Make a PERFECT selection with Illustrator PEN TOOL

Adobe Illustrator is a vector software and it is specifically designed for creating vector graphics. This in other words refers to works that require high scalability but result in no loss of quality. Unlike Adobe Photoshop, it is difficult to select an object out of a collection of other objects because there are no tools like Quick Selection Tool and more that are selecting tools.  It was really a hectic task when trying to work with some images I needed to select some subjects out of the whole. The most preferred approach was to use Photoshop for the selection and then bring it into illustrator.

Selection with the Pen Tool

Illustrator's Pen Tool works the same as that of Adobe Photoshop, in illustrator, these are the kinds of Pen tools you will find:

1. Pen Tool (P),
2. Add Anchor Point Tool (+),
3. Delete Anchor Point Tool (-),
4. Anchor Point Tool (shift +c)

Our focus is on the first one, Pen Tool and shortcut is P.

Below is the image from which the object which is a football is going to be selected. After creating a new document, the image was placed using the place command and now the work can begin.

Click the Pen tool and once selected, its icon from the tools panel becomes faded or kind of. Zoom in or out and use the tool to create your anchor points around the ball as indicated in the image. Disable the fill shape to clearly see how the selection is going.

Remember the selection made is a shape and so after finishing, select the shape and the image. This can be done by holding the shift key and then using the selection tool(V) to click the shape and the image.

Just simply, Press ctrl+7 to create a clipping mask or alternatively go to the Object tab and select Clipping mask from the drop-down list. The object is now selected.

The object is now like a shape and hence can be duplicated and placed anywhere in the work that it is needed.

In few steps as shown, different kinds of objects or subjects including human beings in an image can be selected with this method. Explore the creativity that lies there in and fast-track the production process knowing you've got a hack for this task.