Gradients, Blends, and Patterns

This chapter is from the book

Adobe Illustrator CC Classroom in a Book (2019 Release)

Learn More Buy

This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book 

Adobe Illustrator CC Classroom in a Book (2019 Release)

Learn More Buy

To add depth and interest to your artwork in Illustrator, you can apply gradient fills, which are graduated blends of two or more colors, patterns, and shapes and colors. In this lesson, you’ll explore how to work with each of these to complete several projects.

Starting the lesson

In this lesson, you’ll explore various ways to work with gradients, blend shapes and colors, and create and apply patterns. Before you begin, you’ll restore the default preferences for Adobe Illustrator CC. Then you’ll open a finished art file for the first part of the lesson to see what you’ll create.

1. To ensure that the tools function and the defaults are set exactly as described in this lesson, delete or deactivate (by renaming) the Adobe Illustrator CC preferences file. See “Restoring default preferences” in the “Getting Started” section at the beginning of the book.

   NOTE

   If you have not already downloaded the project files for this lesson to your computer from your Account page, make sure to do so now. See the “Getting Started” section at the beginning of the book.

2. Start Adobe Illustrator CC.

3. Choose File > Open, and open the L10_end1.ai file in the Lessons > Lesson 10 folder on your hard disk.

   

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4. Choose View > Fit All In Window. If you don’t want to leave the document open as you work, choose File > Close.

   To begin working, you’ll open an art file that you need to finish.

5. Choose File > Open. In the Open dialog box, navigate to the Lessons > Lesson 10 folder, and select the L10_start1.ai file on your hard disk. Click Open to open the file. Don’t worry, you’ll make it look a lot better by the end of this lesson!

   

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6. Choose View > Fit All In Window.

7. Choose File > Save As, name the file Jellyfish_poster.ai, and select the Lessons > Lesson 10 folder in the Save As menu. Leave Adobe Illustrator (ai) chosen from the Format menu (macOS) or Adobe Illustrator (*.AI) chosen from the Save As Type menu (Windows) and then click Save.

   NOTE

   If you don’t see Reset Essentials in the workspace switcher menu, choose Window > Workspace > Essentials before choosing Window > Workspace > Reset Essentials.

8. In the Illustrator Options dialog box, leave the Illustrator options at their default settings and then click OK.

9. Choose Reset Essentials from the workspace switcher in the Application bar.