How to Make aRockabilly Pattern in Illustrator

Make a rockabilly pattern in Illustrator by using the "Paintbrush" tool to sketch an image in the rockabilly style, and then using the program's "Define Pattern" command to add the image to Illustrator's gallery of swatches. The smooth curves and uniformly colored shapes characteristic of vector graphics make Illustrator a good choice for this project. Once you've added your image to Illustrator's gallery, you can apply it to any new Illustrator drawings by using the drop-down galleries above the canvas.

Instructions

1. Click the icon on the Tools panel that looks like a paintbrush to launch the "Paintbrush" tool, then drag on the canvas to create several images that you believe best evoke the rockabilly style. For example, draw the Pompadour hairdo, a wide-body electric guitar or a poodle skirt.

2. Click the leftmost drop-down box above the canvas to display a gallery of swatches you can click to color your drawing. Click a swatch to perform this action and observe its effect on your drawing. Click several other colors until you find one you like.

3. Click the icon shaped like a black arrow on the Tools panel to run the “Select” tool; then right-click on your drawing to display a set of commands for reshaping or moving the drawing. Click the "Transform" sub-menu and then click the "Reflect" command to display a dialogue box whose controls let you flip your drawing so you can evaluate it from another point of view.

4. Click the "Vertical" option button to indicate that you want to flip the drawing about its central vertical axis, which will swap the left and right sides of the drawing. Click "OK" to flip the drawing. Evaluate it from this new viewpoint. Digital and non-digital artists use this mirror technique to get a fresh view of their work, which helps them spot flaws and design elements they didn't notice before. To reshape your rockabilly drawing before making a pattern of it, click the white arrow on the Tools panel to run the "Direct Selection" command, and then double-click a handle on the drawing to begin editing it.

5. Click the "Define Pattern" command on the Edit menu to display a dialogue box with options for defining attributes for the new pattern you'll make from your rockabilly drawing. Click in the "Name" text box and type a name for the pattern, such as "Rockabilly Dress." Click "OK" to close the dialogue and create the pattern.

References

• Illustrator CS5 Bible: Ted Alspach
• Digital Painting Techniques: 3DTotal