- Setting Selection Preferences
- Making Selections
- Resizing Graphic Elements
- Positioning Graphic Elements
- Flipping, Rotating, and Skewing
- Distorting Graphic Elements
- Modifying Fills and Strokes
- Modifying Shapes: Natural Drawing Tools
- Modifying Shapes: Bzier Tools
- Modifying Primitive-Shape Paths
- Converting Shape Types
- Practice Session
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Practice Session
Try converting a simple geometric shape into a more complex form. For example, try changing an oval fill into a flower shape.
- Use the oval tool to create a plump oval fill with no stroke
. (See Chapter 2, Making Geometric Shapes.)
Use the selection tool to add corner points to the oval’s path, then drag them inward to create petals
; use the selection tool to reposition the petals’ curve points to create a pleasing flower shape 
. (See Natural Drawing.)
- Use the subselection and Bézier tools to add and remove points on the path of one petal to create a stem; adjust the curve
of the stem using the stem points’ Bézier handles
, 
. (See Modifying Shapes: Bézier Tools.)
Extra Credit: Modify the fill: use a linear gradient to give the flower a green stem and pink petals.
- Create a linear gradient fill that runs from dark green on the left, through hot pink, to pale pink on the right. (See Chapter 2, To create a linear gradient, Creating Solid Colors and Gradients.)
- Apply the gradient fill to your shape, then rotate the gradient so that green is on the bottom
. (See Modifying Fills and Strokes > To change fill color with the paint-bucket tool and > To rotate a gradient fill.)
Hint: Once you’ve got the fill inside the flower shape, adjust the position of the lower petals so that they fall completely into the “pink zone” of your gradient. You may also need to adjust the location of the gradient pointers in the Color panel to fit the “green zone” to the stem area of your shape.
Save your file for use in future Practice Sessions.
)