Blog Posts

Slip Shadow Effects

4/20/2020

Create cools slip shadow effects with all types of characters. See all the different options you can create with this slip shadow effect here on my YouTube Channel.

Start with a letter. Choose a character that you want to create a slip shadow on.

Choose Type > Create Outlines to outline the type. This tutorial won't work on active type. Duplicate the letter and perform the next step on the duplicated character.

Choose Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Set the Move: Horizontal & vertical offset to 1mm or 1 pt. This offset the shape to the right and down. Set the number of Copies to create the slip shadow effect. Click OK.

This is the result of the Transform Effect.

Choose Object > Expand Appearance to break this into shapes.

Choose the Unite mode in the Pathfinder panel to create one single frame that is the slip shadow.

To create the slip shadow lines, draw a line.

Choose Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Set the offset to 5mm or 5 pts. This offset the line to the down create a set of lines. Set the number of Copies to 80. Click OK.

This is the result of the Transform Effect. Make a duplicate of this so you can edit it for other effects.

Select the slip shadow frame and set the fill to none. Click on the Draw Inside Mode at the bottom of the tool bar.

Copy the set of lines, paste them into the slip shadow frame. Click on the Draw Normal mode to return to editing.

Select the original letter you outlined, fill it with a color and position. it on top of the slip shadow.

With your duplicated set of lines, you can add other effects to the lines.

Select the lines and choose Effect > Distort & Transform > Zig Zag. You can create this wavy effect on the lines.

To add this new slip shadow effect to the slip shadow frame, duplicate the slip shadow frame, choose Object > Clipping Mask > Release. This will release the lines "clipped" inside the shape. Then delete the lines

Click on the slip shadow frame and then click on the Draw Inside Mode. If the Draw Inside is not available, that means the clipping mask has not been released. See the last step to release the clipping masks, then you can use the Draw Inside.

Paste the new set of wavy lines inside the slip shadow frame. Click on the Draw Normal mode when done.

Nice job!

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Decorated Easter Egg

4/12/2020

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Here is a simple and fun way to create a pattern and wrap it on an egg using the 3D feature in Illustrator. Faster than decorating the real thing and the design possibilities are endless.

Create a pattern that you want to wrap around the egg. This one starts with triangles.

Add more colors and shapes.

Add some circles, you can do fills and strokes and try different combinations.

Try different colors.

Add some lines and use the Effects to make them wavy.

Select all the shapes and make sure the are expanded. This will not work if there are lines or effects. Choose Object > Expand Appearance (if there are effects) the choose Object > Expand to outline all the paths.

Open the Symbols panel from the Window Menu. Select the expanded shapes and drag them into the Symbol Panel. Name the symbol and click OK.

The graphic will now show up in the Symbols Panel, ready to be mapped to the egg.

Create an egg by starting with a circle.

Select the top point with the Direct Selection Tool and move the top point up to create the egg.

Select the left point with the Direct Selection Tool and delete it, leaving half the egg. Set the stroke color to the color you want the egg to be.

Choose Effect > 3D > Revolve. This will create a 3D egg. Click on the Map Art… button.

From the Map Art dialog box, choose the Symbol from the menu that you want to map to the egg. Move the symbol the the light gray area on the mapped area. Scale it to fit the egg. Click OK.

The end result will be the artwork mapped to the egg.

If you need to edit the 3D artwork, open the Appearance panel and click on the 3D Revolve link to open the 3D panel again.

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Create an Emoji

4/6/2020

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Have some time on your hands? Want to express how you feel? Then you can create an emoji of how you feel!

Start with a circle.

Open the Gradient Panel on click on the Freeform Gradient Icon next to the Linear and Radial icons.

Dots will appear on the circle and they may not be any color that you have chosen, but you can change that and move the dots around.

Move the dots so there is one top, bottom, left, right and center. In the center dot, double click and make that yellow. The top and bottom dots, double click and make those very light. On the left and right dots, double click and make those more of an orange-red like blushing cheeeks.

Add a circle for the base of the eye.

Make it a radial gradient fill with white in the center going to about a 20% gray at the edges.

Inside that gray circle, add a dark blue circle. Then add a smaller, lighter blue circle.

Select the Crystalize Tool that is nested in under the Width Tool. Double click on the Crystalize Tool to open the preferences.

In the Crystalize Tool preferences, set the size of the tool to be slightly larger than the small blue circle. Click OK.

Select the blue circle then click on it with the Crystalize Tool. Do this a few times to get the Crystalize look. I did this 3 times to make it look like this. The Crystalize shape may be bigger than the dark blue circle so you may need to scale it down.

