In the late 60s the word “psychedelic” was invented to describe hallucinogens. Today, the word “psychedelic” refers to any artwork or decoration with abstract shapes and bright colors. In this tutorial, we will learn how to use Illustrator CS5 to create a psychedelic background.  The key to creating this type of art is to play with colors and shapes; therefore, we are going to learn how to apply default swatches and play with a single shape to obtain a nonfigurative, patterned background.

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STEP ONE:
Open Illustrator CS5 and create a New Document with a size of 800px by 600px.

Select the Ellipse Tool (L), click anywhere on the canvas to open its dialog box, and enter a Weight and Height of 182px.

STEP TWO:
With the circle selected go to the SWATCHES palette (Window > Swatches), click its menu icon (), and go to Open Swatch Library > Gradients > Spectrums. At the SPECTRUMS palette select Spectrum.


Remove its stroke, if any.

STEP THREE:
Select the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift + C) and click the top and bottom points of the circle.

With the shape selected go to Object > Scale and enter the following settings:

You should obtain a shape similar to this one:

STEP FOUR:
With the shape still selected go to Effect > Distort and Transform > Twist and enter an Angle degree of 50.

STEP FIVE:
Now, with the shape selected go to Object > Transform > Transform Each and enter the following settings:

Instead of clicking the OK button, click the Copy button.

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You should obtain the following effect:

STEP SIX:
With the new shape selected go to the TRANSPARENCY palette (Window > Transparency) and change its Blending Mode to Multiply.

Next, with the new shape still selected press (Mac: Command + D / PC: Control + D) 10 times.
I know, now your graphic is way too big. Press (Mac: Command + - / PC: Control + -) to zoom out your canvas and scale it to fit your canvas size.

Image zoomed out to 18%.

STEP SEVEN:
Select the Rectangle Tool (M), click anywhere on the canvas area to open its dialog box. Enter a Width of 800px and a Height of 600px. Give it a stroke of any color with no fill color.
Place it on top of the spectrum graphic and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make.

Image zoomed out to 50%.

STEP EIGHT:
Select the entire shape and go to the SWATCHES palette. Click the menu icon and go to Open Swatch Library > Patterns > Basic Graphics > Basic Graphics_Dots. At the BASIC GRAPHICS_DOTS choose the 6 dpi 50% pattern.

Then, within the TRASNPARENCY palette change its Blending Mode to Overlay.

FINAL RESULT:

Experiment with more shapes and colors to create more authentic, psychedelic backgrounds. Have fun!

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Download Psychedelic Background File

Clipping Masks provide us with a helpful way to add style, texture, and variety to our vector graphics. In this tutorial, I will teach you the fundamentals of applying, using and editing Clipping Masks.

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First, let’s find out what a Clipping Mask is.
A Clipping Mask is any shape used to hide or reveal parts of other shapes.
Here are some important facts about clipping masks:

• Any shape can be a clipping mask. Keep in mind that only vectors can serve as masks. Though, you can mask any image, graphic, vector, etc.
• When an object is clipped, the areas within the object remain visible.
• When two objects are clipped they are called a Clipping Set.
• Once a Clipped Mask is created, you can only select the clipped shapes at the LAYERS palette.
• The addition of Clipping Masks changes the objects fill and sets the stroke color to none.

STEP ONE:
Now that we know the basics of creating a Clipping Mask, let’s create a Clipping Mask of two simple shapes.
Open Illustrator CS5 and create a New Document of any size. With the Rectangle Tool (M) draw a square (object to be masked) and apply any color to it with a black stroke. Then, with the Ellipse Tool (L) draw a circle (masking object) on top of the rectangle and apply a different color with a black stroke.

Next, select the two objects, right-click and select Make Clipping Mask, or go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make.
The result should look similar to the image below:

Notice, that our blue circle acquired the color of our square with no stroke.

STEP TWO:
It is time to create a clipping mask of a textured image using a start shape.
Download any texture from the web. The image that I used is located within the downloadable file at the end of this tutorial.
Place the texture inside your Illustrator file and draw any shape on top of it. This time I drew a white star with the Star Tool.

Texture image provided by www.cgtextures.com.

Select the two objects, right-click and select Make Clipping Mask, or go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make.
The result should look similar to the image below:

Our texture was incorporated inside of our star shape.

