In this illustrator lesson, we will be learning about Shape Builder Tool, Live Paint Bucket Tool and Live Paint Selection Tool in illustrator by Lalit Adhikari at LTY. Let’s get started!
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Shape Builder Tool
This tool is used in building complex shapes quickly and easily using lots of other shapes. This tool is commonly used in making logos.
Here, you can see that I’ve made a few different shapes with the shape tools. Now, if you select all the elements of your shape through the selection tool and then select the shape builder tool you can combine these shapes to become a new shape.
After selecting the shape builder tool, you can left-click inside one of these segments and as you drag through other segments you will see the red lines indicating what your final shape will look like.
This tool is also an alternative to the pathfinder in Adobe Illustrator.
And after you are done with selecting the line segments with shape builder tool, you can let go the hold of your mouse and you will see that it finishes and completes the shape you are building.
Now, as you’ve got the shape you can swap between the fill and the stroke.
In this way, you can create different complex shapes using a lot of simple shapes quickly and easily using the shape builder tool.
The shortcut key for this tool is Shift + M
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Live Paint Bucket Tool
This is the second option in the fly-out menu of the Shape Builder Tool. The shortcut for this tool is K
Here’s an example of how to use this tool.
There are three circles overlapping each other. And I will color the overlapping parts with paint bucket tool. The first step will be selecting everything with the Selection Tool.
And after that, as you select the live paint bucket tool you will see a red highlight over the shape.
And as you click over the shape, you can see the shape break into the individual parts. And that’s how you can color all those different parts.
In this way, you can color different complex shapes with simply one click.
But there are a few problems you might encounter while using this tool.
For example: you made a sketch with some graphics pen like I’ve drawn here:
Sometimes there might be some little gaps and the live paint bucket tool can detect all the gaps. And then your Live Paint Bucket Tool will not fill the color inside the shapes.
To fix this problem go to the Object menu in the menu bar and select the Live Paint Option.
As you hover over that option a fly-out menu will open up. Now, select Gap Options from that menu.
A dialogue box will open up as you click over that option. There you can select any ‘paint stop’ options which have options for large gaps, small gaps, and medium gaps.
Using this option you can close the gaps of your shape and then fill the color with live paint bucket tool.
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Live Paint Selection Tool
This is the last option in the fly-out menu of the shape builder tool. The shortcut key for this option is Shift + L
Before using this option you first have to change your shapes to a ‘Live Paint Group’. The shortcut key for doing this is Alt + Ctrl + X or you can go to the Object menu in the above menu bar and select Live Paint option.
As you hover over that option another fly-out menu will open up and from there choose Make option.
Here, I have created a shape and grouped it as described above.
So, after you’ve made your design group your artwork and then select the live paint selection tool. Hold Shift key and make a selection of the whole shape.
After that, you can select any shapes and then fill color from the swatches. This tool is very useful for quickly applying colors and changing them.
If you are following our Free Illustrator Lessons and Tutorial Guide, then next you should read about, ‘How to Use Gradient Tool in illustrator‘.
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- How to use Pen tool in illustrator
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Thanks in support of sharing such a pleasant blog and filling it with detailed text tutorials. Shape builder & live paint bucket tool are some of the most important tools in illustrator.
I just love these tools. It lets you create amazing custom logos. Most of my logos are created because of Shape builder tool.