Simple Silhouettes in Illustrator CS4

Creating a silhouette from a photo is nothing new, but with Illustrator CS4’s new Blob Brush tool, it has become a lot easier. Corey demonstrates how to use the Blog Brush tool to create a silhouette, and how to create some quick background effects using the Gradient Mesh tool.

This video requires Adobe Flash Player.

Visitor Comments »

 

Excellent-Thanks.

 

Comment by mohammed | October 28, 2008 @ 6:06 am

 

That’s cool, but I don’t know if I could function without the FilterIt plug-in… and it is an extra step to fill in certain shapes, but it’s not difficult. Thanks for the tutorial. I will consider it when I do decide to upgrade from CS 3.

 

Comment by Jeremy Darko | October 31, 2008 @ 12:40 am

 

hello! I´m from Argentina, this is really good! (sorry about my english! ja) THANK YOU!!

Laura

 

Comment by laura lombardozzi | October 31, 2008 @ 9:25 am

 

you learn something new everyday!

 

Comment by creativebean | October 31, 2008 @ 11:49 am

 

Debating to sign up for layer magazine since I am using only Photoshop Elements. The website is very good, and I will consider the magazine and resources in the future.

 

Comment by Joseph Chan | November 9, 2008 @ 9:14 am

 

thank you very much

 

Comment by gg | December 8, 2008 @ 9:45 am

 

hi, thanks for the vid,

when im using the blob tool, it doesnt seem to join with the target picture?
whats up?

 

Comment by tom | December 23, 2008 @ 11:54 am

 

Hi everyone,
I’ve been trying out your tut i’m also having the same problem with the blob tool. The areas where i use it doesn’t join with the object to become one object. And after putting my rectangle behind my silhoutte, i guess my image has to be tranparent I’ll have to keep trying. Great tut and thx

 

Comment by Gavin | December 30, 2008 @ 10:49 am

 

Your tut doesn’t work, either your forgeting to tell us something like a setting with the blob tool or something with the image. I’ve tried everything and it doesn’t work.

 

Comment by Gavin | December 30, 2008 @ 11:09 am

 

[...] Simple Silhouettes in Illustrator CS4 Apply silhouettes onto objects by utilizing the Gradient Mesh tool. [...]

 

Pingback by 50 Excellent Adobe Illustrator Video Tutorials « ArticleSave | January 5, 2009 @ 2:05 am

 

Is there something wrong with the site? I’m not able to view any of the video tutorials form CS4. I have the design suite.

 

Comment by keith Sims | January 5, 2009 @ 2:07 am

 

[...] Simple Silhouettes in Illustrator CS4 Apply silhouettes onto objects by utilizing the Gradient Mesh tool. [...]

 

Pingback by 50 Excellent Adobe Illustrator Video Tutorials | BigBook.eu | January 5, 2009 @ 2:24 am

 

[...] Simple Silhouettes in Illustrator CS4 Apply silhouettes onto objects by utilizing the Gradient Mesh tool. [...]

 

Pingback by 50 Excellent Adobe Illustrator Video Tutorials « DesignDevoted | January 5, 2009 @ 4:32 am

 

[...] Simple Silhouettes in Illustrator CS4 Apply silhouettes onto objects by utilizing the Gradient Mesh tool. [...]

 

Pingback by 50 Excellent Adobe Illustrator Video Tutorials | How2Pc | January 5, 2009 @ 9:46 am

 

You probably forgot to expand the image?

 

Comment by AJ | January 6, 2009 @ 5:16 pm

 

[...] Simple Silhouettes in Illustrator CS4 Apply silhouettes onto objects by utilizing the Gradient Mesh tool. [...]

 

Pingback by 50 Excellent Adobe Illustrator Video Tutorials | The Blog Specialist | January 8, 2009 @ 2:37 am

 

great, blud!
cheers

 

Comment by mhar | January 28, 2009 @ 5:39 am

 

I learned more from this site then I have learned in school.

