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Illustrator Project 4 Ski Resort Map
- 1. Adobe Illustrator CC: The Professional Portfolio Project 4: Ski Resort Map Working with custom swatches Working with brushes Using symbols
- 2. Adobe Illustrator CC: The Professional Portfolio Built-In Libraries Separate from Swatches panel Swatches appear in base panel once applied External = Other Library command
- 3. Adobe Illustrator CC: The Professional Portfolio Gradient Swatches Built-in libraries or Define your own Store: – Type of gradient – Location, color, and opacity of stops Apply to object fill and/or stroke
- 4. Adobe Illustrator CC: The Professional Portfolio Variable Width Strokes Width tool Adjust stroke width at specific points Save variable- width profiles
- 5. Adobe Illustrator CC: The Professional Portfolio Custom Patterns Pattern Options panel Edit Pattern mode
- 6. Adobe Illustrator CC: The Professional Portfolio Brushes Window>Brush Libraries submenu Base Brushes panel New Brush type
- 7. Adobe Illustrator CC: The Professional Portfolio Calligraphic Brushes Angle Roundness Diameter Variation Digital stylus options
- 8. Adobe Illustrator CC: The Professional Portfolio Scatter Brushes Size Spacing Scatter Rotation Colorization
- 9. Adobe Illustrator CC: The Professional Portfolio Art Brushes Width Brush Scale Options Direction Flip Colorization Overlap
- 10. Adobe Illustrator CC: The Professional Portfolio Bristle Brushes Shape Size Bristle Length Bristle Density Bristle Thickness Paint Opacity Stiffness
- 11. Adobe Illustrator CC: The Professional Portfolio Pattern Brushes Scale Spacing Tiles Flip Fit Colorization
- 12. Adobe Illustrator CC: The Professional Portfolio Applying & Editing Brushes Click to apply brush Double-click brush to edit settings Appearance attribute of the stroke Expand appearance to make permanent
- 13. Adobe Illustrator CC: The Professional Portfolio Saving Custom Libraries Default to Illustrator application subfolders – Window>[Brush] Libraries>User Defined submenu User location if system is locked – Window>[Brush] Libraries>Other Library Format: – AI for Illustrator use – ASE for swatches to use in ID, PS
- 14. Adobe Illustrator CC: The Professional Portfolio Symbols Base Symbols panel Load external libraries Window> Symbol Libraries submenu
- 15. Adobe Illustrator CC: The Professional Portfolio Symbols (cont’d) Symbol Editing mode Break Link to Symbol Replace instance
- 16. Adobe Illustrator CC: The Professional Portfolio Symbol Sprayer tool Symbol sets [ or ] to change sprayer size Tool options
- 17. Adobe Illustrator CC: The Professional Portfolio Clipping Masks
Editor's Notes
- This project explores a number of options for improving the design workflow. The first topic of this project — custom swatches, gradients, and patterns — can significantly improve the design workflow of any Illustrator job. Rather than repeatedly defining the same settings for different objects, you can set options once and call them in a single click. Brushes also make it easier to add visual interest without extensive manipulation of basic drawing objects. In the second part of this project, you learn to use built-in brush libraries to enhance your artwork, or define your own brush styles to create exactly what you need in any given project. Symbols, the third focus of this project, make it easier to reuse and manage an entire object or group of objects. The map in this project provides a perfect example of the way symbols can speed up your work. Keep in mind, however, that symbols can be useful in many different types of artwork. Consider a logo that will be placed several times in a single file. If the logo is converted to a symbol, you can always edit the symbol to change something in the logo (for example, the text color). The change is reflected in every placed instance of the logo, so you don’t need to manually edit every instance.
