How to design complex patterns with simple lines (graphics)

   The most fascinating thing about vectoring software such as Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia Freehand is that you can use the Blend tool to turn one shape or color into another, turning normal lines into patterns. This does not require any special skills, just a few simple clicks and mix, and then you can soak a cup of tea to appreciate your masterpiece.
    Translator tips: Although the role of Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia Freehand blend and the principles are very similar, but there are some minor differences, the examples in this article is done in the Freehand software. Of course, the same effect can be achieved with Blend in Illustrator, but there are some nuances in the steps.
    All sides have a pattern. The pattern can be smooth or rough, it can be regular or irregular. You can choose any color - at least two, you will be able to design a shiny pattern.
    In this article, we will present a number of design patterns to illustrate how complex and varied patterns can be created with only two line segments. This type of line change has a variety of expressions, such as the number of line changes (more or less), line width changes (from width to width, narrow to narrow, wide to narrow), line color change (high contrast and low contrast Change), and the use of different background colors can have different effects on the same lines. This means that in your design you can always find a pattern that suits your needs, and that pattern will always look different.
    Beautiful tools can be designed using the blending tools.
    Figure 1: Thick lines blend into thin lines until they blend into the background.

figure 1

Figure 2: The zig-zag line changes by "coarse-thin-coarse" and uses different backgrounds and angles. Figure 3: The pattern in the text makes the whole effect appear lively. This is a mixture of wavy lines and straight lines. Figure 4: Bright lines to dark lines, eventually merging with the background.

Figure 2, 3, 4

Figure 5: Mixing of thin purple lines to thick red lines produces a curtain effect.

Figure 5

Mix basic steps:

In theory, any pattern you make can be achieved in two basic steps: draw two line segments first, then select the endpoints of the two line segments, and apply the blending tool, as shown in the figure below: Green Wide Line to Blue Thin line transitions.

Figure 6

Then redo the same way in the other direction, and then add a dark blue background, so that it has a sense of integration into the thin lines, as shown in Figure 6.

Of course, sometimes you feel unsatisfied with the mixed effect, then you can also adjust the settings. Set it again on the mixing panel and the mixing effect will remix accordingly. If you can select the entire blending effect, and then re-enter the number of steps, or use the direct selection tool to select the first line, change its width, you can also change the color, the mixing effect will change accordingly.

Twill pattern: draw two oblique lines, set the number of steps, and then mix. Then you can use Mask and other tools to take part of it (in this case, all squares), see Figure 7 left.

Circular pattern: Select two circles to mix, see Figure 7 right.

Figure 7

The tooth profile pattern and the wavy line pattern are the same as those in the above steps. See Figure 8.

Figure 8
 

Fish scale pattern: (In Illustrator, directly using the arc tool Arctool can produce a standard positive arc.) See Figure 9 left.

Square pattern: The figure is a mixture of two dotted lines, see Figure 9 right.

Figure 9

The straight line transitions to the wavy line pattern, Figure 10 left. The same is a sawtooth line, but the lines are thick and thin. Note that the thickness of the upper and lower lines to be mixed is staggered. Figure 10 right.

Figure 10

The pattern of transition from top to bottom: (Select a point above the left line segment and a point below the right line segment and mix). See Figure 11.

Figure 11

The pattern from coarse to fine and then to thick transition: First, as shown in the figure above, three line segments are drawn, the upper and lower two coarse, and the middle one thin. First mix the top two, then select the middle thin line to copy one out, and then mix the thin line with the thick line below. See Figure 12.

Figure 12

The density of the lines affects the visual effect. The more dense the lines, the weaker the background color will be. Figure 13 left.

Figure 13 Left

Figure 13 Right

High-contrast and low-contrast colors can produce different visual effects. Of course, there are numerous variations in shape (Figure 13 right). In short, if you are willing to grope, you can produce a lot of very beautiful patterns through this mixture. No matter if you are designing a cover or lace or other designs, there is not much time, and there is no suitable picture to match. The exquisite designs designed in this way can completely make your design be confirmed by the customer. .