 

Comment by shannon | March 2, 2009 @ 2:29 pm

 

Hi ive been following you tutorials every single day! the thing is that the more i learn with you guys more hungry i am! you guys are the best! Keep doing it!!!
KC

 

Comment by KC | March 3, 2009 @ 4:29 am

 

similar, easier method that will keep you from having to paint in all night long:
in livetrace options select “ignore white”
expand.
then go to Object>Compound Path>Relese Compound path.

this will remove any holes in the main shape.
then in your pathfinder hit “merge” (the third one in)
boom. done. no painting.

you might run into some problems if the outside big shape isn’t connected. but if i were to do this very same action with this very same picture i’d be done faster.

people need to learn how to use the pathfinder.

 

Comment by dan. | March 3, 2009 @ 2:28 pm

 

you guys are awesome; thanks.

 

Comment by gbenga | March 25, 2009 @ 6:17 pm

 

why not just increase the threshold?
worked for me

 

Comment by vahnartist | March 31, 2009 @ 8:24 am

 

I do not speak English well, so do not understand, but also were working with the Apple operating system..
Thanks anyway =D

Kisss

 

Comment by Ana | April 8, 2009 @ 5:58 pm

 

Whenever I hit “expand,” the fill swatch turns into a ? mark and my blob tool will paint white. If I try to change it to black it just paints my whole rectangle black!! help?

 

Comment by Kendall | April 11, 2009 @ 12:43 am

 

thanks mate for this post (visit my one: http://tinyurl.com/djso5c)

 

Comment by Emjey | April 13, 2009 @ 2:10 pm

 

Maybe this is just a Safari glitch, but none of the tutorial videos show up – only white space where the video player would be expected to be. I use a MacBook Pro 2.53 GHz, OS X 10.5.6, Safari 3.2.1 and with Flash Player 10.0 installed.
With Firefox 3.0.8, on the other hand, everything seems ok.
Does anyone else have problems using Safari?

 

Comment by Helge Raftevold | April 14, 2009 @ 10:10 am

 

Thank you. Great tutorial!

 

Comment by valerie bee | April 21, 2009 @ 2:54 am

 

Ana. Before you change the color, you have to deselect the object (click elsewhere using the selection tool), then choose the Blob tool and then choose the new color.

 

Comment by Shane Bridges | April 26, 2009 @ 12:16 pm

 

For the issue with the paths not being removed after painting, be sure that you select Expand from the Objects menu (not using the Expand Button). Be sure the only box checked is Objects (remove the Fill check). Now paint using the Blob Brush Tool.

 

Comment by Shane Bridges | April 26, 2009 @ 12:20 pm

 

Good Tutorial

 

Comment by Salman Rangwala | May 13, 2009 @ 4:00 am

 

Can you show the Blob brush tool in other capacities? The way you used it in the example seemed a little more tedious than simply clicking & deleting the white areas (since they were inside the dominant black area already) or even further customizing/previewing the live trace settings.

 

Comment by Robert | June 1, 2009 @ 12:28 am

 

[...] Simple Silhouettes in Illustrator CS4 [...]

 

Pingback by 50 exzellente Adobe Illustrator Video Tutorials | Dr. Web Magazin | June 10, 2009 @ 4:58 am

 

i love your voice!!! awesome tutorial!

 

Comment by thais brasil | July 13, 2009 @ 10:20 pm

 

corey u are damn good. i must confess u guys are the best
ophlex, Ghana

 

Comment by ophlex | July 22, 2009 @ 8:33 am

 

mmm, i think it’s easier if you double click on the object and select a white shape, then go to select—> same—> fill color, paint everything black, then use the pathfinder—>unite.
Tnx for sharing

 

Comment by lensho | September 5, 2009 @ 10:07 am

 

Thank you for a very nice tutorial using blob brush and gradient mesh tool – I like the effects :)
Ching

 

Comment by Ching Oraa | September 13, 2009 @ 5:23 am

 

[...] Simple Silhouettes in Illustrator CS4 Apply silhouettes onto objects by utilizing the Gradient Mesh tool. [...]

 

Pingback by 50 Excellent Adobe Illustrator Video Tutorials « Smashing Magazine | October 15, 2009 @ 11:42 am

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