STEP THREE:
Next, let’s create a mask of grouped objects.
Draw diverse shapes like shown below:

Select them all and go to Object > Group or press (Mac: Command + G / PC: Control + G).

Now, draw any shape on top of the grouped shapes:

Select the new shape with the grouped shapes, right-click and select Make Clipping Mask, or go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make.
 
Notice that only the overlapping shapes are now visible.

STEP FOUR:
If you need to edit or move any shape that was masked there are different ways to do it:

• Select the Direct Selection Tool (A), click the shape, and move it or edit it as you wish.
  
• Double-click it to get inside the masked group. All the objects that were masked will appear.
  
• Right-click the masked shape and select Release Clipping Mask.
  
• Select it and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Release, or
• Select it and press Mac: Alt + Command + 7 / PC: Alt + Control + 7, or
• Select it and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Edit Contents.
  

Now that you know how a Clipping Mask works experiment with more shapes and have fun!

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How do you optimize an Illustrator graphic for web?
When you save a graphic for web you need to make sure to reduce its file size for faster download, change its color mode to RGB, and give it a resolution 72dpi. The process can be annoying; however, Illustrator offers us a built-in option to make this process straightforward and easy. This tutorial will teach you how to save a button graphic for web using the Save for Web & Devices option.

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STEP ONE:
Let’s say you created this web-button in Illustrator CS5 for a web-site that you are going to create:

The first thing we need to do is to select the area that we want to export for web. So, go ahead and select the Artboard Tool (Shift + O)  and select the part of the image you want to save for web.

If you prefer, you can choose one of the Presets sizes located at the Artboard Options Toolbar:

STEP TWO:
Now, how can we correctly save it for web? There are many formats and ways to save elements for web. To make life easier for us this process in Illustrator has a Save for Web & Devices option that we can use. This option is located under File (File > Save for Web & Devices). Or, open this option by pressing Mac: Alt + Shift + Command + S, PC: Alt + shift + Control + S.

A Save for Web & Devices dialog box will appear:

Notice that the area we selected appeared cropped.

STEP THREE:
The Save for Web & Devices dialog box offers us four different ways to compare our original graphic with the one we are going to optimized. They are: Original, Optimized, 2-Up, and 4-Up.

In my opinion, the best setting is the 4-Up view. The 4-Up view shows the original graphic, a high quality version, a lower quality version with 100% dither, a lower quality version with 0% dither, along with a comparison of file sizes and download times.

Here we can notice which graphic looks the best and select it.

STEP FOUR:
At the Preset options we can select the file format, compression quality, matte, if any, and other specifications.
The best way to make the right choice is to change settings and compare.

The Optimized File Format drop-down menu has 7 different web-file formats available for saving: GIF, JPEG, PNG-8, PNG-24, SWF, SVG, and WBMP.

• GIF: Supports animation and transparencies. This format is color limited; so, is not suitable for images with a range of colors.
• JPEG: The most common used method to save images for web. It allows different levels of compression with low loss in image quality.
• PNG-8: Good for graphics with 8 or fewer bits deep.
• PNG-24: True-color or RGB images. It specifies colors as RGB and can contain up to 17 million colors.
• SWF: Good for animated graphics.
• SVG: Graphics saved as SVG are defined as XML files. They can be created and edited using any text editor.
• WBMP: Graphics are converted into black and white to keep a minimal file size for mobile devices.

STEP FIVE:
The Save for Web & Devices dialog box also offers us the option to preview our image in your default browser. Click this button:  to preview it.
Here is the preview of my graphic:

This option gives us the description of our saved graphic with a HTML code we can use to add it to our web-page.

STEP SIX:
Once you are satisfied, click the Save button to save your optimized graphic to a folder.

As you observed, Save for Web & Devices option is an excellent way to optimize graphics for the web. Repeat this process to practice how to save more graphics for web. Don’t forget to pay attention to file sizes and download times!

TIP: If you need to save a transparent graphic for web make sure to choose GIF or PNG as the file format. Pick a matte color identical to your web-site background color to blend transparent pixels against your web-site background.

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Download Save Fo rWeb File

Type embellishment is what sets the stage for a good design project. Remember, typography gets most of the attention when it comes to design. So, if you are interested in brushing up your type embellishment skills, here is another tutorial that will show you step-by-step how to generate crafted paper letters.