- Illustrator includes a large number of built-in swatch libraries — pre-defined color, gradient, and pattern swatches are all accessed in the Window>Swatch Libraries submenu. Many of these libraries contain stylistic sets of swatches, such as “beach” or “landscape” colors. Others have defined functional purposes, such as the Pantone library you would use to apply a specific spot color. All of the built-in libraries function in the same way, regardless of the type. When you open a library, it appears in a panel separate from the basic Swatches panel, grouped with other panels of the same type. You can also use the buttons at the bottom of a library panel to change the active panel to a different panel. Built-in libraries include named swatches; you can view the swatch names by choosing one of the list views in the panel Options menu. Color, gradient, and pattern swatches from built-in libraries are added to the base Swatches panel when you apply them to an object. This is file-specific; the swatches are only added to the Swatches panel of the file where you use them.
- Gradient swatches are similar to color swatches, except they store the settings of a defined gradient — the type of gradient (radial or linear), as well as the location, color, and opacity of individual stops along the gradient. You can use the built-in gradient swatch libraries, or define your own. Dragging the gradient sample from the Gradient panel into the file’s Swatches panel creates the new swatch; you can then double-click to change the swatch name. As we have mentioned before, you should always look for ways to save yourself time. Gradient swatches make it easy to re-apply the same gradient to multiple objects. Advise students to carefully read the information about using spot colors in gradients, on Page 184. This is extremely important for print design applications.
- In addition to simply applying stroke attributes to a path, you can use the Width tool to adjust the shape of a stroke at any point along a specific path. Once you have edited the shape of a path, you can even save your work as a custom stroke profile so you can apply that same stroke appearance to other paths. Specific instructions for editing a path profile are explained on Page 190.
- Illustrator includes a number of built-in pattern swatch libraries (Window>Swatch Libraries>Patterns). It is also very easy to define your own custom patterns from virtually any existing artwork. To create a custom pattern, simply drag the object you want to repeat into the Swatches panel to define a new pattern swatch. You can then double-click the pattern swatch thumbnail to edit the pattern settings. When you enter into Edit Pattern mode, the Pattern Options panel opens automatically. You can use this panel to define the pattern repeat and tile size. You can also edit the actual artwork while inside Edit Pattern mode. When you exit Edit Pattern mode, your changes automatically apply anywhere that the pattern has already been used in the file.
- Brushes are essentially stylized strokes. They are managed similarly to swatch libraries, accessed in the Window>Brush Libraries submenu. The base Brushes panel includes a number of different brushes. Also like swatches, brushes from the built-in libraries are not included in the base Brushes panel until you click them in the brush library panel. You can create a new brush simply by clicking the New button at the bottom of the Brushes panel. After defining the type of brush you want to create, you see options specific to that type.
- Calligraphic brushes create strokes that resemble what you would draw with the angled tip of a calligraphic pen. Angle is the angle of rotation for the brush. Roundness is the roundness of the brush; the higher the value, the greater the roundness. Diameter is the overall brush size. For each of these settings, the Variation menus can be used to control the shape of the brush: •Fixed means the setting does not change over the length of the stroke. •Random allows the setting to randomly change over the length of the stroke. For example, when the Angle is 15 and the Angle Variation is 5, the stroke angle can be anywhere from 10 to 20. The remaining options are useful for drawing with a digital tablet and stylus. They allow variation of the stroke based on the pressure, stylus wheel, tilt, bearing, and rotation of the drawing stylus, and the airbrush-like control of a stylus wheel. If students have digital drawing tablets, you might want them to experiment with built-in brushes to see how the tablet settings interact with various brush styles.
- You can create a new scatter brush by dragging any existing object (or group) into the Brushes panel; after choosing Scatter in the New Brush dialog box, you can determine how the artwork will be scattered over the length of a stroke. Size is the size of the brush artwork. Spacing is the amount of space between objects in the scatter pattern. Scatter defines how closely objects follow the path; the higher the value, the farther the objects are from the path. Rotation is the angle of scattered objects; you can choose whether the rotation is relative to the page or the path. You can use the menu to the right of each setting to allow random variation over the length of the stroke, or to allow variation based on stylus settings (for drawing tablet users). Brush colors depend on the current stroke color, and the defined Colorization method: •None displays colors as they are in the brush artwork. •Using Tints, black portions of the art become the stroke color, other artwork colors become tints of the stroke color, and white remains white. •Using Tints And Shades, the brush stroke appears in tints and shades of the stroke color. (This option maintains black and white.) •Using Hue Shift, everything in the brush artwork that is the key color becomes the stroke color; other colors become colors related to the stroke color.
