Manipulating color gradients is a must-have skill for artists and graphic designers. This is easy enough if you know the basic types of gradients used. Follow this simple tutorial to create your own gradients in Adobe Illustrator CS5.
Steps
Step 1. Create a new document
Go to File> New (or press Ctrl + N) and set the document size to a vertical standard sheet. Add guidelines by creating a rectangle with the appropriate tool (8.5 "(21.6 cm) wide, 11" (28 cm) high). Then drag the guides to the middle of the rectangle. Finally, right-click on the ruler and change the measurement to pixels.
Step 2. Using the appropriate tools, create five small shapes
rectangle, rounded rectangle, ellipse, polygon, and star. When creating shapes, use the following dimensions: Square: Width = 25 pixels, Height = 25 pixels; Rounded square: Width = 25 pixels, Height = 25 pixels, Radius = 5 pixels; Circle: Width = 25px, Height = 25px Polygon: Radius = 15 pixels, Sides = 6; Star: Radius 1 = 15 pixels, Radius 2 = 7 pixels, Number of ends = 5.
Make sure the fill of the shapes is white and the stroke is black
Step 3. After creating five shapes (as suggested above), create two samples
You can do this by clicking on the Swatches icon and then clicking on the upper right corner of the Gradients panel from the menu. When the dialog box appears, simply select New Swatch and click OK.
Step 4. Create two samples
Set the following color combinations: Lilac: C = 50, M = 53, Y = 0, K = 0; Green: C = 80.57, M = 3.08, Y = 83.71, K = 0.08.
Step 5. To apply different types of gradient, you will need to select it, or just click on the "Gradients" tab and drag the window closer to the shapes
Step 6. Apply the first gradient to the first shape
In the Gradients panel, drag the lilac swatch to the end point of the gradient bar to replace it with black. Then select the square and click on the "Gradient Fill" button. To change the direction of the gradient, press "G" on your keyboard, hold down the "Shift" key, and drag the pointer up. A gradient from white to lilac appears in the square.
Step 7. For the second gradient, drag the green swatch to the end point of the gradient bar to make a transition from green to purple
Select your rounded square and hit the Gradient Fill button again. Change the direction of the gradient again from green to purple.
Step 8. For the third gradient, drag the white swatch to the end point of the gradient bar
Select the circle and click on the "Gradient Fill" button again, change the direction of the gradient, making it from green to white and then to lilac.
Step 9. For the fourth gradient, select the square to return to the first gradient in the Gradient Panel
Change the gradient type from Linear to Radial. Then select the polygon and click on the "Gradient Fill" button.
Step 10. For the fifth and final gradient, drag the green swatch to the end point of the gradient bar
Select the star shape and click on the Gradient Fill button.