Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
In the shapes to trace.xar file, move down and to the left
to the cartoon drawing of the crown. Here's how to get a little
practice in with the Pen Tool, tracing a portion of the top of the
crown:
1.
Click and drag just a little, directly to the right, beginning
at the point of the crown.
Click and drag a second point to the right and down
2.
(point at about 4 o'clock) to create a second control
point and the path segment between the two points.
Watch as you drag—the distance you drag from the
control point sets the degree of curvature of the trailing
path segment.
Repeat step 2, clicking at the tangent, the
3.
apogee
—the
farthest distance the curve will travel away from its
bounding two control points. The blue preview of the
proposed new path segment is an excellent visual guide.
Click and drag at the junction of the knob and the top of
4.
the crown. This sets a smooth curve control point that
you will want to convert to a cusp property.
Click and drag at the midway point of the curve making
5.
up the top of the crown. Although you can usually
continue a path segment to the next change of course
in a path—which in this case would be the junction
of the crown's top
with the band of the
crown—doing this
would set a smooth
control point, which
you don't want. So you
create an intermediate
smooth-join control
point at about 45°
off the tangent of the
curve segment and then
single-click at the next
junction to set a corner
point.
Click and drag
Click and drag
Click and drag
Click and drag
and convert
point to create
cusp
Click and drag