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STEP ONE:
Open Illustrator CS5 and create a New Document (File > New). Give it a size of 600px by 200px.

Select the Type Tool (T) and type any word or letters that you would like to convert into crafted paper. I typed, A B C D E.
Make sure to choose a thick font; I used Berlin Sans FB Demi Bold with a size of 130pt.

At the LAYERS palette (Window > Layers) rename “Layer 1” as, “Template” and Lock it.

These letters will serve us as guides to draw our own letters with the Pen Tool (P). Another useful guide that we have is called Smart Guides to turn it on go to View > Smart Guides.

STEP TWO:
Create a New Layer for each letter.

STEP THREE:
Let’s begin with the letter A. Select the Pen Tool (P) and trace its form. The letter A is formed with 3 blocks; draw each block separately like shown below:

Select the following two blocks and apply a blue color value of (R= 90, G= 139, B= 200).

Select the remaining block and apply a darker blue color value of (R= 72, G= 112, B= 161).

Now, we are going to apply drop shadows. Select the blocks shown below and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow and apply the following settings:
NOTE: Make sure to Bring to Front the selected blocks (Object > Arrange > Bring to Front).

For its shadow color I chose a dark blue color value of (R= 22, G= 49, B= 88).

Original size preview:

STEP FOUR:
Time to add style to the letter B. Because they are paper letters, we cannot add curves to it. So, the letter B is going to be as polygonal as possible.

With the Pen Tool (P) I drew the following shapes to make the letter B:

I chose a green color value of (R= 89, G= 160, B= 68).

Select the blocks shown below and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow and apply the following settings:
NOTE: Make sure to Bring to Front the selected blocks (Object > Arrange > Bring to Front).

For its shadow color I chose a dark green color value of (R= 12, G= 68, B= 22).

Original size preview:

STEP FIVE:
Yes, we are going to stylize the letter C. Again, draw its shape without any curves.
Here is how I drew and colored its shape:

Purple color value of (R= 67, G= 29, B= 93).
Dark purple color value of (R= 41, G= 0, B= 62).

Select the blocks shown below and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow and apply the following settings:
NOTE: Make sure to Bring to Front the selected blocks (Object > Arrange > Bring to Front).

For its shadow color I chose a dark purple color value of (R= 29, G= 22, B= 48).

Original size preview:

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STEP SIX:
The letter D shapes are going to be similar to the letter C. Therefore, Copy (Mac: Command + C / PC: Control + C) and Paste (Mac: Command + V / PC: Control + V) the letter C to make the letter D and fix the following shape:

With the Direct Selection Tool (A) I moved the points of one of the shapes and then at the PATHFINDER palette (Window > Pathfinder) I clicked the Unite option.

Change its purple color to the color of your choice.

I chose a yellowish color value of (R= 196, G= 150, B= 33) and a dark yellowish color value of (R= 159, G= 122, B= 23).

Its drop shadow looks good, let’s leave it like that.

STEP SEVEN:
E, our last letter for this tutorial. Draw the following 4 shapes:

I applied a pink color value of (R= 224, G= 135, B= 184).

Select the block shown below and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow and apply the following settings:
NOTE: Make sure to Bring to Front the selected block (Object > Arrange > Bring to Front).

For its shadow color I chose a dark pink color value of (R= 147, G= 74, B= 138).

Original size preview:

STEP EIGHT:
Hide or Delete the “Template” layer and that’s all, we finished!
Here is my final result:

Practice this effect by creating more letters or shapes. Remember, “Practice is the best of all instructors.” – Publilius Syrus.

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Download Crafted Paper Letters File

Animation: Graphics positioned in different frames or layers to create a moving picture based in frames per seconds; consequently, generating an impression of movement. In this tutorial, we are going to learn how to generate a basic animation by just using Illustrator CS5. …Yes, Illustrator offers us the option to generate fantastic animations! No more intimidating animation programs, Illustrator has it all. I assure you that after you finished this tutorial you will have the basic knowledge need it to create animated graphics.

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Let’s begin!

STEP ONE:
Open Illustrator CS5 and create New Document (File > New). Give it a size of 300px by 350px.

