Blog Archives

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

1/26/2020

Here is a delicious, gooey, grilled cheese sandwich ready to be enjoyed. Thick bread slices with a nice toasty look with great melty cheese.

Start the bread with a rectangle. Choose a light color for the fill and a darker color for the stroke.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select and pull the corner widgets in to the center to round the corners.

Draw a rectangle wider than the bread.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select and pull the corner widgets in to the center to round the corners fully.

Select both shapes and choose the Unite mode in the Pathfinder panel to make then one shape.

Duplicate the shape and set the stroke to a darker color. Set this aside for now.

Select the first piece of bread, choose Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Set the vertical move to 1mm and set the Copies to 4. Click OK.

This Transform will give the bread its thickness.

Duplicate the slice of bread and put the darker outlines bread form a few steps ago in between to show the separation of the bread.

Draw several circles, overlapping and different sizes. Group all the circles.

Move the circles in behind the top layer of bread to show the melty cheese.

Create a darker rectangle on the top bread slice.

Choose Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur and blur.

This creates a toasted look.

Draw several dark lines.

Choose Effect > Distort & Transform > Zig Zag. Set it to smooth and 1mm size, 3 ridges per segment.

This will create wavy grill marks.

Choose Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur and blur.

Put the grill marks on the bread. Select all the shapes and group them together.

Create a square and draw a line from one corner to the other corner.

Select the line and the square and choose the Divide function in the Pathfinder Panel. Ungroup the shapes.

Remove the fill from the triangles you just create. Copy the bread group, select the triangle, choose the Draw Inside Mode then paste the bread group in, create a half sandwich. Click on the draw normal mode when done.

Select the other triangle, choose the Draw Inside Mode then paste the bread group in, create the other half of the sandwich. Click on the draw normal mode when done.

Draw a rectangle with the same fill and stroke as the first bread slice.

Rotate the shape along the bread slice, use the Direct Selection Tool to move the edge to skew the rectangle to match the bread slice.

Select the Rounded corners in the stroke panel to get rid of the pointy corners on the rectangle.

To create the gooey cheese, draw a rectangle.

Draw several ovals, different sizes and heights, randomly placed.

Select all the shapes and choose the Minus Front mode in the pathfinder panel.

Rotate the gooey cheese into position and enjoy!

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Surprised Purple Alien

1/21/2020

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This is a fun one, a cartoon style alien figure. The eyes are easy to create and really make the character look surprised.

Start the body with an oval. Choose a fill color and a dark stroke color.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select and pull up on the center top point.

For the eye, stems, create two lines. Round the ends in the stoke panel to hot dog the ends.

Use the Width Shape Tool to select the top of each line and pull out from the center of the line to create a wider portion at the top.

Use the Width Shape Tool in the middle of the lines to select and then pull in toward the center of the line to create a thinner center, this will exaggerate the top bulbs.

Select both shapes and choose Object > Expand Appearance.

Add the same fill and stroke to the eyes stems as in the body.

Select all the shapes and use the Pathfinder Unite Mode to create one shape from all three.

Select the shape and use the Object > Path > Offset path. Set the offset to a negative number to create a set of shapes inside the body. Fill these shapes with a darker color.

For the eyes, draw a circle, filled with white and a black stroke. Draw another circle and fill it with a gradient.

Set the gradient to start dark at the top, going to a lighter color at the bottom.
Add the last circle filled with black and add a small white circle that is offset.

Combine the circles together to create a cool eye. Select all the shapes and choose Object > Group.

Move the eyes into positions on the eye stems. Scale them as needed to fit.

For the legs, create a rectangle.

Use the Direct Selection tool to select the upper right corner and delete it. Select the lower left corner and pull the corner widget up and to the right to round the edge.

Use the Width Shape Tool to select the end and make it wider.

Choose Object > Expand Appearance to outline the leg/foot.

Add the same fill and stroke as the body. Move the legs behind the body. Copy and flip the leg to create a set.

For the mouth, create a circle.

On the right side of the circle is a handle (lollipop). Grab that lollipop and drag it around to the other side making a half circle.

Place it on the body, fill it with a darker color than the body,

For the tongue, create two circles that overlap and then create two smaller circles in the middle of the bigger circles. Group these together and CUT the shapes.

Select the mouth and click on the Draw Inside Mode at the bottom of the Tool Bar.

Paste the cut tongue into the mouth. Draw a line coming from the top of the mouth and round the end (hotdog) in the stroke panel.

Use the Width Shape tool to pull the end of the line width wider. Click on the Draw Normal mode when complete.

Select the legs and choose Object > Compound Path > Create to make these one shape to be able to draw inside them.

Click on the Draw Normal mode when complete. Select the legs and click on the Draw Inside Mode at the bottom of the Tool Bar. Draw an oval over the top of the legs, fill it with a darker color to create a drop shadow effect.

Select the inner colors create from the offset path.

Apply a blur on it from Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur.

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Outer Space. Comet, Planet, Moon, Stars & Rocket

1/12/2020

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Great scene from outer space. A comet, some galactic space dust, a few starts and a planet with a moon. Throw in a rocket and you are in outer space.

