Adobe Illustrator

Drawing A Star With The Blend Tool

Using The Blend Tool

1. Drawing the star contour

First, use the Pen Tool (P) and draw a star the same way as you would do it on paper (figure 1).

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Fig. 1 Drawing a star

Open the Pathfinder window (Shift+Ctrl/Cmd+F9), select the star and press the Unit button (figure 2).

Fig. 2 Joining the star contour

The contour of the star is ready.

Copy the result to a new layer (it will be used later). You can lock this layer or move it away to the side for now.

2. Colouring

Fill the contour with dark-red colour and remove the stroke (figure 3).

Fig. 3 The coloured star

Use the Pen Tool (P) again to draw the shape shown in figure 4 inside our star. Fill this new object with bright red colour.

Fig. 4 Drawing the star edges

Open the options dialog of the Blend Tool (Object/Blend/Blend Options...) and set Specified Steps to 3 as shown in figure 5.

Fig. 5 Setting the blend options

Keep the selection and apply the Blend Tool (Alt+Ctrl/Cmd+B or Object/Blend/Make). The result is shown in figure 6.

Fig. 6 The result of applying the Blend Tool

3. Adding the frame

Copy the star that was created in step 1 (Ctrl/Cmd+C) and Paste to Front (Ctrl/Cmd+F). Make the background star slightly larger and set Horisontal and Vertical Align Center. Fill the background star with dark green, and the front one with light yellow colour (figure 7).

Fig. 7 Drawing a frame

Select both green and yellow objects and apply the Blend Tool (Alt+Ctrl/Cmd+B or Object/Blend/Make).

Put the result under the red star (figure 8).

4. Adding lighting and volume

Draw triangles as shown on figure 9. Fill it with light yellow in the illuminated areas and apply transparency mode Lighten = 30 % (Window Transparency Shift+Ctrl/Cmd+F10). Fill the shadows with dark red and set the transparency mode Multiply = 40 % for them.

Fig. 9 Adding shadows and brighter areas

The star is ready!

Fig. 10 The star is ready

Now what is left to do is to add the background and the pole.