At the LAYERS palette (Window > Layers) rename “Layer 1” as, “Sky”. Select the Rectangle Tool (M), click anywhere on the canvas area to open its dialog box and enter a Weight of 300px and a Height of 350px (our canvas’ size).
Apply it the following Linear gradient (Window > Gradient):

Here are the color values that I chose:
First color box: (R= 220, G= 233, B= 247)
Second color box: (R= 185, G= 214, B= 239)
Third color box: (R= 117, G= 172, B= 213)

STEP TWO:
Create a New Layer and name it “Ground”. Select the Pen Tool (P) or Pencil Tool (N), and with a white fill draw the following irregular shape at the bottom of our canvas area:

With the shape selected go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow and enter the following settings:

STEP THREE:
Let’s create a snowflake! Create a New Layer and name it, “Snowflake”.
NOTE: Images in this step are zoomed in to 200%.
Select the Polygon Tool (under the Rectangle Tool (M)) and click anywhere on the canvas area to open its dialog box. Enter a Radius of 3.5px and 6 Sides. At the COLOR palette (Window > Color) fill it with white.

Now, select the Star Tool (under the Rectangle Tool (M)), click anywhere on the canvas area to open its dialog box, and enter 10px for Radius 1, 5px for Radius 2, and 6 for Points.
Give it a white stroke with no fill.

Place the polygon inside the star like shown below:

Next, select the Pen Tool (P) and add the following white strokes: ­

Select them all, at the STROKE palette (Window > Stroke) change their Caps to Round Caps ().

With the same Pen Tool (P) settings add more strokes like shown below:

Select the Ellipse Tool (L) and add a little white dot at the end of each stroke:

To conclude with our snowflake, let’s add an Outer Glow. Select all the shapes and go to Object > Group. Then, go to Effect > Stylize > Outer Glow and apply the following settings:

Result:

STEP FOUR:
In this step we are going to transform our snowflake shape into a symbol. Open the SYMBOLS palette (Window > Symbols), select the entire snowflake shape, and drag it inside the SYMBOLS palette.
The Symbol Options dialog box will appear; enter a Name for it and choose Graphic as Type.

Notice that now our snowflake appears inside the SYMBOLS palette.

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STEP FIVE:
Place two instances of your symbols like shown below:

Rotate the one at the bottom.

Double-click the Blend Tool (W) to open its Blend Options dialog box and enter the following settings:

Now, with the Blend Tool (W) still selected click the center of the symbol that was placed at the top and then the center of the symbol that was placed at the bottom.

Repeat this step to create a variety of snowflake rows like shown below:

STEP SIX:
Now that we have our basic graphics for animation let’s learn how to export it as a SWF.
SWF is a multimedia file format that can contains animations or applets.
First, make sure your LAYERS palette is organized like shown below:

Next, press (Mac: Command + S / PC: Control + S) to save our document.

Lastly, go to File > Export. At the Export dialog box choose the place where do you want to save the SWF and at the Save as type drop-down menu select Flash (*.SWF).

Click Save.

When you click Save a SWF Options dialog box is going to appear. Make sure to choose AI Layers to SWF Frames in order to export each of your layers to individual Flash frames.

Instead of clicking OK, click Advanced to get more options. There we are going to set our frame rate, sequences, and static layers.
The first thing we need to do is to enter a Frame Rate of 10 frames per second.
Now, we want Illustrator to repeat our animation, so check the Looping box.
We created a sequence of blends, thus we need to check the Animate Blends box and choose In Sequence.
Finally, we need to select the layers that we want to be static. The Export Static Layers option gives us the choice to select the layers that don’t contain any animation to be played. Go ahead and highlight the “Sky” and “Ground” layers, except the “Snowflake” layer.
If you click the Web Preview button you can check out how the animation looks like.

Click OK.

To conclude, look for your saved SWF, open it, and see how awesome Illustrator is.
Click here to check out the SWF of this tutorial.
NOTE: The SWF is included inside the downloadable file.

Illustrator CS5 provides an easy way to generate Flash animations. Have fun animating more graphics!

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Download Animated Snowflake File

Cheese, a food product produced around the word in a variety of forms and flavors. Nowadays, cheese is appreciated for its long life, low shipping cost, and high content of calcium. Consequently, in this tutorial we are going to learn how to produce another variation of cheese, but this time with text. We are going to use 3D effects and basic tools to create it.

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Are you ready to make a gourmet piece of cheese text? Let’s get started!

