The Shape Builder Tool in Illustrator

The Shape Builder Tool is a great tool to create, edit, combine and dissect your Illustrator Objects (shapes) in a more organic way.  The Shape Builder Tool shares many similarities to the Pathfinder Window.

So what are the differences?  The Shape Builder Tool provides you (the designer/art student/Illustrator Experimenter) with the opportunity to work and create a workflow that will feel more natural than the Pathfinder Window.  The Shape Builder Tool provides the opportunity to push the what was/is possible with the Pathfinder Window further.  (If you are not sure what the Pathfinder Window is read my blog on the Pathfinder Window.)

Let's Experiment! 

Where is the Shape Builder Tool?

Shape Builder Tool

Shape Builder Tool Fly Out

As you can see from these images the Shape Builder Tool has a Fly Out Menu associated with it.  Therefore if you do not see the Shape Builder Symbol on the Tool Bar select from the Fly Out menu above. 











1.  Create the Objects that you would like to work with on your ArtBoard in Illustrator.  Make sure that the Objects that you will be working with are active.  When an Object is active it is selected.  We always know that an Object is selected when we see its anchor points and paths as shown below. 

Two Overlapping Active Objects

2.  Working with the Shape Builder Tool hover over the Objects and Click as shown in the three below images.  

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

 3.  Through hovering and clicking the above Objects/Shapes we have created three separate Objects.  Now working with Selection Tool (Black Arrow) and Direct Select Tool (White Arrow),

we can move these shapes/objects independently as shown below in Images 1b-3b:

Image 1b

Image 2b

Image 3b

4.  Here is another example of steps to follow to work with overlapping objects with the Shape Builder Tool.  In the above example I showed you how to Divide a group of Overlapping Objects/Shape.  In the below example we will exclude the overlapping sections.

Overview and Steps for working with the below shapes:  
1C- Make sure all Object are selected.
2C-5C - With Shape Builder Tool, click all areas where the shapes overlap.
6C- Deselect
7C- 10C working with the Selection Tool or Direct Select Tool select the overlapping shapes and delete.
11C- Final Result.  

Image 1C

Image 2C

Image 3C

Image 4C

Image 5C

Image 6C

Image 7C

Image 8C

Image 9C

Image 10C

Image 11C

Here is a video to help with the Shape Builder Tool:

The Pathfinder Window in Illustrator

An Overview of the Pathfinder Window
The Pathfinder Window in Illustrator provides a great way to create and dissect new interesting shapes.  


In order to open and experiment with the Pathfinder window follow the below steps:

1. Window > Pathfinder

Pathfinder Window

(The Pathfinder Window contains a series of commands that can be applied to your shapes in Illustrator.  The best thing to do is to create your shapes and experiment! As you hover your mouse around this window the commands will appear.)



2.  Select and draw two overlapping shapes.  Use the Shape Tool on the Tools Panel.

Shape Tools

2 Overlapping Shapes

3.  Make sure that both Shapes are selected and then choose one of the pictures on the Pathfinder Window.

Selected Shapes

(In Illustrator an Object is selected if you can see its anchor points and paths.  In order to select multiple shapes use you black arrow, the Selection Tool, and hold down Shift.)

1. Unite

2. Minus Front

3. Intersect

4. Exclude

 Examples 1-4 are the first row of commands on the Pathfinder window.  They specify Shape Modes. 

5.  Divide

6. Trim

7. Merge

8.  Crop

9. Outline

10. Minus Back

Examples 5-10 are from the 2nd row of the Pathfinder Window, located in the Pathfinders section.  

The Pathfinder Window has great tools to use for designing logos, creating interesting patterns and so much more.

The Principles of Design

In the last post we discussed the elements of design.  Now we are going to look at how these elements relate to the principles of design.

The elements of design (line, shape, color, texture and value) are the building blocks of all visual art and design.  The Principles of Design are how we arrange and/or organize these elements. 

These principles are:

rhythm-  Often the term rhythm is used to describe visual art and design.  A Visual Rhythm can be created in a variety of ways.  Often this is done through repetition and the type of lines, shapes and colors that are used.  balance-  Balance refers to how the elements within a composition are organized.  Here we often think about Symmetrical Balance and Approximate Symmetry.    harmony/ unity- All of the elements of a design relate and complement one another.  dominance/ emphasis-  Both Dominance and Emphasis show a certain element within a composition having more visual weight.  We can think about this as a sense of Visual Hierarchy.    variety- We can say that variety is often what makes a design interesting.  Variety presents differences between the elements that appear in a composition.  For instance when we look at a composition based on repetition, often there are additional elements that break up the repetition to create visual interest.  scale/proportion- Scale often refers to the sizes of the elements that are found within a composition.  Scale and Proportion refers to how the sizes of the elements within a composition relate to one another.  direction- When we see the principle of direction, we see the elements being used to create a visual direction within a composition. 
repetition- We see repetition quite often in pattern design.  In Repetition an element in a composition is repeated.  

