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Adobe Illustrator CS4

Shark Exercise

Before we create the shark with fins and mouth, let's practice creating a simpler version. As you can see, the outline consist of 5 anchor points connected by straight and curved lines.

Before you begin, go to the FILL/STROKE box ().

Make sure you have a light colored STROKE and NO FILL(/).

Create the top curve.
First, CLICK with the Pen Tool to create the 'nose' (point 1).
Then, place the mouse over the back end of the fish (where point 2 is located).
DRAG out a handle in a downward motion to complete the curved top of the fish.

Now for the fins.
The line between points 2 and 3 is a straight line. It does not require a curve.
However, we have a handle at point 2 indicating that our next line will be curved.

To get rid of that handle we must click on the point where the handle came from.
CLICK the top of the fin (point 3), then hold the SHIFT key for the bottom of the fin (point 4).
CLICK to complete the fin (point 5).
Between Points 5 and 1 is a curved line. That means that at Point 1, we will complete the fish by DRAGGING UPWARDS.
Notice how the Pen Tool indicates completion of a shape with a tiny circle.
Basic fish with handles

Don't worry about creating a perfect fish. More than likely, your first fish will look very weird.
Once you have the anchor points in place, modify the shape of your fish by
using the DIRECT SELECTION TOOL (A) to adjust the anchor points.

Adding Fins and a Mouth
With the Pen Tool, we created anchor points. However, you can modify your design by moving, adding, or subtracting anchor points. You can even convert anchor points to handles to make straight lines curved.In the Tool Bar, hold down the Pen Tool. You will see a series of Pen Tools and a Convert Anchor Point Tool.

Select the Add Anchor Point Tool (+). This allows you to add anchor points to the path.On the top of your fish, add 3 anchor points. With the Direct Selection Tool, take the middle anchor point and pull it upwards to create a top fin. Use the same tool to modify the handles or adjust the points as needed. Repeat the same process for the bottom fins. To create the mouth, create 3 points just beneath the 'nose' of the fish. Zoom in, if necessary, to modify the points to make the mouth.

Here's the fish with added anchor points to create top and bottom fins and a mouth.

Adding Color. Open the Color Panel (go to Window > Color or press F6 or click on the icon)

Apply a Fill Color.
Make sure the Fill is active. If it's not active, press "X" to bring the Fill upfront. Click on a color in the Color Panel to apply it to the Fill.

Apply a Stroke Color & Weight
Press "X" to get the Stroke active. Click on a color in the Color Panel to apply it to the Stroke. To get a thicker stroke, press CTRL+F10 to open the Stroke Panel.

Add the Eye
In the Toolbar, locate the Rectangle Tool. Hold it down to view the hidden tools and select the Ellipse Tool. You can also press "L" to get the tool. Create an oval shaped eye, then use the Stroke and Color Panel to give it a Stroke Weight of 2 and a White Fill.

Add a pupil
Use the same Ellipse Tool to create a smaller oval. Give it No Stroke and a Black Fill.

Group the Shapes Together
Click on the Selection Tool (V). Draw a selection box to select every part of the shark. With the entire shark and all the shapes selected, group it by either pressing CTRL+G or right-click > "Group".

Create a Background
In the Toolbar, select the Rectangle Shape Tool (or press "M"). Press CTRL+zero to resize your document so you can see the entire page. Place the mouse at the upper left corner of your document and drag to the lower right corner to create a large rectangle shape. With the rectangle still selected, give it a different Fill Color.

Send it to the back
Right-click on the rectangle and choose Arrange > Send to Back. It will send the rectangle in back of all your artwork.

Lock it up
Once your background is set with the correct color, you'll need to lock it so it doesn't move by mistake. To lock the shape, press CTRL+2 (or choose Object > Lock > Selection). To unlock, press CTRL+Alt+2. This unlocks all locked shapes.

Add Text
In this exercise, we'll use the regular Type Tool (). You can press "T" to select this tool. Click on the document to activate a blinking cursor. Type the word "Sharky". After you type, click on the Direct Selection tool, or press the ESC key to set the text.

Editing Your Type
After you place your text, press CTRL+T to open the Character Panel. As long as your text is selected with the Selection or Direct Selection Tool, you can make changes to your type and it will automatically update. Change the font to Arial Black and change the size to 80pts.

Convert Your Type to Outline
This should be one of the final steps in your design. When you convert your type to outline, it preserves the look of the letters in case that font is not installed on the computer. It also makes it a shape that can be customized. To convert the font to outlines, right-click and choose "Create Outlines". Your text is no longer a font. (Note: I recommend that you place a copy of your text to the side of your artboard. This way you have an editable copy in case you need to make changes.)

Saving Your Document
There are a number of formats to save your work. The two most likely formats are .AI and .EPS. The most important thing to remember is to save your work in the version of Illustrator you have at home. I personally recommend the .EPS format.

File > Save As...Illustrator EPS (.eps) - Dialog box options...

Adobe Illustrator (.AI) - Dialog box options...

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Shark Exercise