STEP ONE:
Open Illustrator CS5 and create a New Document (File > New). Give it a size of 500px by 200px.

We will start by selecting the Type Tool (T) and typing any word we would like to apply the cheese effect to.
I wrote the word cheese with a font called Bauhaus 93 and a font size of 120pt. Make sure to choose a thick font.

STEP TWO:
With the word selected, at the COLOR palette (Window > Color) change its color to yellow. I chose a yellow color value of (R= 227, G= 202, B= 50).

STEP THREE:
Let’s convert our word into shapes. Select it and go to Type > Create Outlines.

Now that our word was converted into shapes, select the Eraser Tool (Shift + E) and delete small parts of the word like shown below:
TIP: You can reduce the size of the eraser by pressing [ key and expand it by pressing ] key.

STEP FOUR:
Now, with the word selected go to Effect > Extrude & Bevel and apply the following settings:

You should obtain the following 3D effect:

STEP FIVE:
Select the Ellipse Tool (L) and draw three circles of the same size. Select one of the circles and apply it a fill color of: (R= 156, G= 141, B= 4). Select the other two circles and apply them a stroke color of: (R= 156, G= 141, B= 4), no fill.

Select the circle with the fill color and place it on top of one of the circles without fill:

With the two circles selected go to the PATHFINDER palette (Window > Pathfinder) and press the Minus Front icon to obtain the following shape:

Grab the new shape and place it on top of the circle we have left, like so:

Select both shapes and go to Object > Group.

Resize it a little bit and place different instances of the shape inside the letters like shown below:

That’s it! We finished. Now, you can decor the text to achieve a beautiful design composition. Mastering typography design is the key to obtain a dynamic balance between graphics and type.

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Download Cheese Text Effect File

Anime characters have a variety of predetermined eye expressions to show emotions clearly and distinctively. There are a numbers of different techniques, methods, and styles to draw anime eyes. However, there is a specific stylistic template that illustrators follow. Today, we are going to learn how to draw a basic anime eye in Illustrator CS5. This is a basic, 4-step technique that anyone can learn and have fun with it. You can use this tutorial to generate different eye styles to create beautiful sets of anime eyes.

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Let’s get started!

NOTE: This tutorial requires basic Pen Tool expertise.

STEP ONE:
Create a New illustrator Document (File > New). Give it a size of 200px by 200px.

Select the Ellipse Tool (L), click anywhere on the canvas area to open its dialog box, and enter a Weight and Height of 74px.
At the STROKE palette (Window > Stroke) give it a Weight of 3pt.
Then, at the GRADIENT palette (Window > Gradient) give it a Radial gradient with the following color values:
First color box: (R= 43, G= 196, B= 243)
Second color box: (R= 40, G= 170, B= 225)
Third color box: (R= 31, G= 148, B= 210)

Deselected by clicking anywhere on the canvas area.

STEP TWO:
At the COLOR palette choose a stroke color value of (R= 28, G= 117, B= 188) with no fill. Then, at the STROKE palette change the stroke Weight to 1pt and select Round Cap. To conclude, with the Pen Tool (P) draw the following circular zigzag lines inside the circle:

(Image zoomed in to 200%)

STEP THREE:
Select the Ellipse Tool (L), click anywhere on the canvas area to open its dialog box, and enter a Width and Height of 30px. Fill the new circle with black.
Select both circles and at the Options Bar click Horizontal Align Center and Vertical Align Center.

STEP FOUR:
Once more, select the Ellipse Tool (L) and draw the following white, small circles:

Almost there!

STEP FIVE:
Let’s draw the eyelashes and eyebrow. Create a New Layer and name it, “Eyelashes”. At the COLOR palette set a black fill with no stroke, then select the Pen Tool (P) and draw the following shapes:

(Image zoomed in to 200%)

(Image at original size: 100%)

FINAL RESULT:

You are done! Use any color you like and don’t forget to experiment and have fun.

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Download Anime Eye File

Many possibilities exist in the world of Illustrator CS5. One possibility is the ability to create seamless patterns. You have probably seen a variety of complex, clean-looking patterns around the web. In this tutorial, I am going to explain how to create one complex pattern to use on your design projects, backgrounds, etc. Remember that the more you experiment, play around, and review tutorials, the more you will find out about the greatness of Illustrator CS5.

