Pen Tool Tips for Rookies

The Pen Tool is Addictive

I recently completed a comprehensive using only the pen tool to create my images in Illustrator. Needless to say this took me hours and hours, days and more days.

Pen Tool Tips

So after that rude introduction to the pen tool, here are a few tips for making it go faster.

1. Lock the image in place and make a new layer to draw on when you are tracing an image . It will prevent you from having to match the path and the picture up every time you accidentally move it.
2. Know the keyboard shortcuts before you start. It seems irritating to have to hunt for the keys at first but after a while it becomes second nature. It saves tons of time.
3. Think it through. Don’t put anchor points willy-nilly around the image. Analyze it for a second. Try to identify where the curve naturally starts and stops. Then put your anchor point there.
4. Collapse the curve handle from the previous curve into the anchor point with the direct selection arrow. This prevents the curve from warping your next curve in unexpected ways
5. Label your layers and group your components. It helps you find what you drew later. It also helps if you lock the layer so it won’t accidentally get selected.

well anchors away… (ok bad joke)

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