Select the Crystalize shape, the go to Object > Path > Offset Path. Set the offset to -10 then click OK.

This will create a smaller shape in the middle.

Select the large blue circle the Crystalized shape and the smaller shape inside that as well. Go to Object > Blend > Make. This will blend the colors in a smooth look.

Create a black circle in the center of the eye. Click on the Free gradient in the Gradient Panel and add 3 dots as show with a black fill and one with a white fill at the edge.

Click on the Lines button in the Gradient Panel when you are in Freeform Gradient mode. Then click on the dots as shown to connect them together to create a gradient blend. This gives a highlight effect at the edge of the circle.

This is the result of the Freeform gradient, adding a highlight to the edge of the black circle.

Add another circle, filled with white, opacity at 20%. Move it off to the upper left of the center part of the eye to create a specular highlight.

Create an arc above the eye, heavy white stroke.

Use the Width Tool to select the center and pull the arc wider in the middle, leaving the ends thinner.

Choose Effect > Blur > Gaussian blur and blur the eye brow.

Duplicate the eye and the eyebrow to the other side.

For the mouth, create a circle. In the Gradient Panel, create a Freeform gradient. Add two points in the upper part filled with brown, one point on the lower part filled with white.

Duplicate the circle over Itself by about 25%. Choose the Minus Front Mode in the Pathfinder Panel to leave the upper crescent.

Move that upper crescent over the mouth and set the opacity to 30% and add a blend mode of Multiply.

To create a happy face, duplicate the round mouth and grab the handle that comes out the right side of the circle. Swing it around to the left to create a half-circle.

Place it on a copy of the emoji and scale it larger.

With the Curvature tool, click on the the center top line and pull it down a bit.

Then, double-click on the center top point to curve the line.

For a tongue, create two red-orange circles. Use the Pathfinder Unite mode to merge them together.

Duplicate the mouth shape, remove the fill color. Click on the Draw Inside mode at the bottom of the Tool bar. Copy the tongue, paste it into the mouth shape and scale and position it as shown. When complete, click on the Draw Normal mode.

Position the mouth with the tongue on top of the mouth. Move the eyes closer together to create a happy face!

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Single Line Icon - Shower Head

3/23/2020

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Create icons can be made a lot easier when using a Grid. Illustrators grid is easy to set up, your creations can snap to the grid making icon create a quick and easy task. See how easily this abstract shower head icon can be created.

Set up the grid structure that will appear behind the artwork. Go to Preferences > Grids & Guides. I use millimeters as they are base10 so easy to create content in units of 10. Set the Guideline every at 10mm. Set the subdivisions as 10.

To turn the underlying grid on your document, choose View > Show Grid. Choose Snap to Grid so the shapes will snap to the grid automatically.

Start you creation by creating a rectangle 10 units wide, 2 units high. Below that create a rectangle 6 units wide, 2 units high. Repeat both shapes again.

When you see the grid, you will notice that the main guides are a bit bolder and the subdivision are a bit lighter. This gives you a good idea of the block of 10 units and makes it easy to use that as a reference when creating.

Create a rectangle 46 units wide, 5 units high. Create another rectangle 46 units wide , 3 units high 2 units down from the upper rectangle.

Create "drips" using rectangles that are 2 units wide. Make each one a varied height to create the water drip effect. Start them 2 units in from the edge.

Add a 3 unit wide, 2 unit high rectangle at the far left between the two large rectangles. Make the lower large rectangle 50 units wide (2 units longer on each side).

Select all the shapes and use the Unite mode in the Pathfinder Panel to join them together as one unit.

Select the lower edges of the drips with the Direct Selection Tool to activate the Corner Widgets. Pull the corners in to round them.

Select the ends of the longest rectangle with the Direct Selection Tool and pull in the Corner Widgets.

Select upper left and right corners of the largest rectangle with the Direct Selection Tool and pull in the Corner Widgets.

Select the right end of the inside slit with the Direct Selection Tool and pull in the Corner Widgets.

Select the top ends of the water drips with the Direct Selection Tool and pull in the Corner Widgets.

Select the outer ends of the threaded part with the Direct Selection Tool and pull in the Corner Widgets.

Select the inner ends of the threaded part with the Direct Selection Tool and pull in the Corner Widgets.

Select the line segment at the right middle and delete the line with the Direct Selection Tool. In the Stroke panel, round (hot dog) the ends of the stroke.

Add a few circles 2 units x 2 units. Increase the stroke weight and add a color to the stroke. Done!

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