How to Manually Trace the Letter 's'
This tutorial is assuming you have basic knowledge of using the Pen Tool.
1.
Choose a start point, I've decided to start at base of the letter. While holding down the SHIFT key drag the CONTROL POINTS out to one side.
When drawing around a curve I find it easier to place the next point at 90˚ and using the SHIFT key to keep the ‘control points vertical or horizontal like shown. I find it makes drawing using the Pen tool more consistent throughout and produces more accurate results.
2.
Continue round and place the next point in the centre of the 'S' as shown.
3.
Complete the 'S' using the same technique throughout. You can see below where I've placed the Points and Control Points at right angles to keep it looking consistent.
I personally prefer to draw using as few Points as possible, so I normally leave out the 2 centre Points as shown in the right hand example below. It's good practise to keep fewer Points where possible because it will become easier to adjust if it needs to be edited.
