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INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Waving American Flag

5/29/2017

Happy Memorial Day Everyone. Enjoy this day of remembrance and celebrate with a waving American Flag. Just a few steps and you re ready to wave the flag!

Start with a red rectangle, no stroke.

Duplicate the shape right below the first one, using OPTION + CLICK & DRAG.

Use COMMAND + D to duplicate it for a total of 13 stripes, one for each of the original colonies.

Delete every other stripe for an alternating look.

Dar a blue box on the upper left of the flag. Height is 7 stripes high.

Add a star using the Star Tool, fill it with white.

Duplicate the star 5 times, then group it. Use COMMAND + D to duplicate it for a total of 6 rows.

Repeat the process with a section of 4 stars in between the sections of 5 stars for a total of 50 stars.

Select all the items and Group them. COMMND + G. GO to the Effect Menu> Warp>Flag

Set the setting of the flag warp you want.

To Edit the setting later, open the Appearance Panel and click on the Warp Link to edit.

Change the warp any direction to make a waving flag.

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INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Ropes, Knots and Twists

5/25/2017

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Here is a quick way to create a rope or a twist with a few basics shapes and basic steps. And then I up the game with a real mind bender and create a looped rope effect where it looks like it goes over and under. Enjoy!

To start a twist, draw a rectangle. Fill with no stroke.

Use the DIRECT SELECTION Tool and click on the upper right corner widget. Hold SHIFT then Direct Select the lower right corner widget.

Pull the upper right and lower left corner widget into the center of the shape. This rounds the opposite corners.

Rotate the shape 45°.

Select the Shape and OPTION + CLICK and DRAG down.

Use COMMAND + D to duplicate the shapes in succession.

To add a highlight or shadow noodle, use the ARC Tool (hold SHIFT when you draw it). Add a stroke and add a rounded end cap (hot dog the ends) in the Stroke Panel.

Add lighter noodles and darker noodles to give it depth.

You can swap the fill for the stroke to change the look.

Select the shapes, RIGHT + CLICK and choose Transform>Reflect. Reflect on the vertical axis.

Line up the shapes for a twist effect

Add highlight noodles if desired.

Here is a knot in the rope. This is a mind bender for sure but it is quite easy.

Start off with a rounded rectangle, stroke with no fill. Make sure the ends are completely round, no flat spots on the top or bottom.

Use the Curvature Tool and click on the center of the vertical side and pull in toward the center. Do this on both sides symmetrically.

Use the DIRECT SELECTION Tool and pull the corner widgets into the center the max amount. This will round the points formed from the Curvature Tool.

Use the Scissor Tool and click on the center points of the lines (the same location used to pull in the sides) This will cut the lines. Cut both sides. Use the Selection Tool to move the parts, this should be an equal loop top and bottom.

Open the Appearance Panel (Menu> Appearance). Select the loops and on the Appearance Panel click on the lower left icon (stroke "square" in the lower left of the panel. This will add another stroke to the existing stroke. The Orange stroke is on top at 25 px and the second stroke will be BEHIND (under), in white, at 50 px.

This is what it looks like on a colored background so you can see the added stroke BEHIND the first stroke. Yes there is a stroke under a stroke!!

Duplicate the bottom shape using the OPTION + CLICK & DRAG down to the point where the tips are at the bottom of the Loop. Send this duplicate Loop to the back. Object> Arrange> Send Backward.

Duplicate the top loop, move it down and send it behind the top loop.
Loop 1 is on TOP.
Loop 2 is behind Loop 1.
Loop 3 is behind Loop 2.
Loop 4 is behind them all of the loops.

This is the same as the last step, just without the color in the background so you can visualize the results.

Loop 2 needs longer legs to make it complete. Use the Line Tool to Draw a line with the same stroke but not the added stroke of the other shapes. Draw a line on both legs.

Send both those legs behind all the loops and you are there! You did it! It is a mind bender for sure.

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INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Summer Drinks

5/16/2017

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Summer drinks of all kinds. Yes they are easy to create... just about any style drink icon can be made very simply. These use the Free Transform Perspective tool and the rest is you imagination. Have fun!

Create a rectangle, no fill, heavy stroke.

Select the Free Transform Tool. this will then open up a secondary panel with the Free Transform Controls.

Using the Perspective mode of the Free Transform Tool, pull the bottom handles of the rectangle closer together to form the taper.

Go to the Object Menu>Path>Offset Path. Enter in a negative number to get a shape inside the existing glass shape. Click OK.

Fill the resulting inside shape with a color to correspond with your drink.

Draw a line, add rounded caps (hotdog the ends) in the Stroke Panel to create the straw.

For a more soothing look, change the strokes to white and place the glass on a colored background.

Add ice or make the drink look slushy by creating squares on top of the drink.

Duplicate the squares and rotate them. Select all the shapes and Unite them using the Pathfinder Panel>Unite.

Place it into the glass shape and you now have an iced drink.

To create a blended drink, open the Gradient Panel. Fill the shape with a gradient. To change the color of the gradient, double-click on the gradient stops to open the color picker panel

Use the Gradient Tool from the Tool Bar to set the direction of the gradient by clicking and pulling the direction you want.

Here is the blended drink look with a gradient.

Add some white circles to create a bubbly effect.

Add a slice of fun to the drink by creating a circle. Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the segment of the circle and delete it.

Add rounded caps (hotdog the ends) in the Stroke Panel to create a nice end to the circle. Place it on the glass.

