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Jose Agustin Andreu
STUDENTS' WORK
2 Dimensional Design

 

Wash

Hatching Crosshatching

Stippling

Invented

Value Scales
Hatching Crosshatching

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Project Instructions & PDF

HORIZONTALS: to fill a shape with horizontal lines.
In the Toolbox window select the Line Tool On the Control Palette go to Stroke weight and set the Stroke to 2 pt. Or go to the Stroke window by going to Widow > Stroke and in the pull down menu set the Stroke Weight to 2 pt. Place the Line Tool cursor at 1" from the top and 1" from the left on the Artboard and draw a line 1" across. Skip the second grid line below and draw another line across on the third line. Continue until the 1" square has six alternating horizontal lines across its grid. Drag Select all six lines with the Selection Tool and notice in the Toolbox that the stroke is black but the Fill is none, a diagonal red line in the icon.

Go to Object > Path > Outline Stroke and turn all Stroke lines into Fill shapes. Notice how the Fill and Stroke tools in the Toolbox change to reflect the new selected objects. Deselect all.

In the Toolbox select the Rectangle Tool. Set the Stroke to black and 1 pt. and the Fill to None. Or you can click on the double arrow just above and to the right of the Fill and Stroke Tool and it will reverse the Stroke and Fill colors.

Draw a rectangle over the 1" square of lines. Then Drag Select all the lines and the outline square. Go to the Pathfinder window, if it's not open go to Window > Pathfinder and open it. In the Pathfinder Window click Crop. Notice that the top and bottom lines have been cut in half and that a new Group has appeared in the Layers Palette. If you open that group you will see all the objects that make up the group. Everything outside the small square has been deleted only preserving the fills inside the square. The stroke surrounding the square also has disappeared because Pathfinder options eliminate all strokes. It's why we turned all strokes to outlined Fills before cropping. Deselect all.

If it's not open go to Window > Swatches and open the Swatches Palette window. Select the new group by clicking its Radial Button in the Layers Palette or you can drag select all the square of lines with the Selection Tool. Notice that there is a question mark on the Fill Tool because of conflicting information about the Fill. To simplify while the square is still selected go to the Pathfinder and click on Trim. Any fill that was below another will be discarded as well as all strokes. Double click on its name in the Layers Palette and change the name to 'Horizontal' and click OK or press Return.

Select the new group, 'Horizontal' by clicking its Radial Button, or Drag Select all the square of lines with the Selection Tool. Once selected, drag the whole over to the Swatches Window and, when a black outline appears around the window indicating it is selected, release the mouse. You now have a swatch to use as a fill. To verify it's working chose the Rectangle Tool and set the Stroke to None and for the Fill select the new Swatch. Draw a rectangle anywhere and see how it fills with the pattern.

Notice that if you select a corner handle of the rectangle, you can rotate the shape but the pattern keeps the same orientation. The shape can be adjusted and changed but the pattern remains the same. It occurs because there is a link between the Swatch Palette and the drawn vector object. That link can be broken if necessary by going to Object > Expand. The link will be broken and all the paths needed to make the pattern filled object will be visible and available for editing. If you Select and Rotate after Expand, the pattern will rotate also.

VERTICALS: to fill a shape with vertical lines.
You have one swatch, Horizontal, which is square #2 on the value scale. There is no need to make square #1 because it's all white. Continue making the rest. The 'Vertical' swatch in #3 can be made using the same process as with #2 with six lines drawn vertically instead of horizontally. Then Select the six lines and go to Object > Path > Outline Stroke and turn the strokes to fills. Chose the Rectangle Tool and draw a square around the six lines making sure the Fill is none and the Stroke is black. Drag Select the square and lines and go to the Pathfinder and click on Crop. Once cropped, go again to the Pathfinder and click on Trim. Double click on its name in the Layers Palette, change the name to 'Vertical' and click OK or press Return.

Drag the result to the Swatch Palette and you have a second swatch, Vertical, which is square #3 on the value scale. To verify it's working Deselect all and chose the Rectangle, Oval or Polygon Tool. Make sure the Stroke is set to None and select the new Swatch as a Fill. Draw a shape anywhere and see how it fills with the pattern.

If all looks well, delete the test shapes. Go to File > Save and save this stage of the exercise.

DIAGONALS: to fill a shape with diagonal lines
Diagonal Left
To make a seamless pattern with diagonals is a slightly different process. In a 3" x 3" nine square grid consider the center square as the one to be used for the swatch. To create a seamless pattern the lines have to be extended further than the 1" x 1" square. Work on a clear area of the Artboard grid that's at least 5" x 5". Chose the Line Segment Tool and go to the upper left corner of the 3" x 3" square draw a 2 pt. diagonal line to bottom right corner. Draw five long diagonals below and five above across the 3" x 3" large square and parallel to the first long diagonal, skipping every other line, using the grid points on the edge of the top left square and the bottom right square as guides. Only the middle square needs to be completed.

Once drawn, Select all the lines, check that they are all 2 pt, and go to Object > Path > Outline Stroke and turn all the strokes to fills. Notice the Fill and Stroke Tool indicators. Deselect all and make the Fill none and the Stroke black. Chose the Rectangle Tool and draw a square around the center square. Drag Select the square and all the lines and go to the Pathfinder and click Crop. Once cropped, go again to the Pathfinder and click on Trim.

Reposition the diagonal left square on the Artboard to v1" x h5" then drag drop into the Swatch Palette and you have a third swatch, 'Diagonal left', which is square #4 on the value scale. Title it and test it as before. The diagonal pattern should be seamless. Deselect all.

