Adobe Illustrator CS5 Unit D:

Creating Blends and Complex Artwork

Objectives

Use the Divide pathfinder Create compound paths

Create complex patterns with compound paths Blend objects

Create a clockwise blend Create a clipping mask

Use the Draw Inside drawing mode

Apply arrowheads and dashes to strokes Design complex layered strokes

Using the Divide Pathfinder

Cuts objects where they overlap

 Result is multiple objects that can be given individual fill and stroke colors

• Example

–Divide two overlapping circles and you'll end up with three objects: overlapping area and the two areas that don’t overlap

 Object can also be overlapped with just a line

• Then use Divide pathfinder to slice the object where the line overlaps the object

Using the Divide Pathfinder

FIGURE D-1: Positioning the five lines with the points on the star

Using the Divide Pathfinder

FIGURE D-2: Selecting a piece of the divided star

Using the Divide Pathfinder

FIGURE D-3: Finished artwork

Creating Compound Paths

Compound paths:

 Occur when a single object is composed of two or more paths

 Do not necessarily overlap

• However, the best example is when one path cuts a hole in another path

 Command is on the Object menu

Creating Compound Paths

Letter A is created with two paths:

 Outer path

 Triangle within outer path

FIGURE D-4: Positioning the orange triangle

Creating Compound Paths

FIGURE D-5: Creating a compound path with three objects

Creating Compound Paths

FIGURE D-6: Overlapping half of the star

Creating Complex Patterns with Compound Paths

Once objects are compounded:

 Positive and negative spaces create interesting geometrical patterns

• Relationship of the compound paths is maintained

• Individual objects within can be moved to create additional complex patterns

• Useful when designing repetitive patterns

FIGURE D-7: A simple pattern created with compound paths

Creating Complex Patterns

with Compound Paths

FIGURE D-8: A more interesting pattern

FIGURE D-9: Final artwork

Creating Complex Patterns

with Compound Paths

Blending Objects

Blend:

 Series of intermediate objects between two objects

• Every blend begins with a starting object and an ending object

Blend tool:

 Offers options for choosing the number of intermediate objects between the starting and ending objects

Blending Objects

Using blends:

 Both closed paths (e.g., a square) and open paths (e.g., a line) can be used

 Most commonly used to create interesting shape patterns, color blends, or both

 A great way to add dimension

Spine:

 Horizontal line between the two original objects

Blending Objects

FIGURE D-10: Redrawing the seven-step blend

FIGURE D-11: Original objects and spine

FIGURE D-12: Expanding the blend

Blending Objects

FIGURE D-13: Blending four stars

Creating a Clockwise Blend

Blends can be created between simple paths:

 Straight paths or curved paths

• Offers great flexibility

• Can create interesting color effects

Clockwise blend:

 Colors blend like the hands of a clock sweeping around a center point

• No specific tool

• Can only be made with blends between paths

Creating a Clockwise Blend

Specifying blend options:

 Smooth Color

• If you’re blending two objects that have different colors, Illustrator will insert as many steps as

necessary for the color transition between the two objects to be smooth

 Specified Steps

• The number of steps you specify equals the number of objects that will be inserted between the

beginning and ending objects of the blend

 Specified Distance

• The number you enter defines the distance of each successive object in the blend

Creating a Clockwise Blend

FIGURE D-14: Applying stroke colors

Creating a Clockwise Blend

FIGURE D-15: Creating the first blend

Creating a Clockwise Blend

FIGURE D-16: Completed clockwise blend

Creating a Clipping Mask

Clipping mask:

 Any object that you use to “clip” other objects

• Parts of the objects that are clipped are visible

• Parts that are not clipped are not visible

 In a group of selected objects, the top object is always the clipping mask

• Object being used as a clipping mask must be a single object

 Command is on the Object menu

Creating a Clipping Mask

Clipping masks and the stacking order

• Illustrator identifies the clipping mask and all the objects clipped into it as a clipping set

• Illustrator also remembers the stacking order within the clipping set

• This means that you can bring clipped objects forward or move them backward within the

clipping mask

Creating a Clipping Mask

FIGURE D-17: Masking the blend with the starburst

FIGURE D-18: Masking the blend with five compounded circles

Creating a Clipping Mask

FIGURE D-19: Applying a stroke to the clipping mask

Using the Draw Inside Drawing Mode

Inside drawing mode

 Allows one object to be created inside (within the perimeter) of another object

• Essentially the same thing as creating a clipping mask

 Two objects behave the same way any two objects behave in a clipping set

• Difference between Draw Inside drawing mode and making a clipping mask: draw inside option can involve only two objects

FIGURE D-20: Drawing the yellow ellipse inside the blue square

FIGURE D-21: Pasting the pink ellipse inside the outlines

Using the Draw Inside Drawing Mode

Applying Arrowheads and Dashes to Strokes

Stroke panel:

 Controls to create complex dashed strokes

• End caps determine the appearance at the ends of the path

 Three end caps to choose from:

• Butt Cap (default): blunt cap that ends at the anchor points

• Round Cap: creates an oval at the ends of the path

• Projecting Cap: extends the stroke past the anchor points to a distance equal to one-half the point size of the stroke itself

Apply Arrowheads and Dashes to Strokes

Arrowheads:

 Stroke panel also offers many different arrowheads that you can apply to the endpoints of a path

 Scale option can be used to specify the size of the arrowhead

FIGURE D-22: Stroke with arrowheads

Applying Arrowheads and

Dashes to Strokes

FIGURE D-23: Dotted stroke with round caps

Applying Arrowheads and

Dashes to Strokes

Designing Complex Layered Strokes

Layered strokes:

 Produce some of the best illusions

 A number of different dashed effects can be created with a single dashed stroke

• Position of dashed and non-dashed strokes on top of one another can create cool and eye-

popping effects

Complex layered strokes:

 Very useful for borders on artwork and for repeating patterns

FIGURE D-24:

“Bull’s-eye” stroke with three layered strokes

FIGURE D-25:

“Film strip” stroke with three layered strokes

Designing Complex Layered

Strokes

Summary

 Use the Divide pathfinder

 Create compound paths

 Create complex patterns with compound paths

 Blend objects

 Create a clockwise blend

 Create a clipping mask

 Use the Draw Inside drawing mode

 Apply arrowheads and dashes to strokes

 Design complex layered strokes