- To create a new art brush, you can drag any object or group into the base Brushes panel and choose Art Brush in the New Brush Options dialog box. Art brush artwork is applied based on the defined stroke weight; if the object has a 1-pt. stroke, the brush is applied at 100% of the original artwork. You can change this by modifying the Width setting. (The related menu allows width variation based on stylus settings for tablet users.) Brush Scale Options determine how brush artwork is applied across the length of the stroke. •Using Scale Proportionally, brush artwork is scaled both horizontally and vertically to fit the length of the stroke. If the artwork needs to be 200% longer to fit the line, the artwork is also scaled 200% higher. •Stretch to Fit Stroke Length adjusts only the length of the artwork to fit the stroke length. The artwork height is not scaled proportionally. •If the brush artwork has defined ends, you can use the Stretch Between Guides option to prevent those ends from being stretched when the brush is applied to a stroke. Drag the dashed lines in the preview to mark the areas that can stretch (between the lines). Direction is the direction of the artwork relative to the path. Flip Along or Flip Across change the orientation of the art relative to the path. Colorization options are the same as for Scatter brushes.
- Bristle brushes create strokes that mimic the behavior of real artist’s brushes and traditional media. Bristle brushes are primarily suited to users with a digital drawing tablet and stylus. While you paint, the software interprets stylus orientation and pressure at any point along a drawing path. Illustrator provides the output that is modeled on the stylus’s x-axis position, y-axis position, pressure, tilt, bearing, and rotation. Using a mouse, only x- and y-axis movements are tracked.
- To create a new pattern brush, you first have to define the artwork for different segments of the brush (straight edges, corners, and ends). The artwork for each segment must be converted to swatches, which you can then apply in the Pattern Brush Options dialog box. After defining pattern swatches, you should click the New Brush button at the bottom of the Brushes panel, and then choose Pattern Brush in the New Brush Options dialog box. Scale adjusts the size of tiles relative to their original size. Spacing adjusts space between tiles in the applied stroke. The Tile buttons allow you to apply different swatches to different parts of the line. You can use options in the attached menus to allow Illustrator to automatically generate corner shapes based on the existing brush artwork. Flip Along and Flip Across reverse the orientation of the art in relation to the path. Fit defines how the pattern fits on the path. •Stretch to Fit adjusts the length of the pattern tiles to fit the path. •Add Space to Fit adds blank space between pattern tiles to maintain proportions in the applied pattern. •Approximate Path fits tiles to the closest approximate path without changing the tiles. Colorization options are the same for pattern brushes as for scatter and art brushes.
- You can apply a brush to an existing stroke by simply clicking the desired brush in either the Brushes panel, or in one of the brush library panels. (After using a brush from a library, it is added to the base Brushes panel.) Applied brush strokes are stored as an appearance attribute to the stroke where they are applied. You can click a different brush to change the stroke’s appearance, or even remove a stylized brush stroke, without affecting the original stroke shape. You can edit the settings for any brush by double-clicking a brush’s icon in the Brushes panel. Be careful here! If an object is selected when you double-click a brush (to open the Brush Options dialog box), the double-clicked brush will be applied to the selected object. Keep in mind, if you edit brush settings for a brush that has been applied in the file, you have to determine how those changes affect existing strokes that use the edited brush. The options are explained on Page 199. If you want to make the brush stroke permanent, you can choose the Object>Expand Appearance option. The stroke is converted to a filled object that represents the brush stroke artwork.
