Adobe Illustrator CC For Dummies

Chapter 9

Painting with Brushes

IN THIS CHAPTER

The role of brushes in Illustrator design

Setting the painter in you free with the Paintbrush tool

Applying brushstrokes to paths

Navigating Illustrator’s Brush libraries

Creating custom brushes

You can add a spectacular range of patterns, designs, and flourishes to strokes with Illustrator’s set of brushes. And you can paint interactively with brushes applied to the Paintbrush tool. In an informal survey of Illustrator users I conducted while preparing to write this book, faces lit up when designers insisted that I squeeze in a substantial exploration of brushes. Let’s face it, Illustrator brushes are fun!

In this chapter, you get introduced to an almost unlimited array of built-in and custom-made brushes. I also show you how to paint interactively on your screen with those brushes, and how to apply brushstrokes to existing artwork.

Unleashing Your Creativity with Brushes

Before I dive into how-to's on using Illustrator brushes, ...