How to Make Trees in Illustrator Plan Drawing

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In this tutorial you will larn how to create a leaf-filled, vector tree - step by step. Some of the techniques nosotros'll use are custom made brushes to create the leaves, and Gradient Mesh Tool for creating light and shadows. And then let'southward become started!

Concluding Image Preview

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Tutorial Details

Program:Illustrator CS3/CS4
Difficulty: Beginner
Estimated Completion Time: thirty-sixty minutes

Step 1

First, we'll work on creating the custom brush.

Select the Pen Tool (P) and describe the shape of a go out. Make full the shape with green and set up the Stroke to a darker green.

Step 2

Create a curved line with the Pen Tool (P) beyond the leave using the aforementioned color every bit the leaf'due south Stroke.

Footstep iii

Make two copies of the leaves and change the color of the fill up to a darker and a lighter green. Group each leaf (Command + 1000). Now make a duplicate of each leaf (Control + C) and (Command + Five).

Footstep 4

Place the leaves next to each other so some of them overlap, and rotate (R) each leave so that they are all tilting towards the aforementioned direction.

Step 5

Double-click on the Calibration Tool. Make certain that Scale Strokes and Furnishings is selected and press OK.

Step six

Now Select all the leaves and group them (Control + G)

Step seven

With the leaves still selected, fix the width to 45px. Make certain that the Constrain Width and Elevation Proportions pick is activated.

Stride viii

Prepare the stroke to 1pt. Select the leaves. At present open up the Brushes window. In the top-right hand corner of the window at that place is a small triangle facing down - click on it. Chose New Brush...

Step 9

Select Scatter Castor

Step 10

Chose:

Size: Random between 76% - 134%
Spacing: Random between 65% - 119%
Scatter: Fixed - vi%
Rotation: Random between 41° - 110°

Step eleven

Now nosotros'll become over how to draw the tree.

Create a new layer and call it "background picture." You need a picture of a tree to use equally reference while drawing the tree. I've chosen to employ a flick I took myself, just you can utilise whatever moving-picture show you want, since we'll only use information technology to trace the trunk of the tree.

Footstep 12

Identify the film of the tree in the "groundwork picture" layer and lock the layer (Control + 2).

Step 13

Create a new layer and proper name it "trunk."

Step 14

Select the Pen Tool (P) and start tracing the outline of the tree in the "trunk" layer.

Step 15

Hide the "background picture" layer. Fill the shape with a night brown color and set the Stroke to none.

Pace sixteen

Now we are going to create some shades on the trunk. Select the Brush Tool (B), and with a circular brush paint a thick line on the within of the body following the outline of the first shape. Fill information technology with a darker brown and give it a Transparency of 45%. Repeat the same on the left side of the trunk.

Stride 17

Select a lighter brownish and place a line in the center of the torso with a Transparency of 30%.

Stride 18

Select all the parts of the torso and group them (Command + G), and and then lock the layer.

Footstep 19

Nosotros are at present going to use the brush created before to stop the tree.

Create a new layer and call it "leaves." Lock all the other layers.

Pace 20

Grab the Brush Tool (B). Select your new leaf brush from the brush pallet. Make sure the fill is set to blank. Paint an outline of where the leaves from the tree are going to be placed.

Step 21

With the Brush Tool still selected, beginning painting in all the empty space inside the outline you just fabricated. Go out a couple of holes to make the tree more than realistic, and retouch the borders by adding extra leaves.

Step 22

At present we are going to create some shading and lite on the leaves with the help of the Gradient Mesh Tool. Create a new layer and name it "light," and lock the other layers.

Make an outline of the silhouette of the top of the tree with the Pen Tool (P) or the Pencil Tool (N). It doesn't demand to be precise, simply endeavor staying within the edge of the leaves.

Pace 23

Fill up the shape with an boilerplate green colour and set its stroke to none.

Step 24

With the shape however selected become to Object > Create Gradient Mesh. Check the preview box. Set Rows to 4, Columns to 4, Advent of Flat, and Highlight at 100%, then printing OK.

If you get an error message read the following (Extra) tip.

Actress - Skip if You Don't Get an Fault Message

If you get an error message proverb that "the path has too many points to create a gradient mesh", so you can do ane of the following:

Redraw the shape without as many points
Or go back, select the shape, and become to Object > Path > Simplify. Check the preview box, and bring both the Curve Precision and the Angle Threshold down until the Electric current pt is under 100. So you are ready to repeat Step 24.

Stride 25

We are at present going to colour the gradient mesh and you can chose whatsoever colors yous want based on what effect you want. For the case I'll choose some colors that volition create an effect that there is sunlight reflecting on the left side of the tree and a bit of shadow on the correct.

Select the shape y'all've created and click on the Straight Pick tool (A)

The gradient mesh has created xvi sections in your shape. With the Direct Selection Tool click on the middle of the showtime shape.

With that area selected, chose a xanthous color that is non likewise bright.

Step 26

Repeat the step above selecting the other areas of the slope mesh and giving each area an appropriate color. I've chosen to identify brighter shades of green and xanthous on the correct and darker light-green on the left and bottom of the mesh. Y'all can see what colors I've chosen for each area below.

Step 27

With the Selection Tool (Five) select the shape with the gradient mesh.

Step 28

Open the opacity window (Window > Transparency). With the shape still selected Set the Mode at Soft Calorie-free and Opacity at 71%.

Final Result

Now you have the tools to create your own vector forest.

Tip

If y'all have extra time y'all can retouch the edge of the gradient mesh with the Direct Choice Tool, if necessary, and so that it matches better with the form of the tree. You lot can also use the same technique to add more realistic shadows to the trunk of the tree.

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I'm Isabel Hoffmeyer, a Danish interactive designer. Currently I'chiliad studying at the Danish Institute of Graphic Arts and working with motion graphics and web design for kantt.dk – a spider web agency in the heart of Copenhagen.

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Source: https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/create-a-vector-tree-with-custom-brushes-and-the-gradient-mesh-tool--vector-3335