Final Image Preview
In
this tutorial we will learn how to create a vector snake using the Mesh
Tormentor - Free Gradient Mesh plugin, which will make your work with
the gradient mesh simple and enjoyable. I was trying to describe the
creation of a complex object in order to reveal more features of this
wonderful plugin, but believe me, it can do much more than I managed to
describe. The matter depends on your imagination.
Tutorial Details
- Program: Adobe Illustrator CS5, Mesh Tormentor;
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Estimated Completion Time: 2 Hours
Step 1
Take
the Pen Tool (P) and create a broken outline as it is shown in the
figure below. This outline determines the shape of the snake body and
can be arbitrary.
Select
the anchor points of the outline with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and
convert them from corner into smooth ones. By controlling the handles
of the anchor points, try to bring the outline to a perfect shape.
Step 2
For
further work we need to know the length of the created outline. Select
the outline, open the Document Info palette, select Objects in the
palette menu and write down or memorize the length value.
Step 3
Take
the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle, so that its width was
equal to the length of the outline that you created earlier.
Now
begin to transform a rectangle into a shape resembling a snake,
stretched horizontally. With the Pen Tool (P) put a new anchor point in
the center of the right side of the rectangle and with the same tool
remove its right corners. As a result we got a triangle shown in the
figure below.
Step 4
Now add a new anchor point in the center of the left side of the triangle.
Direct
Selection Tool (A) select left corners of the triangle and move them
slightly to the right while holding down the Shift key.
Create
a vertical guide and place it as shown below. Lock the guide in the
Layers palette, take the Pen Tool (P) and create two new anchor points
at the intersection of the figure with the guide.
Move the created points to the center of the shape, you can use the arrow keys.
Select all the points of the snake head and convert them from corner into smooth ones.
Step 5
Add two more points in the middle of the snake body, move them from the axis of the shape and convert into smooth ones.
Move the created shape into Brushes palette, choose the Art Brush and check the Stretch Between Guides option in the dialog box.
Of
course, you can ask a reasonable question: why did we create the shape
of the brush of a certain length, when anyway it will stretch along the
path? Be patient, you will understand why I did it when it comes to the
scale.
Step 6
Now the "try on" the brush to the
outline created at the beginning of this tutorial. Select the path and
click on the brush image in the Brushes palette.
Thus, our snake needs editing. We can adjust the shape of a snake, by changing the stroke width in the Stroke palette.
As
well as moving the guides in the Art Brush dialog window. You can get
the access to the parameters of the brush through the Appearance
palette, or double-clicking on the image of the brush in the Brushes
palette.
Watch
the shape of the snake in the process of editing, when it gains an
acceptable result, click on the OK button in the dialog box, Art Brush,
then Apply to Stroke.
Write down all the brush settings, we will need them in step 10.
Step 7
Now, when it fits perfectly, apply the basic stroke to the outline, canceling the applied brush in the Appearance palette.
Copy
this outline and paste it in front (Cmd / Ctrl + C; Cmd / Ctrl + F),
locking the upper outline in the layers palette and make it invisible,
it will be needed in further creation. Do not skip this step, it is very
important!
Step 8
It's time to launch heavy metal.
Further on we will be working with the Mesh Tormentor, it is a plugin
for work with the Gradient Mesh. You can download and learn more about
its features following these links.
Duplicate
the created shape of the brush, drag it down holding down the Opt /
Alt. Select the bottom of the shape and go to Object> Create Gradient
Mesh .... Set the number of rows and columns in the dialog box and
select the Appearance: To Center, to add dissimilarity to our image.
Step 9
Open
the Mesh Tormentor palette, it will be available from the Windows menu
after installing the plugin. Select the mesh object and click on Make
BMG button. This operation transforms the mesh object into a set of
simple vector objects with the same geometry as the original object.
Step 10
Now
drag the created group of objects to the Brushes palette and save it as
an Art Brush with the same parameters as the brush we created in step
6.
Apply a new brush to the contour of the snake, and set the same stroke width as in step 6.
Step 11
Keeping the snake selected, go to Object> Expand Appearance.
Now
we have to do the opposite action - turn a set of objects into a mesh
object. To do this, simply click on the Convert BMG into mesh button.
Step 12
As
you can see, we got artifacts on the areas of mesh overlapping. This
happens because the whole object lies in one plane. To achieve the
desired result mesh object should be cut into pieces. Cut the mesh with
the Split command from the Mesh Tormentor palette. It divides the mesh
into two parts along the line passing through selected side node.
If
the existing lines of the mesh are not in those areas, create new ones
using the Gradient Mesh Tool (U) and divide the mesh along these lines.
