Drawing lines and curves with the Freehand and the Bezier tool

There are two tools for drawing lines, curves, and irregular shapes: the Freehand tool pre00041.gif and the Bezier tool pre00068.gif.

The Freehand tool provides the most straightforward method for drawing. It lets you draw by dragging the mouse cursor across the page like a pencil on paper. This method is closest to traditional drawing, but the results are often imprecise and rough. You can improve these results by adjusting the default settings or by editing the curve after you have drawn it.

The Bezier tool lets you draw smooth, precise curves node by node. When you use the Bezier tool, each click of the mouse places a node, and each node is connected to the previous node by a segment. Also, when you place a node, you can control the curvature of the segment you are drawing by positioning the node's control points (dotted lines that extend in opposite directions from the node). By using control points and by placing each node individually, you can create precise lines and curves.

pre00025.gif How to

To draw a curve or a straight line connected to another

To draw a curve with the Freehand tool

To draw a closed shape with the Freehand tool

To draw a straight line with the Freehand tool

To draw a curve with the Bezier tool

To draw a straight line with the Bezier tool

pre00000.gif Related topics

Drawing basic shapes

Shaping lines, curves, and curve objects

Drawing and shaping objects

Selecting and deselecting objects