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

RSS Icon

This will be a simple Illustrator tutorial on how to design a basic RSS icon. Part 1 will only deal with creating the shapes (paths) needed for the icon. This tutorial is intended for Adobe Illustrator “beginners.”

Tools Used:

• Guides
• Rectangle Tool
• Rounded Rectangle Tool
• Ellipse Tool
• Pathfinder – Divide

Start by creating a new document in Illustrator. Since this type of icon is typically used for web applications, we will use RGB color mode. The dimensions of the document should be 600px by 600 px. (If you are using CS4, we will only be using 1 artboard.)

Now, that you have created a new document, make sure you have your Rulers visible. If they are not visible, you can turn them on using View>Show Rulers or with the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-R (substitute Cmd for Ctrl on Mac).
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