Discover the process of making changes and adjustments to a recruiter image using various tools and shortcuts in Adobe Illustrator. This comprehensive guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to modify an image, focusing on specific details like the shape of the hair, the part in the hair, and the edge of the shirt.
Key Insights
- The article provides detailed steps on how to use tools such as the direct selection tool, pen tool, and shape builder tool in Illustrator to make precise adjustments to an image. Specific shortcuts for these tools are also shared.
- A critical aspect of image modification discussed in the article is evaluating the necessity and worth of each change, depending on the final purpose and scale of the image.
- Throughout the article, the image of a recruiter is used as an example, demonstrating how to adjust various elements such as hair length and shape, the edge of the shirt, and the removal of unnecessary anchor points for a cleaner image.
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In this video, we'll be making changes and adjustments to our recruiter. As we can see right now, we have a group within our Recruiter layer of multiple objects.
For now, let's right-click and select Ungroup so that we don't have to go into Isolation Mode each time we want to make adjustments. Next, let's zoom in and observe our recruiter. As we can see here, the Image Trace gave us some rough shapes, however, we'll need to make some modifications to clean up this image.
As we can see, the clip is a little curved. We'll need to adjust the arm shadows, and we can make other adjustments as well. In addition, I find it helpful placing the original image to the right-hand side so that we can observe what the image originally looked like.
So, to do this, we'll go to File, Place, and let's place the "Graphic Woman.jpeg" and click Place. From here, we'll click and drag, and we'll just leave this off to the side and use it as a reference. Starting at the top of our recruiter, let's observe that in this original image, her hair has a slight bend and a part at the top.
So, let's recreate this. To make adjustments to our image, we'll mostly be using our Direct Selection Tool, shortcut A on the keyboard. We'll be using our Pen Tool, shortcut P on the keyboard, and we'll be using our Shape Builder Tool, shortcut Shift + M. In addition, as we go through making changes, we'll have to make decisions about what kind of changes we want to make and whether these changes are worth the time and effort.
For example, we can really perfect this image, and if we wanted to put it up on a billboard, that might be important. Since it's going on a postcard and it will be relatively small, we don't necessarily have to make this image perfect. However, we do want to make this image better than it currently is.
So, with all that being said, let's begin. We'll zoom in, and we'll begin working on the part in her hair. We scroll up on the mouse and hit A on the keyboard.
We can use the Direct Selection Tool, and we'll see that we already have an anchor point on top. With this anchor point, we drag it a little bit below and then use our handle. We'll see that we can recreate this part and we'll release.
Next, let's make modifications to the hair. You can change your hair however you'd prefer. For me, I'm simply going to lengthen it.
I'll click this bottom anchor point and drag it so it's down below, and then clicking this other anchor point, I'll release this here, giving her a bit longer hair. I'll do the same thing on the right-hand side, clicking and dragging and clicking, and in this case, I'll intersect it with the edge of her shirt. Next, I'll take this center anchor point here and simply drag it in just like this.
We'll then zoom in and I'll make sure to extend the handle, and we'll move this anchor point in as well. We now have hair extending in front of the jacket here and behind her head. Let's now use the Shape Builder Tool to build the shapes.
With V, the Selection Tool, I'll select her face, and with the Shape Builder Tool, the object that we select first will determine what color the shape will be. We'll then hold Shift and also select the hair. From here, we'll use the Shape Builder Tool, Shift + M on the keyboard, and we'll click both sides of her face to build one individual object.
Next, let's begin working on the edge of her shirt. To do this, let's zoom in using CTRL + (+) on the keyboard and scroll down, and then we'll hit A for our Selection Tool. With the shirt selected, with the Selection Tool, I'll also hold Shift, and we'll absorb this right part that can be included within the shirt.
In addition, I'll also select the hair so we can add this section of our hair. We'll then use the Shape Builder Tool, shortcut Shift + M on the keyboard, to click and drag so that all of this is included in one shape. I'll then hit CTRL + Shift + A to deselect, and let's look at our anchor points using A on the keyboard and observing that we have multiple anchor points along this line.
Instead of having multiple anchor points, let's remove a few of these. We'll click, and then holding Shift, click 1,2, 3, and 4 anchor points. I'm missing this anchor right here, and we'll go to the top and click the icon to remove selected anchor points.
See, I missed one right here, so I'll click it and remove it. It looks like I have one more. Let's zoom in, observe this anchor point, and remove it.
I now have a nice straight line for my shirt, and I'll zoom out, and from here, I'll hit A on the keyboard and I'll want to select this anchor point, dragging it over so that it intersects with the shirt, and then I'll delete these two anchor points, holding Shift and removing them. Looks like we have one more anchor point right in the middle, so I'll click it and remove it, and now our hair extends back behind the shirt. With the hair selected, I'll hit V on the keyboard, hold Shift, and then I'll use the Shape Builder Tool to create one shape on the inside and one shape for the shirt.
However, our shirt has now turned black since we started by highlighting the hair, so we'll zoom out using CTRL + (-) on the keyboard, hit CTRL + Shift + A to deselect, and then hit V for our Selection Tool. I'll select the shirt, and for our fill, I'll click and select white. Next, let's zoom in as we have one final straggling path here, which I'll click and delete.
Let's now zoom out and save our work using CTRL + S on the keyboard to save, and in the next video, we'll continue working on our recruiter. See you there!