As you click to create the second anchor point, you’ll notice that when you move your mouse, Illustrator is determining the curve required between the two anchor points that you just created and the location of your mouse as you move it. You’ll notice that clicking and dragging moves the location of the anchor point you’re going to draw. With the Curvature tool selected, simply click once to create the initial anchor point. You don’t need to remember a bunch of shortcuts with combinations of the Cmd/Ctrl, Option/Alt, and Shift to use the Curvature tool.

Another big difference is the lack of modifier keys required to draw with the Curvature tool. While the Pen tool is more of a precision tool that requires you to think about where to place an anchor point and how to pull out direction lines to control line segments, the Curvature tool takes a more intuitive approach to drawing by asking the user to click along the path you want to create, while drawing along that path. The Curvature tool takes a redesigned approach to drawing paths in Illustrator. You’ll find the Curvature tool in the Tools panel, directly below the Pen tool in single-column view or directly to the right of the Pen tool in double-column view. In the 2014 release of Adobe Illustrator CC (the October release to be exact), Adobe provided users with a new tool called the Curvature tool. I get questions like, “How do you know where to click to create the next anchor point?” There’s often no good answer because a lot of it comes down to experience. I’m often reminded of this when I need to teach someone how to use the Pen tool.

The Pen tool is challenging because it really requires an investment in time to get proficient at it. It’s no easy tool to master, and it’s not particularly intuitive in the beginning either. In Adobe Illustrator, one of the more challenging tools for beginners (and even advanced users) is the Pen tool.

Illustrator intersect