Illustrator Brush-Making Tip: Colorization Method
Making a custom brush in Illustrator can be easy and frustrating at the same time. No matter which type of brush you create, one of the most important settings to pay attention to is the ‘colorization method.’ If you don’t change the colorization method from the default setting, you won’t be able to customize the colors of your (custom) brush strokes later. Here’s what you need to do…
This tip requires basic knowledge of Illustrator, the Illustrator Brushes palette, and creating a custom brush in Illustrator.
So you have your artwork selected and select “New Brush” in the brush palette options (like above). Now you have the option to choose which type of brush to create (below). I’ll use “Art Brush” in this example.
Make sure you select “Tints” (what I personally recommend) or “Tints and shades” as the ‘Colorization Method’ before you save your new brush. If you don’t, all of your brush strokes will be black, (or the color of your brush when you created it). There are workarounds like expanding the appearance of your brush stroke, then changing the color, but if you do happen to save your brush and accidentally skip this setting, all you have to do is double click on the brush in the Brushes Palette to bring the options panel up and change the options.
This drove me nuts for the longest time, back when I first started experimenting with making custom Illy brushes. I recommend experimenting with custom brushes for 2 reasons: 1. It never hurts to learn more, and 2. Brushes (especially vector) can save you tons of time, if you only take the time to make them. However, it might take a while (experimenting) to learn how it all works in order to make brushes at your leisure and get the desired results regularly. I guess that’s kinda where I come in, but don’t worry, more on Illustrator brushes to come : )
Related Posts:
- Working with Illustrator ‘Art’ Brushes: Options and Adjustments
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- Illustrator: Rid Yourself of Pesky “Expand Appearance” Woes
- Fun with Illustrator’s Lesser Known, Yet Powerful Tools
- 30 Illustrator Pattern Brushes for Making Flowers and Circular Designs
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Great tip! I always myself forget that setting and then when I have a selection of them and suddenly one isn’t changing colors for me, it’s frustrating. Too bad there isn’t a way to set a default setting.
Sweet tip, that’s something that’s messed me up when creating AI brushes for a while now. Thanks :D
You can go back in and edit a brush if you forgot to set this in the first place. It really bugged me at first as well but it’s not hard to change.
I can’t remember off the top of my head but on the brush palette I believe its the top left (what I call the “pill button”) but possibly one of the bottom buttons. If you highlight your brush then click the pill button there’s an option for “edit brush” you can then go back in and change the direction color mode or anything else.
Great work Bitt! I love this site!
It is from the pill button but it’s “brush options” not “edit brush”. Here’s a screen to be a little more clear.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d105/gwpowers/misc/brush.jpg
@PokeFan I think the correct termanalogy is a carrot.
Wasn’t this same post posted some time ago?
I’ve been using “hue shift” which enables you to change the color of your brush strokes - why did you say to use “tints” or “tints and shades”? Is there a difference that you know of?
at the bottom of the “brush options” there’s a “tips” button it gives you a rundown of the options.
Thank you so much!
@DBdesignCo,
It was probably mentioned briefly in a previous (longer) tutorial.
~Bitt
You can also change the characteristics of individual strokes by selecting them and clicking on the “Options of Selected Objects” button at the bottom of the brushes palette. (Looks alike a brush with two sliders next to it.)
It allows you to adjust the size of the selected stroke. The flipping axis, and the Colorization.
whoa thanks. now i can create, mix and match any brushes i have. with a touch of my own of course. thank you
Thank you! Great bit of advice…:D
kudasai
kudasai
onegaisimasu
HEY, THAT GIVES ME AN IDEA USEFUL INFOS FROM YOUR SITE. I SEE. THANKS ANYWAY :)!
wow, that common handy. i like it!
I often find that when I select ‘hue shift’ in the pattern brush options the color of the brushed path is not the same as the original stroke but a shade of it, sometimes darker, sometimes lighter - when it is supposed to be the exact match. Why is this?
THATS GREAT JUST WAT I NEEDED THANX! LOL=)
=O OH 1 MORE THING THIS WILL SAVE PERMANENTLY RIGHT?…=)