  What principles do you see at work in this photograph?   We see repetition, in the repeating green leaves.  We see direction in the organic green shapes, visually leading our eyes through the composition.  The brown part of this plant presents variety in this composition. 

In the next photograph we see the use of type against a painted brown brick background.  The order of the type presents a sense of balance.  The use of color create a visual sense of harmony and unity.  Maybe we could say that the numbers, 1609 dominate this composition, creating emphasis.  

In this piece we clearly see repetition.  Variety of shape is found in this composition to create a sense of visual interest.  We see the shape of metal heater being the dominate shape at work. 

What elements do you see at work in the next image?  Quite often we see all of the principles working in one way or another. 

The Elements of Design

The Elements and Principles of Design are the foundation of the study of Art and Design.  They are the building blocks of all Art and Design.  The Elements and Principles of Design provide us with the vocabulary to begin to discuss, explore and create strong Visual Art.

Let's begin with the Elements of Design.

In 2-Dimensional Design the elements of design are:

LINE, SHAPE, COLOR, TEXTURE AND VALUE

Line:  A form that connects dots.  A line becomes visible due to the contrast between the form and its surrounding area.  In Visual Art a line is often the most basic element.  Many pieces of art begin with one line.  A line can be drawn, brushed, erased, carved...  The possiblities of line are endless!

A line is a dot that went for a walk. - Paul Klee

Shape:  A shape is an enclosed defined space.  Quite often when we think of shape we think of geometric shapes such as circles, squares, rectangles and/or squares.  Shapes are not limited to these definable forms though and have infinite possibilities.
 
The object of art is to give life a shape. - Shakespeare

Color:  is the part of light that is reflected by the object that we see.  We can not address Color in Art and Design without looking to Color Theory.  Color Theory is a vast topic with a great deal of information.  The basic pieces of Color Theory are the Color Wheel, Color Context and Color Harmony.  

Texture:  is the tactile surface quality of an object.  Some examples would be soft, fluffy, rough, and wet.  Texture can be actual or visual. 

Value:  refers to the range from lightness to darkness. 
    
As we view Visual Art and Design we find these elements being used in a variety of ways.  Below are three examples of the Elements of Design/ The Visual Elements at work.

Sol LeWitt, Wall Drawing

In this example by Sol LeWitt the dominant element at work is line. We see organic line moving through the composition.  The contrast between black and white create a strong figure/ground relationship.  We can say that this example shows us line simplified.  A thick black line curves around, filling the space.

Alice Neel, Marisol. Oil on Canvas, 1981

In the next painting by Alice Neel, Marisol, we see all the visual elements at work, pointing out how beautifully the Visual Elements work together.  When we compare this piece by Alice Neel with the Wall Drawing by Sol LeWitt we can surmise that the portrait uses the elements in a more complicated way.  Maybe we need to look a little closer to see these elements at work.  We see the lines of the chair.  The lines of the sweater tell us a great deal about the anatomy of the woman.  We see the lines that define her facial structure, hair, hands and pants.  We see the color that defines her skintones, hair, clothes and surroundings.  When we look closely we see warm and cool colors as highlights and shadows.  We see the juxtaposition of her blue pants against a brown-orange chair.  Throughout this painting we see value at work in the highlights, shadows and midtones.  Underlying this painting are the shapes.  We see the shape of the negative spaces around Marisol.  We see the shape of her pants, the shapes of the shadows on her pants, the shapes of her fingers, hands, sweater, hair, eyes, nose and more!  In this piece we see the visual texture of her hair, skin, clothes and the chair that she sits upon.  

Milton Glaser, Bob Dylan Poster. 1967

In the Bob Dylan Poster by Milton Glaser we see the elements of design at work again.  

The use of color, line and shape work beautifully throughout this composition.  Dylan's hair is treated in a stylized manner, showing the hair as a simplified visual form with exaggerated color and shape.  We see this portrait of Dylan with flat shape and color, the black silhouette, colorful shapes with contour line, the white empty space and use of type.  The dominant elements at work in this piece would be shape and color.  Yet we do see the use of line and in the type as well as the contour lines surrounding the shape of Dylan's hair.  Value is at work in the contrast between black and white as well as the contrast and inherent value that the colors present.        



To understand and create Visual Art and Design we see and use the elements of design.  Line, Shape, Color, Texture and Value are the building blocks of Visual Art.  As we look around we see these elements at work in complicated and simple ways.