Apply Brush Stroke Effects to Image in Adobe Illustrator CS6

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Video: Apply Brush Stroke Effects to Image in Adobe Illustrator CS6

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You're watching VisiHow. This tutorial will show you how to apply a "Brush Strokes" effect to an image in Adobe Illustrator CS6 in Windows 7.

1. 1
   You should have Illustrator open and a document ready

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   In this video, a photograph is used; but you can use digital or even scanned drawings. Either way, try to use a high-quality image.

   

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2. 2
   Click the "Selection Tool" black arrow from the top-left side of your toolbar to select your object

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   You can also use different selection tools if you are working with more complicated shapes.

   

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3. 3
   Click the object or image

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   A thin blue frame and anchor corners will appear, which means your object is now selected and ready for editing.

   

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4. 4
   Click "Effect" at the top of the screen

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5. 5
   Within the "Photoshop Effects" section, move the cursor to "Brush Strokes"

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   It is useful to use Photoshop effects within Illustrator, as you do not have to keep Photoshop and Illustrator opened at the same time. A menu will appear where you can select the effect that you prefer. The names are quite self-explanatory, and it is recommended to become familiar with them.

   

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6. 6
   Let's click "Accented Edges..."

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   A large dialogue box will appear with a preview on the left side.

   

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7. 7
   Click and drag the preview image to move it

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8. 8
   You can zoom in and out by clicking the plus and minus buttons in the bottom-left corner

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9. 9
   You can also click the arrow next to the plus and minus buttons

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10. 10
    Then, click a percentage from the drop-down menu

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    You can also click "Fit on Screen".

    

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11. 11
    You can click other "Brush Strokes" options

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    They are listed on the right with small preview thumbnails. It is recommended to experiment with these as you become more familiar with Illustrator. Depending upon which effect you choose, different adjustable settings will appear on the right-hand side. It is also recommended to experiment with the options for more varied effects.

    

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12. 12
    Click the drop-down menu in the settings section on the right

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    The default setting is "Accented Edges".

    

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13. 13
    Click a setting

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14. 14
    You can adjust "Edge Width"

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    You can do it by clicking or clicking and dragging the scroller or by typing a number into the box to the right.

    

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15. 15
    You can also change "Edge Brightness" in the same way

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    Your preview will be updated automatically.

    

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16. 16
    You can adjust "Smoothness" in the same way too

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17. 17
    You can also click "Angled Strokes" in the "Brush Strokes" section

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18. 18
    You can click "Crosshatch"

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    You'll see how the preview changes. You will have different settings to edit.

    

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19. 19
    Let's click "Dark Strokes"

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20. 20
    Let's click "Ink Outlines"

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21. 21
    Let's click "Sprayed Strokes"

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22. 22
    Let's click "Sumi-e"

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    You can get some professional-looking effects.

    

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23. 23
    Click "Spatter"

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24. 24
    You can then proceed to adjust the settings on the right

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25. 25
    Click "OK"

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    The "OK" button is in the upper-right corner, above "Cancel". The changes will be applied to our canvas.

    

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This concludes our tutorial showing you how to apply a "Brush Strokes" effect to an image in Adobe Illustrator CS6 in Windows 7. If you have any questions or comments regarding this video or the program used, then just add them to the comment section below. Thank you for choosing VisiHow!

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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