In Adobe¨ Illustrator¨ CS2, gradients allow you to fill an object
with gradations of color that blend into each other. Although these gradients
are certainly useful, they are limited from a creative standpoint because they
can only be used in linear or radial forms. In Illustrator 8, Adobe introduced
a radical new feature called Gradient Mesh: an incredible tool that allows you
to create gradients in any shape. The results are painterly effects that look
as if they had come right out of Adobe Photoshop¨Ñyet they are all in vector
form using the gradient mesh feature. And if you can achieve the appearance
youÕre looking for while keeping your file in vector form, you can keep your
art completely scalable and editable throughout the design process. For example,
changing one color in a gradient mesh is far easier than trying to replace a
color thatÕs used in a Photoshop file.
However, the Gradient Mesh tool isnÕt the easiest feature to
understand. Many people would like to use the feature, but they canÕt figure
out any consistent way to explain its behavior. Hopefully, this tutorial will
help you understand what a gradient mesh is and how it works.
Before you learn how gradients are applied, letÕs talk about what
a mesh is. A mesh is a grid made up of multiple anchor points, called mesh
points.
You can pull or adjust each of these anchor points to control the
shape of the mesh. A mesh is really a special kind of construct or object in
Illustrator, and it does not act like a regular path does. Mesh objects do not
have normal Fill or Stroke attributes and canÕt display certain kinds of Live
Effects. Rather, you use mesh objects to contain two kinds of attributes in
Illustrator: Gradients and Envelopes. When youÕre using a mesh to define a
gradient, each mesh point determines a color stop and the way in which that
color blends into other colors.
Create and edit a Gradient Mesh Object
To create a Gradient Mesh
object, choose the Mesh tool from the Toolbox and click any vector path in your
document. You donÕt draw Gradient Mesh objects from scratch in Illustrator; you
convert existing vector shapes to mesh objects. Each click with the Mesh tool
adds additional mesh points to the mesh object. YouÕll also notice that as you
add mesh points to an object, the paths that connect the mesh points match the
contours of the object.
Once you have mesh points
defined, you can switch to the Direct Selection tool and select each individual
mesh point to adjust its position and its direction handles.
With a mesh point selected,
you can choose a color from the Control, Swatches, or Color palette to define
the color for that point. Each mesh point can contain only one color. Each mesh
pointÕs direction handles and paths define how its color blends with other
colors from other mesh points.
As needed, you can switch back to the Mesh tool and click to add
additional mesh points.
You can also create a gradient mesh from an existing vector
object. With the object selected, choose Object > Create Gradient Mesh. You
can then choose how many rows or columns you want in the mesh, and if the
object is filled with a color, you can specify a highlight towards the center
or the edge of the object. Once the gradient mesh is created, you can continue
to tweak it using the methods mentioned previously.
Note: If you converted a
path to a mesh object and then want to get the path back, you can select the
mesh object and use the Offset Path function with a setting of 0. This action
creates a new path that you can edit and color as you wish.
http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/tutorials/gradientmesh/
Using IllustratorÕs Gradient Mesh feature you can make complex
fills that have amazing realism. I have seen incredible examples of this, like
the flower that was the logo for Illustrator CS and of course, Venus, who
graced the Illustrator box and the top of the toolbox for many versions. So how
do you use this wonderful tool? The best way to learn it is to jump right in
and experiment with it.
To
experiment with the tool, draw a simple shape like this ellipse. Use a solid
color fill for this exercise; the Gradient Mesh tool will not work with
pattern fills, and to keep a gradient fill you already have on an object there
is an extra step. (Select the object, and go to Object > Expand and choose
Fill. Then create the gradient mesh.) You
can have a stroke, but the Gradient Mesh tool will remove it. One thing to
remember when using the Gradient Mesh tool is that when you use this tool on an
object, it converts it to a Gradient Mesh Object. Editing the points of the
Gradient Mesh can also change the shape of the object as well as the color.
Make sure the fill color is the active chip in the toolbox or the
Gradient Mesh tool will have no effect. Activate the Gradient Mesh tool in the
toolbox and click once on the ellipse. I clicked in the center just to show how
much difference this tool can make even with one point of color added. The
center point is selected; just use the color palette to change the color, and
the color of the point changes, and shades into the rest of the ellipse.
Add points clicking with the Gradient Mesh tool, and change the
color as desired with the color palette.
Points can be moved and edited using the direct selection tool or
the Gradient Mesh tool, and the colors are redistributed on the mesh
automatically. If you are using the Gradient Mesh tool, make sure you are
exactly on the point you want to move, or the tool will add another point. Select
multiple points to recolor or move by holding the shift key as you click on the
point with the Direct Selection tool. You can also use the arrow keys to
precisely move selected points.
You can set up the mesh with as many points as you wish
before coloring too. Go to Objects > Create Gradient Mesh and set the
desired number of points across and down. For an automatic start to the
shading, choose whether you
want the mesh to shade to the center or to the outside. If you choose Flat,
there will be points but no shading until you change the color of the points.
Even though you can do it this way, I rarely do as I find it doesnÕt always
place the points where I want them, so I prefer to add them myself with the
Gradient Mesh tool.
You can use also recolor clipart. There is some clipart already in
Illustrator format in the Goodies folder on your Illustrator CD. Inside the
Goodies folder is a folder called Clip Art and Stock Photos. Find a piece of
clipart you like and start experimenting.
Tracing clipart works as well. Your initial drawing can be very
rough, as mentioned before. Not only doesnÕt it have to be perfect, the lines
can overlap. Use Live Paint to
fill the parts of the drawing with the base colors, and then use the Gradient
Mesh tool to add the shading. After you start to use the mesh tool, the strokes
are removed, and youÕll be able to move individual points to close any gaps.
You could also use IllustratorÕs Live Trace feature to trace a
photo and use the Gradient Mesh tool for shading. This is an extremely powerful
tool that is also a lot of fun to use!