CHAPTER
3
DRAWING SIMPLE ILLUSTRATIONS
You are beginning to discover that Canvas is a powerful illustration
application. Although at first glance Canvas appears to be very com-
plex, it contains a number of user-friendly features. These features
make it very approachable for someone who is new to the world of
graphic design or who is migrating from another graphics applica-
tion. It contains all of the features needed to create precise schemat-
ics, artwork, or business diagrams. Using Canvas, you can punch,
slice, and combine simple objects to create complex ones. Yet, Can-
vas grants you the freedom to go back, at any time during the design
process and experiment at will. Thus you have, with Canvas, a digital
design tool that provides you with unlimited design possibilities.
In this next lesson, you will learn how to create objects and drawings
begining with only a blank Canvas document and your imagination.
Follow through with these examples. We recomend that when you
complete each section that you go back and experiment with some of
your own ideas.
You will learn how to:
Use the basic Canvas drawing tools
Use the alignment aids to help you draw
Use some of the menu commands to edit objects
Creating illustration documents
When creating drawings, especially if they will become technical or
oversized drawings, you should begin with an Illustration document
type. Any Canvas document can provide you with equally good
results; however, an Illustration document is considered to be an
excellent general purpose beginning for all types of illustration or
graphic design project.
To create a new Illustration document
1
Choose File > New to open the New dialog box.
2
Select the Illustration radio button in the Type of Document
area.
Tip
The first time you launch
Canvas, Illustration is select-
ed as the document type by
default.