How to: Damask in Illustrator
Damask is a complex weaving style that originated in the early Middle Ages near Damascus, Syria. In graphic design, Damask is an ornate and decorative pattern that creates a vintage sophisticated feel to interior decorating and wall paper designs. Damask is made with symmetrical designs with scroll effects around flowers and leaves. Damask patterns come in a variety of color combinations, from violet and crimson to gold and blue. Download a free vector flower file online and use it to make your damask pattern in Illustrator.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Start a new Illustrator document. In the "New Document" dialog box, type "600 px" in the "Width" text box. Type "600 px" in the "Height" text box. Select "CMYK" for "Color Mode."
-
2
Select the "Rectangle" tool. Press and hold "Shift" and draw a large square. Select the "Rotate" tool. Press and hold "ALT" key and click the center of the square. Press "Enter" and type "45" degrees into the "Angle" text box of the "Rotate" dialog box. Click "OK."
-
-
3
Select "View." Select "Guides." Select "Make Guides" or press "Ctrl + 5." Press "Ctrl + R" to toggle the "Rulers." Click and drag two guide lines onto the square to make a cross over the window, with the intersection centered on the middle of the square. Select "View." Select "Smart Guides" or press "Ctrl + U." Use the "Smart Guides" to center the cross on the square. When done correctly the centered cross divides the square into four panels.
-
4
Open your "floral vector" file. Click on the "Selection" tool. Click on a flower from the vector file. Press "Ctrl + C" to copy the flower. Press "Ctrl + V" to paste it onto the center of the square/cross drawing.
-
5
Click on the "Selection" tool. Press and hold "Shift" and re-size the flower to make it fit in the bottom two panels of the square made by the cross arms.
-
6
Click on the "Selection" tool. Click on another flower from your flower vector file. Cut and paste the flower onto the drawing. Move the flower over to the top left panel of the square made by the cross arms and place it at the bottom right corner of the panel. Re-size the flower, set it at the bottom left corner of the panel.
-
7
Select "Object." Select "Transform." Press "Ctrl + Shift + T". Select "Vertical." Click "OK." Set the copy of the second flower on the bottom left corner of the top right panel so that it creates a mirror image of the second flower.
-
8
Copy and paste the second flower at the lower right panel of the square so that touches the right corner of the square. Copy and paste the second flower and place it at the left corner of the square.
Copy the first flower. Press "Shift + E" to select the "Eraser" tool. Erase the bottom and right side of the flower. Move the flower to the right and place it on the right arm of the cross, between the center and the right corner of the square. Do the same to the left side to make a mirror image.
-
9
Make the cut flower pattern in different sizes and add it to the square, making mirror images on the right and left half of the square as you do so. Fill in the bottom half of the square with a symmetrical pattern.
-
10
Press "Ctrl + A" to select all. Select "Object." Press "Ctrl + G" to select "Group." Press "Shift + E" to select the "Eraser" tool. Press and hold "Alt" to erase half of the square. Press "Ctrl + C" to copy. Press "Ctrl + F" to paste it.
-
11
Select "Object." Select "Transform." Select "Reflect." Select "Vertical." Click "OK." Click the "Selection" tool. Move the copy, use the anchor-point and move it. Press and hold "Shift" and center the picture onto the square.
-
12
Select "All." Click "Object" and select "Group." Re-size the picture to under "300 px." Press and hold "Alt + Shift." Click and drag the picture to the left to copy it, leave 2 pixels space between the square corners. Repeat and do the same for the right side.
-
13
Select All. Click the "Selection" tool. Re-size the pictures on the sides until their vertical axis are close to the edges of the "Artboard." Press and hold "Shift + Alt" to keep their proportions. Copy the square art and lay it out in a grid on the screen until the entire screen is filled with rotated squares of art.
-
14
Select "Background." Select a background color. Select "Edit Colors" icon in the "Color Guide" panel to open a dialog box. Select the desired color. Click "OK."
Save your repeating Damask pattern. Select all the art-work. Click and drag it over to the "Swatches" palette. Click the bottom right icon. Select "Save Swatches." Type in "Damask" and save your file.
-
1
