Basic Tools II

Find a suitable image of Czech flag.

Create a new document for printing. Select the Place command from the menu and find the file you have just downloaded. Click on the Place button and the image will be added on the canvas. Choose the Selection tool and resize the image (*Hold Alt+Shift for uniform transformation.)

Create a new layer - click on the button New layer () inside the Layers window. Lock the layer with flag - by clicking into the square next to the icon of eye. (*We should lock the layer to avoid moving the background layer or selecting it by mistake.)

Switch to the empty layer and select the Rectangular grid tool. You can find this tool in the submenu of the Line Segment tool. Set the filling color to transparent (none) and the color of stroke to black.

We will create the grid. To get the exact dimensions of the blue part which should reach half of the length of the flag we will divide our grid to 4 parts (that means 2 lines will be inside). Click into the left top corner of the flag, drag the line and try to hit the right bottom corner. Do not release the button and use arrows to get the two mentioned lines. Then you can release the button. Our grid is completed.

Switch to the Layers panel and unpack the layer with grid. After unpacking the layer and the Group you can see that it is created from a rectangle and two line segments.

Lock the horizontal line and click on the vertical one. Select it and use the Pen tool to add an anchor point in the intersection area of both lines. (*For higher accuracy use Ctrl+"plus" keys to zoom the image.)

Zoom out your image again. Switch into the Layers window and lock the Rectangular shape. Only the layer with vertical line should remain unlocked. Select the tool for direct selection and use it to select the top anchor point of the vertical line. Drag it to the top left corner. Do the same with the bottom point - drag it to the bottom left corner.

Unlock the layer with horizontal line and lock the layer with the vertical one. Use the selection tool to select the horizontal line and then switch to the Scissors tool (*Scissors tool can be found under Rubber tool or activated by the C key). Zoom the image again and click on the intersection point. You can see that a new anchor point was created. This tool divides line in the point where you click and creates two separated paths. Then you can use the tool for direct selection (A), select the left part and delete it by Delete key. (*It is better to move it outside the flag at first to be sure you will not delete anything else.) Unlock all paths in the layer with the shape of flag.

The outline of flag is complete. Hide the layer with the downloaded flag (click on the eye in the Layers window). Select the whole outline of your flag by clicking on the circle next to the layer.

Use the Live Paint Bucket tool (K) and click on the selected outline to create a group for live paint. Then you have to select colors and color the flag using the right colors.

(*Tip - if you look at the cursor of the Live Paint Bucket tool you will see 3 squares of different colors. These are colors from the current color palette. You can change them by clicking on the color in the Swatches window but this procedure is slow. You can also change the color using arrows which is much faster.)

Create a new document for printing. Select the Star tool and use arrows to change the number of tips to 5. Choose yellow color for the filling.

Leave the Star tool selected and click on another place in the work area. The window with settings will appear. Leave everything without changes (*parameters are used from the previous step) and click on the OK button.

Select the Blend tool (). Set the Specified steps in the preferences window and write 11 in the bottom field. Set the Align to Page option.

Click on the first star (x will appear at the cursor) and then click on the second star (+ will appear at the cursor). Stars will be added after this step.

Select the Ellipse tool and draw a circle while holding the Shift key. Select points and the circle using the Selection tool and choose the command Replace axis from the menu Objects > Blend.

You can see that stars do not copy the circle all around. You will have to select the Scissor tool (C) and click on the top anchor point of the circle. You set that the axis should begin and end at the same point. Stars will be distributed around the whole circle. The border stars are overlapping which was the reason to set the number of steps to 11.

Completed.

• http://www.gjszlin.cz/maturita/pog/docs//referaty-cesty.pdf