Adobe Illustrator is a powerful tool for graphic design and one of the key features of Adobe Illustrator is the ability to draw curves, which is essential in creating various shapes, logos, and designs.
There are different tools you can use to draw curve lines in Illustrator. You’ll most likely use the Pen Tool, Direct Selection Tool, or Anchor Point Tool to create or edit the curve lines.
My name is Aly. I have over five years of experience in Adobe Illustrator. In this tutorial, I will show you a step-by-step guide on how to draw a curved line in Adobe Illustrator in three different ways.
Method 1: Curvature Tool
Follow the steps below to use the curvature tool to create a curved line.
Step 1: File > New to create a new document in Illustrator.
Step 2: With your new document created, let’s go ahead and find and select the Curvature Tool. This tool is located next to the pen tool. Make sure not to get them confused as they look similar.
Step 3: To create curved lines in Illustrator, simply start clicking on your artboard to add anchor points once you’ve selected the Curvature Tool. Each anchor point you click will add to your curved line.
Step 4: When you’re finished with the lines you’ve drawn, you can either click the first anchor point you set up at the beginning to close the path or you can finish the path by using the Escape key on your computer.
If you would like to edit your line, you can with the Direct Selection Tool. With the direct selection tool selected, click on any anchor point and drag to edit. Press escape when you finish.
Method 2: Pen Tool
Use this method to create a curved line in just a few steps.
Step 1: Have a new document open, just like the method above. Now we will find and select the Pen Tool from our toolbox.
To start drawing your curved line, click anywhere on the artboard to create the first anchor point. An anchor point is a point on the path where you can change the direction of the curve.
Step 2: To create the curve, click and drag your mouse in the direction you want the curve to go to create the second anchor point. As you drag, a line will appear between the two anchor points. Release your mouse to create the second anchor point.
As you do this you will notice the line has “handles” which are the little lines that stick out of the line itself. These will help to adjust your curve to your liking.
Method 3: Drawing a Curved Line
Using this method we can draw our own curved line by hand. Follow the steps below to learn how.
Step 1: With a new document open, find and select the Pencil Tool from your toolbox.
Step 2: Start drawing a curved line onto your artboard. Try to be as accurate as you can since you will be drawing this freehanded.
Step 3: Once you finish drawing your curved line, click on the Direct Selection Tool to adjust any points that may need to be fixed. Once you click on any anchor point you will see the “handles” appear just like I mentioned in the above methods.
The handles are used to move any point around to fix the appearance of your curved line.
Final Thoughts
By trying any of these three methods you can achieve creating a curved line in Illustrator. My favorite way to create curved lines has to be the first method of using the curvature tool. I prefer this method since it is very self-explanatory and simple to do.
Although the pen tool and drawing freehand work too, in my opinion, it can be less accurate if you are not 100% familiar with using either of them. I suggest trying all methods and finding which way works best for you.
Any questions about making a curved line in Adobe Illustrator? Leave a comment and let me know.
