Page 52 - CS6_AI_Look_Inside.pdf

divide Basic shaPes into comPonent Pieces
Using the Illustrator Pathfinder panel, you can combine multiple shapes in a variety of
ways, or you can use one object as a “cookie cutter” to remove or separate one shape
from another. As you work with more complicated artwork in Illustrator, you will find
many different ways to use the Pathfinder functions, either alone or in combination.

1. With icons.ai open, make sure the Icon Art layer is selected in the Layers panel.
Zoom into the second rectangle in the first row of background shapes.

2. Select the Ellipse tool (nested under the Rounded Rectangle tool) in the
Tools panel. Set the fill color to black and the stroke color to None.

We used the Control panel to
set the Fill and Stroke colors.

Ellipse tool
The Icon Art layer is
selected (active).

3. Click in the center of the radiation icon, press Option/Alt-Shift, and
then drag to create a circle that covers the entire template icon.
Remember, pressing Option/Alt allows you to draw a shape from the center out.
Pressing Shift constrains the shape to equal height and width.

The fill color appears
Click here, press when you release
Option/Alt-Shift… the mouse button.

…and drag out to Note:
create a circle that
matches the outer edge The fill color does not
of the template image. appear until you release
the mouse button.
4. With the new circle selected, change the Opacity field in the Control
panel to 50.
Opacity defines the transparency of the selected object. In this case, you’re reducing the
opacity from 100% (entirely solid or opaque) so you can see the template image behind
the circle you just drew. Note:
You can also use
theTransparency panel to
Change the shape’s Opacity
value so you can see the change an object’s opacity.
underlying template image.

Note:
You’ll work with opacity
as a design element in
Project 6: Cereal Box.

60 Project 1: International Symbols