Category: Tutorials: Illustrator

 

This tutorial is about how to make seamless textures in a more comfortable way than with the “make pattern” funcion.

After you are done with this setup you never have to do it again. Just save it under a different name before you start drawing. You can use it as a template for every new texture or mirrored Image you want to draw.

 

Let’s get started:

• Create your document as a square for eg. 1024 X 1024, 2048 X 2048, 4096 X 4096 and so on.
• Create 3 layers.
  • One layer will be set up a way, that will mirror left and right.
  • One layer will mirror top and bottom.
  • One layer will be a normal layer, where you can draw freely.
• Name the layers. For eg. “left right mirror”, “top bottom mirror”, “free layer”
• Set up the layer “left right mirror” the way it’s described in this tutorial: https://www.vecteezy.com/deals/how-to-do-live-mirror-drawing-in-adobe-illustrator-cc
• Do the same with you “top bottom layer”, but this time set the axis of symmetry under Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform… (Step 4) to “reflect Y”
• Don’t do anything with the “free layer”.

Your layers should now look like this:

And work like this:

• If you select the layer “left right mirror” and draw something, it should be reflected verticaly.
• If you select the layer “top bottom mirror”, your drawing should be reflected horizontaly.
• If you draw on the “free layer” nothing should be reflected. ^^

→ If so, you are done!

Save this setup and carry on with a different name for your document. Start drawing your first texture. Use the layers as described in the image below.

Have fun. 🙂

 

 

There are tons of Illustrator tutorials out there in the web. But exactly that made it challenging for me to find out how I should get startet.

Most tutorials for beginners I found wanted me to rebuild a specific image. Nothing left over for your creativity and nothing new to create. I didn’t even try one of them, because I knew it wouldn’t be fun. Learning is easyer and stays in your mind better, the more you are involved in the learning process.

Finally I found a tutorial, that did nothing more but explained how the tools work. It was exactly what I needed to get startet with my own first Illustrator project as soon as possible. Within a short while I felt at home in Illustrator and knew better what to search for when facing a problem.

Now brought to you: The best Illustrator tutorial for beginners (in my opinion):

“How to Use Adobe Illustrator” by William “Focus” DuBois:

http://www.howcast.com/guides/1148-how-to-use-adobe-illustrator

Notes:

• The actual tutorial starts with the second episode.
• I recommend to watch the first episode anyway.