Adobe Pen Tool: Mastery

Explore the intricacies of the Pen tool. Learn advanced techniques and how you can use the tool across Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

Introduction

• Welcome

1. Creating and Editing Bézier Curves

• Bézier curve fundamentals
• Working with Bézier curves
• Dragging an unconstrained path
• Dragging a constrained path
• Creating a smooth point
• Drawing a curved segment
• Adding segments to a Bézier curve
• Closing a path with a curved segment
• Extending and connecting curves
• Creating a cusp point
• Alternate ways to create cusp points
• Hidden Pen tool tricks
• How Bézier curves really, truly work

2. Rules to Draw By

• The zero-or-two rule
• The two-thirds rule
• The oval-and-arc rule
• The tangent rule
• The straight-to-curve rule

3. Drawing in Illustrator

• Introducing a tracing template
• Drawing a flexible compound shape
• Signposts and stacking order
• Advanced transformations
• Dynamic round corners
• Variable-width strokes
• Advanced Width tool tricks
• When to use the Pencil tool
• Combining drawing tools
• Using variable-width profiles
• Converting strokes to closed paths
• Shape building and angled objects
• Gradients and clipping paths
• Working with the Gradient tool
• Experimenting with dynamic effects
• The finishing touches

4. Vector Masking in Photoshop

• Vector-based paths in a pixel-based world
• Working with a vector-based shape layer
• The Pen tool and the Paths panel
• Filling and stroking a path outline
• Turning a path into a vector-based mask
• Why and when to use vector masks
• Tracing a complex image with the Pen tool
• Converting a selection to a path outline
• Using a vector mask in a composition
• Repurposing a mask as a path outline
• Drawing a shape layer with the Pen tool
• Using a shape layer as a clipping mask
• Stroking a path with the Brush tool

5. Layout and Design in InDesign

• Custom symbols and page ornaments
• Drawing a custom symbol in InDesign
• Drawing in Illustrator and pasting into InDesign
• Creating inline graphics
• Converting shapes and anchor points
• Creating type along a path outline
• Creating text around a circle
• Creating text inside any path outline
• Wrapping text around an offset path
• Customizing text converted to outlines

Conclusion

• Next steps