1

A black, or otherwise dark-colored, background will set off the neon effect very nicely. Create a black background by drawing a rectangle with the Fill set to Black. Using the Pen tool (or if you prefer to draw free-handed, the Pencil or the Brush tool), create a simple outline shape. For this example I’ve drawn a flamingo. Make the Stroke White for now, and the Fill should be set to None.

2

Select the new shape with the Selection tool. Go to Object>Path>Simplify. In the Simplify menu, click the Preview option, then experiment with the Curve Precision percentage till your shape is smooth like neon tubing. In this example, I set the Curve Precision to 60%.

3

Select the layer in your Layers palette that contains your shape, and then click on the small triangle in the upper right hand corner. In the menu that opens, select the Duplicate option. Repeat this step one more time, so you end up with three separate layers with your shape on each one. Name these layers 1, 2 and 3, with 1 being the second to bottom layer, then 2, then 3 as shown here..

4

Toggle off the visibility for Layers 3 and 2 by clicking on the eye icon in front of them in the Layers palette. Select the shape on layer 1 (using the Selection tool), and change the stroke color to a deep and saturated hue. In this example I choose a dark pink. Then increase the stroke’s width to 9 points with the Stroke palette (Window>Stroke).

5

Select your shape, and then go to Effect>Blur>Gaussian Blur. In the Gaussian Blur dialog, set the Radius to 2 and click OK. This will provide the glow for your neon shape.

6

Toggle on the visibility of Layer 2 now. Select the shape on this layer, then change its
stroke width to 4 points and the color to a lighter version of the one you selected in Step Four.

7

Now toggle on the visibility of Layer 3. Select the shape on this layer-you may need to zoom into the art to select the line. Change its stroke width to 1 point and the color to an even lighter version of the one you selected in Step 4.

8

Using the same technique it is now easy to build up a more complex image, with all the elements having their own striking neon glow.

1Using the tool of your choice (Pen, Brush, or Pencil) draw the path to which you’d like your text to conform.

–img-1

2Select the Type tool. Click on your path, and you will get a blinking text insertion icon at the point on which you initially clicked. You can now type your text.

–img-2A
–img-2B

3Click on your new text with the Selection tool. You will notice there are three thin lines on your text: one in the front, one in the middle, and one at the end. Click-and-drag the line in the front to move your text back or forward along your path. Click-and-drag the line in the middle to change the mid-point of your text. Click-and-drag the line at the end to control the stopping point of your text.

–img-3A
–img-3B
–img-3C
–img-3D

4There are several more options for positioning the text on the path other than just adjusting where it begins or ends. With the text selected with the Selection tool, go to Type>Type on a Path>Type on a Path Options. In the Type on a Path Options menu, select Effect. You will be given five choices:

–img-4A
–img-4B

Rainbow (This is the default orientation of your text.)
–img-4C

Skew:
–img-4D

3D Ribbon:
–img-4E

Stair Step:
–img-4F

Gravity:
–img-4G

5You can also choose how your text is aligned along the path. In the Type on a Path Options menu, select Align to Path and you will get four choices:

Note: Once you expand the object you will no longer be able to distort the shape unless you place it inside another envelope object. When you are ready to expand the object, make a copy of that object and then expand. This way, you have a spare if you need to go back and change the distortion.

–img-5A

Ascender:
–img-5B

Descender:
–img-5C

Center:
–img-5D

Baseline (This is the default alignment of your text.)
–img-5E

6So far we’ve explored how to manipulate text on an open path, but you can apply these same principles to a closed path, like a circle. Start by selecting the Ellipse tool and drawing a circle.

–img-6

7Now this step is slightly different than what you did for the open path. Instead of selecting the plain Type tool like in Step Two, you need to select the Type on a Path tool (it looks like the letter “T” on a declining slope), then click on your circle and enter your text. Where on the circle you click will decide where the beginning and end points of your text will be.

–img-7A
–img-7B

8You can use the Type on a Path menu options for text on a closed path just as you could for text on an open path.

Rainbow (This is the default orientation of your text.)
–img-8A

Skew:
–img-8B

3D Ribbon:
–img-8C

Stair Step:
–img-8D

Gravity:
–img-8E

Ascender:
–img-8F

Descender:
–img-8G

Center:
–img-8H

Baseline (This is the default alignment of your text.)
–img-8I

Until next time. Enjoy!

1

Create a circle with the Ellipse tool. Hold down the Shift key while dragging open your circle to keep it perfectly round. Change the Fill to blue and Stroke to None (/).

2

Again using the Ellipse tool, create an oval that slightly overlaps the edges of your initial circle as shown here.

3

With both the circle and the overlapping oval selected with the Selection tool (Shift-click each or drag a selection around them), go to the Pathfinder menu (Window>Pathfinder if it’s not already open) and click the Divide button.

4

Go to Object>Ungroup to separate the newly divided shapes.

5

With the Selection tool, select the top of the circle and the oval (and any other small pieces that may have been created in the division process) and press Delete (PC: Backspace). This should leave only the main bowl shape.

6

Now with the bowl shape still selected, go to Effect>Stylize>Inner Glow. In the Inner Glow menu, double-click on the color square and choose a medium blue from the Color Picker (write this color name down; for example, 09B1CC; we’ll need it later). Set the Mode to Normal, the Opacity at 35%, and Blur at 35 pt. Make sure the Edge button at the bottom of the Inner Glow menu, not the Center button, is selected, and click OK.

7

To make the bowl’s rim, first make an oval with the Ellipse tool that fits right on top of the main bowl shape like shown here. Then change the oval’s Fill and Stroke color to White if it is not already. With this oval selected, go to Effect>Stylize>Inner Glow. In the Inner Glow menu set the Mode to Normal, the Opacity at 20%, and the Blur at 11 pt. The color should be the same blue you used for the main bowl shape.

8

Create one more oval; this one goes in the middle of the one created in Step Seven. Select this oval, change its Fill and Stroke to White if it’s not already, and then go to Effect>Stylize>Inner Glow. Set the Mode to Normal, the Opacity at 35% and the Blur at 20pt.

9

Hold down Option (PC: Alt) and click-and-drag this new oval and move it to the bottom of the bowl shape. This duplicates it. While holding down the Shift key to maintain its proportions, scale down the oval till it sits comfortably at the bottom of the bowl.

10

Add some shine to your new bowl with white circles placed in the top left and bottom right of the bowl.

11

I’ve added a few fish using the Pen tool.