Building the wrench shape with the Shape Builder tool
Sadly, there is no equivalent tool to the Shape Builder tool in Illustrator. Instead, you have to do multiple add and subtract shapes with the Path Editing tool at the top right of the UI
First, let's make a some shapes to shape the socket
Choose the polygon tool. Clicking anywhere, Polygon Tool: Click/Hold >
Shift >
Drag to make two hexagons with the polygon tool, first one that's 1 in. wide then one that's .75 in. Be sure to hold down the shift key to make the hexagon parallel to the artboard
Select the two hexagons and the top circle of the wrench Selection Tool: Shift/Hold >
Click/Release hexagon object 1 >
Click/Release hexagon object 2 >
Click/Release circle object > Release/Shift
Release the mouse, release the shift key, then click once on the top circle and release the mouse. Selection Tool: Click/Release circle object
This makes the top circle the "key object"
Use the alignment tools to center everyone in the top circle Selection Tool: Align Panel >
Click/Release Vertical Align Center >
Click/Release Horizontal Align Center
End result.
Taking advantage of Smart Guides, draw two rectangles that align with the outer anchor points of the two hexagons
Rectangle Tool: Click/Hold on "Anchor" SmartGuide at larger hexagon's leftmost anchor >
Drag up & right >
Snap to right side of larger hexagon >
Release
Rectangle Tool: Click/Hold on "Intersect" SmartGuide at smaller hexagon's leftmost anchor >
Drag up & right >
Snap to right side of smaller hexagon >
Release
Add a line to chop off the top of the wrench
Line Segment Tool: Click/Hold >
Shift >
Drag >
Release
Now start using the Shape Builder tool to subtract and combine shapes.
And finally, Shape Builder Tool: Click/Hold >
Drag to add parts together
Switch to the Selection tool
Click off to deselect the wrench head Selection Tool: Click/Release on blank area of Artboard
Re-select the inner part of the wrench and give it some color Shape Builder Tool: Click/Release inner wrench object >
Select color in Swatches panel >
Click on blank artboard
Build the Wrench with the Pathfinder Window
A few words about Pathfinder, here's an example file
Use a polygon to cut a compound path (hole) out of the circle
Choose the polygon tool
Click in the center of the lower circle on the wrench when you see the smart guide say "center" Click/Hold >
Drag
Use the Up/Down arrow keys to set the polygon to 6 sides
Hold down the shift key to align the polygon with the Artboard and size it to roughly .8 in. Shift/Hold >
Drag >
Release (mouse and shift)
With the selection tool, select the polygon and the circle Shift/Hold >
Click/Release on polygon >
Click/Release on circle
With the Pathfinder Panel, choose Minus Front or Exclude Pathfinder Panel >
Click/Release Minus Front or Exclude
Double-click on the new object with the selection tool Double-Click/Release
In Isolation Mode, shift-alt/option-drag the inner polygon to precisely size it Click/Hold >
Shift/Hold >
Alt/Option/Hold >
Drag >
Release (all)
Exit Isolation Mode and tweak the dark gray rectangle wrench handle
Voila! The Wrench is complete!
Create Some Gears
There is no Pathfinder panel. Use the buttons a the top right of the UI.
Draw a star shape with the Star tool and use the up/down arrow keys to give it 12 points. Make sure it's aligned to the Artboard by holding the Shift key. Click/Hold >
Shift/Hold >
Drag >
Arrow Key (up or down to get 12 points) >
Control/Command/Hold >
Drag (to get desired pointyness) >
Release (all)
Draw a circle out from the center of the star Click/Hold >
Alt/Option/Hold >
Shift/Hold >
Drag >
Release (all)
Select them both with a selection rectangle Click/Hold >
Drag >
Release
Use the Unite button in the Pathfinder Panel Pathfinder Panel >
Click/Release Unite
Action complete...
Draw another circle, a bit larger than the first Click/Hold >
Alt/Option/Hold >
Shift/Hold >
Drag
Select the two objects and click the Intersect button Click/Hold >
Drag >
Release Pathfinder Panel >
Click/Release Intersect
Action complete...
Another way: Do it again, but with the Alt/Option key held down when you click on Merge Pathfinder Panel >
Alt/Option/Hold >
Click/Release Intersect
Use Isolation Mode on the previous two version to see the difference it makes:
When no Alt/Option key, you can't edit the star shape in Isolation Mode
With the Alt/Option key, you can still edit the star shape
From the world of Bézier math, invented in 1962 by Pierre Bézier to design automobile bodies for Renault. Based, in part, on an old technique of drawing curves mechanically with long flexible rulers and anchors to hold the rulers at specific points to the drafting table.
Only 1/2 inch up and right this time Click/Hold >
Drag
Move >
Click/Hold >
Drag
The example file has a few more variations – try them out!
