There are several ways to color vector images. Here I will describe the most common of them and the tools that are used in this process. All these methods are used by professional illustrators. What are their differences and advantages? Learn more after jump!

For this artwork we will be using a sketch of a Viking created by Catherine Dedova for this tutorial.

I created an outline based on this sketch.

To learn how to create an outline you can read in the first part of this tutorial – click here. I will only add a little bit to the previously described techniques. If you are using the Paintbrush Tool (B) to create an outline, don’t worry that the line doesn’t go quite the way you wanted.

You can always remove extra points on the curve with the help of the Smart Remove Point command from the PathScribe panel (Window > VectorScribe > PathScribe) and correct its shape using the PathScribe Tool, of course, if you are already using VectorScribe plugin in your work.

In this case, you only need to keep an eye at the line thickness, as the shape can always be fixed. I was using this method to create Viking’s outline.

Coloring using the Pencil Tool (N)

The Pencil Tool (N) is the most common way of coloring the illustrations in Adobe Illustrator. However, this method is the most laborious. Many artists use it because in the drawing process, it allows for more details within the illustration. In addition, this method does not involve any technical requirements of the outline. The outline may be open (as it is in my case) or may consist of multiple open paths (in case you used the Paintbrush Tool (B) without further processing).

Now, before coloring the illustration, let’s examine the settings of the Pencil Tool (N). To open the Options window of the Pencil Tool, double-click on the icon of the tool on the toolbar.

Fidelity controls how far you have to move your mouse or stylus before a new anchor point is added to the path. The higher the value, the smoother and less complex the path. The lower the value, the more the curves will match the pointer’s movement, resulting in sharper angles. Fidelity can range from 0.5 to 20 pixels.

Smoothness controls the amount of smoothing applied when you use the tool. Smoothness can range from 0% to 100%. The higher the value, the smoother the path. The lower the value, the more anchor points are created, and the more the line’s irregularities are preserved.

Fill New Pencil Strokes applies a fill to pencil strokes you draw after selecting this option, but not to existing pencil strokes.

Keep Selected determines whether to keep the path selected after you draw it. This option is selected by default.

Edit Selected Paths determines whether or not you can change or merge a selected path when you are within a certain distance of it (specified with the next option).

Within: [x] pixels determines how close your mouse or stylus must be to an existing path in order to edit the path with the Pencil tool (N). This option is only available when the Edit Selected Paths option is selected.

When coloring the picture with the Pencil tool (N) the last three options can be picked/specified. However, this is your preference.

It happens that many users of Adobe Illustrator practically do not use the Pencil Tool (N) in their work. So I’ll explain what I consider to be important features of this tool.

To close the path, hold down the Opt / Alt, when you get closer to the starting point of the path. Do not try to combine the starting and ending points, after pressing Opt / Alt path will close at the shortest distance between the points.

To connect two open paths, select them, then continue the first path with the help of the Pencil Tool (N). When joining together the cursor with the endpoint of the second path, press Cmd / Ctrl.

Set the parameters for the Pencil Tool (N) shown in the figure below.

Now create a new layer located below the path and start creating color elements of the illustration on it. When working on it, try not to go beyond the outline’s border and color all the required fields without gaps.

In fact, you have to move the cursor along the outline of the image.

You can always edit the mistakes made using the same Pencil Tool (N), because all the necessary options are set.

Please note that editing a shape with the help of the Pencil Tool (N) can lead to unpredictable consequences such as the opening of a closed path, closing of an open path, and even removal of the part of the shape. How to edit a shape correctly? I came to a conclusion that a new stroke of the tool should begin as close to the original outline as possible and end as close to it too, in spite of the value of Within: [x] pixels, which you set in the dialog window of the Pencil Tool Options.

The Viking’s outline has a rather complicated shape, so it took me more than half an hour to color it carefully.

Now I propose to take a look at other, faster methods of image coloring.

Coloring with the Live Paint Bucket (K)

To fill with the Live Paint Bucket (K), select the objects that we intend to fill. However, if your illustration consists of open paths to which a brush was applied, then this kind of filling is impossible. A warning window will signal this.

Therefore, our illustration should be prepared in a certain way before using this method. Select all the objects and go to Object > Expand Appearance. Now our outline is a group of regular vector objects.

Keep the object selected, click the Unite button in the Pathfinder panel, then go to Object > Compound Path > Make.

Before filling I will tell you briefly about the options of this tool. The Live Paint Bucket options let you specify how the Live Paint Bucket tool works, choosing whether to paint just fills, strokes, or both, as well as how to highlight faces and edges as you move the tool over them. You can see these options by double-clicking the Live Paint Bucket tool.

Select the Compound Path and by clicking fill the shapes with appropriate colors.

To switch quickly between the Live Paint Bucket (K) and the Eyedropper Tool (I) use the Opt / Alt key.

However, not all the necessary shapes can be filled. The fact is that our outline is open in some areas. I’ve already talked about this at the beginning of this tutorial. Open outlines can be designed by an artist or be a result of careless work. Clicking on this part of a picture will not result in filling.

Fortunately, we can customize the Live Paint Bucket (K) so that it detects such areas of an illustration as a closed path. Keeping it selected, go to Object > Live Paint > Gap Options… and increase the Gap value. The program shows which gaps were detected and, therefore, allows filling of the inner spaces next to them.

It is advisable not to change this parameter in the process of work, as this may lead to changes in the already filled shapes.

After filling the objects go to Object > Live Paint > Expand. The coloring is not finished as we will be also creating lights and shadows, so we need the Outline in one piece. Using the Direct Selection Tool (A) select part of the outline and go to Select > Same > Fill Color.

Keeping it selected, go to Object > Compound Path > Make.

With all the described nuances, this method is faster on occasions than the method using the Pencil Tool (N)!

Coloring with the Release Compound Path

This method is applicable only to a closed outline which represents a Compound Path. In the case of creating a outline with the help of the Paintbrush Tool (B) you need to prepare the outline. Select all the objects and go to Object > Expand Appearance. Now our outline is a group of regular vector objects. Keep the object selected, click on the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel. As you can see, the outer path consists of several objects.

We need to connect them. Select the break with the Direct Selection Tool (A), take the Blob Brush Tool (Shift + B) and connect the parts of the outline .

Note: all the items of the outline must be ungrouped. If you’re not careful or did not think that you were going to use this method, you will need to spend some time closing the external outline. Thus, the outline is closed, copy it and paste it back (Cmd/ Ctrl + C, Cmd/ Ctrl + B). Fill the bottom outline with another color, for example red.

Keep the red outline selected, go to Object > Compound Path > Release.

Now we only need to select objects and color them in the necessary colors.

Some elements within the outline have to be created using the Pen Tool (P) or Pencil Tool (N).

Create highlights and shadows

You may find that our illustration looks a little bit flat, so we need to add highlights and shadows. Create a new layer. It should be placed between the layer of the outline and the one with the colored objects. Or the equivalent group layers if you are working in one layer.

Define the position of the light source; I have it at the left top.

Now using the Paintbrush Tool or Blob Brush Tool create lights and shadows in a new layer.

Shades of the basic color can be easily get in the Color panel, when the HSB color mode is on.

In my work I used the Paintbrush Tool, so you can see how the brush strokes are.

Of course, you can use the Pen Tool (P), if the shape of the shadow is large. Now the Viking looks like this:

Using the Bristle Brush

Bristle Brushes (introduced in Illustrator CS5) allows you to create vector brush strokes with the appearance of a natural brush with bristles. When you use Bristle Brush with a graphic tablet, Illustrator interactively tracks the movements of the stylus over the tablet. It interprets all aspects of its orientation and pressure input at any point along a drawing path. Illustrator provides the output that is modeled on the stylus’s x and y position, pressure, tilt, bearing, and rotation.

To create a Bristle brush, click on New Brush in the Brushes panel and select Bristle Brush in the open dialog window.

Now, in the Bristle Brush Options window, select the type of brush and set its other options, watching how a brush stroke will look like in the preview window.

The bracket keys [ and ] are used as shortcuts for decreasing and increasing the size, respectively. The bracket keys increase and decrease the size in 1mm increments. You can use the numeric keys [0-9] as shortcut to set the opacity of bristle brush strokes where: 0 = 100%, 1 = 10% … 9 = 90%.

In this artwork, we can apply a Bristle Brush to the Viking’s beard and to create hair on his boots.

Conclusion

I hope that this tutorial will help you to optimize and accelerate the complex process of creating a vector artwork.

Download the tutorial artwork

Click here for the Illustrator CS5 artwork…

Further reading

The following articles and resources are of great use when using a graphics tablet (typically a Wacom device) with Adobe Illustrator:

From the Astute Graphics Blog…

• Vector Drawing with a Graphic Tablet (Part 1 – Path Creation)
• Using a Wacom graphics tablet with vector artwork in Adobe Illustrator

External links…

• [Vectorboom] Video Tutorials: Drawing a Vector Character Using Graphic Tablet and Adobe Illustrator
• [Inside Adobe Illustrator] Mysteries of the Eraser Tool — Revealed!

