Simple Stroke Effect

neon wireframe text effect typography poster

// New File

Launch Adobe® Illustrator® and start with the new document, let’s say 700 x 980 px, units: Pixels, RGB color model, 72ppi:

Note: Instead of digging through your hard drive searching for the file you have just saved (or file you have opened via Open Recent Files menu command) use Doc Revealer Tool* to quickly locate your document in Finder (mac users), Explorer (win users) or Adobe® Bridge®.

// Worm-Path

Create a new layer, for example worms. Make sure that worms is your current layer, go to Pen Tool and start drawing the first curve – worm’s center line:

Adjust your path as required to make it smooth and good-looking. Like this:

// Stroke

Select the curve path > go to Appearance Panel > set Stroke Color to RGB 179,179,179 and Stroke Weight to 16pt:

adobe illustrator stroke appearance result

Once again, select the curve, go to the Appearance Panel > Hit Add New Stroke button:

The new stroke has been created. Change its Color to white RGB 255, 255, 255 and its Weight to 14pt. Finally, move it to the very top:

The result should be like this:

adobe illustrator path with two strokes set

// Caps

Select the curved path > go to Appearance Panel > Click on the Stroke Link of the White Stroke. The Stroke Properties Panel should appear. Set Cap property to Round:

adobe illustrator path set cap for stroke 1

Repeat the above for the Gray Stroke:

adobe illustrator path set cap for stroke 2

This should give you::

adobe illustrator path with two strokes with caps set

// Easy Further Modification

The fact that the curve is kept in the Path form (with its strokes set) guarantees that any further modification will be easy and fast. Why? You just select the curved segment (or the anchor point on either end) with the Direct Selection tool and simply adjust its position or shape. Of course, you can add or remove some anchor points as well. The New Strokes are automatically recomputed. Take a look at these examples:

adobe illustrator path with two strokes modification

// Slice

Go to the Ellipse Tools and create something like worm-section::

// Adding Shadows

shadow. Set it below the worms:

Create copy of your curve and move it to the shadow layer:

Select the shadow-curve > go to Appearance Panel > set Stroke Color to RGB 179,179,179 and Stroke Weight to 16pt:

Now, adjust its shape so that it looks like the real shadow. For example:

// Procreation

Make a few copies of the worm-path. Then adjust the new shapes with the Direct Selection tool by modifying its anchor and direction points. The New Strokes will be automatically recomputed. Here is my version (worms layer):

Do the same with the shadows:

// Watercolor Texture

Go to Layers Panel > Create New Layres. We need: bkgnd_solid (at the very bottom), bkgnd_watercolor and bkgnd_paper (at the very top):

Make sure that bkgnd_solid is your current layer, go to Rectangle Tool and start drawing the rectangle so that it covers the whole artwork area. Set its fill color to white RGB 255, 255, 255:

Prepare your own image file or download one from http://designinstruct.com/free-resources/free-water-color-dripping-textures (Watercolorfall Texture 03):

// Paper Texture

Prepare your own image file or download one from our collection http://63mutants.com/subc/products/textures.php (I chose Wrinkly Paper 2):

// Combining Textures

Make sure that bkgnd_watercolor layer is active, go to File > Place… > and select the texture image. Scale it as required:

Go to Transparency Panel > Set Blending Mode to Color and Opacity to 100%:

Now activate bkgnd_paper layer , go to File > Place… > and select the texture image. Scale it as required:

Go to Transparency Panel > Set Blending Mode to Multiply and Opacity to 30%

That's it! Save your work: File > Export > JPG (Use Artboards)

// author: Pawel Kuc