To start the comet, create a rectangle.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select one end and pull the corner widgets in to the max amount.

Fill the shape with a color, no stroke.

Select the shape and choose Object > Path > Offset Path.

Set the offset to a negative number to create a smaller shape inside.

Repeat this process by selecting the new path, then performing the offset path on it. You will want to get 4 shapes. Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the right side of each shape and change the length. Top one is the shortest, back one is the longest.

Draw a few rectangles over the shortest shape.

Duplicate the rectangles over the next longest shape.

Select the top shape and the rectangles on top. Choose the Minus Front mode in the Pathfinder panel.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to change the length of the fingers.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the ends of the ends and pull the corner widgets to round the fingers.

Repeat the last 3 steps on the next shape down. Round the fingers to make it look like streaks.

Apply a Gradient to the top two shapes. Change the color of the gradient by double-clicking the gradient stops to pick a color.

Make the color of the gradient fill lighter on the left, darker on the right. Select all the shapes and group them together.

To create a planet, draw a circle.

Draw an oval over the planet. Rotate the oval to create a ring.

Choose Object > Path >Outline Stroke to turn the stroke into a shape.

Select both shapes and use the Pathfinders Divide mode. Ungroup the shapes, then select the piece that would go behind the planet and fill it with the same color as the planet. Select all 3 parts of the planet and use the Pathfinder Unite Mode to create a solid planet again.

Create more fingers for contrast on the planet. Draw rectangles, make the so they touch, vary the length.

Use the Pathfinder Unite Mode to create a single shape.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to pull all the corner widgets to round all the left ends. Copy the shape.

Select the planet and click on the Draw Inside Mode at the bottom of the Tool bar. Paste the fingers and move them into position. Click on the Draw Normal mode.

Click on the Draw Normal mode.

Create a moon for the planet with varying size circles.

Copy the smaller shapes and click on the Draw Inside Mode at the bottom of the Tool bar and paste the copied circles in. Click on the Draw Normal mode when done.

To create the space theme, draw a rectangle and add a gradient from a dark blue to a dark purple.

Add the comet, planet and moon. Scale the objects to fit into the scene.

To create a star, draw a circle.

Choose Effect >Distort and Transform > Pucker & Bloat. Set the slider to Pucker.

This takes a circle and puckers it to look like a star.

Fill the star with white, add them to the scene. Copy and scale the stars as desired. Add small circles for other stars.

To create space dust, draw a few rectangles. Stagger their lengths.

Select all the shapes and use the Pathfinder Unite mode to create one shape.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the shapes and pull the corner widgets in to round all the ends.

Add the space dust to the scene, set the opacity of the dust to 20% to blend it in, Create different variation of space dust for variety.

Add a Rocket. You can find that Rocket Tutorial here. Draw an arc to create a trail from the rocket.

Use the Width Shape Tool on the rockets path to pull the stroke width narrower at the rocket and wider at the bottom. And you are done!

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Rope Brush strokes

1/5/2020

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Create a Pattern Brush to create this rope look. Add ends to the brush to create tassle ends to the rope. Draw any shape and apply the rope brush for a cool effect.

Start with a rectangle, filled with a color and a heavy stroke.

Use the Free Transform Tool (E) to skew the rectangle.

Arc the top lines using the Curvature Tool, pull the top and bottom to a slight arc.

Draw a line at the top of the rectangle. Draw another line at the bottom of the rectangle and set the stroke weight lighter.

Select both lines and choose Object > Blend > Blend Options…. Set the spacing to Specified Steps and 5 steps.

This will blend the lines from thicker to thinner lines. Choose Object > Blend > Expand. Choose Edit > Cut to cut the lines.

Select the rectangle and click on the Draw Inside Mode at the bottom of the Tool Bar.

Choose Edit > Paste In Place to paste the lines into the shape. Click on the Draw Normal mode.

Duplicate the shape. Draw a rectangle over the shapes to define the what the brush will use to create the pattern. Send the rectangle to the back and select all the object, then group them.

Open the brush Panel and drag the grouped shapes into the Brushes Panel. This New Brush dialog brush will open. Select Pattern Brush and click OK.

Name the brush in the Pattern Brush Options.

Draw a shape and apply the new rope brush to the stroke. If the brush appears large, set the stroke weight to a smaller size.

In the Brush panel and the Brush options, there are 5 boxes showing how the brush will work on the the start and finish, inside and outside corners and the straight runs. Usually three are empty; the inside corner and the start and finish ends.

To create these missing pieces (in this case, the ends) create what you want the end to look like. OPTION/ALT + DRAG the newly created shape into the brushes panel in the appropriate location on the stroke.

Create the other end and. OPTION/ALT + DRAG the newly created shape into the brushes panel in the appropriate location on the stroke.

In the Brushes panel, the sections of the Brush are: Corner, Run, Inside Corner, Start and Finish.

Apply the Brush to a path and you can see the ends that are applied.

Create any path to add the Rope Brush stroke to any shape, open or closed.

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Design Points n PixelS

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Surprised Purple Alien

Outer Space. Comet, Planet, Moon, Stars & Rocket

Rope Brush strokes

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