The document discusses the basic shapes tool in Illustrator - the rectangle and ellipse tools. It explains how to create rectangles and ellipses using these tools, and how to modify the shapes by using modifier keys to draw perfect squares and circles. It also discusses how to set the size, change colors, adjust stroke weight and opacity, rotate objects, and select and modify anchor points and dimensions. The overall focus is on learning the basic functions of the rectangle and ellipse tools to create and modify simple shapes in Illustrator.

1. Illustrator’s Basic Shapes
part 1
Rectangles & Ellipses

2. Rectangles & Ellipses
These two are the most basic shapes you can create and are
used repeatedly in design. It’s important to gain a good working
knowledge on how to make and modify these shapes. We will
use our new VCP118 Tool Bar.

3. SELECTION
TOOL
The Selection Tool (Shortcut Key v)
is the tool used to select, move,
rotate, and resize objects.
Remember that this is the black
arrow tool. This shortcut is worth
remembering since it work with all
three of our Adobe application.

4. DIRECT
SELECTION
TOOL
The Direct Selection Tool (Shortcut
Key a) is the tool used to select,
move, rotate, and resize objects
parts of an object. Whereas the
Selection Tool works with the whole
object, the Direct Selection Tool
works with parts. Remember that this
is the white arrow tool. This shortcut
is worth remembering since it work
with all three of our Adobe
application.

5. RECTANGLE
TOOL
The Rectangle Tool (Shortcut Key m)
is the tool used to create quadrilaterals
with four right angles, or commonly
known as rectangles and squares.

6. RECTANGLE
TOOL
Select the rectangle tool, or better yet,
hit the m key to select the tool.
Notice the icon changes shape to a
cross. In the Adobe product, it’s
important to pay attention to the shape
of the icon for it will tell you many
things.

7. RECTANGLE
TOOL
Using the rectangle tool, draw a
rectangle from the top left to the bottom
right. You usually create a rectangle by
drawing diagonally from corner to
corner while holding down the mouse
button.
Start here
Draw to here

8. RECTANGLE
TOOL
If you hold the shift key down (this is
known as a modifier key) while drawing,
the rectangle will be a perfect square.
May also notice small number next to
the cursor, this is a feedback on the
cursor.
Start here
while
holding
the Shift
key
Draw to here

9. RECTANGLE
TOOL
Another modifying key is the Option key. With the
Rectangle key selected, hold down the Option
key. Notice the icon changes to a cross with a
square around it. Now if you draw, it will go from
the center out. You can combine modifier keys, so
with Shift & Option held you’ll draw a square
from the center out.
Start here
Draw to here

10. RECTANGLE
TOOL
Sometimes, it’s important to make the rectangle to
a pre-determined size. To do that, select the
Rectangle tool (or just the m key) and click on
the artboard where you want your rectangle to
appear. You will see this dialog box:
Now you can just
enter in the
values you need
and click OK. You
can enter in any
values, so if you
wanted inches
you would enter
in instead of pt.

11. ELLIPSE
TOOL
The Ellipse Tool (Shortcut Key l) is the
tool used to create ellipses and circles.

12. Select the ellipse tool, or better yet, hit
the l key to select the tool.
Notice the icon changes shape to a
cross like before with the rectangle tool.
ELLIPSE
TOOL

13. Using the Ellipse tool, draw a rectangle
from the top left to the bottom right. You
usually create an ellipse by drawing
diagonally from corner to corner while
holding down the mouse button.
Start here
ELLIPSE
TOOL
Draw to here

14. If you hold the shift key down while
drawing, the rectangle will be a perfect
circle.
Start here
while
holding
the Shift
key
Draw to here
ELLIPSE
TOOL

15. Another modifying key is the Option key. With the
ellipse tool selected, hold down the option key.
Notice the icon changes to a cross with a circle
around it. Now if you draw, it will go from the
center out. You can combine modifier keys, with
Shift & Option held you’ll draw a circle from the
center out.
Start
here
Draw to here
ELLIPSE
TOOL

16. Sometimes, it’s important to make the ellipse to a
pre-determined size. To do that, select the Ellipse
tool (or just the l key) and click on the artboard
where you want your ellipse to appear. You will
see this dialog box:
Now you can just
enter in the
values you need
and click OK. You
can enter in any
values, so if you
wanted inches
you would enter
in instead of pt.
ELLIPSE
TOOL

17. After drawing the ellipse, it will
remain selected so you may be able
to quickly modify its attributes. A
selected element will have a blue
bounding box around it.
There are 8 handles, or little
squares, on the bounding box, 3 at
the top and bottom and 1
each on each side.
Selecting one of these with
the Selection Tool will allow
you to modify its shape. Unlike a
Photoshop element, they remain
editable.
ELLIPSE
TOOL

18. The default attributes are a
white fill and black stroke. If
you check the properties (to the
left side of the window) you will
see this information. It matches
the symbols on the tool bar.
Clicking on the Fill color box or
the stroke color box will allow
you access to the Swatches
Panel to choose another color.
FILL &
STROKE
FILL
STOKE
COLOR

19. With the Swatches Panel you have selection of
colors to choose from. You can change the color
of the fill and the stroke. The first square in the
swatches panel has a red line and that
represents none.
So an item can
have any color
fill and stroke or
no fill or no stroke.
Swatches Panel

20. You also can double click on the fill box or the
Stroke box on your tool bar to open the Color
Picker. On the tool bar, the top box is the active one,
whether it’s the fill (solid) or the stoke (outlined).
Here, you can visually choose any color.
FILL COLOR
(ACTIVE ON
TOP)
STROKE
COLOR

21. Here we can see an
ellipse with a fill of
an aqua and a
magenta stroke.
Notice the stroke
weight is now 7 pt.
This value can be
entered in when the
object is selected.
STROKE
WEIGHT

22. Under Transform there is a little
box with 9 little boxes. The
center box is filled. This is the
anchor point for the ellipse and
right now it’s the center point.
You can click on any of the other
little boxes to change the anchor.
That is where Illustrator places
the object measurement. These
are the X and Y values. More on
this later.
The W is the object’s width and
the H is the object’s height.

23. Another attribute of an object is
its opacity or how transparent
the object is. That setting is also
in the properties panel. OPACITY

24. After creating an object you can
rotate it by changing the angle in
the Properties Panel, or with
the Selection Tool go to a
corner of the bounding box until
you see a curved arrow (like the
one in the illustration) and just
drag and the object will rotate.
ROTATION

25. You should now be able to
create a new Illustrator
document and configure a new
tool bar for the tools you like to
use. You should be able to
create rectangles and ellipses
and adjust their fill and stroke
colors, their stroke weight, rotate
and the adjust the object’s
transparency.