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To learn in detail how to apply color and modify color in Adobe Illustrator, readers can refer to the following article by Mytour.
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1. How to Color and Change Colors in Adobe Illustrator
Illustrator supports 2 methods of coloring:
- Applying fill, stroke, or both to the entire object.
- Converting objects into a Live Paint group and applying fill or stroke to individual edges and faces of paths.
1.1. Object Coloring
After drawing an object, you can apply fill, stroke, or both to it. Then, you can draw other objects and perform a similar process to color them, stacking each new object on top of the previous ones. The result resembles a collage created from cutouts of colored paper.
1.2. Live Paint Group Coloring
With the Live Paint method, you can color objects as if using a traditional paint bucket tool, irrespective of layers or stacking order, creating a more natural workflow. All objects in a Live Paint group are treated as if they were part of the same flat surface.
This means you can draw multiple paths and then color each area surrounded by these paths. Additionally, you can assign different colors and stroke widths to different parts of the paths between intersections (called edges). As a result, you can color each edge and face with a different color. When moving and reshaping paths within a Live Paint group, the faces and edges automatically adjust in response.
2. Fill and Stroke
Fill refers to the color, pattern, or gradient within an object. You can apply fill to open and closed objects and the surface of a Live Paint group.
Stroke is the visible outline of an object, path, or edge of a Live Paint group. You can control the width, color of the stroke, or use Path options to create dashed lines, use brushes to paint strokes.
Note: When working with Live Paint groups, you can only apply one brush to one edge if using Appearance to add a stroke to the group.
You can find fill and stroke colors in the Tools panel, Control panel, and Properties panel.
3. Controlling fill and stroke
Control options for stroke and fill settings are available in the Properties panel, Tools panel, Control panel, and Color panel. Use the control options below in the Tool panel to specify colors:
Additionally, you can specify fill and stroke for an object using the options below in the Properties panel and Control panel:
- Fill color: Click the option to open the Swatches panel or press and hold Shift + click to open the alternate color mode panel and select a color.
- Stroke color: Click to open the Swatches panel or press and hold Shift + click to open the alternate color mode panel and select a color.
- Stroke panel: Click Stroke to open the Stroke panel and specify options.
- Stroke weight: Select the thickness for the stroke from the menu.
3.1. Applying color to Fill
You can apply a color, pattern, or gradient to the entire object or use Live Paint groups to apply different colors to different surfaces of the object.
Step 1: Use the Selection tool or Direct Selection tool to select the object.
Step 2: Click the Fill box in the Tools panel, Properties panel, or Color panel to indicate you want to apply fill instead of stroke.
Step 3: Choose a color by applying one of the following options:
- Click any color in the Control panel, Color panel, Swatches panel, Gradient panel, or color model swatches.
- Double-click the Fill box and select a color from the Color Picker.
- Choose the Eyedropper tool and press Alt + click (on Windows) or Option + click (on Mac OS) on the object to apply current attributes, including current fill and stroke.
- Click the None button to remove the color applied to the object.
Note: You can apply color to unselected objects by dragging color from the Fill box, Color panel, Gradient panel, or Swatches panel onto the object. Dragging operation doesn't work on Live Paint groups.
4. Apply color to Stroke
Step 1: Select the object (to select an edge within a Live Paint group, use the Live Paint Selection tool).
Step 2: Click the Stroke box in the Tools panel, Properties panel, Color panel, or Control panel to indicate you want to apply Stroke instead of Fill.
Step 3: Choose a color from the Color panel, or color model swatches from the Swatches panel, Properties panel, or Control panel. Or double-click the Stroke box to select a color using the Color Picker.
Note: If you want to use the current color in the Stroke box, simply drag the color from the Stroke box onto the object. Dragging operation doesn't work on Live Paint groups.
4.1. Convert stroke to compound path
Converting stroke to a compound path allows you to modify the stroke outline. For example, you can create a stroke with varying widths or divide the stroke into multiple parts.
Step 1: Select the object.
Step 2: Choose Object => Path => Outline Stroke.
4.2. Drawing and merging paths with Blob Brush tool
Use the Blob Brush tool to color shapes that can intersect or merge with other shapes of the same color.
The Blob Brush tool uses default brush options similar to calligraphy brushes.
4.5. Blob Brush tool options
Double-click the Blob Brush tool in the Tools panel and select any of the following options:
- Keep Selected: specifies when drawing a merged path, all selected paths remain selected as you continue to draw. This option is useful to see all paths included in the merged path.
- Merge only with Selection: specifies that new strokes only merge with the currently selected existing path. If this option is selected, new strokes won't merge with intersecting paths that are not selected.
- Fidelity: controls the distance you must move the mouse or stylus before Illustrator adds a new anchor point to the path. Fidelity can range from 0.5 to 20 pixels, with higher values resulting in less complex paths.
- Smoothness: controls the level of smoothing that Illustrator applies when you use the tool. Smoothness can range from 0% to 100%, with higher percentages resulting in smoother paths.
- Size: defines the size of the brush.
- Angle: determines the angle of rotation for the brush. Drag the arrowhead in the preview section or enter a value in the Angle text box.
- Roundness: defines the roundness of the brush. Drag a black dot in the preview section towards or away from the center, or enter a value in the Roundness text box. Higher values result in greater roundness.
5. Select objects with the same fill and stroke
You can select objects with the same attributes, including color for fill, for stroke, and stroke weight.
Note: The commands Select => Same => Fill Color, Stroke Color, and Stroke Weight work within the Live Paint group when you select a surface or edge with the Live Paint Selection tool. Other Select => Same commands do not work.
Additionally, you can't select both the inside and outside of a Live Paint group at the same time.
- To select objects with the same fill and stroke, select one of the objects, click the Select Similar Objects button in the Control panel, and choose the attributes you want from the menu.
- To select all objects with the same fill or stroke color, select an object with the desired fill and stroke color in the Control panel or Swatches panel. Then select Select => Same, click Fill Color, Stroke Color, or Fill & Stroke from the menu.
- To select all objects with the same stroke weight, select an object with the stroke weight or choose the stroke weight from the Stroke panel. Then select Select => Same => Stroke Weight.
- To apply similar selection options using another object, select a new object, then choose Select => Reselect.
5.1. Creating multiple fills and strokes
Use the Appearance panel to create multiple fills and strokes for the same object. Add multiple fills and strokes to an object to create various effects.
Step 1: Select one or more objects or groups (or a layer in the Layers panel).
Step 2: Choose Add New Fill or Add New Stroke from the Appearance panel menu. Alternatively, select Fill or stroke from the Appearance panel, then click the Duplicate Selected Item button.
Step 3: Set colors and other attributes for the new fill or stroke.
6. Remove fill or stroke from an object
Step 1: Select the object.
Step 2: Click the Fill box or Stroke box in the Tools panel or Properties panel to indicate you want to remove the fill or stroke from the object
Step 3: Click the None button in the Tools panel, Color or Swatches panel.
Note: Additionally, you can click the None icon on the Fill menu or Stroke Color menu in the Properties panel or Control panel.
The above article from Mytour just showed you how to color and change colors in Adobe Illustrator. Moreover, if you have any questions or need clarification such as How to design 3D Logo in Adobe Illustrator, readers can leave their comments below the article.
