Adobe Illustrator - dot madness

Author

dot madness

iehsmith

2005-06-17, 7:15 pm

Maybe I'm working too small, but I'm having a consistency problem with
Scaling and/or Duplicating Transform (D). I was trying to find a quick way
to use variable sized and spaced dots as sort of a gradation effect to see
if I want to even pursue that idea in a logo design, but I'm making a mess
instead.

On the outer rim of the circle I made a dot (filled circle) .05in.
Copied/Pasted in front and dragged down to make the height with both
selected 1 inch. Grouped the size is .05x1. Copied/Pasted the group in front
and rotated enough for edges to just touch. Copied/Pasted/Duplicated
transform to complete my circle. Looks OK, but when I select single circles
the Transform palette says they are different size dots (.05, .048, .045,
etc.)

I think visually I should be using larger, more identifiable dots for the
design, but in laying them out as I want, how do I maintain consistency in
size and spacing? (Um, please note, I kinda suck at math;)

The bottom version is the dot example (both just concept thumbnails):
www.imagessence.com/imageviewer/newdots.gif

AI 9.0.2/Mac OS 9.2.2

inez

Wizard of Draws

2005-06-18, 4:14 am

On 6/17/05 4:32 PM, in article
BED89D04.35155%inezhsmithspammenot@earthlink.net, "iehsmith"
<inezhsmithspammenot@earthlink.net> spewed:

> Maybe I'm working too small, but I'm having a consistency problem with
> Scaling and/or Duplicating Transform (D). I was trying to find a quick way
> to use variable sized and spaced dots as sort of a gradation effect to see
> if I want to even pursue that idea in a logo design, but I'm making a mess
> instead.
>
> On the outer rim of the circle I made a dot (filled circle) .05in.
> Copied/Pasted in front and dragged down to make the height with both
> selected 1 inch. Grouped the size is .05x1. Copied/Pasted the group in front
> and rotated enough for edges to just touch. Copied/Pasted/Duplicated
> transform to complete my circle. Looks OK, but when I select single circles
> the Transform palette says they are different size dots (.05, .048, .045,
> etc.)
>
> I think visually I should be using larger, more identifiable dots for the
> design, but in laying them out as I want, how do I maintain consistency in
> size and spacing? (Um, please note, I kinda suck at math;)
>
> The bottom version is the dot example (both just concept thumbnails):
> www.imagessence.com/imageviewer/newdots.gif
>
> AI 9.0.2/Mac OS 9.2.2
>
> inez
>
If I understand you correctly, you just need to make a dot a Pattern Brush.
Make the dot. Keep it selected.
Make a new brush from the Brush Palette.
Choose Pattern Brush.
Scale 100%, spacing to your taste.
Fit option: Add space to fit? Careful of distorting your dots if you make
the dot/stroke too big in relation to the shape.

Then draw your concentric circles and stroke with the new brush.
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino

Cartoons with a Touch of Magic
http://www.wizardofdraws.com

More Cartoons with a Touch of Magic
http://www.cartoonclipart.com

iehsmith

2005-06-18, 7:14 am

On 6/18/05 2:51 AM, Wizard of Draws uttered:

> If I understand you correctly, you just need to make a dot a Pattern Brush.
> Make the dot. Keep it selected.
> Make a new brush from the Brush Palette.
> Choose Pattern Brush.
> Scale 100%, spacing to your taste.
> Fit option: Add space to fit? Careful of distorting your dots if you make
> the dot/stroke too big in relation to the shape.
>
> Then draw your concentric circles and stroke with the new brush.

Thanks, Jeff. That helped somewhat, but I think I'm scratching the 'dots'
idea. Just can't seem to make it fit together right visually.

Think it might be because it's been over 30 years since I sat down with an
ink pen or felt tip and did dot drawing? LOL!

Oh well...
inez

Hecate

2005-06-18, 7:14 pm

On Sat, 18 Jun 2005 07:46:35 GMT, iehsmith
<inezhsmithspammenot@earthlink.net> wrote:

>Thanks, Jeff. That helped somewhat, but I think I'm scratching the 'dots'
>idea. Just can't seem to make it fit together right visually.
>
>Think it might be because it's been over 30 years since I sat down with an
>ink pen or felt tip and did dot drawing? LOL!
>
>Oh well...
>inez

I know it's raster, but that sort of painting technique is much easier
to do in Painter. Yes, I know that's not much help but... ;-)

--

Hecate - The Real One
Hecate@newsguy.com
Fashion: Buying things you don't need, with money
you don't have, to impress people you don't like...

iehsmith

2005-06-20, 7:16 pm

On 6/18/05 9:14 PM, Hecate uttered:

> I know it's raster, but that sort of painting technique is much easier
> to do in Painter. Yes, I know that's not much help but... ;-)

Yeah, I know. I'm going to have to work on this sometime, but have decided
it's not appropriate for this design, so it'll have to wait till I can play
around;)

Thanks anyway,
inez