Create beautiful repeating patterns - Classic Illustrator Tutorial Patterns are everywhere. Look around and you’ll probably see one right now. It might be a pattern on a tie, a shirt, trousers, a paper cup, bathroom tiles, an umbrella, on a bag, a sofa, wrapping paper… the list goes on and on. Patterns add decoration and beauty to many consumer products. If you look closely at a true repeating pattern you can see the ‘repeat square’, the area of the image that repeats along vertical and horizontal seams where one section flows into the next. In this tutorial we will use vector elements to create a four-way repeating pattern swatch in Adobe Illustrator and then mask the pattern into several mock products. Step 1The key to a four-way toss are the seams of the ‘repeat square’. Basically, anything that overlaps each side (I’ll be calling the sides ‘seams’ from now on) of the square must also cross the opposite seam of the square in the exact same spot.
illustrator tutorial: create a seamless folk pattern | PeHaa Blog illustrator tutorial: create a seamless folk pattern In this tutorial you will learn how to create a seamless pattern composed of simple folk-flavored flowers. In the first part we will create an individual flower. In the second we will focus on constructing a pattern and define a seamless Illustrator pattern swatch. You can download the source file. Step 0 We will use five colors for our flowers: white, black, blue, beige and red as well as some brown background color. Part I – Create an individual item of the pattern Step 1 Choose the Polygon Tool (you will find it under the Rectangle Tool in the Tool Panel). Keep your polygon selected and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Pucker & Bloat… Set the slider value to 70%. (1) Copy Cmd/Ctrl+C the bloated polygon and paste it to front Cmd/Ctrl+F. Step 2 Choose the Polygon Tool and set the Radius to 33px and the number of sides to 11. Go to Object > Expand Appearance. Step 3 (1) In the Layer Panel put the red shape below the beige one. Step 4
ultra-easy pattern making – illustrator tutorial | PeHaa Blog In this post I will show you how to quickly create a seamless simple geometric pattern swatch in Adobe Illustrator. In the last (extra) step I will show you a very simple way to ‘export’ it as a pattern to Photoshop. First, have a look at what we aim to obtain (this pattern is inspired by the fabric of my favorite tunic). Vector pattern swatch - preview 1. With the Rectangle Tool (M) create a rectangle 20 px (width) x 60 px (height). 2. Multiply your rectangle by four 3. Color swatches 4. Shearing the rectangles 5. Applying reflection 7. A copy to the right 8. A copy to the left 9. Creating bottom rectangle 10. 11. Below: the tunic inspiration. I hope you find this tutorial useful, all comments are highly appreciatied.
Logo Design Project Step by Step Walkthrough This post was originally published in 2008 The tips and techniques explained may be outdated. A personal project I'm currently working on with a developer friend is a website called myNiteLife. As part of the overall design process one of the first jobs of the project was to develop a logo and brand for the website, follow this step by step documentation of the whole process of the logo design from conception to completion. Background information: The whole idea behind myNiteLife is to provide an online organizer and planner for our local city of Sheffield's nightlife, where bars, restaurants and clubs amongst other venues are listed along with user reviews and ratings. Also, the site includes a planner based on a map of the city, where users can plan a route between venues and send out party arrangements to their friends. As always, the first stage of the process was to scribble down some ideas and drafts. Love it or hate it?
Tutorial: How to make retro/futuristic curves in 10 Steps As promised when releasing the December 08 Calendar Wallpaper I’ve written a tutorial on how to make it. This is my first ever tutorial and I hope you’ll like it. If there’s anything which is not clear please ask. I’m here to help. In order to achieve the space like scenery with the glowing lines we will use Illustrator and Photoshop. Step 1: Draw Lines in Illustrator We’re starting off in Illustrator to draw the lines. Step 2: Blending the curves Go to Object > Blend > Blend Options and set the Blending Steps to 12. REPEAT STEP 1 and 2 to make another set of curves. Step 3: Importing the curves into Photoshop Create a new document in Photoshop. Step 4: Applying Gradient and Glow Effect Select one of the layers containing the curves and go to the Layer Style Menu. Right-Click on the layer in the layers palette and choose “Copy Layer Style”. Step 5: Copy the Curves + Composition Select the first curves layer and copy it a couple times. Repeat Step 5 with the second curves layer.
