Colouring items drawn with pen tool (LOCKED—Duplicate Post)

[kavindas88641397]

So I drew the components of this item using the pen tool. I am trying to make the different shapes in it with dif colours however, when i make one shape a certain colour, the rest change to that colour as well. How can i fix this prob? E.g. Make the head of the character inside white and the body black.

Please keep in mind that I am a beginner to this..

[duplicate post locked by moderator—please see Colouring in items drawn with pen tool ]

[Kurt Gold]

Can you please select all, open the Layers palette (expanded) and the Appearance palette, then make a screenshot and post it?

It may be a compound path or a compound shape.

[S_Gans]

In another post this evening, I suggested using the Live Paint Feature. I have a video that may explain it's use a little bit, but you have some slightly different needs than the other poster.

It looks to me like you made all the white objects on top of a single black object? If so, that'd explain why, when you change one part, they all change, as they'd all be the same part (the black part).

I suggest trying (and PLEASE do this on a SAVE AS version of the document, because once something's converted to Live Paint - that's the way it is...
On the duplicate document, please select everything and in the Object menu, select Live Paint>Make. Then, you can use the Live Paint selector tool to select parts of your image and choose a color, or use the Live Paint too, to "pour" your color onto the parts you click.

Hopefully, this quick video'll give you an idea what I mean - although it was originally made for a slightly different problem.

[happie_97]

When using the pen tool, you want to make sure the paths you draw are completely closed. It looks like it is from this screenshot, but I've seen files before that look closed but they aren't.

You will see a circle symbol next to the pen tool when you hover over the point to close the path.

I'm not in front of my computer so I can't do a screenshot for you.

After the path is closed. You should be able to color the shapes with ease.

Also, live paint will help but you shouldn't need it if you have closed paths.

[jdanek]

I agree.  You basicly have 3 shapes: 1.) the rectangle background ( Black ); 2.) the head ( White stroke ); and 3.) the body ( another white stroke ).  Even if the White strokes are "closed" paths, the background dictates its color fill.  So, if you want the body to be Black and the head to be White, just use a fill of White on the head.