About the author

My name is Iaroslav Lazunov, I am a graphic designer from Zhytomyr, Ukraine. I am glad that I finally found the job in my life that I can share my knowledge and experiments with you in my tutorials.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook or visit my blog Vectorboom.

Drawing with a Graphic Tablet, typically a Wacom device, allows the vector artist a bunch of advantages such as acceleration of the illustrative creation process; Ease of drawing as compared to drawing with a mouse, the correlation between the line width and the pressure on the stylus, and, finally, the creation of a more natural and unique style graphic.

In this article we will discuss how to configure the Graphic Tablet for easy operation and configuration of Illustrator’s standard vector drawing tools to create a variable width path for illustrations. I will also describe several practical exercises that allow you to quickly master the Graphic Tablet. In the second part of this article, you will learn how to color vector illustration with the help of the Graphic Tablet. So let’s get started!

Setting up the stylus

Set up the stylus for convenience in use. The basic tools of creating the path of the image are the Paintbrush Tool (B) and the Blob Brush Tool (Shift + B). The differences in their use will be discussed a little bit later.

In the Brushes panel (Window > Brushes), open the Artistic Calligraphic brush library in the fly-out menu (Open Brush Library > Artistic > Artistic_Calligraphic) and choose any brush of a round shape.

Double clicking on the icon of the brush in the Brushes panel brings up a window with its settings. Set the brush diameter a little bigger (for clarity), set the brush diameter dependence of the pressure on the pen and the value of Variation that is equal to the maximum diameter of the brush.

These parameters will allow us to change the thickness of the path from 0 to twice its size (in my case it is 60 pt). Take the Blob Brush Tool and set the points by changing the pressure on the stylus, as shown in the picture below.

The purpose of this exercise is to see whether you can easily control the diameter of the brush. You have to create as many points of different diameters/sizes as possible. Particular attention should be given to pressing the stylus with minimum of pressure. You should try to easily achieve a very small resultant brush diameter as this allows you to create a variable width path without interruption.

If this exercise seemed difficult for you, do not worry as the issue is not in your hands, but in stylus settings. To access their settings, Macintosh OS users must open System Preferences from either the Dock, the Apple menu, or from the Applications folder. Then click on the Wacom Tablet icon. Windows OS users must click on the Windows Start button and choose All Programs. Then select Wacom Tablet and chose the Wacom Tablet Properties option. Now adjust the Tip Feel parameter by moving the slider and not closing the Wacom Tablet Properties window, repeat the exercise.

I had to make the stylus firmer from its default settings. But this depends on your preference, but, nevertheless, is a very important setting. You can learn about the other settings of the tablet from the user guide, but in most cases the default settings are acceptable.

Setting up the drawing tools

Paintbrush Tool (B)

To get the access to the tool settings, double click on its icon on the Toolbar.

Let’s take a look at the parameters of the Paint Brush Tool…

• Fidelity controls how far you have to move your mouse or stylus before Illustrator adds a new anchor point to the path. For example, a Fidelity value of 2.5 means that tool movements of less than 2.5 pixels aren’t registered. Fidelity can range from 0.5 to 20 pixels; the higher the value, the smoother and less complex the path. The picture below shows two curves that were created with different values of this parameter (4 and 0.5).

• Smoothness controls the amount of smoothing that Illustrator applies when you use the tool. Smoothness can range from 0% to 100%; the higher the percentage, the smoother the path.

What value of Fidelity and Smoothness to set? I personally find that the optimal value of Fidelity is 4 pixels and of Smoothness is 0%. Of course, it depends on your drawing style and the tasks that you set to achieve. If you partied all night, then use a greater value!

• Fill New Brush Strokes applies a fill to the path. This option is most useful when drawing closed paths.

• Keep Selected determines whether Illustrator keeps the path selected after you draw it.

• Edit Selected Paths determines whether you can change an existing path with the Paintbrush Tool. For example, you can continue the created path.

• Within: [x] pixels determines how close your mouse or stylus must be to an existing path to edit the path with the Paintbrush Tool. This option is only available when the Edit Selected Paths option is selected.

The last three options are normally turned off during the work of most illustrations, but you need to know about their existence for the solution of specific problems.

Blob Brush Tool (Shift + B)

The Blob brush tool differes from the Paintbrush Tool (B) in that it creates the resutant strokes by generating closed path areas in the desired shape. It can also automatically weld previously drawn areas to the new strokes in a manner similar to the Pathfinder toolset. Also, note that there are no centre “bezier splines” to a Blob Brush Tool stroke which does restrict precise editing later on, but it does allow for more accurate editing using the Eraser Tool (Shift + E).

To get the access to the settings of the tool, double click on its icon in the Toolbar.

You are familiar with some of the options. Let’s meet the new ones.

• Merge only with Selection specifies that new strokes merge only with the existing selected path. If you select this option, the new object is not merged with another intersecting path that is not selected.

As you noticed, Size, Angle and Roundness can be set directly in the Blob Brush Options dialog window, without creating a new brush or using brushes library, as it was with the Paintbrush Tool (B). This is more convenient.

Now let’s figure out the Calligraphic brush options which can allow you to gain access to the full range of brush capabilities.

• Fixed creates a brush with a fixed angle, roundness, or diameter (default without using the tablet).

• Random creates a brush with random variations in angle, roundness, or diameter (is on without using the tablet). Enter a value in the Variation box to specify the range within which the brush characteristic can vary. For example, when the Diameter value is 15 and the Variation value is 5, the diameter can be 10, or 20, or any value inbetween. Two strokes on the picture below were made with a brush with Random parameter. The diameter of the brush varies from stroke to stroke, but not when creating the path.

• Pressure creates a brush that varies in angle, roundness, or diameter based on the pressure of tablet’s drawing stylus. This option is most useful when used with Diameter. It is available only if you have a graphics tablet such as Wacom’s Bamboo, Intuos and Cintiq series. Please refer to the previous article Using a Wacom graphics tablet with vector artwork in Adobe Illustrator. Enter a value in the Variation box to specify how much the original value the brush characteristic will vary. For example, when the Roundness value is 75% and the Variation value is 25%, the lightest stroke is 50% and the heaviest stroke is 100%. The lighter the pressure, the more angular the brush stroke.

• Stylus Wheel creates a brush that varies in diameter based on manipulation of the stylus wheel. This option is intended to be used with an airbrush pen that has a stylus wheel on its barrel and with a graphics tablet that can detect that pen.
• Tilt creates a brush that varies in angle, roundness, or diameter based on the tilt of a drawing stylus. This option is most useful when used with Roundness. It is available only if you have a graphics tablet that can detect how close to vertical the pen is. The picture below shows two vertical lines with different inclination.

• Bearing creates a brush that varies in angle, roundness, or diameter based on the bearing of the pen. This option is most useful when used to control the angle of calligraphic brushes, especially when you’re using the brush like a paintbrush. It is available only if you have a graphics tablet that can detect the direction in which the pen is tilted. The picture below shows a horizontal line which when creating I was inclining Stylus in different direction.

• Rotation creates a brush that varies in angle, roundness, or diameter based on how the drawing stylus pen tip is rotated. This option is most useful when used to control the angle of calligraphic brushes, especially when you’re using the brush like a flat pen. It is available only if you have a graphics tablet that can detect this type of rotation.

I think there is enough theory for today. Let’s practice.

Exercise 1

To begin, let’s learn how to create lines of variable thickness, the shape of which is most frequently used in the graphic artworks. Brush settings should be as simple as possible (round brush, diameter dependant on pressure).

Exercise 2

Now we can move on to creating an artwork. Vector illustration, in most cases, is created based on a sketch created in Photoshop or a scanned pencil drawing. I think it will be easier to work with the finished illustration, where lines of the path are clearly visible. I scanned a traditional coloring book for kids and placed it in the document (File > Place …).

Change the brush parameters to ones shown in the picture below.

The purpose of this exercise is simply to repeat the path of the image, not caring about the path of variable thickness yet. In the process, you can reconfigure the Fidelity and Smoothness, as indicated above. It is not necessary to copy the whole image, it is enough to feel that you are hand drawing confidently, and that you understand how the parameters of the brush affect the smoothness of the line, as well as how quickly you need to create a line. Use the keys “[" to decrease and "]” to increase the diameter of the brush. Brush color should be chosen different from the color of the sketch path (e.g. red).

Exercise 3

Set the brush diameter to be related to pressure.

Try to copy the thickness of the path of the scanned image.

Working with such an image, you will quickly learn to wield a stylus.

Conclusion

Only practice and a desire to draw will teach you how to perfectly master this wonderful tool. In the next tutorial we will work with other drawing tools and learn how to color images with a graphic tablet.

Continue reading with the next part instalment of this tutorial: Vector Drawing with a Graphic Tablet (Part 2 – Coloring)

Footnote: A Wacom Intous 4 tablet was used for the creation of this article.

