1. Creating Blends and Complex Artwork

2. Objectives Use the Divide pathfinder Create compound paths
Create complex patterns with compound paths
Blend objects
Create a clockwise blend
Create a clipping mask
Use the Draw Inside drawing mode
Apply arrowheads and dashes to strokes
Design complex layered strokes

3. Using the Divide Pathfinder
Cuts objects where they overlap
Result is multiple objects that can be given individual fill and stroke colors
Example
Divide two overlapping circles and you'll end up with three objects: overlapping area and the two areas that don’t overlap
Object can also be overlapped with just a line
Then use Divide pathfinder to slice the object where the line overlaps the object

4. Using the Divide Pathfinder
FIGURE D-1: Positioning the five lines with the points on the star

5. Using the Divide Pathfinder
FIGURE D-2: Selecting a piece of the divided star

6. Using the Divide Pathfinder
FIGURE D-3: Finished artwork

7. Creating Compound Paths
Occur when a single object is composed of two or more paths
Do not necessarily overlap
However, the best example is when one path cuts a hole in another path
Command is on the Object menu

8. Creating Compound Paths
Letter A is created with two paths:
Outer path
Triangle within outer path
FIGURE D-4: Positioning the orange triangle

9. Creating Compound Paths
FIGURE D-5: Creating a compound path with three objects

10. Creating Compound Paths
FIGURE D-6: Overlapping half of the star

11. Creating Complex Patterns with Compound Paths
Once objects are compounded:
Positive and negative spaces create interesting geometrical patterns
Relationship of the compound paths is maintained
Individual objects within can be moved to create additional complex patterns
Useful when designing repetitive patterns

12. Creating Complex Patterns with Compound Paths
FIGURE D-7: A simple pattern created with compound paths

13. Creating Complex Patterns with Compound Paths
FIGURE D-8: A more interesting pattern
FIGURE D-9: Final artwork

14. Blending Objects Blend: Blend tool:
Series of intermediate objects between two objects
Every blend begins with a starting object and an ending object
Blend tool:
Offers options for choosing the number of intermediate objects between the starting and ending objects

15. Blending Objects Using blends: Spine:
Both closed paths (e.g., a square) and open paths (e.g., a line) can be used
Most commonly used to create interesting shape patterns, color blends, or both
A great way to add dimension
Spine:
Horizontal line between the two original objects

16. Blending Objects FIGURE D-10: Redrawing the seven-step blend
FIGURE D-11: Original objects and spine
FIGURE D-12: Expanding the blend

17. Blending Objects
FIGURE D-13: Blending four stars

18. Creating a Clockwise Blend
Blends can be created between simple paths:
Straight paths or curved paths
Offers great flexibility
Can create interesting color effects
Clockwise blend:
Colors blend like the hands of a clock sweeping around a center point
No specific tool
Can only be made with blends between paths

19. Creating a Clockwise Blend
Specifying blend options:
Smooth Color
If you’re blending two objects that have different colors, Illustrator will insert as many steps as necessary for the color transition between the two objects to be smooth
Specified Steps
The number of steps you specify equals the number of objects that will be inserted between the beginning and ending objects of the blend
Specified Distance
The number you enter defines the distance of each successive object in the blend

20. Creating a Clockwise Blend
FIGURE D-14: Applying stroke colors

21. Creating a Clockwise Blend
FIGURE D-15: Creating the first blend

22. Creating a Clockwise Blend
FIGURE D-16: Completed clockwise blend

23. Creating a Clipping Mask
Any object that you use to “clip” other objects
Parts of the objects that are clipped are visible
Parts that are not clipped are not visible
In a group of selected objects, the top object is always the clipping mask
Object being used as a clipping mask must be a single object
Command is on the Object menu

24. Creating a Clipping Mask
Clipping masks and the stacking order
Illustrator identifies the clipping mask and all the objects clipped into it as a clipping set
Illustrator also remembers the stacking order within the clipping set
This means that you can bring clipped objects forward or move them backward within the clipping mask

25. Creating a Clipping Mask
FIGURE D-17: Masking the blend with the starburst
FIGURE D-18: Masking the blend with five compounded circles

26. Creating a Clipping Mask
FIGURE D-19: Applying a stroke to the clipping mask

27. Using the Draw Inside Drawing Mode
Allows one object to be created inside (within the perimeter) of another object
Essentially the same thing as creating a clipping mask
Two objects behave the same way any two objects behave in a clipping set
Difference between Draw Inside drawing mode and making a clipping mask: draw inside option can involve only two objects

28. Using the Draw Inside Drawing Mode
FIGURE D-20: Drawing the yellow ellipse inside the blue square
FIGURE D-21: Pasting the pink ellipse inside the outlines

29. Applying Arrowheads and Dashes to Strokes
Stroke panel:
Controls to create complex dashed strokes
End caps determine the appearance at the ends of the path
Three end caps to choose from:
Butt Cap (default): blunt cap that ends at the anchor points
Round Cap: creates an oval at the ends of the path
Projecting Cap: extends the stroke past the anchor points to a distance equal to one-half the point size of the stroke itself

30. Apply Arrowheads and Dashes to Strokes
Stroke panel also offers many different arrowheads that you can apply to the endpoints of a path
Scale option can be used to specify the size of the arrowhead

31. Applying Arrowheads and Dashes to Strokes
FIGURE D-22: Stroke with arrowheads

32. Applying Arrowheads and Dashes to Strokes
FIGURE D-23: Dotted stroke with round caps

33. Designing Complex Layered Strokes
Produce some of the best illusions
A number of different dashed effects can be created with a single dashed stroke
Position of dashed and non-dashed strokes on top of one another can create cool and eye-popping effects
Complex layered strokes:
Very useful for borders on artwork and for repeating patterns

34. Designing Complex Layered Strokes
FIGURE D-24: “Bull’s-eye” stroke with three layered strokes
FIGURE D-25: “Film strip” stroke with three layered strokes

35. Summary Use the Divide pathfinder Create compound paths
Create complex patterns with compound paths
Blend objects
Create a clockwise blend
Create a clipping mask
Use the Draw Inside drawing mode
Apply arrowheads and dashes to strokes
Design complex layered strokes