Making An Ellipse With The Path Tool
It's an interesting exercise to make an ellipse with the path tool. It may help in getting a "feel" for how anchor points and direction handles work.
Start fresh
Make a new artboard or a new file, make sure Grid is on Menu >
New >
New Document Dialog >
Size:Letter >
Click:OK
Menu >
View >
Show Grid
Draw a 2 inch circle with the ellipse tool, then another ellipse that 2 inches tall and 3 inches wide
Tool Panel >
Click/Hold Rectangle Toll until popup menu >
Drag to Ellipse Tool>
Release Shift/Hold >
Click/Drag 2in left + 2in down >
Release Shift/Hold >
Click/Drag 3in left + 2in down >
Release
Select both ellipses Tool Panel >
Click/Release Selection Tool >
Shift/Hold >
Click/Release first circle/ Release Shift
Add some guides: Menu >
View >
Guides >
Make Guides
Select them both and use Menu >
View >
Guides >
Make Guides to turn the ellipses into guides
Use the Path Tool to re-create the four anchor points and distance handles of Illustrator's Ellipse Basic Shape Tool
Start on the left side, drag up about 1/2 inch
Click on the top side, drag right about the same
Zoom in. Turn Snap to Grid off. Use the Direct Selection tool to tweak the handles until the curve matches the circle as closely as possible.
Choose Menu >
View >
Show Rulers.
Click on the top ruler and drag the cursor down. A horizontal line appears with the cursor. Drag down until you intersect the line with the end of the left-side anchor point's handle's top. Release.
Re-select the path so the handles show. Do the same from the left ruler and drag the cursor to the right. A vertical line appears, etc.
Use these new horizontal and vertical guides (and two additional guides) to align the other handles as you complete the circle.
NOTE: To continue a path, choose the path tool and bring the cursor to the end-anchor of the path you want to continue. You'll see this icon:
Use the same techniques to create the 2x3 ellipse
How Long To Make The Handle & How Many Anchor Points?
The "distance handle" controls the shape of the curve along with the anchor point. Let's examine how the length and angle of the handles affect the curve, and how the number of anchor points also affects it.
A basic rule of thumb:
The fewer anchor points, the smoother the curve
Make a new document or add a new artboard to the current doc
With Snap to Grid on, create a simple curve with 45º handles, 6 inches wide
Select it, then use Menu >
Object >
Transform >
Move...
And use the dialog to make a copy of it 1 inch down
The result
Repeat the move with Transform Again, or better yet, Control/Command-D, 3 times
Now select the 4 lower curves and convert them to Guides with Menu >
View >
Guides >
Make Guides
Zoom into the top guide. Let's define a curve with three anchor points that fits the guide
Compare the original curve's two anchor points and handles to the new three anchor pointed curve's. Note that the two point curve has longer handles
Try with the next two curves with handles that are too long and too short
Try the last curve with a bunch of anchor points. Notice how much tweaking is required to make the curve look smooth.
Here (Again) Is The Example File "Paths-Symmetry.Ai" With All The Curves In It So Far.
Types of Anchor Points
End Anchor
Every line has at least two anchors
Corner Anchor Point
Has no handles
Created with click-release
Smooth Anchor Point
Has two handles, equidistant from the anchor, in alignment with each other
Created with click-drag-release
Combination Smooth Anchor Point
Smooth on both sides, with two handles, but handles are not aligned
Created with click-drag-option/alt-drag-release
Combination Anchor Point
Curved on one side, smooth on the other, with one handle for the smooth side
Created by click-drag-release then click again on anchor
Some Important Pen Tool Keyboard/Mouse Gestures To Remember:
Gesture
Result
Click-release
Corner point
Click-drag-release
Smooth point
Click-spacebar or click-drag-spacebar followed by release
Moves point while spacebar is down, then fixes point on release
Click-drag then hold Alt/Option
De-couple handle from other handle
Click-drag-release then click-release on anchor point
Change leading handle to straight-line corner anchor
Click-drag-release then click-drag-release on anchor point
Change leading handle to straight-line corner anchor
Truth is, I almost never can remember all of these. Instead, I just rough out the curves I want and go back in and edit them until I get the effect I want.
Place the acanthusleaf.jpg file in the middle of the artboard
Use the opacity slider in the Control Panel to set the opacity to 50%
Use the Layers Panel to lock the acanthus leaf image
Start tracing the leaf with as few anchor points as possible. Just rough it out, we'll refine it later. The key is to look for the outer edges of curves and drag out a handle that's tangent to the curve
Remember tangents from Geometry? Here's a refresher:
A tangent line is a line which sits perpendicular (at a right angle) to the point on a curve
And so on... the only way to really demo this is to show it live. Here's the resulting file.