About the author

My name is Iaroslav Lazunov, I am a graphic designer from Zhytomyr, Ukraine. I am glad that I finally found the job in my life that I can share my knowledge and experiments with you in my tutorials.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook or visit my blog Vectorboom.

This tutorial covers the issues concerning the creation and pre-press workflow of a vector file. When creating an artwork that you are going to print, you should take into consideration the design’s technical factors. Phantasm CS allows you to quickly analyse and prepare the created artwork for printing. Let’s get started!

Step 1

Open Adobe Illustrator and create a new document. Since our image has to be prepared for printing, select Print Document.

Such document already contains the parameters needed for printing: CMYK color mode and a 300dpi resolution for raster effects.

If you open another type of the document or you are already working in the document with different parameters, you can always set the parameters required for printing. To set the color mode, go to File > Document Color Mode > CMYK color. To set the resolution for raster effects, go to Effect > Document Raster Effects Settings… and set 300dpi in the dialog box.

Step 2

Take the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle.

To round the corners, use the Dynamic Corners Tool that is one of the tools of the VectorScribe plugin. So, take the Dynamic Corners Tool, open its panel (Windows > VectorScribe > Dynamic Corners), and set the radius of rounding in this panel.

Of course, the radius depends on the size of the rectangle and you must judge it by eye. Now simply click on all the corners of the rectangle to round them.

Note: alternatively, with VectorScribe, it’s possible to use the Dynamic Shapes tool to create a rectangle without rounded corners in one go. Please refer to VectorScribe’s movies page.

You do not need worry if you set a wrong radius, you can change its value after applying the tool to any corners or to all the corners simultaneously. This can be done by keying a new parameter in the Dynamic Corners panel or by dragging the end points of each corner.

Step 3

To create a Gift Card, we will be using a paper bitmap texture. For this, I have been using the Paper Texture Pack by Zememz which you can find following this link: Paper Texture Pack 2. Paste the bitmap texture into the workspace of your document (File > Place …). The resolution for raster textures should not exceed 300dpi, if you are planning to print the file as this will typically just increase file size and processing tims without any notable increase in end print quality. Now press the Embed button on the upper panel.

Step 4

With Phantasm CS, you do not need to pre-process the raster texture in Photoshop; this plugin has everything you need to do this directly within the document. Let’s replace the color of the texture; to do this, go to Effect > Phantasm CS > Hue / Saturation…, tick the “Colorize” option, and by moving the Hue and Saturation sliders, set the desired color.

Most of what you can do in Photoshop is now available directly in Adobe Illustrator using the Phantasm CS. For example, you can adjust the Levels of the image. To do this, go to Effect > Phantasm CS > Levels… and achieve the desired effect.

You can always change parameters of the applied effects; in order to access them, open the Appearance palette (Windows > Appearance).

Step 5

Now our texture should take the shape of our Gift Card, place the texture below the rounded rectangle, select both objects and click on the shortcuts Cmd / Ctrl + 7, creating a Clipping Mask.

Select the Clipping Path in the Layers panel, copy it and paste it in front (Ctrl / Cmd + C, Ctrl / Cmd + F). Fill a new object with a radial gradient from white to light beige colors.

Step 6

Set the Multiply Blending Mode for this object in the Transparency panel.

Please note that Blending Modes have different properties in different color models. That is why it is important to set the CMYK color mode at the beginning of the work if you are not using the Print Document default profile. Setting this color model in the final stage of the work may lead to unpredictable results. The picture below shows the same artwork in RGB and CMYK color modes.

Step 7

Create an edge on the card. Take the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a rectangle with no fill and a stroke of any color. Set the stroke width in the Stroke panel. With the help of the Dynamic Corners Tool, round the corners of the rectangle.

Select an edge and go to Object > Expand, then go to Object > Path > Offset Path… and set the offset value in the dialog box. In my case it is equal to -1mm.

Step 8

Fill the bottom, wider path with a linear gradient containing brown and yellow colors.

Fill the upper path with a linear gradient fill, which consists of alternating orange and yellow colors; make one gradient stop white in order to create an impression of reflective glare.

Now go to Object > Blend > Blend Options… and set the number of Specified Steps in the Blend Options dialogue window. Select both paths and go to Object > Blend > Make.

Step 9

To write the title on the card I used the Linux Libertine font, which you can download at the following link (Linux Libertine). You can adjust the settings of the text with the help of the Character panel (Windows > Type > Character).

It often happens that you send the source file to the publishing house to be printed and, most likely, the font you are using will not be installed on computer there. There are options to ensure that, if output as a PDF, the necessary font characters can be embedded in the saved file. Equally – and especially for a small amount of text as in this project – it is safe to convert the editable text into regular vector objects.We will use the latter method which is possible by selecting the text and opting for Type > Create Outlines.

Now you will avoid confusions with the font.

Step 10

Select the writing and a linear gradient fill, creating a play of light on the golden letters as shown in the figure below.

Now add some volume to the writing; select the whole text and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow… and set the parameters in the dialog box shown in the picture below.

Step 11

Decorate the Gift Card with a red ribbon bow. You can read about how to create a bow in my Vector Tuts+ tutorial “How to Create a Fancy Gift Bow using Adobe Illustrator“. Place the bow and ribbon in the corners of the card.

Now hide the parts of the ribbons that go beyond the boundaries of the card. Select the rounded rectangle created in step 5 and paste it in front and place it above all the objects (Object > Arrange > Bring to Front). For clarity, I set a blue stroke, but it is not necessary that you do that.

Step 12

Keeping the rounded rectangle selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path and set up a little offset value.

Now, the original path should be removed. Select the ribbon and the upper path, and use the shortcut Cmd / Ctrl + 7, thereby creating a Clipping Mask.

We have created a Clipping Mask a short distance from the card in order to create the impression of depth.

Step 13

With the help of the Pen Tool (P) create a shape of a shadow under the bow. Round the corners of this shape with the help of the Dynamic Corners Tool.

Keeping the shape of a shadow selected, go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur… and set the blurring radius in the dialog window.

Now set 70% opacity in the Transparency panel.

Step 14

This step is only relevant for those who are running the Phantasm CS full 7 day trial version or have purchased Phantasm CS Publisher.

Phantasm CS Publisher’s advanced tools allow you more flexibility in customizing the shadow. Let’s see how it can be done. Select the shape of the shadow and go to Effect > Phantasm CS > Curves…, now in the dialog window choose the Cannel: Image Alpha. By changing the shape of the curve in the dialog box, watch the changes occurring with the shadow.

These manipulations can change the intensity of the shadow, remove its borders, change the smoothness of transition. In addition, you can apply the Phantasm CS Curves effect to the shadow multiple times to better achieve your desired result. In other words, you get a full control over the shadow.

Oh, I love being in charge on the situation! More information about the application of the Phantasm CS Curves effect you can find by clicking on the following link: Phantasm CS movies.

Step 15

Now that all of the Gift Card elements are created, group them up (Cmd / Ctrl + G) and turn them at a certain angle.

With the help of the Pen Tool (P) create a shape of a shadow under the card and fill it with gray.

Blur this shape, using the technique described in the previous step.

Step 16

Preparation of vector artwork depends on a lot of specific printing settings such as the type of print method (eg. offset, digital, flexo, etc.); the type of paper to be printed on; your printer’s or publisher’s color management policies; the time that you should spend on printing and, finally, your budget.

To keep this tutorial from extended into 10′s of pages, we will stick to most default settings. But it is worth noting that you should consider specifying the type of paper you intend to print on by opening Edit > Assign Profile…. With a properly calibrated monitor (or indeed most non-calibrated ones), it is possible to notice differences in how different paper settings affect, for example, how Illustrator calculates the leve of ink coverage permitted for rich black, especially when handling transparency effects. This, and other related print topics have been discussed previously on this blog, including in the 10-part series Avoiding 10 Illustrator publishing pitfalls entries.

If in doubt, always ask your printer for assistance and advice. Good printers will always like to help as it will usually save them time in the long run, avoiding the need to heavily rework and prepare your artwork for print.

It is also possible to employ Phantasm CS Publisher to help you check for critical prepress print issues. For example, you can check the ink coverage to avoid areas excessive inking which can lead to long print drying times, soaked paper stock and print hold-ups. To check it, go to View > Output Preview > Ink Coverage.

Warning triangles indicate levels of excessive color overlay based on the profile assigned to the document (see previous).

The “Base Levels on Profile” button automatically calculates recommended levels of acceptable ink coverage based on the profile assigned (Edit> Assign Profile …). You can also manually enter the parameters (these parameters can suggested by your printers as well) and the Phantasm CS Publisher tool allows you to visually check for problematic areas in the artwork.

If you have a certain profile which is likely to be re-used, you can save the settings as a default. See the Ink Coverage movie for more information.

Step 17

At the bottom of the Phantasm CS Publisher Output Preview dialog window we can see the approximate amount of total ink coverage required to print the image. For very high print volumes, the amount of ink required can have an effect on the total print cost. You may therefore wish to adjust your artwork and re-examine the ink coverage results to see if its possible to reduce the total ink usage and therefore the cost.

