Every shape tool has a keyboard modifier that changes how it draws
Grab your Guided Notes (FDD 3.2) and a pencil.
GET READY
Today's Word Bank
Every word below appears on your notes sheet. Watch closely, some get used more than once.
bounding box
Live Shape
How today works: we'll look at one blank at a time. Study the example, make your best guess, then we'll reveal the answer together. Fill in your notes as we go, don't skip ahead!
1GUIDED NOTES
What draws outward from center instead of a corner?
For the Ellipse tool, hold Shift for a perfect circle; hold Option/Alt to draw outward from the ______ point instead of a corner.
GUIDED NOTES #1
CENTER
Option/Alt flips the Ellipse tool's anchor from a corner to the center.
2GUIDED NOTES
What adds or removes sides while dragging?
For the Polygon tool, click-drag, then tap the ______/______ arrow keys while still dragging to add or remove sides.
GUIDED NOTES #2
UP / DOWN
The same arrow-key trick works on the Star tool too, for points instead of sides.
3GUIDED NOTES
What stays editable after you draw it?
A ______ ______ remembers that it's a rectangle/ellipse/polygon and stays editable (corner radius, exact dimensions), until you tell Illustrator to expand it into a plain path.
GUIDED NOTES #3
LIVE SHAPE
Editable geometry, not a fixed path, until you deliberately expand it.
4GUIDED NOTES
What's the invisible rectangle around every shape?
Every shape has a ______ ______, the invisible rectangle that marks its full width and height, used when you scale or align it.
GUIDED NOTES #4
BOUNDING BOX
Not visible in the final art, but it's what Illustrator actually measures when you scale or align.
NOW DISCUSS
Turn & Talk
Try it: could you build a simple face or icon using only the Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, Star, and Line Segment tools, no freehand drawing?
Think → Pair → Share · 2 minutes · Write your answer on the Discuss line on your guided notes