Not understanding Fill or Live Paint

[Normand319327158ln0]

Hi, I'm trying to Fill in the space between the object and the box (if you look carfully, both "tails" don't lead to each other, should be a cool effect.) But nothing I do seems to fill things like I expect.

It might be that I just don't understand Illustrator enough, but would you have any clues as to what I'm doing wrong?

[Monika Gause]

What happens when you do?

If you want us to try that out, please provide the file. You can change the file extension to PDF and then you can upload it.

[Normand319327158ln0]

If I select the section I want to fill, then choose a fill, nothing happens. Really not sure what I'm doing here! I think my Photoshop brain is messing me up. (Though I'm really an audio guy!)

Here's the file attached.

[Doug A Roberts]

Since you've already made it a live paint group, select the live paint tool and choose the [None] swatch, then click on the inner shape.

[Normand319327158ln0]

When I do that, and click where I have the Live Paint Bucket cursor in the below image, nothing happens. Except the lines go thicker and red when I hover anywhere inside the square.

[Monika Gause]

Eight. You hover over it. The area that is going to be filled gets highlighted. You choose a color with the arrow keys and then you click.

There is an issue with your drawing. That is not just one path, but 2. You have outlined the path, no?

[Normand319327158ln0]

There were 3 paths I guess? Two spirals that were then connected at their tips, and then the square around them. How do I make them one? Is that what you mean by outline them? Is it just that my anchors aren't joined?

Is there a simpler way of doing this without the Live Paint Bucket? Was hoping to just make my shapes then fill them with a regular paintbucket. 

[Monika Gause]

That was a step too much you did.

You can just delete one two of those paths. Select it them the direct selection tool and then delete.

[Normand319327158ln0]

Oh no idea how I made double lines like that. But now I've deleted all but one but the Live Paint Bucket still won't fill the spaces. 

[Doug A Roberts]

This is what I did immediately after opening your file:

1. Select live paint tool

2. Select 'None' for the fill

3. Click in this shape:

[Doug A Roberts]

Is there a simpler way of doing this without the Live Paint Bucket? Was hoping to just make my shapes then fill them with a regular paintbucket. 

By @Normand319327158ln0

There is no 'regular paintbucket'.

Live paint is not required for this, but it's simpler to tell you how to use live paint than deconstruct your shapes.

If you want an inner and an outer shape, you create one then the other, select both and create a compound path (Ctrl + 8). Then apply a fill as normal:

If this still isn't making sense, I suggest reading this:

https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/illustrator/using/painting-fills-strokes.html

[Normand319327158ln0]

Clearly I don't understand enough context to work with Illustrator properly and need to get back to basics. Will read that and some other basic. Thanks so much for your help. 

[Normand319327158ln0]

Well, turns out I was in Outline Mode as Ares suggested further down. I definitely need more basic understanding.
Thanks again for your help.

[Doug A Roberts]

There's no need for live paint here -- it should be a single closed shape if created correctly:

What happens when you give it a fill?

[Normand319327158ln0]

That's the outcome I want except the reverse, with the colour filling until the surrouding box, and the section you made red still white.
When I select it all then try to choose a Fill colour, nothing happens.

[Ares Hovhannesyan · Accepted solution]

Not shure. But may be you are in "Outline Mode"? Please check it in View Menu and turn on "Preview on GPU"... or Ctrl+Y

[Normand319327158ln0]

Holy hotkeys! That was it, I was in Outline mode.

Big thanks!