- Drawing Objects
- Using the Direct Selection Tool
- Drawing Basic Shapes
- Drawing Stars
- Drawing Simple Lines
- Drawing Straight Paths
- Drawing Curved Paths
- Mixing Straight and Curved Path Segments
- Attaching Curves at Angles
- Adding, Deleting, and Converting Anchor Points
- Extending and Connecting Open Paths
- Splitting Paths
- Creating Corner Effects
- Making Compound Paths
- Creating Paths with the Pencil Tool
- Editing Paths with the Smooth and Erase Tools
- Using Type as a Graphic Element
- Using Outlines as Masks
- Using Outlines as Text Frames
Attaching Curves at Angles
The creation of curves that join at an angle (a corner anchor with two direction lines) requires an extra step. This is not wholly intuitive until you realize that you must convert what would be a smooth anchor point seamlessly joining two curves into a corner anchor point. It's necessary to do this whenever you want curves to follow each other in the same direction, as when creating a shape like the letter "m."
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Draw the first curve using the Pen tool—click-drag a first anchor point, and then click-drag a second (Figure 3.29).
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(Option-click) [Alt+click] the second anchor point and drag out a new direction line for the curve that will follow (Figure 3.30). You now have two direction lines forming an angle at a corner anchor point.
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Finish the second curve by placing a third anchor point (Figure 3.31).
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