To create a drink with a dome lid, draw a circle.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the lower segment of the circle and delete it.

Use COMMAND + J to join the open ends together and form the closed lid.

Draw several overlapping circles to create a mountain of circles... to be whip cream in the end.

Select all the shapes and Unite them using the Pathfinder Panel>Unite.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the lower segment of the "cloud" and delete it.

Use COMMAND + J to join the open ends together and form the cloud.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the top point and move it up.

With the tip selected go to the Control Bar and convert the point to a corner point.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select and move the pull handles to the left to shift the tip of the whip cream and give it a curve.

Assemble it all for a whipped cream covered drink.

You are now ready to create summer drink icons!

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INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Flowers of all Kinds

5/8/2017

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Time to create flowers. All kinds of flowers using basic shapes and the rotate tool. Cool tricks with the rotate tool are in this blog as well. Once you learn all these tips you can create any flower you can imagine. Let your imagination bloom!

Create a circle. Fill and put on a heavy stroke. I used 20 px.

Use the Direct Selection Tool and click on the top point of the circle and move it straight up.

Select the Rotate Tool from the Tool Bar and OPTION + CLICK above the tip of the shape, off the object.

CLICK sets the point of rotation (does not have to be ON the object) and OPTION opens up the Rotate Tool dialog box.

Choose how many petals you want by dividing 360° by the number of petals. Do this directly IN the angle field... THIS IS YOUR CALCULATOR!

Then click COPY to get a duplicate shape rotated the amount you want. If you click OK, it will not copy it.

Once you have the petal copied, then use COMMAND + D to continue to rotate/duplicate the shape around the rotation point.

Add a center circle with a color and stroke.

To add detail to the petal, draw a line then add an end to the line via the Stroke Panel.

You can add ends to the stroke. In this case I added a circle and reduced the size of it to 30% of the original size so it fits.

This is the finished flower!

New one! Starts with a square.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select 3 of the 4 corners. Then pull the Corner Widgets into the center to the maximum amount.

Select the Rotate Tool from the Tool Bar and OPTION + CLICK in the center of the shape.

In the Rotate Tool dialog box, put 45° in the angle field and click COPY.

Repeat the Rotate and Copy process with a -45°. I colored these with different colors to show the 3 shapes.

Select all 3 shapes and add a stroke to them.

Using the Pathfinder Panel, UNITE all the shapes together.

Use the Direct Selection tool to select the 2 upper left and right tips and move them straight up to form the Tulip. DONE!

New one! Starts with a circle, hefty stroke..

OPTION + CLICK & DRAG the shape to overlap the shape 50% over the other shape. Select both shapes.

Use the Pathfinder Intersect Mode to form a leaf.

Select the Rotate Tool from the Tool Bar and OPTION + CLICK the bottom tip of the shape.
In the Rotate Tool dialog box, put 45° in the angle field and click COPY.

Repeat the Rotate/ Copy with -45° in the angle field and click COPY to give you a 3 petal flower.

Select the petals and open the Stroke Panel. You can set the Stroke to be centered on the shape, outside the shape or inside the shape.

Here are the 3 different stroke alignments shown.
Centered, Inside and Outside the shapes. DONE!

New one! Starts with a rectangle.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the opposite corners, then pull the corner widgets into the center to the maximum point.

Select the Rotate Tool from the Tool Bar and OPTION + CLICK inside bottom tip of the shape.
In the Rotate Tool dialog box, put 90° in the angle field and click COPY.

Once you have the petal copied, then use COMMAND + D to continue to rotate/duplicate the shape around the rotation point.
Copy the 4 petals, Paste them in Place, change the color, scale and rotate them to overlap the original petals.

Repeat the Copy/ Past in Place and scale and rotate yet again, fill with another color to add more depth and petals. Done!

New one! Starts with a rectangle.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the bottom corners, then pull the corner widgets into the center to the maximum point.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the upper right corner, then pull the corner widget into the center to the maximum point.

Select the shape, RIGHT CLICK on the shape and choose Transform>Reflect. Reflect Vertically and choose COPY.

Copy and Paste in Place the petals, then scale and send them to the back.

Add a highlight noodle to the rose by using the Arc Tool and round the ends in the stroke panel by adding Rounded Caps... hot-dogging the ends. Done!

New one! Starts with a circle.

Use the Direct Selection Tool and click on the top point of the circle and move it straight up.

Use the Direct Selection Tool and click on the bottom point of the circle and change the point to a corner point.

In the Control Bar, you can select a Point and change it from a corner to a smooth and smooth to a corner point, but only by using the Direct Selection Tool.

Pull the bottom point down further to give a sharper petal.

Select the Rotate Tool from the Tool Bar and OPTION + CLICK near the top center of the shape.
In the Rotate Tool dialog box, put 360/5 in the angle field and click COPY.

Once you have the petal copied, then use COMMAND + D to continue to rotate/duplicate the shape around the rotation point.
Using the Pathfinder Unite Mode to merge the shapes together.

Offset the Path by selecting the shape, the go undet the Object Menu> Path> Offset Path. Set the Offset to a negative number to make the shape inside (click the preview button to see what works best), then click OK.

Change the color in the offset shape and DONE!

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Design Points n PixelS

INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Waving American Flag

INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Ropes, Knots and Twists

INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Summer Drinks

INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Flowers of all Kinds

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