Drawing curves

[kufloyd]

I'm trying to draw the legs in this illustration: http://tinybuddha.com/blog/7-ways-decluttered-life-can-result-decluttered-mind/

 

but am having a hard time getting them to be the right shape. I used the pen tool in pen mode but the shapes just look really odd. I can't figure out how to get it to be smoother. Any ideas?

 

thanks!

[Yasir]

Yes, you can draw anything you want with the Pen Tool, it takes a little practice, and then you would become a pro.
Here is a good toturail on the basics of the Peb Tool and Corner Tool.

 

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw_lSHZv5y0

Also, you can draw one leg and make a copy and reflect it to the other side, so both will match, just like the arms, in illustration you provided.
Good article by the way about from the link in your post.

[kufloyd]

thanks for the tip but it doesn't look like Youtube videos are permitted here? It's just showing up as blank pages. Maybe message it to me? thx.

[kufloyd]

hmm..when I click on the link, it says the video is unavailable. 

[R C-R]

It is two years old & slightly out of date, but the Affinity Designer - Pen Power video on Vimeo is still a good introduction to using the pen tool.

[MEB]

Here's the link Yasir were trying to post above: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw_lSHZv5y0

 

@Yasir,

There's an issue with the forum that's preventing YouTube links to be displayed on the page. You have to use a text link for now. Sorry for the inconvenience.

[kufloyd]

thanks for both the links. Pen tool is tricky to learn but those videos are helpful. I will continue to experiment with it.

[Alfred]

If, like me, you have very limited drawing skills, you might want to try doing what I do: start with shapes made using the Shape Tools, convert them to curves (Cmd+Return or Ctrl+Enter, depending on whether you're on a Mac or Windows) and then use the Node Tool to tweak the shape as desired. For example, to draw the legs in that drawing I would start by drawing two concentric ellipses and subtracting the smaller one from the larger one by selecting both objects, going to the Geometry toolbar and Option/Alt-clicking on the 'Subtract' icon to create a compound object, allowing me to adjust the two shapes individually.

[gdenby]

To get a grasp of the process, try searching on "drawing bezier curves," or "drawing b-splines." There's about a 1/4 million pages. Most are redundant. The basics will be in most. Pick a node, give it a good position, and then carefully manipulate the node handles to adjust the line to the next node. Every app I've used has slight variations, but that is the basic and sometimes tedious way to get the exact curve that is needed.

[kufloyd]

thanks...I'm getting more comfortable with the pen tool. Made the feet but still not sure how best to draw fingers. Any idea - pen tool or use shapes? I tried pen tool but it looks very odd and unshapely.

 

http://tinybuddha.com/blog/7-ways-decluttered-life-can-result-decluttered-mind/

 

thanks.

 

  

 

 

[PixelPest]

Well - vector editing comes with time. Many feel uncomfortable with nodes&handles but you can do most of the work by just placing corner points followed by click&dragging with the node tool:

 

Cheers

P.

[kufloyd]

that animated gif is really helpful...thanks.

 

I did the best I could so far. Not completely happy, but will continue to learn.

 

Meanwhile, another question: I did the arm and hand as two separate pen drawings and then placed them next to each other with snapping enabled. My question is: how do I get the border where they meet to disappear?

[Alfred]

Meanwhile, another question: I did the arm and hand as two separate pen drawings and then placed them next to each other with snapping enabled. My question is: how do I get the border where they meet to disappear?

 

Choose the Node Tool and drag on one of the curves (i.e. either the arm or the hand) so that it overlaps the other one. Select both curves and click on the 'Add' icon on the Geometry toolbar.

[kufloyd]

thanks..that works.

[Alfred]

You're welcome. Thanks for the feedback!

[MxHeppa]

how i can beging pen tool with curve. always starts line one solution i found use another point same place where is begings but after this when want in beetween points line first is always curve very sad. i try draw one kind flower and i cannot get one kind roundness for example when i use bitmaps. and as all know we cannot scale bitmap freely and rotate it lossless way.