To remove any issues and / or reduce the amount of ink we can use the range of Phantasm CS color adjustment tools such as Hue / Saturation, Shift Color and Curves. This kind of correction is the topic for future tutorials.

Step 18

Phantasm CS Studio and Publisher also allows you to prepare a file for Screen printing. The Separations Tool is intended for these purposes (Window > Phantasm CS Separations).

After clicking the “Generate Separations” Phantasm CS creates a new file where the colors are separated and all necessary printing markings are generated. Once fully sepearated (each ink channel maintaining as much vector information as possible), it is possible to fully examine each separation and even further edit them. Many apparel sceenprinters already use this tool to help augment their designs or reprofile come areas using the Curves tool to help boost white base inks, etc.

Conclusion

Artwork pre-press is a complicated process which has a very important practical significance. Of course, I cannot reveal all of its aspects in one tutorial. Your interest in this topic will help to create a series of these kinds of tutorials. So be active, ask questions, suggest topics and wherever is possible will be covered on this web-site.

More information about using the Phantasm CS used in pre-press processing may be found at the following links:

• Banish overprint white
• Last minute embedded image editing
• Linked artwork perils
• Over-complex live Effects
• Rich black strokes and text
• Black not set to overprint
• Grayscale conversion and desaturation
• Excessive ink coverage
• Synchronizing duplicate images
• Get it proofed and approved

About the author

My name is Iaroslav Lazunov, I am a graphic designer from Zhytomyr, Ukraine. I am glad that I finally found the job in my life that I can share my knowledge and experiments with you in my tutorials.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook or visit my blog Vectorboom.

If you work with Adobe Illustrator, this is a very special interview with a person who you may not have heard of, but has probably had a major say in the way you work.

Brenda Sutherland is product manager for Adobe Illustrator. We had the great pleasure of meeting her last year when she visited our show stand in London in October. And it was a revelation, transforming the image in our minds of Adobe as a large anonymous corporate body into something altogether more personal. For we found Brenda to be experienced in design and pre-press, knowledgable and funny.

So we thought it time to introduce Brenda to you all in this comprehensive interview with questions contributed by some equally key figures in our industry. Enjoy!

Update 2 February 2012

Astute Graphics blog tutorial author Iaroslav Lazunov has opened this article up further to our international friends by translating this interview into Russian. This may be found on Iaroslav’s Vectorboom website: ru.vectorboom.com/load/stati/intervju/intervjuillustrator/10-1-0-50

Update 26 January 2012

Monika Gause has very kindly (and amazingly quickly!) translated this interview into German. This may be found on Monika’s Vektorgarten website: vektorgarten.de/interview-brenda-sutherland.html

Many thanks to Monika for her kind work!

The interview

Hi Brenda and many thanks for giving us the opportunity to ask you a few questions about a subject that is close to our blog follower’s and customer’s heart; Adobe Illustrator.

Firstly, congratulations on being one of the key custodians on a design product that has reached an astonishing (in software terms) 25 years of age. I won’t pretend to have been on the scene at the product’s inception, but I have spoken to, and worked with many who have. And they all say the same thing – it’s possible to directly draw a lineage from the first version to the latest. As you well know, the Pen tool is something many designers have, and continue to, grow up with, with some having learnt their craft in version 1.

But now we’re at this milestone, we are at a point of looking both forwards and backwards. Therefore a series of questions have been compiled from not only ourselves but also key designers and associates. We’d all appreciate your insight into how you become the current ringmaster, the current state-of-play and perhaps a peek into the crystal ball.

About Brenda

Q: Being a product manager doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a background in the product’s market. Is design, art, illustration or similar something you had a passion for in your early years?

I’ve always had a passion for art and remember clearly the day my life seemed to take a new direction. I was seven years old and on a class field trip to see a Norman Rockwell exhibit. Of course I was absolutely amazed by Rockwell’s paintings and Illustrations, but the biggest impact that day had on me was the realization that being an artist could actually be your “job”. That coloring, drawing, and modeling things with clay wasn’t just something to do during playtime, that it could in fact be your career.

Q from Monika Gause: What were your dreams after graduating from University? If someone had told you that you’d be travelling around the world being responsible for this kind of huge project, what would you have said to them?

A: While I’ve always been a dreamer, I have to say, if someone had looked into my future and told me this while I was in school, I wouldn’t have believed them. As much as I love my job I’m glad I didn’t know I’d be doing this then, because I think the path I took to get here, while unexpected, did a lot to prepare me.

While in school I worked at a print shop, doing graphic design and layout, but I actually graduated with a degree in Film and Television production. I worked in the television industry for a number of years before joining Adobe. Even while I worked in television, I continued to keep up with design, and freelanced as a graphic designer. That was when I learned Illustrator, on my Mac Classic. At the time I thought it was the most amazing program ever (and I still do!). It enabled me to create logos, illustrations, and various graphics, all from my little computer at home. No light table, Rapidographs, Exacto knifes or rub-on letters!

When I joined the Illustrator team I couldn’t believe I was working on this magical product, alongside such passionate, talented people. I couldn’t believe I was working on an application used by so many incredibly creative people around the world. After all these years, I still feel the same way.

Q: How long have you held the reins of Adobe Illustrator and how did the opportunity come about? What were your personal thoughts on the positives and negatives of the product when you became product manager?

A: I’ve been the primary Product Manager for the last year, and part of the Product Management team for the last five. When I joined as a quality engineer, we were just getting Illustrator 6 out the door. That was 16 years ago!

At that time, coming from a background of paste-up where everything was laid down on paper and edits were time consuming and difficult, the most compelling thing about Illustrator was that everything remained perfectly editable. It was so easy to adjust type, change colors, resize logos. Things we all take for granted now.

For me, the best part about being a product manager is providing solutions for our customers. I love meeting with customers and learning about how they use Illustrator. Being able to shape Illustrator into an even more powerful tool so they can do more in less time or expand their creative tool set is very exciting and fulfilling to me.

I feel that my biggest challenge to solve is that Illustrator is not an easy program to learn. My personal goal as a product manager is to continue to improve Illustrator’s usability. I not only want to make it easier for new users to learn, but make it faster to work in for our long time customers.

Illustrator in the market

Q from Iaroslav Lazunov: Why do you think the Adobe Illustrator became the leader in the market of vector editors? Is it the best editor or is successful marketing a key factor?

A: At the risk of sounding biased, yes, I do think Illustrator is the best vector editing and creation tool on the market by far. With our extensive toolset, wide range of formats, and integration with other Adobe products we offer our customers solutions that are unmatched.

It’s why we are not only the standard vector graphics tool for print, publishing and packaging designers, but also web and interactive designers. CAD and Industrial designers, fashion designers, medical illustrators, and many, many more consider Illustrator their primary, or one of their primary tools.

Q: What do you see as the three key advantages of Illustrator over, say, Corel, Xara or newcomers such as Artboard?

A:

• Illustrator’s integration and strong workflows with other Adobe products
• Illustrator’s ubiquity in the creative world
• Illustrator’s flexibility. While Illustrator’s feature set more than meets the needs of the majority of our customers, thanks to independent plugin developers, like yourselves, the application can be expanded for a wide range of customers with specialized needs.

Stability and upgrades

Q combined from numerous contributors including Von Glitschka, Iaroslav Lazunov, Sean Ferguson and more:
Stability is a key concern for many users. When Illustrator crashes taking potentially hours of work, the frustration is understandable. The latest topic for stability appears to be CS5′s interaction with Mac OS 10.7 with rendering issues and more. What is the best way for users to report issues? Can each bug report from a customer expect a personal answer and a commitment to a fix for verified/repeatable issues? And what priority does Adobe give to bug fixes over, for example, new features, licensing changes and accommodating new digital media?

A: Stability is a key concern for us as well, and is our highest priority! We track every crash log sent to us (via crash reporter) and read every bug report and feature request submitted via Adobe.com. While we are not able to answer every one personally, we are certainly tuned in and work hard to address these issues in dot releases and versions under development. We also work with partners, including Apple, to resolve compatibility issues with their products.

Q: Adobe is now offering a new licensing model which allows professionals to access a product which usually retails in the UK for around £600 GBP (about $900 USD / €700 EUR) on an alternative monthly subscription basis. Does this herald a new development cycle intent, moving away from the suite-wide 18-24 month major updates? Will more frequent updates allow for regular stability and minor feature improvements?

A: More frequent updates will definitely allow us to make regular improvements that will include bug fixes, performance enhancements and even new features. We’ll be able to offer far more than is currently possible with a onetime purchase and dot releases. That said, subscriptions will not be replacing the current release cycle any time soon. Customers will continue to have both options.

Q from Sean Hodge, Vector Tuts+ editor: Many people skip versions for various reasons (cost, lack or requirement for new features in certain release, etc.). The new policy of only allowing upgrades from a previous version could alienate many users. Are Adobe confident that they will entice users to each and every new release of Illustrator without potentially losing existing customers for ever?

