Isabella Flores
Adobe Illustrator provides two methods of painting: you can select a fill, stroke, or both to an object, or you can convert the object(s) to a Live Paint group and assign fills and strokes to the separate edges and faces of paths within. Live Paint groups are especially useful for painting illustrations with multiple faces that are not necessarily independent shapes that can be easily filled. This article will explain how to create a Live Paint group in Illustrator, and how to work with it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To fill illustrations with multiple faces that are not necessarily independent shapes |
| Tools | Selection tool, Direct Selection tool, Live Paint Bucket tool, Shape Builder tool, Rectangle tool, Ellipse tool |
| Commands | Object > Live Paint > Make, Object > Live Paint > Merge, Object > Live Paint > Gap Options, Object > Live Paint > Expand, Object > Path > Outline Stroke, Object > Compound Path > Make |
| Actions | Double-click Live Paint group, click Isolate Selected Group, drag paths into Live Paint group, click Exit Isolation Mode, select paths to add to Live Paint group, click Merge Live Paint, select colors, apply colors to individual faces, click Fill in Control panel, choose None, stroke edges, fill faces, set Live Paint Bucket tool options, define Swatch Group, select overlapping shapes, click Live Paint Bucket tool, hide lines in Live Paint group, lock layer, paint |
| Tips | Use higher raster settings for illustrations that will be printed on a press or sent for high-resolution output, use lower resolution with caution due to potential artifacts or scan lines, use D to ensure default color settings, use Ctrl+S (Windows) or Command+S (Mac OS) to save, use Window > Workspace > Reset Essentials to reset panels |
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What You'll Learn
Using the Selection tool to put the group into isolation mode
To create a Live Paint group in Adobe Illustrator, you can use the Selection tool to put the group into isolation mode. This allows you to modify the elements within the group without affecting the rest of your artwork. Here's how to do it:
Firstly, select the objects or shapes you want to include in your Live Paint group using the Selection tool. This tool is indicated by a black arrow and allows you to click and drag over multiple objects or shapes. Once you have made your selection, you can activate the Live Paint tool from the Tools panel on the left side of your screen.
With the Live Paint group still selected, you can enter isolation mode by double-clicking with the Selection tool. Alternatively, you can select the group and then click the "Isolate Selected Group" button in the Control panel. Now, you can make changes to the group, such as adding new paths or modifying existing ones. For example, you can use the Live Paint Bucket tool to colour the individual faces and edges within the group.
While in isolation mode, you can also adjust the gap options for your Live Paint group. This allows you to control how Illustrator treats gaps within the group. To do this, go to Object > Live Paint > Gap Options and adjust the settings according to your needs. You can turn on Gap Detection, set the gap tolerance, and choose a gap preview colour.
Remember, when you modify a path in a Live Paint group, Illustrator automatically colours the modified or new faces and edges using the existing fills and strokes from the group. If you are not satisfied with the results, you can always reapply the colours using the Live Paint Bucket tool. Once you are done making changes, simply click the "Exit Isolation Mode" button to return to your full artwork.
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Modifying a path in a Live Paint group
To modify a path, you can use the Selection tool. Double-clicking a Live Paint group puts it into isolation mode, where you can draw another path. Illustrator will add this new path to the Live Paint group. You can also select a Live Paint group and the paths you want to add, then choose one of the following options: Object > Live Paint > Merge, Click Merge Live Paint in the Control panel, or Click the Merge Live Paint button in the Quick Actions section of the Properties panel.
Additionally, you can use the Direct Selection tool to select and edit a path or object within the Live Paint group. When modifying paths, Illustrator colours any new faces and edges using fills and strokes from the existing group. If the results are not as expected, you can reapply colours using the Live Paint Bucket tool.
It's important to note that some features and commands may not work in the same way or may not be applicable to paths inside a Live Paint group. For example, you cannot use the "Join" command on a Live Paint group. If you need to use such features, you may need to first expand the Live Paint group or work on a copy of your artwork.
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Using the Live Paint Bucket tool
The Live Paint Bucket tool is a great tool for colouring closed-path artwork. It is important to make sure that you make the paths as Live Paint groups. The Live Paint Bucket tool only works on live paint groups (objects), and live paint groups can only be paths, including shapes that are created from paths (pen tool paths, strokes, etc).
To use the Live Paint Bucket tool in Adobe Illustrator, first, go to the Swatches Panel and define a Swatch Group. The Live Paint Bucket tool has a widget that makes it easy to switch colours without leaving the tool, but it is only useful if you define a Swatch Group to function as a palette for colouring. In the Swatches Panel, go to the Swatch Group and select a colour.
Next, select all the overlapping shapes that you want to colour. Create the Live Paint Group by doing one of the following: Execute the Object > Live Paint > Make command. Get the Live Paint Bucket tool, and click once on an area of the selected overlapping shapes. Ai will create a Live Paint Group that contains the selected paths, and in the Layers panel will give it the default name "Live Paint".
