path. You clickDrag to create the end of a new curved segment. As you drag, you watch the curvature of the segment preceding the current anchorPoint. As you drag, you don't worry about the shape of the next segment, which doesn't exist yet.
When the curvature of the preceding segment is as you want, you stop dragging BUT DO NOT MOUSEUP. Just stop dragging. You want the next segment to not begin tangent to the one you just completed; you want a "cusp". Press and hold the Alt key (umm...Opt on Mac?) and continue to drag. Now the outgoing handle moves independently of incoming handle, allowing you to position the first handle of the next segment as desired, without disturbing the last handle of the previous segment.
Practice that a kazillion times, until you can do it without thinking. You'll find that it prevents your having to continually switch tools to "convert" points and adjust handles.
That and a few other "momentary" keyboard modifiers are essential to drawing with the Pen efficiently. The goal is to avoid the necessity to revisit the Toolbox while drawing paths and making "hard" tool switches. You can do most of the editing of the path you are presently drawing without making a "hard switch" out of the Pen tool.
I say most because one of the basic disadvantages of Illustrator's path manipulation interface is its inability to pull one retracted handle out of an anchorPoint without disturbing the other.
JET
Ed State
A couple of these points I wasn't privy to, actually. I'm sure they were in my various tutorials, etc, but they didn't stick. But now they're in my brain.
Yay brain!
And thanks again,
e