If you've ever wanted to brand a quick digital drawing in Illustrator but had no idea where to begin, this guide is for you! You'll learn how to set upward your workspace in Illustrator, how to use the pen tool to draw (fifty-fifty if you "can't" draw), and how to harness the power of keyboard shortcuts.
All of this was done on a Mac, in Adobe Illustrator CC 2015 version 19.ii.1. If you lot're on a unlike machine or using a different version, your screen might not look the same, but that's okay.
Setting upwardly
For this case, I'll be drawing a strawberry. I'g going to use a background epitome to trace over to make information technology easier. Yous can draw freehand if you want, or trace over an image yourself: practise what feels right.
I opened this image in Illustrator, but before I showtime tracing, I desire to set a few things up. For cartoon, I similar to run across a few specific panels on the right. I utilise Stroke, Artboards, Color, and Pathfinder. Add together these past going to the Window choice in the top left and selecting each one (Window > Stroke, Window > Artboards, etc).
In the Artboards panel, go to the Layers tab. You should see 1 layer: either the image y'all're tracing over, or a bare layer. If you're tracing over something, lock that layer and create a new one, for tracing.
Yous lock a layer by clicking on the 2nd cavalcade (where the lock is now). You create a new layer by clicking on the Postal service-Information technology annotation icon next to the Trash icon. Locking a layer means we won't accidentally move it effectually or mess information technology up.
Drawing
Okay, now we're ready to depict! Nosotros'll be using the Pen Tool to create a simple path. You lot tin actuate it by either hit P on your keyboard, or clicking on the pen icon on the left.
The Pen Tool works by adding anchor points and joining them together with segments: the whole affair is called a path. So you tin can click everywhere you want an anchor point, kind of like a Connect-The-Dots game. Add anchor points wherever there'southward a curve, and try to go along them to a minimum. This will make your path much smoother and easier to manage. We can add and remove anchor points later, so don't worry about getting it perfect. Here'south what my path looks similar later on adding a few anchor points:
If yous want a very athwart drawing, you might be done! I'd similar my strawberry to look more natural, so I'one thousand going to make some changes to the anchor points.
Before I do that though, I like to edit the path to show only the outline. This makes it easier to trace. I make the fill transparent and the outline dark (on the left side) and increase the stroke weight in the Stroke panel on the right.
The big white square in the foreground is the fill color. I'1000 going to click on the little square icon with a ruddy line to make it transparent. The blackness-outlined square in the background is the outline color, and I'm happy with blackness, so I won't change the color.
Change the stroke weight to whatever works for you lot.
If you made those changes, your drawing will now exist a black outline instead of a white shape.
Finessing
Let's make this drawing curvier. I'one thousand going to use the Lasso Tool (Q on your keyboard, or an icon of a cursor and lasso on the left menu) to describe effectually the anchor points. This volition allow me to select them all quickly, rather than selecting them i at a fourth dimension.
One tricky matter to note: if y'all Lasso the unabridged path, it'll select the segments likewise equally the anchor points, which nosotros don't want. So Lasso effectually all but 1 of the anchor points, then it merely selects anchor points. Information technology's an Illustrator oddity! We'll come dorsum to that lonely anchor point subsequently.
Once you've selected your anchor points, you should see the Anchor Point menu at the height:
If you don't see this, so the entire path (including segments) is selected, or nothing is. Y'all tin can also select ballast points manually by hitting A on your keyboard (A for Direct Option Tool) and shift-clicking each anchor betoken. If you have a lot of ballast points, I recommend using the Lasso Tool instead.
On this panel, nosotros're going to select the second Convert choice, the 1 with the curved line. This will requite each anchor point 2 handles that create a bend instead of a spike. I take this:
Notice that spike at the bottom? That was the ane anchor point I hadn't selected when I used the Lasso Tool. Now I can select it manually (hitting A on the keyboard for the Direct Choice Tool, and clicking on it), and converting it to match the rest of the points. Now I have a overnice hulk:
To make this hulk even nicer, I'm going to edit the anchor points using their handles, to get the curves I desire. If you don't see the handle points, make sure you lot're using the Direct Selection Tool (A) and yous've clicked on the path.
Click on an anchor point. You lot tin select either of its handles and move information technology effectually to change the bend. The handles do upshot each other, and so if yous want to simply move ane handle and leave the other yet, option-click the handle you want to move and it'll motility solo. This is helpful for creating sharp edges and curves.
If you want to get rid of an anchor betoken, hit P for Pen Tool and hover over the anchor bespeak you lot want to remove. Your cursor will take a little minus sign next to it. If you lot want to add together an ballast point, hitting P and hover over the function of the path you want to add together a point to: this time, your cursor will accept a little plus sign by it instead.
All this finessing tin accept a while, so take your time and enjoy the meditative ride.
From Paths to Shapes
Once you're happy with your path, you tin make full it with color again. Select the path and look for the colour swatches on the left menu:
Double-click the big white square to get a colour bill of fare. You tin also remove the outline by clicking on the black-outlined square then making information technology transparent (clicking the square icon with the red line).
Astonishing!
I'm going to echo each pace, from making a new layer to finessing the path, to make the dark-green leaves. I've subconscious the scarlet hulk layer by toggling the visibility, so I tin just focus on the leaves. Here's what it looks similar now:
Add as many shapes and paths as you need. Side by side we're going to look into cutting out shapes from other shapes.
Cutting-outs
I want my strawberry drawing to take some seeds, but I desire them to be transparent. I'm going to draw some tiny blobs over the cherry-red hulk, then cutting them out.
As usual, I used the Pen Tool to depict a shape, and then selected the ballast points to curve it out. I like how this seed looks, and then I'm simply going to copy and paste information technology.
Before I tin cut out these shapes from the red blob, I take to "aggrandize" them. I select every seed, then become to Object > Aggrandize in the top left corner. It won't wait like information technology did much in this instance, but if you lot accept a line for case, it'll change the line from a path to an actual shape. You'll run into the anchor points look different, but otherwise nothing changes.
Next, I toggle the visibility of the red hulk again so I can select information technology and all the seeds. Then I go to the Pathfinder console on the right. I select "Minus Front" to cut out the forepart objects (seeds) from the back 1 (crimson blob).
With the drawing behind information technology, it's easier to tell how the seeds have go gaps in the strawberry.
If I hide the original strawberry prototype, and add color to the leaves, this is the final product! It'due south not a masterpiece, just it gets an thought across and hopefully you experience more comfortable with anchor points now. They're the basis for all drawings in Illustrator, then play around with them and experiment.
Here's a summary of some of the keyboard shortcuts:
A = Directly Selection Tool; apply for clicking on anchor points to edit them
P = Pel Tool; employ to add or remove anchor points
Q = Lasso Tool; employ to quickly select multiple anchor points
V = Selection Tool; default cursor for when you want to move shapes around
Ultimately, the all-time way to learn how to use Illustrator (or any tool) is to merely swoop in and go on googling every question you take. It's okay if y'all're uncomfortable with it or information technology takes fourth dimension to learn. It does for everyone! So skilful luck, happy googling, and accept fun :)
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How to Draw Over an Image on Illustrator TUTORIAL
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