A: Customers have spoken out about this, and Adobe has listened! Customers with CS3, CS4 and CS5 will be eligible to upgrade through the end of 2012. If you’d like more details, they’re available here: www.adobe.com/products/creativesuite/faq/upgrade-policy.html

Looking into the future

Q from Sean Hodge: Adobe recently announced its Creative Cloud offering to its customers. What do you feel the benefits to Illustrator users of Adobe’s new Creative Cloud approach will be? Do you see it purely from an alternative licensing viewpoint or do you envisage that one day many Illustrator users will choose to store their artwork in the Adobe Creative Cloud? If so, would Illustrator’s file size need to be condensed further to make it a practical proposition?

A: I see many benefits to our customers through Creative Cloud and subscription licensing. One of the most exciting to me is the cost of entry! I often meet students and designers who are just starting out and can’t afford the latest versions of our products. The subscription model makes it’s so much easier to get the latest products from Adobe and stay current!

Also, there is so much more to Creative Cloud than subscription licensing! It’s a whole new way of working. Of being able to move freely between your Adobe products through your desktop, your tablet, even your phone. The best way to learn about what this really means is to check out our web site on Creative Cloud.

www.adobe.com/products/creativecloud.html

Q from Bjorn Willems, Product Manager at Esko: Is Adobe planning on making a server version of Illustrator like they did with InDesign?

A: While we don’t have any current plans for a server version, nothing, and I mean nothing, is out of the realm of future possibilities.

Q from Sean Ferguson, Iaroslav Lazunov and others: The process for choosing new features appears to be a mystical one for many customers. For example, a call for multiple artboards echoed for years and was finally implemented in Illustrator CS4, whilst an equally called-for Auto-Save feature remains conspicuous by its absence. Does Adobe listen to customers, or even go out of their way to enquire what they may wish to see in the next version? Is there constant monitoring of Adobe forums for feedback and suggestions? How does a new feature make its way to the top of the list?

A: We absolutely listen to our customers and seek their feedback though all phases of product development! And that does include the User 2 User forums and our Facebook page as well as feature requests submitted to adobe.com

I know from the outside it seems like a simple matter of knowing that something is desired by so many, so why not put it in then next release? But there is a lot more to it than that. Every enhancement and possible new feature has to be researched. We need to determine what the use cases are, the problems we want to solve, and of course, what the best solution is. Then we look at the various ways we can implement the feature, thinking about function and usability. We do this for a large number of features and enhancements in every release. However, with any product that has to be delivered on schedule, we are limited in how much we can accomplish in any single production cycle. So we have to prioritize all of the things we want to do and make tough decisions every time about what makes it in, and what needs to wait for the future.

Above: Brenda (front, centre) visiting the Astute Graphics stand at the London International Technology Show, 2011. And yes – she was taking notes following stand visitor comments as well as the chats amongst us all in the evening.

Q from Sean Ferguson and others: Adobe has a huge advantage in offering a suite of products. Whereas there is already much integration, do you see remaining holes being plugged soon such as comprehensive copying/pasting between Illustrator and InDesign? Or will there ultimately be one converged design and publishing app?

A: Our cross product integration improves with every release, and we continue to work hard to make moving between our products as seamless as possible.

As for eventually converging into one design and publishing app, I don’t think that would serve our customers very well. Having separate applications gives our customers a lot of freedom in their workflows and is one of the reasons our products are used in so many different fields and industries. A videographer, a textile designer, and a web designer may all use Illustrator everyday, but their workflows, tools sets, and use of other Creative Suite products will vary considerably. Having just one application, one size fits all, would increase the app size, the learning curve, and the time it would take to navigate through all the menus and panels. That wouldn’t benefit anyone.

Brenda and Illustrator

Q from Monika Gause: Do you still find the time for personal artistic work? Which media do you use?

A: I wish I could say I did, but between my duties as Product Manager and my duties as a parent, I don’t have much time to spend on any personal art. I have enjoyed volunteering at my son’s school, giving art lessons the last few years. So I guess my most recent media has been colored construction paper and tempera paints.

I also get a chance now and then to do things for friends and family. My husband brews his own beer, so my contribution is creating the labels [see example below]

Q from Monika Gause and Sean Hodge: What is your favourite tool in Illustrator? Can you give a couple of short tips on tools which can help a workflow but often get overlooked?

A: Now that’s like asking a mother to choose her favorite child! Honestly, there are so many features that are special to me for so many different reasons. But I’ll share some insight into some tools that I think are often overlooked when they should be part of every designer’s daily workflow.

Symbols are extremely powerful and many users never discover them. Symbols can help reduce file size, save hours of time when editing files, and have some fun, creative uses as well. The Shapebuilder tool is a lifesaver when it comes to combining and deleting objects to make new shapes. The Variable width tool makes it so easy to create strokes with a non-uniform width, so they look hand-drawn rather than computer generated. And if you are not using the Appearance panel now to change and apply attributes to objects, groups and layers, then I recommend you start because it’s incredibly powerful and a tremendous time saver.

Many thanks for your answers. Illustrator remains a cornerstone for many designers across the world and we would like to wish you and the team a wonderful celebratory year!

A: Thank you Nick. It’s been a pleasure! I also want to let you know that the Illustrator team and I are really excited about the tools you and your team at Astute provide that extend Illustrators abilities even further! We’re really looking forward to seeing what you come out with next!

Nicholas van der Walle

A huge thanks to all who helped devising questions for Brenda. The above questions only represent a quarter of the ones received!

Wacom has been present in the professional designer’s arena for many years now. The first Wacom device was purchased by this author around 15 years ago – a small A6-sized beige device. But Wacom have invested much in their innovative technology over the years, culminating in today’s Bamboo, Intuos and range-topping Cintiq products.

Much has been written about these seemingly optional graphics devices (even today, Computer Arts magazine published an overview on their website – click here), but relatively little in relation to working specifically with vector drawings. This article starts the discussion…

Meet the Wacom graphics tablet family

Wacom’s extended range of graphics tablets all revolve around their core technology; the battery-less, wireless, pressure-sensitive pen. How does it work? Goodness-knows. It seems a little magic that the latest pens can allow a computer to determine the pressure being applied on the nib of the pen (when used over the tablet’s active area), the angle, reverse rubber pressure and more. But work it does, and very well. There are alternatives to Wacom’s technology, but they all tend to pale in comparison when it comes to quality of result and manufacture.

You pay for a Wacom device, though. In recent years, Wacom have eased this situation by adding the entry-level Bamboo range. typically smaller devices, they come in several guises, including combined pen and (finger) multi-touch. The quality of the Bamboo device remains high but the typically come in smaller sizes.

If you’re a professional, or serious, designer, you tend to feel compelled to consider the Intuos range as the bare minimum. This is where things start getting more expensive, but not prohibitively so, up to a size. The most popular variants tend to be the A5 or A4 sized Intuos tablets, although they are available larger and smaller.

The Intuos range also offers a wider range of input device over and above the default pen. The A4-sized model can come with a cordless mouse (sadly the one in our office failed after a year), but optional additions include an airbrush-like device and more. But when drawing vector artwork, the pen is likely to be your best bet, with the Wacom mouse being an expensive replacement for a normal wireless mouse – which are likely to be better.

And then we reach the Cintiq. A few thousand $$$ burning a hole in your pocket? Excellent! You now know what to splash out on. The Cintiq is a combination of an LCD monitor and a Wacom tablet technology which means you draw on the screen and depending on the software beneath, the art flows realistically as a result. The Cintiq now comes in three sizes from the 12″ through to the 24″. The latter is a full 1080HD display.

In the hands of an illustrator

So that’s the family introduced. And intentionally, the newer Inkling device is not included as it’s not technically the same thing.

What are they actually like to work with? Well, we were in a perfect position to answer this last week as we had a full-house collection in the office which included a Bamboo, A4-sized Intuos (albeit an Intuos 3, but functionally very similar to the current Intuos 4) and a Cintiq 21. The latter was very kindly loaned by Wacom Europe — see the header image in this article — for some promotional video work, and made its presence immediately felt.

The Bamboo was a really nice, compact version of the Intuos tablets. It’s a bit discourteous to call it a casual device for amateurs. In reality, when drawing vector illustrations, it proved to be equally capable. The size can make things a little harder as the position of the pen on the tablet’s active drawing area is a direct correlation of the cursor position on the monitor. So small movements can initially appear to make the pointer hyper-active. But you soon get used to this, and larger versions of the Bamboo are available too.

More work took place on the A4 Intuos. Perhaps it can be argued that A4 is too large as you tend to find yourself sweeping your hand from one corner to the other. But the trade-off is a greater amount of precision in movement. And the pressure levels are very well translated, with a very nifty “Tip feel” general Wacom driver preference available allowing a user to fine-tune the correlation between pressure applied to the pen nib and resultant effect on the screen. If you draw with the subtlety of an elephant (yes – I admit to it), this option can make the difference between annoyance and perfection.

And then all temptation was set free and the Cintiq was unleashed. Even before the pen (not compatible with the Intuos or Bamboo) was picked up, first impressions were of a very good quality display. Rich in color and in no way disturbed by the invisible tablet technology overlaying the screen.

