LEarning the pen tool

follow the links below and play the games to learn the pen tool!

Space pen tool game

http://bezier.method.ac/

Play these game until you are proficient in the pen tool. When you are confident complete tbe pen tool excersize assignment below.  

THE PEN TOOL
The pen tool is, perhaps, the most bizarre and valuable tool Illustrator has to offer. It places anchor points which define a path that, eventually, becomes an object.

Anchor points define the path by controlling the angle of a corner, or the shape of a curve. While it takes time to master this tool, it is worth every minute of effort. The shapes you end up with are economical, clean and precise.
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(HINT: when you are drawing a symmetrical shape, only draw half of it, and use the reflect/copy option to create the other half.)
Click the play buttons (below) to see how the pen tool works. You can pause the movie at any time.

THE NATURE OF ANCHOR POINTS
:There are several kinds of anchor points - some are just dots, others may have seesaw-like "handles" that protrude from them. The most important thing to remember when editing points, or an object, is that it has to be selected before you can affect it.

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"Unlocking the Pen tool" assignment and Tutorial

Copy and paste a pic or line drawing of a key, and using the pen tool in illustrator trace it to create a vector graphic of a key design.

Assignment objective

• trace a key using the pen tool
• create both straight and cuved lines
• move and adjust the anchor points to create a unique and asthetic graphic shape
• display a command and accuracy of the pen tool

Keys have a mixture of curved and straight lines and is a good object to trace when mastering the pen tool.  

Learning the Pen tool:key tutorial

Key Pictures

Choose a pic below2

Rubric

Learn More

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Extra Credit

For extra credit after you complete the key, choose on of the following images of animals to trace with the pen tool, and create an animal graphic design.