Before you begin using the Live Paint Bucket tool, you may want to set its options. To do that, double-click the Live Paint Bucket tool. Ai will launch the Live Paint Bucket Options dialog. In the dialog, update any of the following Options: The Paint Fills checkbox enables you to target and colour a Face's Fill. When you mouse over a Face Object, Ai will highlight the interior of the Face with a border that is defined by the Highlight area's Color and Width fields. The Paint Strokes checkbox enables you to target and colour a Face's Stroke. When you mouse over an Edge Object, Ai will highlight the Edge's Stroke with the colour that is defined in the Highlight area's Colour field.
When you modify a path in a Live Paint group, Illustrator colours the modified or new faces and edges using fills and strokes from the existing group. If the results are not what you expect, you can reapply the colours you want using the Live Paint Bucket tool.
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Dealing with gaps in Live Paint Group paths
Gaps in Live Paint Group paths can be an issue when using Adobe Illustrator. Gaps are small spaces between paths, and if paint leaks through and colours faces you did not intend to colour, it is likely that there is a gap in your artwork.
There are several ways to deal with gaps in Live Paint Group paths. One way is to create a new path that closes the gap, or edit existing paths to close the gap. You can also adjust the gap options in the Live Paint group. To do this, select the Live Paint Group and execute the Object > Live Paint > Gap Options command. This will launch the Gap Options dialog. Check the Gap Detection checkbox and go to the "Paint stops at" dropdown. Here, you can choose a gap preset, or define a custom gap value. The Gap value specifies the largest gap in a path that Live Paint will ignore and still consider the path to be closed.
Another way to avoid gaps is by overdrawing paths. This involves extending paths past each other and then selecting and deleting the excess edges that result, or applying a stroke of "None" to them. You can also choose to view Live Paint gaps by selecting View > Show Live Paint Gaps. This will highlight any gaps found on the currently selected Live Paint group, based on your gap options settings for that group.
When merging Live Paint groups with different gap settings, Illustrator will close the gaps and turn on gap detection with Paint Stops At set to Small Gaps if gap detection is off in all groups. If gap detection is on and the same for all groups, gaps are closed and the gap setting is preserved.
The Live Paint Bucket tool can also be used to deal with gaps. To use this tool, go to the Swatches Panel and define a Swatch Group. The Live Paint Bucket tool has a widget that makes it easy to switch colours without leaving the tool, but a Swatch Group must be defined first to function as a palette. Select all the overlapping shapes that you want to colour and create the Live Paint Group. Get the Live Paint Bucket tool and click once on an area of the selected overlapping shapes.
The Live Paint Bucket tool can also be used to fill Face Objects. However, keep in mind that while you can apply fills and strokes to Face Objects, they are not real paths, and you cannot change their opacity, apply effects, transform them, or combine them.
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Hiding the lines in the live paint group
When you create a Live Paint group in Illustrator, the paintable parts are called edges and faces. An edge is the portion of a path between where it intersects with other paths, and a face is the area enclosed by one or more edges. You can stroke edges and fill faces with different colours using the Live Paint Bucket tool.
To hide the lines in a Live Paint group, you can use the Gap Options feature. First, select the Live Paint group and execute the Object > Live Paint > Gap Options command. This will launch the Gap Options dialog box. Here, you can specify the size of the gap that paint cannot flow through, and choose a custom colour for previewing gaps in the Live Paint group. You can also insert unpainted paths into your Live Paint group to close gaps. However, these paths will remain unpainted, so it may appear that gaps are still present even though they have been closed.
Another way to hide lines in a Live Paint group is to use the Isolation mode. By double-clicking on a Live Paint group or clicking the "Isolate Selected Group" button in the Control panel, you can enter Isolation mode and draw new paths that will be added to the Live Paint group. You can then exit Isolation mode and merge the new paths with the existing Live Paint group.
Additionally, you can modify or delete paths within a Live Paint group to change the appearance of lines and edges. When you adjust a path's shape, Illustrator automatically reapplies colours to the new regions formed by the edited paths. You can also use the Live Paint Bucket tool to reapply colours to the modified or new faces and edges within the group.
It is important to note that some features and commands may not work in the same way on paths inside a Live Paint group compared to other Illustrator objects. For example, you cannot change the opacity, apply effects, transform, or combine Face Objects in the same way as real paths.
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Frequently asked questions
To create a Live Paint group in Illustrator, you can either use the Object > Live Paint > Make command or select the Live Paint Bucket tool and click once on the overlapping shapes you want to include in the group.
To add paths to an existing Live Paint group, select the Live Paint group and the paths you want to add. Then, choose one of the following options: Object > Live Paint > Merge, click Merge Live Paint in the Control panel, or drag the paths into the Live Paint group in the Layers panel.
To fill the faces of a Live Paint group with colour, use the Live Paint Bucket tool. First, go to the Swatches Panel and define a Swatch Group to use as your colour palette. Then, select the Live Paint Bucket tool and choose a colour. Finally, click on the faces you want to fill.