But before you can launch fully into the Cintiq, one issue becomes immediately apparent the moment you put pen to screen; the correlation between pen nib position and cursor location. This should be expected as the pen rests a small distance above the screen, so depending on your viewpoint in relation to the screen, the result can easily be an offset difference. Thankfully Wacom provide a very easy calibration system which every Cintiq customer should run. By clicking on four targets, one in each corner of the screen, the driver can much better match you nib position and cursor. Just try to keep your viewpoint in one position, which in reality is normally the case.

The minimal setup was all worth it as using the Cintiq was the talking point in the office for a couple of days. It may weigh enough to consider additional desk supports and it may never be able to be angled perfectly upright (it would become unstable and end up hurting your feet!), but it was glorious to use. And we hardly opened Photoshop — we were almost exclusively using Illustrator with the Cintiq.

Dragging out the points and handles

This is all very nice, but what is it actually like to work in vector with the Wacom range? Regardless of which level of Wacom product you choose, there are a couple of immediately apparent points:

1. Drawing with the Pen tool offers no real advantage when a Wacom pen is in your hand. Drawing out points and Bezier handles is a precise motion that tends to be suited to the mouse. In fact, on occasion, guiding the Wacom pen to the correct point/handle or user interface option can sometimes be a little frustrating for those using the pen for the first time.
2. Using the Wacom pen to actually draw and sketch in vector is what it’s all about. And when using Illustrator, we’re referring primarily to the Pencil, Paintbrush and Blob Brush tools. What each of these tools have in common is that the user is not concerned about the location of individual points or handles, rather the end effect.

When creating paths using the Paintbrush Tool in combination with the Illustrator CS5 Bristle Brush feature, the results are much more realistic than if drawing using the mouse. This is because the Paintbrush Tool responds to the pressure, angle, bearing and more of the Wacom pen. You have to learn to set up your brush options first (articles will be forthcoming on this blog), and the lack of further width adjustment to the resultant bristle or calligraphic strokes can be annoying, but it’s a good basic tool

The Blob Brush Tool is a relative peculiarity, introduced in Illustrator in the past few years. The results remind you more of the way Flash draws vector (well, perhaps Flash of years gone by – who uses it now?). Each stroke is not simple path with variable width, but rather an instantly expanded complete profile. There are advantages in use including the quality of translation between the Wacom pen’s pressure and the resultant vector shape. But these can be outweighed by the lack of basic vector editing of the resultant shape’s backbone “spline” (central path). Instead, you would need to edit each point of the outlined shape.

If you do look at the Blob Brush Tool (which is recommended if you have a Wacom device next to you), be sure to double-click on the tool’s toolbox icon or press the Return key when in the tool to open the tool’s preferences window (above). This allows you to better control the resultant vectors based on your input.

What is missing in all of these Illustrator freehand-inclined drawing tools is the ability to adjust the settings once the line(s) has been drawn with the Wacom pen. Often it’s hard to recreate that perfectly drawn profile the first time, only to find out that, say, the Pencil Tool’s accuracy setting was not correct.

The other current issue with the native Illustrator tools and a Wacom input device is that there’s no way to define the correlation between variable pressure and the resultant stroke width. For example, a setting defined by a curve relating to the input pressure and the resultant stroke width would be ideal.

Conclusion

Whereas the theory of using a Wacom applied equally to the Bamboo, Intuos and Cintiq, it was the latter which made the three other designers in the office want to sneak out of the door with it hidden in their bag. (They’d have needed a damn big bag!) It elevated the digital vector drawing experience much more. A minor gripe with the Cintiq was that you couldn’t see what was under your hand. Sounds strange, but if you are right-handed and wanted to trace an underlying image, tracing in a right-hand direction could be hit-or-miss. But let’s not forget that that is exactly the same as drawing on a bit of paper with a pencil. You could see it as being very realistic.

Beyond this, could you do all of the same artwork using a simple mouse? Well, yes, but you need to potentially invest much more time into your artwork creation. This is the thing about Wacom devices; they don’t necessarily translate into benefitting all vector workflows. For example, technical illustrators may be harder pushed to justify the investment when creating vector artwork in Illustrator.

However, if you like to draw more naturally, love vector artwork and have an irrational fear of the Illustrator Pen Tool, a Wacom device should seriously be investigated. If in doubt, start off with a Bamboo and then start thinking about which internal organs to sell in order to get your hands on a Cintiq.

Many hanks to Wacom Europe for the loan of the Cintiq, Laura for bringing along her personal Bamboo for testing and Neil Oseman for the on-location photography/filming.

Further reading

Our resident blog contributor, Iaroslav, will be publishing a 2 part mini series on this blog covering vector drawing in Illustrator using a Wacom tablet shortly. In the meantime, Ryan Putnam of the Vectips website has the following great realted material:

• Wacom settings in Illustrator
• Did You Know: Wacom Eraser?
• Create a Grimy Text Treatment with a Pen Tablet
• Create A Grisly Zombie Illustration With A Pen Tablet

In this tutorial we will finish the experiment which we started earlier in the pages of this blog (Stereoscopy entries). We will learn how to create 3D objects quickly and efficiently, place them in a perspective plane and create a vector Anaglyph Stereo Image with the help of Phantasm CS. The fact is that everything that was previously available for raster objects only is now applicable to vector ones too.

Creating the Anaglyph Stereo Images using the methods described in this tutorial are suitable only RGB color mode documents (File > Document Color Mode > RGB color). Make sure this color model is set in your document before beginning the tutorial.

Step 1

Let’s create a composition on which we will be experimenting. It will be better if it is a multi-dimensional composition consisting of several objects at different distances from the viewer. I think the chess board with a few chess pieces will fit well for this purpose. Start with creating the pieces. Take the Pen Tool (P) and create a path with yellow color fill similar to the one shown in the figure below.

This shape corresponds to half of the vertical section of the chess piece; in this case it is the king. In the future you will be able to modify this shape in order to achieve a better result. Select and group the object (Cmd / Ctrl + G).

Step 2

Keeping the group selected, go to Effect > 3D > Revolve… and set the parameters shown in the picture below.

To control the light of the 3D object, click on the More Options button in the dialog window and set the number of light sources, their intensity and location, watching the changes in your model. Also pay attention at the number of Blend Steps. In order not to overload your computer, the number of steps should not be more than 25 steps. Following all the transformations in this tutorial, you’ll be able to increase their number to the maximum to achieve a smooth result.

You can change the shape of the 3D object using the VectorScribe’s PathScribe Tool or the native Direct Selection Tool (A), controlling the position of the points of the path.

Step 3

With the help of the Rectangle Tool (M) create a rectangle. The left side of the rectangle must not go beyond the left side of the path of the chess pieces.

I rounded the right corners of the rectangle with the VectorScribe Dynamic Corners Tool. You can find comprehensive information about this tool and VectorScribe plugin by clicking on the following link www.astutegraphics.com/products/vectorscribe/movies.html.

Step 4

Drag the newly created object to the group to which you have applied the 3D effect. This action should be done in the Layers palette (Window > Layers), after which the object takes on the properties of the group, so it becomes a 3D object. The convenience of this technique requires no need to edit a complex path to achieve better results; you simply need to edit a simple object (for example, to change its position or shape).

Using this simple technique, create other elements — a chess king and pawn.

Step 5

Duplicate the resultant pieces and change their fill to brown color.

This number of chess pieces is enough for our composition. If you play chess, you know that using them you achieve an endgame.

Step 6

Let’s proceed to the creation of the chess board. Take the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a square with a brown fill.

Keeping the square selected, go to Object > Transform > Move… and set horizontal offset value, which is equal to the width of the square and click on the Copy button in the dialog window.

Click on the shortcuts Cmd / Ctrl + D (Transform Again), creating a series of rectangles.

Step 7

Select all the rectangles and go to Object > Transform > Move… and set the vertical offset value, which is equal to the height of the square and click on the Copy button in the dialog window.

Click on the shortcuts Cmd / Ctrl + D (Transform Again), creating a checkerboard plane.

With the Selection Tool (V), select squares in a checked pattern and replace their fill with yellow color.

Select all the rectangles and group them up (Cmd / Ctrl + G). Try to follow all my directions on the organization of working space, such as grouping up the objects, as it will simplify your work in the following steps. In addition, it is always easier and faster to work in the properly organized document.

Step 8

Place the checkerboard in a perspective plane. Take the Perspective Grid Tool (Shift + P) and go to View > Perspective Grid > One Point Perspective > [1P-Normal View].

Activate the Horizontal Grid on the Switching Widget and using the Perspective Selection Tool (Shift + V) drag the checkerboard to the Perspective Grid.

Step 9

Select the cells of the same color, and fill them with a linear gradient from light to dark shade of the basic color. This will enhance the illusion of perspective.

Step 10

Place the pieces on the board by changing their size with the Selection Tool (V) according to the principles of perspective distortion. This is not difficult to do, you just need to match the size of the base of the shape with the size of the cell on which you are going to put it.

