Getting a handle on the Pen tool.

Learning how to use the Pen tool in Adobe Illustrator can appear to be a bit of an uphill struggle sometimes but persisting and practicing will pay off eventually. Within a short space of time you will be able to draw much quicker and more accurately.

Remember the curve has three parts to it. The anchor points, the line and the direction handle. Without any direction handles the line will be straight.
Where you do have a direction handle it pulls the curve toward it, changing it's shape.

You can think about the curve made from a wooden board, two nails and elastic stretching between the each.

To practice drawing with the Pen tool, single-click with the mouse to draw straight segments.
Or click-hold and drag to create the direction handles and curve lines.

Have a look at this comprehensive guide to find out all of the tips and shortcuts for this tool.
Comprehensive guide

Here is an exercise to practice with.

Exercise files