Have you ever found yourself wondering, “How do I apply a gradient to a stroke?” or, perhaps, “How do I make a gradient follow a curve?” Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple solution in Illustrator for these questions. However, there are some ways to achieve the appearance of having a gradient follow the curves of a path. In this example, we will be looking at how to apply a gradient to a path as a brush stroke, by creating an Art Brush based on a gradient. This is intended for intermediate Illustrator users and assumes the user has a basic working knowledge of Illustrator tools.

Tools/Functions Used:

• Rectangle Tool
• Gradient Palette
• Expand Function
• Transform Palette
• Brushes Palette
• Brush Tool and/or Pen Tool

When asking “How do I apply a gradient as a stroke?” you’ll often be told that the solution is as simple as expanding your stroke into a shape (select your path, and use either Object>Expand or Path>Outline Stroke) and then applying your gradient. This is all fine and dandy, unless you expect that your gradient is going to following the curvature of your original stroked path.

Outlined stroke filled with a gradient vs. stroke with gradient brush applied

The Pen Tool is one of the most powerful tools in Adobe Illustrator. Yet, it also one of the most difficult tools for some users to learn. This is intended as a very rudimentary introduction to the Pen Tool. I plan to follow this post up with more Pen Tool demonstrations and exercises. This post is intended for Adobe Illustrator beginners.

Tools focused on:

• Pen Tool

Paths are created in Adobe Illustrator using Bezier curves, which are comprised of control/anchor points. The Pen Tool is used to define control points and Bezier handles (or “curve handles”). which define the curvature of a path between each control point.

An example of an open path in Adobe Illustrator

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