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Spambi — Custom Brushes Tutorial
Published: 2008-07-10 19:24:31 +0000 UTC; Views: 21292; Favourites: 225; Downloads: 823
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Description
There are so many wonderful advantages to creating your lineart on Illustrator. Not only can you resize it as much as you want without worrying about it getting fuzzy, but it's much easier to go back and alter something, rather than erasing and redrawing. Of course, the best part is that it's easier with a mouse, so no tablet is required!
This is NOT a tutorial on learning how to use the pen tool.This tutorial is for people who feel relatively comfortable with the pen tool and want to take their lines a step further, or are curious about making custom brushes.
If you want to learn how to use the pen tool, these tutorials are a wonderful place to start.
Pen Tool Basics
Lineart With the Pen Tool
Using the Pen Tool in Photoshop
Using Photoshop as another way for simulating pressure with the pen tool
I'm not saying this is the best way to do lineart, but it's a great alternative to know, and being able to create your own brushes will always come in handy for many things, not just lineart.
I love tutorials! So I thought I'd try to make one myself. Actually, I'm wondering if there is a tutorial on making tutorials--you have to be very meticulous in how you lay out your information, and it can be an art form in itself! Pay attention to lines of alignment and design continuity!!!
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Comments: 35
I just made a brush that I love using this tutorial. Thank you for writing this.
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Very nice. I didn't even think of making my own brushes just for inking. Thank you.
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thank you essential for a complete beginner like me
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I need some help...I'm a bit new to Illustrator and for some odd reason I can't edit the circle. Is there something I'm missing? I made the circle with the circle tool with no outline and a black fill and I know I'm using the right tool...
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Exactly what Ive been looking for. Thank you a load
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This tutorial was featured in my journal , in the tutorials section [link]
Many thanks for sharing
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Thank you! I am very flattered and hope it will help!
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woah, interesting
I gave it a try and the results were amazing, but I have to work more into it xP not used to make this kind of brushes ^^
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It takes some time, and it's only one artistic solution out of many, many, many solutions! I personally like it more than the "simulate pressure" effect when using photoshop's pen tool because I feel like I have much more control in Illustrator.
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yeah, but somenow I didnt managed to make a limit in the pressure in Illustrator - that I was able to in photoshop. I mean, the lines always end being so small in the beggining and the end. I guess I must fix it with other shapes, so when I'll have some time I will try different thigns.
Lol, I guess I am too used to the simulate pressure effect xD
anyway I also have seen that the brush options in Illustrator gives you lots of ways to do things ^^ so I must investigate them more
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Hi! Your deviation is featured in our Anniversary journal!
[link]
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I am very honored! Thank you so much.
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thanks! i didn't know how to create brushes in illustrator, only on photoshop- problem solved!
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You're welcome! I'm glad I could help.
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By any chance can you send your brushes, please? ...It's a bit difficult...
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I'm not really sure HOW to send or package brushes, but perhaps you can describe to me where you're having difficulty?
First off, which version of Illustrator are you using?
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CS? That's the one I used to make this tutorial
Where are you having difficulty? Making the shapes? Setting up the custom art brush? I will try to help you as best I can.
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Making the shapes 
I got lost after the circle XD;
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I didn't even know you could make custom brushes in illustrator. D: My education fails again!
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No, it doesn't! I didn't know either--my teacher barely spent any time on illustrator. It's just that I've been using it so much at my internship, and there are things I've wanted to do, so I've been poking around to learn how to do them.
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Do you have Photoshop? If so, I hiiiiighly suggest checking out the last tutorial I linked to in that list.
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I shall, thanks
Still think you should do that tutorial journal thing
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I checked out the last two links and the girl who does the third tutorial also shows how to do lineart witht he pen tool. I never understood the pen tool before. had a go but got confused cause I think she uses a different version of photoshop to me. I may be slowly grasping it though... Yay for tutorials!
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The third tutorial uses Photoshop CS3, and the last uses Photoshop CS--both of which, if I am not mistaken, have the same pen tool functions. I have CS2 and 7 at home; are you using seven? It seems to be the most widely used right now.
It does take a while to grasp; I think the only reason why I've been moving along well with it is because I use it so much at my job. 
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Yeah I'm using version 7.
What's your job?
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Then I'm pretty sure the pen tool works the same in 7 as the CS's. But be sure that you're making paths, not shapes. I'd always confuse the two.
I'm working as a graphic design intern over the summer, so I've been redesigning user interface icons, website banners, the company logo, etc. The logo in particular requires a lot of work on Illustrator.
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I got so far with the making paths thingy and then I made a new path and say I wanted the new line to finish attached to one of the old paths, it messes up when I click it on the old path and goes all funny and merges the paths together or something. I think I@m doing something wrong.
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You're probably still selected on the first path when you go to make a new line. The little "+" sign that appears next to the pen means "add a new point on the path" so if you see that, it might help. But if you're still selected on the first path, it might be why you're having that happen. I'm not entirely sure how to explain it.
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When you do, I'd love to see your progress!
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