Introduction
Shape toolbox in Illustrator common shapes which can be used to draw complex shapes. To choose from these shapes, right click on the Rectangle Tool and select the one you want to make. From here, all you need to do is click and drag to make your shape.
Shortcuts for Drawing the Basic Shapes
- Hold the Shift key when creating a rectangle to get a perfectly proportioned square.
- Hold the Shift key when creating an ellipse to get a perfect circle.
- Holding the Alt key will allow to draw a shape from the center rather than the corner.
- If you know the exact size shape you want to create, then with the shape tool selected, click on the screen. , Enter the exact dimensions for shape in pop up box.
Color Shapes
By default shapes has a white fill and black stroke (border of the shape). To change fill color, double click on Fill and select the color from pop up Color Picker. Similarly steps for changing the stroke color.
Resizing Shapes
To resize shapes, select the shape using the Selection Tool and a bounding box will appear. Drag the corner anchor point to resize it. To constrain to proportion while resizing, hold Shift as you resize. Hold Alt to resize from the same position. To rotate, hold the cursor just outside a corner, rotation icon show up. Drag it around, holding Shift as you do so to constrain the rotation to exactly 45°.
