Section 4 · Vector Construction

Anchor Points

Definition

The control points that define a path’s position and direction. Corner points create abrupt direction changes; smooth points create continuous curves.

Why it matters

The number and placement of anchor points determines how clean a curve reads and how easy the path is to edit. Too many points produce lumpy, uncontrollable curves.

Example

Drawing an “S” curve with two well-placed smooth points rather than eight clustered ones.

Note

Point placement is the real skill here, and it’s counterintuitive: points go at direction changes and curve extremes, not at even intervals along the shape. It’s easy to place far too many, then fight the result.