Vector Tutorial - Tracing with the Pen Tool in Illustrator CS2

Tracing a shape with the pen tool in Illustrator CS2 on a PC

Category:

Education

Tags:

• adobe
• illustrator
• tutorial
• vector
• vectors
• drawing
• tracing
• draw
• trace
• corel
• technique
• pen
• tool

[shakin2009]

is there not some way to auto trace around the lines, it can be done in GIMP, but i dont know how to do it in PS or AI

[russmc3]

@shakin2009 Yes there is a way to auto trace. It's called Live Trace. I use it sometimes, but you really don't get very good control. Autotraced logos usually look ugly. If you must autotrace, I would use a site called Vector Magic. That really works, but it's not free.

[harvindk]

how do i remove the image once i've finished tracing it?

[russmc3]

@harvindk

If the template image is locked, you can unlock it from the menu with: Object > Unlock All. Then select it and push delete.

Does that help?

[pokewindwaker]

first, sometimes i can only see the anchor SQUARE and not the HANDLES. what do i click to make them appear again?

and sometimes one of the HANDLES disappear (like after i do the step at 4:52) and then i can't edit the curve i want to edit (by holding down the remaining handle) without affecting the previous curve!

lastly, the handles disappear sometimes. i then get them back by CONVERTING ANCHORs (which i don't have a clue of) but then the handles are like limbs and don't work.

Please help!

[russmc3]

@pokewindwaker I'm not exactly sure what the problem would be. If you click on the path and don't see the handles, are you using the solid pointer, or the hollow pointer? The hollow pointer should always show you the handles, if you click directly on the anchor points or the segment that touches them.

If one of the handles is disappearing, you might not be clicking and dragging, or you may be pressing the alt key when you click on the point. That would kill the handle.

[thebumshow]

This tutorial is amazing. But.. I just fucking suck at illustrator... I fail so hard at making the edges and stuff curvy and beautiful...

[candycakehime]

What about tracing things other than logos, for example I got adobe illustrator so that I could make my Chibi(anime) sketches into GIF by drawing over them, is that done exactly the same way as this? It might seem a bit dense but I don't know anything at all about photoshop or illustrator so yeah:\

[wanik4]

this is a great tutorial for beginners thank you very much. no bs, just straight knowledge.

[brunotmoura]

thanks man!

[royalconcrete1]

I was looking for something and saw your tut. I just want to know months ago while learning the pen tool. I came back time and time again to your vid to review . thanks to you I can pick up the pen tool like I pick up my toothbrush, no thoughts how to use it...I just know.

[harvindk]

@russmc3 yes thank you so much :)