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Let’s get started!

STEP ONE:
Open a New Illustrator File (File > New) with a size of 400px by 400px.

Let’s set up our workspace:
Press (Mac: Command + R / PC: Control + R) to show the rules and then press (Mac: Command + U / PC: Control + U) to set Smart Guides. The rule and smart guides will help you to place objects proportionally.
Select the Rectangle Tool (M), click anywhere on the canvas area to open its dialog box, and enter a Weight and Height of 100px.
With the Line Segment Tool (\) draw a 100px vertical line and a 100px horizontal line.
Select the three objects, at the Options Bar click Horizontal Align Center and Vertical Align Center to correctly align the objects ().

You should have the following shape:

(Images are zoomed-in to 200%)

Right-click the entire shape and select Make Guides. This will convert the shape into guidelines, so we can reference our symmetrical work.

At the LAYERS palette (Window > Layers) rename “layer 1” as, “Guidelines” and Lock the layer.

STEP TWO:
Create a New Layer and name it, “Shapes”.
Select the Pen Tool (P) and draw random shapes inside ¼ of the first square, like so:

At the COLOR palette (Window > Color) apply any colors of your choice.

STEP THREE:
Select all the shapes/strokes that you drew (Mac: Command + A / PC: Control + A) and go to Object > Group.

With the shapes selected press (Mac: Command + C / PC: Control + C) to copy them and then press (Mac: Command + V / PC: Control + V) to paste them.

With the new shape selected go to Object > Transform > Reflect and select Vertical. Next, go to Object > Transform > Reflect again, but this time select Horizontal. Place it inside the first square like shown below:

Repeat this step to fill the entire square, like so:

Looking good!

STEP FOUR:
Now our basic arrangement graphic is ready to be converted into a beautiful pattern, select them all (Mac: Command + A / PC: Control + A), open the SWATCHES palette (Window > Swatches) and drag the entire graphic inside the palette.

As you can see, now our graphic appears inside the SWATCHES palette:

STEP FIVE:
Our design was saved in the SWATCHES palette. Now, we can try out our new Pattern!
In a New Layer select your new pattern/swatch and with the Rectangle Tool (M) draw a large rectangle.
Pretty awesome, right?

As you learned, to create a complex pattern we just need to add color, irregular shapes, symbols, etc. The idea is to generate a part of a symmetrical shape and go from there. It’s a fun, easy, awesome technique. Be inspired to create more beautiful patterns!

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Download Creating a Pattern File

X-rays are useful in the detection of diseases, broken bones, or radiotherapy. The most used method of X-rays is photographic plates. Photographic plates can generate images of human and animal internal structures. Today, we are going to develop an X-ray image of a hand with the help of Illustrator CS5. No, we don’t need photographic plates or film; we just need the Pen Tool and Inner and Outer Glow effects. Let’s begin!

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STEP ONE:
Open a New Illustrator Document (File > New) with a size of 500px by 600px.

NOTE: This step requires basic Pen Tool expertise.
Find a real X-Rayed Hand image or a hand skeleton graphic; place it as a Template Layer in Illustrator, and in a New Layer with the Pen Tool (P) trace the skeleton hand outline. Make sure to close all the paths.
Here is a template image with the outline that I traced:

(Image zoomed out to 50%)

NOTE: Image and file are available for download at the end of this tutorial.

Delete the Template layer.

STEP TWO:
Select the entire outline (Mac: Command + A / PC: Control + A). At the COLOR palette (Window > Color) give it a light blue color value of (R= 128, G= 169, B= 189) with no stroke.
Then, go to Effect > Stylize > Inner Glow and enter the following settings:

Make sure to select white as the Mode color.

You should obtain the following effect:

STEP THREE:
At the LAYERS palette (Window > Layers) create a New Layer under the layer where you drew the outline of the hand and name it, “Background”.

Select the Rectangle Tool (M), click anywhere on the canvas area to open its dialog box, and enter a Width of 500px and a Height of 600px. At the GRADIENT palette (Window > Gradient) select a Radial gradient with the following color values:
First color box: (R= 0, G= 32, B= 43)
Second color box: (R= 0, G= 3, B= 21)

Lock the layer ().

STEP FOUR:
Go back to the layer with the hand, select all (Mac: Command + A / PC: Control + A), and press (Mac: Command + C / PC: Control + C) to copy.
Lock the layer.

