Gradient is a smooth transition from one color to another. In modern design, illustrations that combine the style of Flat, various techniques for working with color, texturing effects and gradients are popular. Adobe Illustrator is the program most often used by artists to create such images.
Using the gradient in Illustrator, you can create abstract compositions, as well as add volume to various objects. It can be superimposed on any objects - simple shapes or shapes drawn with a pen. For text, the gradient in Illustrator is also often used, especially when creating logos.
Any image with any color can be painted with it. Simple or basic gradients help you better understand color and the basics of working with it.
Features of working with palettes
In order to understand how to make a gradient in Illustrator, you first need to learn more about the palettes and the features of working with them in Adobe Illustrator. The named smooth transition is created based on the base colors that make up the image. At the same time, the standard palette is usually used only as an auxiliary one - you can take clean and bright colors from it. For more complex shades, you need another one, which can be called up using the Shift key. An alternative palette can also be found above the toolbar, in the upper left corner.
How to work with the color palette in the property bar
Another option for creating a color scheme for a gradient is to use the color picker on the object’s property panel. It has an additional item that allows you to edit the image by channel. This palette changes depending on the format, that is, for RGB and CMYK it will contain different sets of colors and a different number of channels, each of which can also be customized.
In the RGB system, there are three channels, the values ​​of which vary from 0 to 255. The logic of the palette is simple: the stronger the sliders are shifted to the left, the less concrete color will be in the final image.
Before setting the hue in the properties panel, it is most convenient to choose some kind of pure color in the standard palette. Then, changing the position of the sliders, you can get a more complex tone. It is also present in the basic set of colors, but on the property panel it is much more convenient to specify various settings. The found color is easily added to the samples, so it will not be lost among other shades. That is why most designers use this panel to create and edit a gradient in Illustrator.
How to choose colors for the gradient
When working with the palette, it is impossible to obtain several shades at the same time and add them to the samples. But to create a gradient in Illustrator, you need at least two colors. In this case, such a tool as the “Color Catalog” will help us. In the English version, it is called the Color Guide.
This tool can be enabled through the Window menu. The "Color Catalog" works on the principle of a color wheel and selects harmonious shades for the current tone. If you expand the panel, you can see various principles that are used to create color combinations. For example, according to the principle of complementarity, the most contrasting shades are selected that are on the opposite side of the color wheel.
Saving color swatches
Additionally, the palette contains colors for shadow and light, and the main ones are located in the center. On this panel, you can find almost all the harmonies used in graphical color theory. In the process of creating a gradient, they can be edited.
In order to work simultaneously with all the palettes, they are most conveniently placed on top of each other. Samples for the gradient in Illustrator are created using a pipette. Having picked up the necessary combination, it can be saved using special icons in the color catalog. Then all selected shades will appear in a separate folder in the swatch panel. And for those who are familiar with color theory and can work with the color wheel, the Recolor Artwork palette may seem more convenient.
How to create a gradient
Before you fill an object with a gradient in Illustrator, you need to create it. There are several ways to do this. The first one is to use the object's properties palette. It should have a Gradient tab. In Illustrator, you can open it through the Window menu.
This palette is most often used to adjust the geometric gradient. Here you can change specific values, but in order to apply the result, you need to click on the special icon in the toolbar. You can find it below, next to the standard palette.
In the above tab, it is easy to select other standard settings, as well as previously saved gradients. By default, they are also in samples. Most often, new gradients are created by editing standard ones. It is very convenient and takes less time than working from scratch.
Linear and radial gradient features
In Adobe Illustrator, there are two more important types of gradients - linear and radial:
- A linear gradient is a transition from left to right.
- Radial - from the center of the circle to its edges.
Each type has its own unique settings. For example, for a 100% radial gradient, the rotation angle does not work, because it is perfectly round. This function will only work if the shape changes to an ellipse. And for linear, this setting will change the direction of the line on which the transition occurs.
The Inverse Gradient function allows you to mirror the color distribution, and the Mesh Gradient tool in Illustrator allows you to create photo-realistic images with a three-dimensional effect. A special grid makes it possible to change the contours of the object, simulate glare and chiaroscuro.
By the way, ready-made transitions, such as the golden gradient for Illustrator, can be downloaded on the Internet and installed in the program.
Gradient structure
In fact, any gradient is a smooth transition from one color to another. Consider what it consists of, choosing for example standard black and white.
On the Gradient panel, you can see a special scale that displays the color transition. Two points down along its edges represent the primary colors, and a point in the middle is a control, indicating the gradient transition itself and its borders. When it moves, the amount of a color changes. Gradients can have several color and control points.
You can remove excess by clicking on the point and dragging it down. Editing basic colors is easiest with the standard palette or the Color panel. If you need a smooth transition when creating a gradient, the control point moves farther from the marker. A sharper and clearer transition is created when they converge.
Using gradients, you can quickly and easily create interesting effects, including adding volume. This helps designers to create illustrations, because the program Adobe Illustrator is so popular among artists.