- When you take the time to create custom assets — brushes, swatches, etc. — you might want to save those assets to be used again later with other files, or even by other users. You can create custom brush libraries by choosing Save Brush Library in the Brushes panel Options menu. By default, libraries are saved in a system-specific location as defined by the application. If you can’t save files at the system level — which is common in a classroom lab environment — you can navigate to any other location and save the library. If you save libraries in the Illustrator default locations, your libraries will be available in the User Defined submenu. For example, brushes would be in Window>Brush Libraries>User Defined and swatches would be available in Window>Swatch Libraries>User Defined. If you have to save the library to a different location, you need to use the Other Library command and then navigate to the location where you saved the library (for example, Window>Brush Libraries>Other Library). Most custom libraries use the native AI format. For custom swatch libraries, you can use the default AI format if the library will only be used in Illustrator. If you want to share swatch libraries with other Adobe applications (for example, InDesign or Photohop), you should use the Save Swatch Library as ASE option in the Swatches panel options menu.
- Symbols are yet another kind of asset that is managed in much the same way as other assets (swatches, etc.). Illustrator includes a number of built-in symbol libraries, which are accessed in the Window>Symbol Libraries submenu. Used symbols are added to the file’s base Symbols panel (Window>Symbols). You can also open external symbol libraries by choosing Window>Symbol Libraries>Other Library, and then navigating to the location of the library you want to open. This is useful if you need to use symbols provided by another user (as in this project).
- Symbols can be useful whenever you need several copies of the same artwork. Placed instances of a symbol are linked dynamically to the symbol. To create a placed instance, simply drag from the Symbols panel (or a library panel) onto the artboard. Transformations (scaling, rotation, etc.) to one placed instance do not affect other placed instances or the original symbol. Double-clicking a symbol in the Symbols panel enters symbol editing mode, which is a separate artboard with only the symbol artwork. You can also double-click a placed instance to enter symbol editing mode in place, in which other artwork in the file remains visible but dimmed. In either case, changes made to the symbol automatically reflect in any placed instance in the file. You can break the link between a specific instance and the original symbol using the Break Link button in the Control panel. You can also replace one instance with a different symbol using the Replace menu in the Control panel. All symbols from the base Symbols panel appear in this menu; unused symbol libraries are not included in this menu. To make a symbol available in the file Symbols panel without placing an instance, simply click the symbol you want in the library panel.
- The Symbol Sprayer tool creates sets of symbol instances. When you click and drag, multiple instances are added in the area where you drag. Every click creates a single “set”; as long as the set is selected, clicking and dragging again adds to the selected set. You can’t edit individual instances in a set without first breaking the set’s link to the symbol. If you do break the link, the set becomes a regular group and each instance of the symbol is a nested group within that group. Double-clicking the tool in the Tools panel opens the Symbolism Tool Options dialog box. Diameter reflects the tool’s current brush size. When using the tool, you can also press [ or ] to reduce or enlarge the sprayer (respectively). Symbol Set Density creates more tightly packed (higher values) or loosely packed (lower values) instances in the symbol set. For the various settings in the lower half of the dialog box, •Average adds new symbols with the average value of existing symbol instances within the brush radius. •User Defined applies specific values for each parameter, primarily based on the original symbol size, mouse direction, and current color settings. Other options are relative to the other symbolism tools, as explained on Page 223.
- A clipping mask is an object that masks other artwork; only those areas within the clipping mask shape remain visible. The clipping mask and the masked objects are called a clipping set. All the objects you want to clip should be part of the same layer as the masking object. If you create a clipping mask for objects on different layers, all affected objects are automatically copied to the layer that contains the mask object (called “flattening”). Because your map artwork contains a number of layers, you will create the clipping mask on each layer so that the structure remains intact in case you need to make changes later. You can create a clipping mask by choosing Make Clipping Mask in the Layers panel options menu, or by choosing Object>Clipping Mask>Make. Clipping masks are non-destructive, which means they don’t permanently remove the hidden areas of artwork. To remove a clipping mask, you can choose Object>Clipping Mask>Release. After creating a clipping mask, you can apply fill and stroke attributes to the mask shape. The fill color is applied behind the masked artwork, and the stroke attributes are applied in front of the clipped artwork.