Adobe Illustrator CS5 One-on-One

Figure 7-4 .

Points in a gradient mesh behave just like anchor points in a path.

You can move them, adjust their control handles, and otherwise

modify them as selective points in a larger whole.

The beauty of both blends and gradient mesh objects is that they are

forever editable. Change the color or shape of a blended path, and

all pieces of the blend update immediately. You can even change the

path of a blend, so it slows down, speeds up, or curves on its way

from one shape to the other. Plus, you can blend between multiple

shapes, fi ll and stroke attributes, and levels of transparency. Mean-

while, each and every point in a gradient mesh lies forever in wait

of your next edit, whether it be one of position, curvature, or color.

I demonstrate how to create and modify gradients with the gradi-

ent tool in Video Lesson 7, “Gradients.” In the exercises that fol-

low, I show you how to exploit the power of blends, masks, and

gradient mesh fi lls.

Blending Between Paths

The primary purpose of a blend is to create a custom gradient, in

which colors fl ow in controlled patterns. Because a blend trans-

forms one path into another, you need a mechanism for placing

those paths inside a larger shape. Hence the clipping mask, which

is a shape that crops the boundaries of the blended paths below it.

Although blends and masks rank among Illustrator’s

oldest features, they are some of its most powerf ...