Create a New Layer and name it, “Framework”. Press (Mac: Command + V / PC: Control + V) to paste the hand on this layer. Place it on top of our other hand, like so:

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With our Hand Copy selected press Shift + X to remove its fill color and effect. At the COLOR palette notice that now the stroke has the blue color we chose for its fill, change it to white.
Now, at the STROKE palette (Window > Stroke) change its stroke Weight to 3pt.

Next, go to Effect > Stylize > Outer Glow and apply the following settings:

There we have it, an X-Rayed Hand in Illustrator CS5:

Now that you know how to create an X-Ray effect, generate more X-Rayed objects. Have fun!

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Download X-Rayed Hand File

Wilson Flagg once said, “It is difficult to realize how great a part of all that is cheerful and delightful in the recollection of our own life is associated with trees.” Trees are a vital component of our daily lives; they give us oxygen and moderate temperatures. Because trees are so important for the development of human beings I decided to write a tutorial about how to create a Vector Flower Tree. We are going to use different symbols and shapes to create it along with imagination and creativity. So, let’s “plant” a tree!

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STEP ONE:
Open Illustrator CS5, create a New File (File > New), and give it a size of 500px by 600px.

Within the LAYERS palette (Window > Layers) rename “Layer 1” as, “Background”.

Select the Rectangle Tool (M), click anywhere on the canvas area to open its dialog box, and enter a Width of 500px and a Height of 600px.

Place the rectangle inside the canvas area, remove its stroke (if any), and within the GRADIENT palette (Window > Gradient) enter the following Linear Gradient:
First color box: (R= 215, G= 240, B= 252).
Second color box: (R= 171, G= 225, B= 250).
Third color box: (R= 150, G= 207, B= 241).

Image zoomed out to 66.67%.

Lock the layer ().

STEP TWO:
Note: This step requires basic Pen Tool expertise.

Create a New Layer () and name it, “Branches”.
We are going to use the Pen Tool (P) to draw the outline of a tree. Select the Pen Tool (P) and draw an outline similar to this one:

Fill it with a dark brown color and add a rectangle for its base:
I used a dark brown color value of (R= 60, G= 36, B= 21).

Image zoomed out to 66.67%.

Lock the layer.

STEP THREE:
Now we are going to add pre-built leaves.
Create a New Layer and name it, “Leaves”.

Open the SYMBOLS palette (Window > Symbols), click its menu icon (), and select Open Symbol Library > Nature. From the NATURE palette select Leaf 3 and place different instances around the outline we drew in STEP TWO.

Lock the layer.

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STEP FOUR:
Let’s learn how to create a nice looking flower and convert it into a symbol.
Create a New Layer and name it, “Flowers”.

Select the Polygon Tool () (under the Rectangle Tool (M)), click anywhere on the canvas area, and enter the following settings:

Fill the polygon with the color of your choice. I picked a purple color value of (R= 129, G= 90, B= 165).

Next, with the polygon selected go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Pucker & Bloat and enter the following setting:

Now we are going to create another polygon shape, but with 30 Sides.
Select the Polygon Tool, click anywhere on the canvas area, and enter 30 for Sides.
Select the new polygon, go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Pucker & Bloat, and click OK.
You should have the following shape:

Place at the center of the other polygon, resize it a little bit, and fill it with a Radial Gradient.
Within the GRADIENT palette (Window > Gradient) choose the following two colors:
First color box: (R= 78, G= 49, B= 102).
Second color box: (R= 101, G= 69, B= 130).

Repeat this step several times to create more “petals”.
Here is my result:

Easy, fun, and quick, right?

STEP FIVE:
Let’s convert our flower into a symbol. Open the SYMBOLS palette (Window > Symbols). Select the entire flower and drag it into the SYMBOLS palette. When any object is dragged into the SYMBOLS palette a Symbol Options dialog box will appear. Enter the following:

Click OK and your flower will appear as a symbol inside the palette.

STEP SIX:
Select your flower symbol and embellish your tree with various instances of it. Have fun!

Final result:

Enhance your tree graphic with more symbols like I did above.

As you learned, an entire composition can be created with just a symbol and few basic shapes. Be inspired to create more nature elements and don’t forget to plant a real tree!

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Download Flower Tree Vector File