Learn how to create and customize stipple brushes in Illustrator to add intricate shading to your artwork in one simple motion.
How to Create a Stipple Brush in Illustrator
In a new document, draw a circle with your Ellipse Tool, this will be the basis for your stipple pattern. You will then want to convert your circle into a guide by going to View > Guides > and selecting Make Guides.
Next, use your Blob Brush to create your scatter brush pattern within your circle guide. If you’re using different-sized circles, make sure to position your bigger circles near the center of your scatter brush.
Once you’re happy with your pattern, head over to your Brushes panel and select the New Brush, making sure to set the brush type to Scatter.
Skip the setup! Download our hand-crafted Stipple Brush Kit for Illustrator.
How to Add Shading Inside a Shape
To begin shading your artwork with the stipple brush, I find the easiest way is to first select my shape. Then, under your fill and stroke in the toolbox, you’ll see an option to “Draw Inside”. With this enabled, you can start drawing with your stipple brush and your texture will be contained within your shape.
How to Import Brushes in Illustrator
You can import custom brushes in Illustrator by opening your Brushes panel then going to the Brush Libraries Menu > Other Library > and selecting the brush kit you wish to import into your document. In this case, we would select “MID-Stipple-Brushes.ai”.
How to Customize Brushes in Illustrator
Change the size of your stipple point easily by increasing or decreasing the stroke size of your brush. The color of your shading can be changed by simply altering your fill color. You can further refine your stipple scatter brush by double-clicking on the brush in your Brushes panel to customize the specific brush options.
Conclusion
This tutorial covers how you can create and customize your own stipple brushes in Illustrator. We also learned how you can draw inside your shape for easy shading and a streamlined workflow.
Discover more Illustrator tips and tricks like this on our blog.
