AboutKevin Stohlmeyer Expertise I am an Adobe Certified Expert. I can answer all your questions about Adobe Illustrator version 7 through the new Adobe CS3 version.
Experience I am an Adobe Certified Instructor for Adobe Illustrator and have been teaching this application to college students for the past 6 years. I now teach this as a corporate instructor.
Organizations Milwaukee Adobe Users Group
National Association of Photoshop Professionals
C2 Graphics Productivity Solutions
Education/Credentials BA - Graphic Design
Adobe Certified Instructor - Illustrator
Expert: Kevin Stohlmeyer Date: 5/19/2008 Subject: Illustrator 8 cartoon illustration
Question QUESTION: I scan my sketches, clean them up in Photoshop, and then import them into
Illustrator 8.0. Two questions: (1) What is the best way to color non-closed
shapes (such as faces) in Illustrator and (2) How is the best way to create
shadows along edges? Is there anything like the magic wand tool in
Photoshop whereby I can color within separate shapes without the color
spilling over into the next shape? (I know about the new Gap Option in CS,
but I cannot afford it right now.) When I look at the Sunday comics, it seems
that most of these comics have open shapes in them but are nicely colorized.
Can you help? Thanks!
ANSWER: Hi Randy
I actually do this a lot so here is my solution:
Place your b&w image on a separate layer, with your color on the layer below. This way you can custom color your image and add shadows, etc. as shapes and use the B&W image to cover up your edges, etc. and you do not have to worry about open paths.
Thanks
Kevin
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Kevin, I feel dumb for asking this, but I guess I don't know how you get color
"behind" the b/w layer. Can you give me a quick step by step on this? I placed
the AI b/w linework on one layer, then created another layer beneath that one.
But the color does not show. Help again, please? :)
Answer Hi Randy,
I am assuming that you have a fill going on with your design, which is covering up your color underneath. You need to make sure your design on the upper layer has no fill or compound paths to show the color below.
I draw my designs using open paths and shapes with no fill instead of white.
