Tutorial: Transform, Style, Blend
November 16th, 2007 | by Cheryl |
Do you like things to have a bit of randomness, an element of surprise? Me too.
Start with a simple shape. Go to Effect>Distort & Transform>Transform… Check the preview box and start playing. Here I’ve used an ellipse, made 12 copies, and adjusted the vertical scale and rotation. I’ve also changed the orientation point, as represented by the little proxy on the right. Click OK when you get something you like.
Now drag your shape into the Graphic Styles palette.
See what happens when you apply this style to other objects. Just draw a shape and click on the new style.
Now let’s have some fun with Blends. Expand the styled object (Object>Expand Appearance) and ungroup the resulting shapes. Double-click the Blend tool and enter a number in the “Specified Steps” field.
Now with all the shapes selected, press Cmd-Opt-B to make the blend. Cool.
See that open polygon shape in the middle? That’s the “spine” of the blend. You can draw another path and go to Object>Blend>Replace Spine to have the blend follow the new path.
For a gradient look, use the Direct Selection tool, select each oval and change its color :
If you want to get really trippy, select the blend, and apply your original style to it, making more repetitions and roations.
77 Responses to “Tutorial: Transform, Style, Blend”
By Suzanne on Nov 17, 2007 | Reply
Oh!
OMG so many things are suddenly really clear.
By kemie on Nov 19, 2007 | Reply
I never knew transformations could be made into styles! cool!
By jsnyder on Jan 18, 2008 | Reply
This is pretty spiffy. I think I can use this for some backgrounds.
By Sachu on Mar 25, 2008 | Reply
Great…Tutorial.. God Bless you
By Omar on Apr 12, 2008 | Reply
i cant get the replace spine to work, can u plz help
By Cheryl on Apr 12, 2008 | Reply
>i cant get the replace spine to work, can u plz help
You must select BOTH the unexpanded Blend and the path you want to use as the new spine, then go to Object>Bleand>Replace Spine.
By nikopol on Apr 28, 2008 | Reply
Is it a specific tutorial for Illustrator CS3? … I’m working with the CS2 and I can’t find “Object>Blend>Replace Spine”…
By Israel on May 4, 2008 | Reply
Great tutorial, very usefull. I have a question: Is there any other way to color the ovals with a gradient look? A way that doesn´t imply selecting and changing each ovals color? Lets say I want to colour apath witha a gradient, is that posible?
By Cheryl on May 4, 2008 | Reply
You can’t technically color a path with a gradient, but you can get the same look, Here’s a tutorial for that:
http://freetransform.net/?p=77
By Dietmar on May 28, 2008 | Reply
thanks for this tutorial ..
By ruth on Jun 11, 2008 | Reply
i can’t get the blend to work…i’m pressing option B and click but nothing is happening. please help…
By Cheryl on Jun 11, 2008 | Reply
The shortcut for making a Blend is Cmd-Opt-B (PC: Ctrl-Alt-B). You can also go to Object>Blend>Make, or you can just use the tool itself, clicking once on the first object, then clicking again on the second object. The cursor will have a tiny “x” on it when you hover over a point on the first object, then it will change to a “+” when you click on the second object. Hope this helps!
By kafi on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
really a nice thing, i never thought this could be done so easily in this way, gr8 post!!
By paulina on Sep 5, 2008 | Reply
i’ve selected both the unexpanded blend and the path for the new spine and cannot click on ‘replace spine’..
By VICKY on Sep 15, 2008 | Reply
HELLO, GOOD JOB, BUT I TRY TO DISTORT AND TRANSFORM ON CS2 BUT NO EFFECT ON THE SHAPE, WAT CUD BE THE LIKELY PROBLEM
By Tanya Sullivan on Oct 28, 2008 | Reply
Wow! Memories of Spirograph… this rocks! Thanks for the tutorial… you’ve helped to give a poor student an edge.
By Per Favor on Nov 15, 2008 | Reply
Hi I’ve come to where I’m gonna replace the spine, I have them both marked but I still can’t select “replace spine”
By Gavin Brophy on Nov 24, 2008 | Reply
Absolutely wicked. Thanks again guys
By souliafr on Dec 1, 2008 | Reply
greeting,
I find this tutoriel very interesting. Just I have a small problem final stage when I want to click on Object> Blend> Replace Spine. I find it deactivate.
Thanks for your help
By Vishal on Dec 3, 2008 | Reply
Hey really cool……
nw I can do all the things, which Mine students wanted me to do..
Really thankz a million..
By alex on Dec 9, 2008 | Reply
Add to my Bookmarks
By Michael Sacca on Dec 11, 2008 | Reply
Amazing tutorial. I’ve been searching for something like this for a new site. Thank you!
By doug on Jan 17, 2009 | Reply
At step 1 when I do the transform effect, the ellipses are one on top of the other and the lines don’t intersect. What am I doing wrong?
By Cheryl on Jan 17, 2009 | Reply
Doug, perhaps you didn’t enter a value in the “Rotate” field?
By doug on Jan 17, 2009 | Reply
I put the numbers in just like they’re shown, but the ovals don’t intersect with each other. Mine looks just like the one in the tutorial except that the lines don’t intersect.
By ivana on Jan 24, 2009 | Reply
replacing spine:
1. select both the new path and the Blend by marqueeing across both with the Selection tool. 2. go to Object>Blend>Replace Spine
By damien on Jan 26, 2009 | Reply
Can’t even believe that a look this great is so simple! Lovin it…can’t thank you enough. I was really struggling for some new inspiration tonight and this did the trick! I’ve now got a new bookmark!
