iSyndica

This vector tutorial was written by Asmaa, graphic designer and illustration artist behind Aivault.com.

Ever wondered how an artist goes about creating an image like the one on the left? I will show you how to create a pop design element in illustrator. In the process you will learn how to use and create your own brushes & learn how to speed up your work process by using them.

Step 1

I always try to work towards the final result by browsing the internet for inspiration . For instance if you are trying to create a floral element of design it is a good idea to search for related links, images, inspirations over the internet. Secondly I try to define and follow a color scheme. Here is the color scheme I will be following during this process. Four are solid fills and 2 gradients, I may sometimes stear away from this.

Step 2

Using the Ellipse tool (L) draw a circle with a stroke color picked up from my palette .

Step 3

I will be using offset path (object>path >offset path ) to create another circle around it.

Step 4

Select the Circles , create a Copy & Paste in back , increase the size of the two circles behind.

Step 5

We will now create a custom brush . For this I created an oval shape, alignec its copies and then expanded the whole shape OBJECT>EXPAND

Step 6

I will create a custom brush from this shape now, here is how…

Step 7

Select the outer most circle of the element created in step 4

Step 8

Now i will create some additional design elements to it. I am using spiral tool.

Step 9

Working on this shape I closed the end part by joining it, and then created a copy of it

Step 10

Using the flower we created in step 7, place the spiral design element behind it. Create more copies to create something similar to this

Step 11

Use the paint bucket tool to fill up the areas. In order to use paint bucket select all of your artwork which needs to be painted and continue filling it up . Expand all the brushes! Expand all other shapes, fills and strokes if possible. I worked on a single spiral shape, filled it up, then expanded it and duplicated it a few times to come up with this.

Final

Add a gradient background to it. To achieve the final effect preivewed below, I used the brush on the isolated flowers you see here. I used an overlay from Prudence Collection to get the final effect. (final effect in photoshop)