This is a brush set meant for making your own custom swoosh, swirl and curl designs. I have a tutorial on exactly how that process works that you can read here. This isn’t the only way to make swooshes, but it should help you get started, to say the least. I’m continually fascinated as to how confusing vector swoosh creation can be to most people. Along with this brush library, and a quick tutorial read, you should be well on your way to start making your own swooshes in 100% vector format, relatively easily.
The reason I created this brush set is so that (hopefully) it will make it easier for you to try and understand swoosh making and get inspired to set up your own unique brushes to produce some beautiful swooshes and curls on your own. Practice makes perfect in most cases, but these should help you along your way.
I’ve put together a list of 17 quick tips that will help you save time when using Illustrator, and increase productivity as well. For some of you, this may mean breaking a habit or two, but in the long run it’s well worth exploring the options of the Illustrator interface if it means saving time (measured in clicks and curse phrases, in my case), especially when it comes to “selection” methods. Some of these are obvious, and some may not be, but I want to help enlighten even the most casual of Illustrator jockeys. In no particular order. . .
1. Select all shapes with the same fill or stroke, or both.
If you go to the “Select” menu, and click on “Same,” you can instantly select ALL of the shapes with that same fill color, stroke color, or both, in single click! I love this feature and I find myself using it more and more every day. It comes in handy especially when editing a file received from a client when trying to prepare for printing (color matching to a pantone). Also if you make a last minute color scheme decision, you can easily update all of your shapes at once. Other “select same” options include Blending Mode, Opacity, and Stroke Weight.
I’m not sure if this is a widely used Illustrator feature or not. I’ve been using Illustrator almost every day for years, but I never took advantage of this feature until a few months ago. If this isn’t new to you, spare me the “I already knew that crap.” It’s new to me, and I think it’s something every Illustrator should know about, so I’m posting it. You can easily create realistic 3D objects in Illustrator in seconds using the Effect menu. You don’t need anything more than a flat shape to get started, and it can be changed after it’s applied, using the appearance palette. It’s so simple, I hate myself for not using it a long time ago. . .
I’ve gotten a lot of responses to this post about how I made the intricate designs in those headers. Swirls, and swooshes, or whatever you want to call them, are pretty hard to come by as a freebie (except here on BittBox), and they are even more rare in vector format. Part of the reason is that most people, even avid Illustrator users, don’t realize how easy it is to create these shapes. All it takes is a few simple, yet not highly utilized Illustrator tips. This tutorial will show you how to create your own curlies, and swooshes easily, in Illustrator. It’s not nearly as difficult as you might think. . .
If you are a regular BittBox reader, this is the post you’ve been waiting for! Not only will this tutorial help you make your own vector glass buttons, bars and who knows what else; it will help you to understand the structure of my free files a little better, and how to customize them easier. This tutorial covers how to create a basic vector glass style button in illustrator CS. Basic knowledge of Illustrator is required, but I tried to make it as strait-forward as possible.
If you don’t know what Swift is, it’s a relatively new software by Electric Rain that specializes in rendering 3D vector animations. For the most part, Swift3D is intended to be used in conjunction with Flash, to allow you to model and animate in 3d, and import your Swift animations into the Flash environment. It works fine for that, but I think it’s even better for Illustrating in 3D. Bear with me on the lingo here. . . If you are an illustrator, and you use Illustrator, Swift3D (Currently USD $229) could be a nice investment for you to look into. A year ago this time, it was about $129, so I think the sooner you buy, the better. I’m predicting some major improvements in the next release. Swift is very versatile and supports most platforms, including Intel Macs, and they provide free updates for registered accounts.
This Adobe Illustrator bitt will show you how to make a funky custom brush for a fast and easy grunge-like effect.
1. Open a new new Illustrator document and make a few simple shapes on the artboard. Put a black stroke on the shapes, but no fill.
2. With your shapes selected, open the brushes palette, and apply an organic-looking brush stroke to your shapes.
I used “rough charcoal,” but choose whatever you like.
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