By trung on Feb 9, 2009 | Reply
doug, i think you have your oval filled with some color (white maybe). you need to click on the oval and check the unfilled then you will have these ovals overlapping.
Cheryl, nice tutorial but like some others, i cant get it to work on the final step. I select
BOTH the unexpanded Blend and the path, then go to Object>Blend>Replace Spine . no thing happen.
what did i miss?
. anyone here can get it to work please help
By trung on Feb 9, 2009 | Reply
hi again.. i know what I missed.
pay attention on this part:
Expand the styled object (Object>Expand Appearance) and ungroup the resulting shapes.
keypart is ungroup it. after blending it, right click on the picture and choose “ungroup”.
yay.. finally
By Vincent on Feb 24, 2009 | Reply
I have been using the Blend Tool a lot already. But after Cheryl’s Tutorial I can now use it much further! Those tricks just make the differents… Great! Awesome! Thank you!!!
By lol on Mar 9, 2009 | Reply
wow thanx
By Christian on Mar 16, 2009 | Reply
Make sure you have the spine and the swirley pattern selected. So basically have everything selected.
By Dax attack on Mar 20, 2009 | Reply
dude this tutorial sucks big ones,
doesn’t explain anything!
all it is telling you is to go to here
and yuo can’t even find it,
victoria school needs better tutorials!
By pjcassel on Mar 22, 2009 | Reply
This effect gets wild when you paint a brush stroke. Every time you change direction or angle of the brush stroke, the result is different every time. Changing brushes also adds to the fun. Based on the result of the brush stroke, go in and change the appearance of the effect. I like experimenting with this.
By Sue on Mar 29, 2009 | Reply
Can’t wait for my high school students to do this tutorial this week!
By Pixeam on Mar 30, 2009 | Reply
Nice
tutorial..Thanks
By llloolll on Apr 16, 2009 | Reply
It’s just great! Very useful for abstract backgrounds etc.. love it!
By jotaime on Apr 26, 2009 | Reply
This is great tutorials
By zabet on May 1, 2009 | Reply
again with everyone I have tried direct selection and marquee to select the blend and the spine and it still is not available in the menu. Such a simple thing but I don’t know what else to try so that I can change the spine. help would be fantastic.
cheers
By RUGRLN on May 5, 2009 | Reply
Wickeeedddddd! Couldn’t get it right first time, just worked after, but it’s bloody amazing!!!!!!!!!!
By fili on Jun 17, 2009 | Reply
pretty cool stuff, I found another spirograph tutorial here:
http://deliberateyourmind.com/2009/03/spirograph-tutorial-in-illustrator-cs4/
By peppermint on Jun 23, 2009 | Reply
what is cmd-opt-b?
how do i do it? help!!!
By peppermint on Jun 24, 2009 | Reply
i finally figured everything out so thanks!it’s awesome tutorial!!!
By supremegraphx on Jul 7, 2009 | Reply
good tutorial. bout to start learning illustrator soon!!
By MIha on Jul 10, 2009 | Reply
Hei, this is a great trick, i always wondered how this effect can be done. Great, thanks!
By Miguel on Jul 16, 2009 | Reply
Muy bueno la tranformacion y rotaciones de objetos para realizacion de efectos
By Ashish chikara on Jul 28, 2009 | Reply
i am very impress
By ForTheMinh on Aug 13, 2009 | Reply
To replace the spine guys…be sure to select both the path of the Spirograph and the new path (for the spine)
By charly23 on Aug 18, 2009 | Reply
i’ve a pc not a mac, and my illustrator is in spanish, i understand the english but when i do it this tutorial, i cant do replace spine, dont appear to click, plis help me!!!
thanks
By pravi on Sep 24, 2009 | Reply
Like the tutorials its really helpful for all designers
By Provo Dentist on Oct 26, 2009 | Reply
Whoa. I didn’t know you can do that. Looks like I’ll have to play with Illustrator a bit more.
By Logo Supermarket on Nov 5, 2009 | Reply
Absolutely great tutorial, so simple and east to follow but such a great result, i know what my clients are getting for the next few weeks… spirals…
By Nazish on Nov 5, 2009 | Reply
i do no get the exact same spiral shape after applying ctrl+alt+b , my spirals have more space annd is more fatty….
By Fawad on Nov 6, 2009 | Reply
dear….can i get the .ai of this illustration…i am not geting the same…as u showed…
By Amy on Nov 21, 2009 | Reply
Thank you for the tutorial! I love it!
By Aysha on Nov 24, 2009 | Reply
This is awsam!!!!
Am lov’n it!!
By Spencer on Feb 19, 2010 | Reply
On the right side at the bottom of the toolbar where you have the option to change the outline and fill color. There are three boxes with colors in them. Use your gradient on something else and it will show up there. Then all you have to do is select your object and click the color.
By ooty on Mar 7, 2010 | Reply
I am a beginner I loved it
By Logo Supermarket on Mar 12, 2010 | Reply
used this technique a few times now, great tutorial1
By Denshou on Mar 12, 2010 | Reply
A dont know what is cmd-opt B.
By Allie on May 10, 2010 | Reply
For PC, cmd opt B is ctrl alt B
A great tutorial, thanks