My Second Ever Design: Learning the Pen Tool with the Bangladesh Flag

 

Mastering the Pen Tool: My Journey Through the Bangladesh Flag Design

Introduction

Graphic design is a journey, and every step we take brings us closer to mastering new tools and techniques. As a beginner in this creative field, I recently worked on my second design: the Bangladesh flag. This project was not just about creating a digital flag—it was a crucial step in my learning process, especially in understanding and practicing the Pen Tool in Adobe Illustrator (or similar software).

Why the Bangladesh Flag?

Choosing the Bangladesh flag for my practice was an easy decision. The flag has a simple yet meaningful design: a red circle centered slightly towards the hoist side on a green background. Its minimalistic nature makes it a great subject for beginners learning vector design. Additionally, as a proud Bangladeshi, working on this design felt deeply personal and motivating.

Learning the Pen Tool

When I first opened my design software and selected the Pen Tool, I thought it would be easy. But as I started placing anchor points and adjusting curves, I realized how challenging it was to get smooth lines and precise shapes. Here are some key lessons I learned:

• Understanding Anchor Points: The pen tool works by placing anchor points and manipulating them to create smooth curves and sharp angles.

• Creating a Perfect Circle: While the ellipse tool can create a perfect circle, I challenged myself to use the pen tool to draw one manually.

• Precision and Control: The pen tool requires patience. Adjusting handles and tweaking anchor points to get the perfect shape takes practice.

• Shortcuts and Adjustments: Learning keyboard shortcuts like holding Shift for straight lines and using Alt/Option to modify handles helped improve my workflow.

Step-by-Step Process

1. Setting Up the Canvas

   • Opened Adobe Illustrator and created a new artboard.

   • Set the background color to deep green (#006A4E) to match the original flag.

2. Drawing the Red Circle

   • Placed a rough circle using the Pen Tool.

   • Adjusted anchor points and bezier handles to create a perfect shape.

   • Used the Align Tool to ensure proper positioning according to flag proportions.

3. Refining the Design

   • Tweaked the positioning of the circle to match the correct flag placement.

   • Adjusted colors using the Eyedropper Tool to get accurate shades.

   • Used Stroke and Fill settings to ensure smooth edges.

4. Final Touches

   • Checked proportions and alignment.

   • Exported the design in high quality for sharing and review.

Final Thoughts & Next Steps

Designing the Bangladesh flag was a simple yet valuable learning experience. It helped me understand the Pen Tool, anchor points, and the importance of precision in vector art. While my first attempt wasn't perfect, every mistake taught me something new.

Next, I plan to design more complex shapes and practice tracing different objects to refine my Pen Tool skills further. For anyone starting with vector design, I highly recommend trying simple flag designs as a beginner-friendly exercise!

What was your first experience with the Pen Tool like? Let me know in the comments! 😊