Super Cool Abstract Vectors in Illustrator and Photoshop One of the best tools in Illustrator in my opinion is the Blend Tool. There are so many things we can do with the blend tool, mixing shapes, replacing the Spine path to create crazy forms. Also I try to learn how the real masters like Andy Gilmore create those fantastic pieces. I don't even know if he uses Illustrator but some of his artwork can be done with the Adobe vector app mixing with a bit of Adobe Photoshop. In this tutorial I will show you how to create a abstract sort of flower using the Blend Tool in Illustrator then playing with it in Photoshop to produce a very colorful wallpaper. Step 1 Open Illustrator and create a new document, then with the Arc Tool create an arc. Step 2 Duplicate the shape and rotate it 90º. Step 3 Select the path of the Blend Object and the arc you created and go to Object>Blend>Replace Spine. Step 4 To edit the Blend Object just double click on the Blend Tool icon or go to Object>Blend>Blend Options... Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Go to Object>Expand.
New Year Creating a New Typeface in Illustrator When I created the very first version of Abduzeedo I did a simple logo because I didn't have much time back in 2006, I wanted the blog up and running as faster as possible. However after a few months I decided that it would be cool to have a nice and unique logo, but without using any symbol. That's why I chose to create a font instead of using an existing one and with Adobe Illustrator new anchor point features this task is much easier. Now that we celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Abduzeedo, and the new year that's about to begin we want to share with you how the new Abduzeedo logo will look like. In this tutorial I will show you how to create a nice typeface using Illustrator CS4 and its new, and very useful, features for editing anchor points. Step 1 Open Illustrator and create a new document. Step 2 Select the square you have just created and go to Effect>Stylize>Round Corners. Step 3 Duplicate the rounded square. Step 4 Now select the the 2 objects and go to Object>Expand Appearance.
How to Make a Perfect Seamless Vector Pattern How to Make a Perfect Seamless Vector Pattern If our freebies have benefited you personally or have helped you earn a profit please consider donating via paypal. Donate Now I have always wanted to know how to do this (and I’m sure mine isn’t the only way) but through a little practice, I’ve come across a somewhat simple method to making seamless vector patterns without headache. This is a VERY useful thing to know, so I wanted to share with you my method, and help you bypass some of the frustration I have long endured. Overview: Instead of zooming in and aligning, zooming out, etc, to try and get your pattern to seam (while pulling your hair out and wasting your time), we are going to use some precise tools to do everything for us. First things First: We are going to be using the palettes/tools mentioned above to make our pattern, but to make things work, we need to make sure the document is set up correctly. Make a new Illustrator document and set the size to 400px X 400px.
Pathfinder: Explained If you aren't familiar with Illustrator's extremely handy “Pathfinder” palette, you might sit down for a few moments to play with it, because it is a true time saver, and an excellent tool for manipulating paths. First, of all let me say that “Pathfinder” is a horrible name for this palette. It doesn't actually “find” paths. It makes it easy to combine paths, divide objects, subtract shapes, etc. Above is a screenshot of the pathfinder palette. To follow along: Open a new Illustrator document and create any 2 shapes you like. 1. Here we will be combining the paths of 2 shapes, to create 1 single path out of the 2 with the click of a button. Now, with BOTH shapes selected, click the “Add to Shape Area” button in the pathfinder: Now you should see something like below. Essentially, all pathfinder did was it made a compound path out of your 2 shapes, and made them have the same fill color. After clicking Expand, you should see a single path: 2. 3. 4. Tips for exploring this on your own: