3.6. Painting with fills, strokes and Using symbols

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Table of Contents

  1. Painting Methods
    • 1.1. Understanding Fills and Strokes
    • 1.2. Applying Fills and Strokes
    • 1.3. Using the Color Picker and Swatches
  2. Creating and Using Gradients
    • 2.1. Accessing the Gradient Panel
    • 2.2. Creating a Gradient
    • 2.3. Editing Gradients
    • 2.4. Applying Gradients to Objects
  3. Working with Live Paint Groups
    • 3.1. Creating a Live Paint Group
    • 3.2. Painting with Live Paint
    • 3.3. Expanding Live Paint Groups
  4. Understanding Pixel-Aligned Paths
    • 4.1. What are Pixel-Aligned Paths?
    • 4.2. Creating Pixel-Aligned Paths
    • 4.3. Benefits of Pixel Alignment
  5. Working with Symbols
    • 5.1. Accessing the Symbols Panel
    • 5.2. Creating Symbols
    • 5.3. Using Symbols in Your Artwork
  6. Symbolism Tools and Sets
    • 6.1. Using the Symbol Sprayer Tool
    • 6.2. Symbol Stainer and Symbol Sizer
    • 6.3. Managing Symbol Sets

1. Painting Methods

1.1. Understanding Fills and Strokes

  • Fill: The color or pattern inside a shape or object.
  • Stroke: The color, weight, and style of the outline of a shape or object.

1.2. Applying Fills and Strokes

  • Select Object: Use the Selection Tool (V) to select the object you want to paint.
  • Fill and Stroke Boxes: Click on the Fill or Stroke box in the toolbar to choose colors.

1.3. Using the Color Picker and Swatches

  • Color Picker: Double-click the Fill or Stroke box to open the Color Picker for precise color selection.
  • Swatches Panel: Use the Swatches panel (Window > Swatches) to apply pre-defined colors.

2. Creating and Using Gradients

2.1. Accessing the Gradient Panel

  • Open Gradient Panel: Go to Window > Gradient to open the Gradient panel.

2.2. Creating a Gradient

  • Select Object: Choose the object you want to apply a gradient to.
  • Apply Gradient: Click the Gradient button in the Gradient panel to apply the default gradient.

2.3. Editing Gradients

  • Gradient Slider: Use the gradient slider in the Gradient panel to add, remove, or adjust color stops.
  • Adjusting Angle: Change the angle of the gradient by entering a value in the Angle field.

2.4. Applying Gradients to Objects

  • Linear vs. Radial Gradients: Choose between linear and radial gradients in the Gradient panel.
  • Gradient Tool (G): Use the Gradient Tool to manually adjust the gradient direction and spread on the object.

3. Working with Live Paint Groups

3.1. Creating a Live Paint Group

  • Select Objects: Use the Selection Tool to select the objects you want to include in the Live Paint group.
  • Create Live Paint Group: Go to Object > Live Paint > Make or use the shortcut (Ctrl + Alt + X / Cmd + Option + X).

3.2. Painting with Live Paint

  • Live Paint Bucket Tool (K): Select the Live Paint Bucket Tool to fill areas within the Live Paint group.
  • Color Selection: Choose colors from the Swatches panel or Color Picker to fill areas.

3.3. Expanding Live Paint Groups

  • Expand Live Paint Group: Go to Object > Live Paint > Expand to convert the Live Paint group back to regular paths.

4. Understanding Pixel-Aligned Paths

4.1. What are Pixel-Aligned Paths?

  • Pixel Alignment: Ensures that paths align with the pixel grid, which is essential for creating crisp, clean graphics, especially for web and screen designs.

4.2. Creating Pixel-Aligned Paths

  • Enable Pixel Alignment: In the Transform panel, check the "Align to Pixel Grid" option when creating new objects.

4.3. Benefits of Pixel Alignment

  • Crisp Edges: Helps maintain sharp edges and clarity in rasterized images.
  • Improved Performance: Reduces rendering issues when exporting for screen use.

5. Working with Symbols

5.1. Accessing the Symbols Panel

  • Open Symbols Panel: Go to Window > Symbols to access the Symbols panel.

5.2. Creating Symbols

  • Select Object: Choose the object you want to turn into a symbol.
  • Create Symbol: Click the New Symbol button in the Symbols panel, name your symbol, and choose a type (Movie Clip or Graphic).

5.3. Using Symbols in Your Artwork

  • Drag and Drop: Drag symbols from the Symbols panel onto your artboard to use them in your design.
  • Editing Symbols: Double-click a symbol in the Symbols panel to edit it in isolation mode.

6. Symbolism Tools and Sets

6.1. Using the Symbol Sprayer Tool

  • Select Symbol Sprayer Tool (Shift + S): Use this tool to spray multiple instances of a symbol onto your artboard.
  • Adjusting Density: Click and drag to adjust the density of the sprayed symbols.

6.2. Symbol Stainer and Symbol Sizer

  • Symbol Stainer Tool: Use this tool to change the color of existing symbols without altering the original symbol.
  • Symbol Sizer Tool: Use this tool to resize instances of a symbol individually.

6.3. Managing Symbol Sets

  • Organizing Symbols: Create folders in the Symbols panel to organize your symbols for easier access.
  • Exporting Symbols: Save your symbol sets by selecting "Save Symbol Library" from the Symbols panel menu.

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