Creating calligraphic brushes in Illustrator
Get the look of hand-scribed calligraphy using Adobe® Illustrator® CS3. Calligraphy is the art of drawing stylized type that looks like it was scribed with an ink pen or paintbrush. Calligraphic brush strokes in Illustrator can vary in size, angle, shape, and randomness (variety) in the brush stroke width.
Stroke shape can range from almost round to very flat, or anything in between. They are not completely round because a completely round calligraphic brush would simply apply a wider band around a stroke; the “ovalness” of the brush is what gives it a calligraphic quality.
Requirements
To complete this article, you will need the following software:
Adobe Illustrator CS3
Prerequisite knowledge:
None
About the authors
David Karlins is a veteran Web designer and digital graphics consultant. He is the author of more than 20 books on digital graphic and interactive design, including “Build Your Own Web Site”, “The Complete Idiot's Guides to Dreamweaver and Flash”, “Dreamweaver CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques”, and “Illustrator CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques”. David's clients have ranged from Hewlett Packard to the Himalayan Fair. His articles and reviews appear in online and print publications, including CreativePro and Macworld magazine. David has taught at the University of California Extension School of Graphic and Interactive Design and for the San Francisco State University Digital Video Intensive program. He currently teaches Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Dreamweaver for the San Francisco State University Multimedia Studies Program. Visit David at www.davidkarlins.com.
Bruce K. Hopkins has been a professional illustrator for more than a decade, creating everything from fine art to technical drawings. His clients range from Joe Boxer to technology firms. His cutting-edge Space series breaks new ground in using Illustrator for fine art. Bruce’s Web site is www.bkhopkins.com.
Excerpted from “Adobe Illustrator CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques” © 2007. Used with the permission of Peachpit. To purchase this book, please visit http://www.peachpit.com.
