Learn how to use Illustrator's pen tool to trace your pencil sketches. This tutorial will show you how to transcribe your hand-drawn artwork while keeping its original aesthetic. By the end of the class, you'll have the skills and confidence to produce clean, precise line art while retaining the texture and subtleties of your original design. Prepare to make eye-catching digital illustrations!
Select the Pen Tool and the colour. Here, I used a bright colour like red.
Click on the bottom of the leaf in the middle. Next, click on the top in the middle. Hold the Shift key when you click. This is done to make the line straight.
Now you have to curve the line to follow the shape of the leaf. Make your next point, at the end of the curve, but don’t press the mouse button. To make a curved line, slowly move your mouse down. Release the mouse button as you get the correct curved line.
Hold the Command/Control key to get either the Direct Select or the Selection tool and click off the line on the empty artboard. Then, release the Command/Control key and continue drawing with the Pen tool.
Select the Pen Tool and hover the mouse over the end of the line. A small black slash mark will appear next to the pen tool tip (or the part where your pen meets paper). Click on it. If you miss navigate to Edit > Undo or Command/Control Z.
Click on the next point where you want the line to continue to.
Continue following the contour of the leaf by making the line curve and go straight. When you reach the end hover over the first point you made. A small circle appears next to your pen tool, then click on the point. Your line or path will be closed closed.
Now you have drawn half of the leaf.