Step 11

The problem is that our 3D objects are created regardless to linear perspective and have the properties of the isometric shapes. It’s not so noticeable on the distant objects, but it immediately catches the eye on the close ones. We’ll correct this error. Select the white king in the foreground, open the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance) and click on 3D Revolve in order to get access to the parameters of the effect.

Now set the angle of perspective in the 3D Revolve Options dialog window.

Step 12

Create the reflection of the shapes on the surface of the checkerboard. Select the shape and go to Object > Transform > Reflect… and click on the Copy button and click on the Copy button in the dialog window.

Move the copy horizontally-flipped, as it is shown in the picture below.

Step 13

Take the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle filled with black-and-white linear gradient. The rectangle should cover the entire shape of the reflection of the shape.

Select the reflection of the shape and rectangle, then click on the Make Opacity Mask in fly-out menu of the Transparency panel.

If you think the reflection is too bright, reduce its opacity.

Group up the shape and reflection. Using the described technique, create a reflection for the remaining pieces.

The composition is ready; group up all of its elements.

Step 14

Let’s create an Anaglyph Stereo Image. To test the effect of the stereo image you need special stereo glasses with red and blue glasses. You can buy them or make them yourself.

Copy the group with our composition and paste it in front (Cmd / Ctrl + C, Cmd / Ctrl + F). Apply a red separation for the upper group. This is possible to do if you have Phantasm CS Studio or Phantasm CS Publisher (or the full 7 day Trial version) installed to your computer. Select the upper group and go to Effect > Phantasm CS > Curves…. Select the red channel in the dialog window and move the bottom left point of the curve upward to the top, leaving the other channels of the object unchanged.

Step 15

Apply a cyan separation for the lower group. Select in the Layers palette and go to Effect > Phantasm CS > Curves…. Now select the green channel and move the bottom left point of the curve as upward.

Perform the same operation with the blue channel, leaving the red channel unchanged.

After these manipulations the upper and lower groups look as follows:

Set the “Darken” Blending mode for the upper group in the Transparency panel.

Step 16

Usually, to create stereo images, designers use stereo pairs. These are two pictures taken with the displacement of the camera position from 1 to 2 centimetres on the horizontal axis. This process mimics the image combined in the brain through the left and right eyes. Stereo pair modelling in Adobe Illustrator is a complex process. However, we can simulate a stereo pair, and thus to cheat our brain.

Select the group of objects that belongs to the white king in the foreground (shape and reflection) that is located in the group with the red separation. Make selections in the layers panel. Shift the selected objects horizontally to the left for some distance. Put the glasses on and check if our object looks 3D comparing to other objects.

Step 17

When we achieve the desired result, go to the next object, moving deeper into the composition. The secret is in the fact that the farther an object is from the viewer, the smaller should be the offset value of the shapes, and this is true in real stereo pairs.

Put the glasses on and check what I did. In my opinion, the controlling of the offset value will add volume to your composition. Pay attention that the checkerboard is not moved.

Conclusion

In order for your 3D objects to look smooth when rasterized, go to File > Export… and set the Anti-aliasing options in the dialog window.

I would really like to see your experiments. Create your vector stereo and leave links to them in the comments of this tutorial!

For inspiration, take a look at the gallery of similar artworks – Stereoscopic 3D Effect with Anaglyph Images.

About the author

My name is Iaroslav Lazunov, I am a graphic designer from Zhytomyr, Ukraine. I am glad that I finally found the job in my life that I can share my knowledge and experiments with you in my tutorials.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook or visit my blog Vectorboom.

In this tutorial we will learn how to create a Shopping Basket with the help of 3D modeling. I’ll share with you some secrets of working with such objects, and I will teach how to find shades for basic color quickly. For recoloring the objects we will be using Phantasm CS which makes this process much easier and faster.

Step 1

Take the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle with a stroke of gray color and no fill. Set the stroke width and the Align Stroke to Outside in the Stroke panel.

Round the corners of the rectangle with the help of the Dynamic Corners Tool, a tool of the VectorScribe plugin. Open the Dynamic Corners panel (Window > VectorScribe > Dynamic Corners), set the radius in it, and with the help of the Dynamic Corners Tool round the corners of the rectangle, simply by clicking on them.

The advantage of the Dynamic Corners Tool over the Rounded Rectangle Tool is in the dynamism of the tool and you’ll see it in the next steps.

Step 2

Create another small rectangle. Its size should correspond with the holes in the walls of the basket.

To round its angles, I was also using the Dynamic Corners Tool.

It is always a pleasure to work with the shapes that can be transformed easily. Select the rectangle and go to Object > Transform & Distort > Transform… and set the horizontal offset value and number of copies in the dialog window.

Re-apply Object > Transform & Distort > Transform… and set the vertical offset value and the new number of copies in the dialog window of the effect.

In fact, we only have one rectangle to which the effect is applied. Therefore, changing one shape, we will get changes in all of its copies.

I think the advantages of dynamic tools that are the tools of the VectorScribe plugin are obvious.

Step 3

Fill the rectangle with red color, it can be any color but different from the color of the stroke of a large rectangle that you created in step 1. Now, drag it to the Symbols panel and save as a new symbol.

Using the described technique, create another group of rectangles. Then, keeping it selected, go to Object > Expand Appearance and remove three rows of central rectangles, as it is shown in the picture below.

Move the obtained group to the Symbols panel, and save as a new symbol.

Step 4

Copy a large rectangle and paste it in front (Cmd / Ctrl + C; Cmd / Ctrl + F). Change the stroke color of the rectangle, and increase its thickness in the Stroke panel.

Basic elements for 3D modeling are ready.

Step 5

Proceed to the modeling of the basket. Select the rectangle with a gray stroke and go to Effect > 3D > Extrude & Bevel…. Set the parameters indicated in the picture below (I usually do not set the numerical values of the corners, and turn the cube so that the shape takes the necessary position. Extrude Depth parameter corresponds with the height of the basket.

Click on the the Map Art… button in the 3D Extrude & Bevel Options dialogue window, and in a new window apply the hole shapes created above to the walls of the basket (apply the first hole shape set to the long side and the second one to the short one). Background of the visible sides of the 3D object has light gray color, the non visible dark gray. This will help you to understand which sides to apply the colors.

You can always get access to 3D object through the Appearance panel.

Since we created the shape using the Dynamic Corners, we can therefore change the radius of corner rounding in the 3D object.

This is a great way to improve the result, not redoing everything from scratch.

Step 6

Select the second rectangle and go to Effect > 3D > Extrude & Bevel… and set the same parameters as for the first rectangle except for its height (Extrude Depth).

With the help of the Selection Tool (V) set this object for the top of the basket.

Step 7

Now create handles on the basket. With the help of the Pen Tool (P) create two vertical cuts of different length and align them vertically.

Now, connect them with the help of the Pen Tool (P).

Using this technique, create another trapezoid, the base of it should be smaller than of the first one. By moving its vertical segments vertically, try to make the sides parallel to the sides of the first trapezoid.

Select both trapezoids and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel.

Now, round inner and outer corners using the Dynamic Corners Tool.

Step 8

Select the handle and go to Effect > 3D > Extrude & Bevel… and by controlling the position of the cube in the dialog window, set the handle in the desired position.

Duplicate the handle (Opt / Alt while dragging) and set the copy on the opposite side of the basket.

Now the 3D modeling can be considered to be complete.

Step 9

Before the following steps set the Surface option to “No Shading” for all the 3D objects. This will greatly simplify our work.

Now select the whole basket and go to Object > Expand Appearance.

By this action we have transformed 3D objects into a group of simple vector objects.

Step 10

Before coloring the objects we have to perform certain actions. We have used 3D Map Art objects in our work. These objects after the Expand Appearance command will contain Clipping Masks. This makes it difficult to access objects when coloring. Therefore, Clipping Masks should be removed. Select all the objects and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Release, then go to Object > Path > Clean Up….

Step 11

Some objects have to be combined into one shape, because they represent a surface. Select those objects and click the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel.

I usually paint the surface in different colors; it makes work easier.

Step 12

We will create holes in the walls of the basket. Select the group of red rectangles and side baskets on which they are located (it is convenient to do this in the layers panel), then click on the Minus Front button in the Pathfinder panel.

Perform the same actions with the rest of the walls of the basket.

With the help of the Pen Tool (P) create a shape of the bottom of the basket and place it below all the objects.

Step 13

Proceed to the coloring of the elements of the basket. Fill the front of the basket with linear gradient which consists of different shades of red. Note that the lighter gradient sliders correspond to the corners of the basket. This allows us to add volume with a simple linear gradient.

To get bright colors, work in the RGB Color Mode (File > Document Color Mode > RGB color). Our image is intended for the Web, so the choice of such a color model is reasonable. To quickly obtain basic color shades, I use Color panel which opens when you double click on the gradient slider. Set the “HSB Color Mode” in the Color panel. This color model is useful for getting shades, at the same time your document will still stay in the RGB Color Mode. Now move the sliders H and B in the Color panel and get any shade of the basic color in a few seconds.