Step 13
Now
that mesh objects have achieved the right shape of a snake, we can
proceed to light and shadow on the snake. Let's start with the head,
coloring the nodes of the mesh with the shades of gray, as shown below.
Nodes
coloring at the junctions of the mesh should not be unlike, otherwise
the seams will be visible. Lock all the mesh objects in the layers
palette except for the object being edited. Now select one node at a
time at the junction with the help of the Direct Selection Tool (A) and
with the Eyedropper Tool (I) color the nodes in the colors of the
neighboring areas.
Step 14
In
my case, the light source is located to left of the snake. Therefore,
the inner parts of the snake which are closer to the light source must
be painted in lighter shades than the remote objects. To create a more
realistic light and shadow, you can create new grid lines, using the
Gradient Mesh Tool (U) in this work.
Step 15
Get
to the creation of the scale. Take the Polygon Tool and create a
hexagon of any size and color. With the Selection Tool (V) and holding
down Opt / Alt slightly increase its width.
Keep the scale selected, go to Effect> Stylize> Round Corners ... and set the radius of the rounding.
Now go to Object> Expand Appearance.
Step 16
With the Selection Tool (V) reduce the scale to the desired size, balancing its size with the size of the snake's head.
Select
the cell and go to Effect> Transform & Distort> Transform,
now setting the parameters of the scale displacement in the dialog
window (I have not done any calculations, but simply moved the sliders
of the horizontal and vertical displacement, watching the result).
Click
OK in the dialog box, now apply the effect again (Effect> Transform
& Distort> Transform), but with new parameters.
And
the last time Effect> Transform & Distort> Transform, select
the number of copies in the dialog box so that the length of the scale
was approximately equal to the length of the brush shape (length of the
snake outline).
Keeping the scale selected, go to Object> Expand Appearance.
Step 17
Keeping
the scale selected, go to Object> Transform> Rotate ... and set
the rotation angle of 90 degrees in the dialog box.
Fill
the cells with red color, now create a set of horizontal rails,
conventionally dividing the scale into equal parts, you do not need to
be very accurate here.
Lock the guides in the Layers palette.
Step 18
With the Lasso Tool (Q) select the scales in the area of the horizontal guide, and replace the color of the fill with yellow.
Using the same tool select areas above and below the yellow scales and fill them with black.
Using this technique, recolor the pieces of the scale along its entire length.
Step 19
Select
the shape of the brush and go to Object> Transform> Rotate ...
and set the rotation angle of 90 degrees in the dialog box. Make sure to
include this shape in the underlayer above the scale.
Select
scale and shape of the brush and go to Object> Envelope Distort>
Make with Top Object. As a result the scale got the shape of the brush.
Step 20
Keeping
the shape selected, go to Object> Transform> Rotate ... and
rotate it at -90 degrees in order to return it to horizontal view. Now
drag the scale to the Brushes palette and save it as an Art Brush with
the same parameters as in step 6.
Now unlock and make visible the contour of the snake that we saved in step 7. Select this path and apply the brush of scales.
If
we applied the Art Brush, excluding the length of the path, we would
have got stretched or compressed scales, which would not resemble the
scales of snakes.
Step 21
Keeping the upper outline selected set the Multiply Blending Mode for it in the Transparency palette.
Step 22
In
area of the snake body intersection we can see the scales overlapping
each other. This defect must be fixed. Select the upper outline with
scale and go to Object> Expand Appearance, now with the help of the
Direction Tool (A) select the scales, which should not be visible, and
delete them by pressing the Delete button.
Scales,
which lie at the boundaries in the intersection of the snake body do
not have to be removed. Select and group them up for convenience. Move
the group of these scales in the layers palette so that it was located
under the mesh object, which is supposed to lie above them.
After
moving these scales set the Multiply Blending Mode for them again in
the Transparency palette, as they were moved from the group that has
these properties.
Step 23
Create glare on some scales. Select scales and fill them with linear gradient from the basic color to white one.
Step 24
Create
snake eye. Take the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a circle. Fill the
circle with radial gradient from black to black with 0% opacity. It will
be a deepening of the eye in head of the snake.
Now
create another circle – it will be the eye of the snake. Fill this
circle with radial gradient from light brown to dark brown. Locate the
center of the gradient according to the location of the light source
will help of the Gradient Tool (G).
Create another circle filled with a solid light brown color - it's the glare of light in the eye of the snake.
Step 25
Create
shadows under the snake, using the same technique when creating snake
body, described in 9-12 steps with the help of Mesh Tormentor.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. I think I still write a few more tutorials revealing other functions of the Mesh Tormentor.
Final Image
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