How can I create this design in Illustrator without using the tracing feature?

[hibru305572725zfd]

[Monika Gause]

Draw one half of it, then flip and copy.

[Jacob Bugge · Accepted solution]

hibru,

To get the right horizontal/vertical segments, including the right width from the beginning, with Smart Guides being your friends, you can place and lock your image, then:

1) ClickDrag with the Rectangle Tool from one of the top corners to the bottom of the opposite vertical side, then press Shift and release the mouse ; this will give you a square that covers the image and gives you the straight segments;

2) Adjust the W = width of the square if you wish to have a nice value, such as a whole point/pixel/mm/whatever number (you can hold Ctrl/Cmd to have the same H = Height;

3) Create a copy of the square from 2), the divide the W value by 2 with one of the leftmost Refernce Points in the Transform panel; this will give you a right side down though the middle including the centre of the whole and the tip (if the image is symmetrical and the square is placed correctly);

4) With the Ellipse Tool ClickDrag from the centre of the hole while pressing Alt/Option and Shift to fit, then perform the needed adjustment of size and position; Smart Guides tell you when you are on the path;

5) With the Pen Tool, draw either side, you can ClickDrag upwards and to the side from the tip so that the Handle follows the direction of the path at the tip (going outside the shape), then ShiftClickDrag at the widest place beside the hole, then ShiftClickDrag at the narrowest place, then Click the corner at the bottom of the vertical part; after that you can adjust the Handle lengths and the Anchor Point poisition, adding new one if you must;

6) Object>Transform>Reflect (Vertical axis), then ClickDrag the reflexion by the bottom Anchor Point to snap and Join;

7) With the Pen Tool Click one of the open ends, then the top corners of the square from 2), then the opposite open end to close the whole path;

8) Adjust the position if you wish to have a nice position, such as a whole point/pixel/mm/whatever number at one of the top Anchor Points, and you can adjdust the size as well.

[hibru305572725zfd]

Thank you very much! Yeah it works.

[Jacob Bugge]

You are welcome, hibru.