Step 14

Using the described technique, fill the surface of the upper part of the basket with a linear gradient.

Create complex lighting on the inner side of the basket with easy gradients. First, fill it with a linear gradient, as shown in the picture below.

Now add a new fill to this object in the Appearance panel and apply radial gradient which has one transparent slider to it.

Step 15

Fill the upper end of the basket with a vertical linear gradient.

Keep the object selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path… and set the offset value in the dialog window.

Fill the new shape with a linear gradient, which contains the darker shades of red than the original shape and move it slightly up. Due to the differences of the gradient shades of the upper and lower shapes we have got glares of light on the upper edge of the basket.

Step 16

Use a similar technique for the bottom of the basket. Fill the bottom of the shape with a linear gradient, one of the sliders of which is lighter than the others.

Now with the help of the Pen Tool (P) create a new shape and fill it with darker linear gradient. Round the corner of this shape with the help of the Dynamic Corners Tool.

Step 17

The walls of the baskets have a certain thickness, so we have to create an edge in every hole in the wall of the basket. Copy the front surface of the basket and paste it back (Cmd / Ctrl + C; Cmd / Ctrl + B). Take the Knife Tool and cut the copy along the trajectory AB.

Fill both sides with linear gradient which consists of very bright shades of red color, and move the parts of the shape using the arrow keys so that they could be seen in the holes of the basket. Thus, we have created a glare on the edges of the holes.

Using this technique, create the edges of the holes. This time, fill the shapes with gradient, which consists of brown shades.

Do the same manipulations with the holes on the inner surface of the basket.

Step 18

I didn’t use a different technique when coloring handles, so I will only show the process of applying the gradient fills.

Step 19

Let’s create glare on the basket. With the help of Pen Tool (P) create the shape shown in the figure below, and fill it with linear gradient from pink to burgundy color with 0% opacity.

Create similar shape on the far edge of the basket.

Step 20

In some areas, create glares with a special Art Brush. With the Ellipse Tool (L) create two circles with white fill. The diameter of the bigger circle is 5px, and of the smaller is 1px. A large circle has 0% transparency. Select both circles and go to Object > Blend > Blend Options… and set the number of Specified Steps in the dialog window. Now go to Object > Blend > Make.

Drag the resultant blend object to the Brushes panel and save the new brush as Art Brush.

Step 21

Take the Pen Tool (P) and create a vertical line at the nearer corner of the basket. Apply the brush created in previous step to this brush.

If the glare seems to be too bright, reduce its opacity in the Transparency panel.

The picture below shows the areas where you need to apply this brush.

Step 22

Now create shadow under the basket. With the help of the Pen Tool (P) create two shapes shown in the figure below. Both shapes are filled with black color. The bottom, larger shape has 0% opacity. Select both shapes and go to Object > Blend > Blend Options… and set the number of Specified Steps in the dialog window. Now go to Object > Blend > Make.

Round the corners of the shape using the Dynamic Corners Tool.

Step 23

In practice, it often happens that we need to create multiple color variations of the image. This is not difficult to do if you are using Phantasm CS in your artwork. Select the objects that are going to be recolored, group them for convenience (Cmd / Ctrl + G), and go to Effect > Phantasm CS > Hue / Saturation…. Tick the “Colorize” option and by controlling Hue and Saturation sliders, set the desired color.

So, I easily created green and blue variants of the basket.

Step 24

To get some colors, you need to apply multiple effects. All these effects are available in Phantasm CS that gives you more flexibility working with color. So, to get a yellow version of the basket, first apply Phantasm CS Hue / Saturation effect.

Then apply the Phantasm CS Curves (Effect > Phantasm CS > Curves…).

And finally adjust the levels of the image with the help of the Phantasm CS Levels (Effect > Phantasm CS > Levels…), getting a golden color for our basket.

These are tricks that Phantasm CS can do, my friends.

Conclusion

For more information about plugins used in this tutorial follow these links:

• Phantasm CS movies
• VectorScribe movies

Download the tutorial artwork

Click here for the Illustrator CS4 artwork…

Click here for the Illustrator CS5 artwork…

About the author

My name is Iaroslav Lazunov, I am a graphic designer from Zhytomyr, Ukraine. I am glad that I finally found the job in my life that I can share my knowledge and experiments with you in my tutorials.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook or visit my blog Vectorboom.

Happy New Year!

With 109 articles published on the Astute Graphics Blog in 2011, many of which being comprehensive new and unique tutorials, we feel safe in justifying a de-rigueur “Best of 2011″!

This “Best of” list is based on visitor levels, feedback and our personal preferences. Enjoy!

Guest authors

We are proud of having signed-up the prolific and popular vector artwork tutorial writer Iaroslav Lazunov in the second half of 2011. Many of the the articles featured here are his work.

As part of our ongoing commitment to our customers, we wish to introduce further special guest authors throughout 2012. We have already received wonderful feedback based on the articles published to date, many of which point to the benefits of getting the most out of VectorScribe and Phantasm CS.

Being informed of the latest articles

The quickest and easiest way to stay informed of the latest AG Blog articles is by following us on Twitter: @astutegraphics.

Vector design tutorials

Most of these tutorials feature VectorScribe and Phantasm CS tools. If you use either of these, or just vanilla Adobe Illustrator, they are highly recommended reading to help you got more from your vector design workflow.

How to Create Vector Denim Texture : Receiving the most response via the blog, Twitter, email and more, this article by Iaroslav demonstrated what must be the most realistic vector demon texture ever. Final artwork freely available to download at the end of the article.

Happy Drummer : A wonderfully comprehensive tutorial which shows how to work faster in basic vector shape creation. Final artwork freely available to download at the end of the article.

How to Create a Hologram Sticker : Visually striking, the resultant artwork from this tutorial caught reader’s imagination. Dynamic and fully editable whilst making use of the very popular VectorScribe Dynamic Shapes tool.

How to Create a Night City scene : With the car’s lights streaking by, the lights glowing from the skyscrapers and a glow in the sky, the secrets behind the creation of this atmospheric scene is laid bare.

How to Create Proper Gears : Gears; you see them featured in so many designs. And yet many people wince at the inaccurate cartoon style of many examples. Here, Iaroslav makes use of VectorScribe to draw out some that look that they could actually work. Nice.

How to Create a 3D Film Strip : Using the 3D tools in Illustrator appeared to be a popular topic in 2011. This great tutorial jumped firmly in the front seat of this bandwagon and showed how, with the help of VectorScribe, a wonderful result could be achieved. Final artwork freely available to download at the end of the article.

Create a Steaming Kettle : A personal favourite here as Astute Towers; both for the streamlined methods of drawing in vector (with the help of VectorScribe‘s tools) but also for the very realistic vector steam effect. Final artwork freely available to download at the end of the article.

How to Create a Tennis Ball : A ball. Seems simple, right? Well, this is a mighty step better featuring a random texture and accurate dividing curvature around the surface. The related quick tip on how to create a grass background is likely to be of interest too.

And much more…

Shortcuts : Work quicker and smarter when using VectorScribe and Adobe Illustrator. These series of articles show each available shortcut.

New advanced Ink Coverage tool in Phantasm CS Publisher version 2 : 2011 saw the release of Phantasm CS Publisher version 2 which brought major enhancements for the pre-press operators and designers. The improved Ink Coverage tool was a great hit! This article shows it in action on a hi-fi color image.

An initial series of fashion-related articles started appearing in 2011. This follows the increasing number of fashion designers using both VectorScribe and Phantasm CS from leading brands such as Nike, Adidas, Bench. and Esprit. More articles directed to the fashion industry is planned for 2012.

What happens if the Phantasm CS plugin is not present? This is a question often received. Don’t panic! The news is good. And this full story could be found in this article.

Vector Basic Training book by Von Glitschka : Learn more and do more. This shouldn’t just be restricted to reading blogs (yes – we realise THIS is a blog…!) but remember that medium called “books”? Thankfully the very talented vector designer Von Glitschka did and wrote a wonderful and deservedly popular book about our world. Here was our review which partly led to us bringing him over to the UK to give a free talk at the London IT Show in October.

Free and Useful Adobe Illustrator Scripts with Scriptographer : Showing the possibilities on offer with the premier free Illustrator plugin was enlightening for many. Scriptographer allows for wonderful and flexible vector artwork results. Worth looking into.

We’d also like to extend season’s greeting and festive wishes.

Astute Graphics’ office will be closed on, and between the following dates:

Thursday, 22 December 2011
Tuesday, 3 January 2012

There will be limited online support between Christmas and the New Year.

We’re very sorry for all the hassle that this annoying message caused to the few. But finally we now think the outside negative influence on the VectorScribe plugin has been eradicated with yesterday’s free upgrade to VectorScribe version 1.2 (details here).

Many thanks to the group of customers and users who experienced this issue and were willing to test the fix over past few weeks. So far, it appears to be a complete cure.

If you have experienced the Filter error message, please upgrade to version 1.2.