Drawing Freehand: Illustrator vs PhotoShop

[Scott_D_Nelson@adobeforums.com]

I use PhotoShop Elements 2 with my Wacom drawing tablets for drawing cartoons. I've been trying out Illustrator CS. With PhotoShop I can draw much like I can with pen and paper, but Illustrator does not allow me that kind of freedom. It creates "anchor point" which cause lines to bend/flow when a new line is drawn on it. Is there a way to simply freehand draw without all that other stuff?

Bonus question: Does Illustrator allow the simple click and fill paint bucket function like PhotoShop?

Thanks.........Scott

[Jacob_Bugge@adobeforums.com]

Scott,

You may use the Pencil or Paintbrush tool (remember to use no fill).

With Illy, you need closed paths to fill; so you have to combine open paths to do so. It is all quite well explained in Help.

[Philip_Peterson@adobeforums.com]

Man, all you cartoonists run into the same problem! (I was helped a cartoonist out last month with the first part of your problem).

If I understand you correctly, one of your problems is that when you try to draw a new line, you instead edit an existing line.

Double click on your pencil tool, and an options screen comes up. Try unchecking some of the options, or turning down the "within" range.

[Philo_Calhoun@adobeforums.com]

Yes, you can use the pencil tool, but you are right: Photoshop but not Illustrator allows you to draw pretty much the same as you would on paper. Realistically, most people who draw in Illustrator use the pen tool, and that requires a different way of thinking.

[Scott_D_Nelson@adobeforums.com]

Thanks for the help. I tried your suggestion Philip and that helped a lot. I think us cartoonist get sucked in by the name "Illustrator", it kind of sounds like something we do, but it don't act like pen and paper.

Thanks again.........Scott

[Jonathan_McClintic@adobeforums.com]

Yes, Much like how people "paint" in "Photo"shop, the only program that acts like pen and paper and actually has a name that sounds like it would be "Painter". So Adobe had to pick a different name for it's programs, which have evolved over the years into creatures of entirely different sorts ;). But don't give up yet. After a little practice using the pen tool, you may find that you can get a level of precision, which can be important in Illustration, that you could not using a more traditional drawing method.

Jonathan

[Philip_Peterson@adobeforums.com]

Pen tool is perhaps the toughest to learn (at least it was for me) but you come to love it in time.

[Timothy_Foolery®@adobeforums.com]

The pencil tool might be alright for a night out at the drive in getting handsy, but the pen tool is true love.

[Stu_Bloom@adobeforums.com]

Pen tool is perhaps the toughest to learn (at least it was for me) but
you come to love it in time.




And I found that an excellent way to develop skill with the pen tool is to trace bitmaps with it.