Next, create a small triangle as its arrowhead before connecting these shapes using Pathfinder Panel (Window > Pathfinder or Shift + Control (CTRL) + F9) by selecting both body and triangle then clicking Unite option in Pathfinder Panel.Īn effective way to create an arrow shaft is with the Width Tool, which enables you to vary its thickness along its length. Use either Rectangle or Polygon Tool (keyboard shortcut M or P), depending on what kind of arrow you want to make. Furthermore, using our Free Transform tool you can bend them in various ways for a more natural appearance.įor an arrow shaft, begin by creating the body. Learning to draw arrows in Illustrator gives you the freedom to craft designs that reflect your unique aesthetic and vision – with some practice you’ll soon be drawing professional-looking arrows! Experiment with various techniques until you find what works for you – any questions? Just post below! I will respond as soon as I can! ShaftsĪrrow shafts are one of the key elements in making an arrow more realistic, from being constructed out of single lines to multiline structures with multiple points or nodes attached at various lengths and shapes. Simply open this panel by choosing Window > Symbols or by pressing Ctrl-F10, select an arrow symbol you like, drag it onto your artboard, then make adjustments such as changing its size and orientation in this same panel.Īrrows can be an effective design element, particularly ones that emphasize movement or directionality. The Symbols Panel also offers several arrowhead options that you can use to create both curved and straight arrows. Simply select the line or path you wish to edit and choose Window > Stroke before using the Arrowhead Options at the Top of Stroke Panel to choose which type of arrowhead to add color and weight options also allow for fine-tuning this process. Once your lines are created, the Stroke Panel offers you an easy way to add arrowheads. If necessary, click and drag one of its handles to adjust its slope accordingly. Illustrator offers several ways of creating arrows, but what’s most important is communicating its point clearly – using various stroke styles, colors and sizes can help achieve this objective.įorming a straight arrow with the Pen Tool or Line Tool is simple enough: position your cursor where you would like the line to start and click, moving to where it ends and repeating this action will set an anchor point which the Pen tool connects via a straight line. PointsĪrrows can add movement and directionality to a design. Additionally, adding a stroke and arrowhead by clicking “Stroke” opens a new window where you can customize what goes at each end of a path or line look for “Arrowhead” where there are two boxes where you can set start/end points of the arrowhead option.

Once you’ve created an arrow shape that meets your specifications, further customize it by changing its color and size in the Appearance panel. For instance, to make a straight line with an arrowhead simply create two rectangles and triangles and use Unite in Pathfinder panel to combine them into a single arrow shape. Pathfinder allows you to combine multiple shapes into an arrow shape. From here you’ll have many different arrow options from which you can select one that best meets your style and needs. To begin, ensure that the line you want to draw is selected before accessing the brushes menu by going to Window>Brushes or Control (CTRL) + F10 on Windows or Command (CTRL) + F10 on Mac and clicking Open Brush Library then Arrows in this pop-up window.

Next, using Convert Anchor Point tool you can change one end of line into a curved point to form an arrowhead.ĭrawing arrows can also be accomplished using brush tools, although this requires more creativity. Arrows can also be used to create shapes or borders or emphasize certain parts of a design whether creating full-fledged illustrations of arrows or just simple lines as direction indicators in Illustrator there are various ways of accomplishing it.įirst, draw a line using the Pen tool this is the most basic way of creating an arrow but can still be effective. LinesĪrrows add movement and directionality to designs, helping make them stand out from the pack. Rectangle and polygon tools make this easier their geometric precision enables you to easily craft symmetrical and precise arrow designs. Another easy option is the line segment tool in the left tools panel.īegin by crafting shapes that will become the arrow body and head. Draw arrows easily in Illustrator using the pen tool, which lets you control curves and anchor points.

Draw arrow in illustrator