Diagonal Right
For the next square, 'Diagonal right' in square #5, the same process can be repeated. Just be sure that the diagonal lines go from bottom left to top right or easier would be to select square #4 and Drag Copy by holding the Option key. Position the copy at h7" x v1" then, while still selected, double click the Rotate Tool and in the angle box type 90. Click OK. That is square #5. Drag and drop into the Swatches Palette. Check it in the previous manner.

DOUBLE DENSE SQUARES
The following squares #6, 7, 8, and 9 are made the same way as #2, 3, 4, and 5 but without skipping the alternate lines. Each square has twice the number of lines. The squares can be made starting from the beginning or Drag Copy the first four and add lines between. Place the new copies .5" below the original.

After adding lines to make #6 and #7, and the pattern has been completed, drag select all the lines and go to Object > Path > Outline Stroke. With the square selected go to the Pathfinder and click Trim. Drop each into the Swatch Palette. Test them by drawing a shape with the 'double horizontal' swatch as a fill. Keep it selected and chose the 'double vertical' as a fill. Delete the shape. Deselect all.

For the squares with diagonals #8 and #9, remember that the diagonal lines have to go through and beyond the edge of the immediate square. Use a nine square format even if the center is the only one to be kept. Fit 2 pt. parallel lines between the diagonals Once the pattern has been completed select all the lines and go to Object > Path > Outline Stroke. Deselect all then chose the Rectangle Tool and draw a square with no fill over the center square. Drag Select all the diagonal lines and the center square and click Crop in the Pathfinder window. Keeping the square selected, go to the Pathfinder and click Trim and then drop each into the Swatch Palette. Test them.

On the Artboard there should be eight squares of line patterns and an equal amount of swatches in the Swatches Window. Deselect all. Save the document.

EIGHT SWATCHES FOR A VALUE SCALE
As a guide make a 1" x 9" rectangle with stroke .5 pt. and fill none. Position start it at v4" x h1" to v5", h10" on the grid. Deselect. It can and will be deleted later.
Chose the Rectangle Tool. Make the Stroke none. Make the Fill a pattern by clicking on the 'horizontal' swatch in the Swatch Window, the first one made. Draw a square over square #2 of the scale rectangle. Deselect by going to Select > Deselect.
With the Fill the 'horizontal' swatch as fill, Draw another square over #3. Go to Select > Deselect. Change the Fill to 'vertical' swatch in the Swatch Window. Draw a square over the square #3 of the scale. Go to Select > Deselect.
Chose the Selection tool and drag select only square #3. Carefully avoiding #2. Drag Copy to #4 and Go to Select > Deselect. Make the Fill the 'Diagonal left' swatch in the Swatch Window, the third one made. Draw a square over the square #4 of the scale. Go to Select > Deselect.
Chose the Selection tool and drag select only square #4. Carefully avoiding #3. Drag Copy to #5 and Go to Select > Deselect. Make the Fill the 'Diagonal right' swatch in the Swatch Window, the fourth one made. Draw a square over the square #5 of the scale. Go to Select > Deselect.
Chose the Selection tool and drag select only square #5. Carefully avoiding #4. Drag Copy to #6 and Go to Select > Deselect. Make the Fill the 'horizontal2' swatch in the Swatch Window, the fifth one made. Draw a square over the square #6 of the scale. Go to Select > Deselect.
Chose the Selection tool and drag select only square #6. Carefully avoiding #5. Drag Copy to #7 and Go to Select > Deselect. Make the Fill the 'vertical2' swatch in the Swatch Window, the sixth one made. Draw a square over the square #7 of the scale. Go to Select > Deselect.
Chose the Selection tool and drag select only square #7. Carefully avoiding #6. Drag Copy to #8 and Go to Select > Deselect. Make the Fill the 'Diagonal left2' swatch in the Swatch Window, the seventh one made. Draw a square over the square #8 of the scale. Go to Select > Deselect.
Chose the Selection tool and drag select only square #8. Carefully avoiding #7. Drag Copy to #9 and Go to Select > Deselect. Make the Fill the 'Diagonal right2' swatch in the Swatch Window, the eighth one made. Draw a square over the square #9 of the scale. Go to Select > Deselect.
You have a nine step Value Scale with hatching and crosshatching pattern including a medium grey.
Direct Select the border rectangle of the value scale and delete it by pressing delete or going to Edit > Clear. Starting with #9, Drag Select each square individually, carefully avoiding the squares at either side. Drag Copy it down half inch and Drag Copy the next one to the left, pasting it a 1/4 inch to the left, separating them horizontally. You should end up with eight individual patterned squares. Although #2 will be redundant since you have it as a swatch already.

Once you have a row of independent patterned squares, Drag Select each one at a time and go to Object > Expand. On the Expand Option window make sure Fill is selected and click OK. Deselect. Chose the Rectangle Tool and make Stroke none and Fill none. Draw a square over the square. Deselect. Drag Select both stacked squares and go to the Pathfinder Window and chose Crop. Once cropped, and while still selected, go to Edit > Define Pattern. Give it the square number or a name in the dialogue window and click OK. Watch it appear in the Swatches Window. Deselect. You can test it by selecting it as a fill and drawing a shape. Repeat the process for each of the patterned squares. You'll have a set of seven value pattern swatches.

Once the scale is done. Drag Select the whole value scale. Go to Object > Expand. Deselect. Make the Fill none and the Stroke black. Chose the Rectangle Tool and draw a 1" x 9" rectangle over the value scale. Drag Select both, the rectangle and the value scale, then select Crop in the Pathfinder and then Trim. Deselect. Draw another frame rectangle around the value scale. Deselect. Save the document. Copy and Paste the Hatching Crosshatching Value Scale into the document with four value scales.

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© 2014 Jose Agustin Andreu

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