The advantage of vector graphics is that it completely solves the problem that high-definition image quality display is limited by pixels, but at the same time, vector graphics are relatively dull. To balance this contradiction, what we need is to work hard on realism. Vector diagram, no doubt, must have been drawn by myself. Today, we will practice the realistic skills in vector diagram with you. Our object of creation is the cheese background pattern.

First, choose a real cheese photo, and carefully study the relationship between light and shade and texture of the object in the photo. This step is very important!

First of all, we see that this is a very smooth surface with many pores. Carefully observe the light-dark relationship of each stomata.

Step 0 1

Open AI and create a new document. The length and width of the document are set to 600 pixels and the resolution is 300. Create a rectangle on the new canvas and fill it with cheese yellow as the background.

Second step

Drag the original cheese photo in, and it's better to lock it. On this basis, use the pen tool to copy the shape, and then close the original photo.

Third, the first blowhole

Step 03

Select one of the pores, close the stroke, and then fill it with a radial gradient. Fill color can refer to my color scheme. What is needed in this step is to give the object a basic shadow transition. Like the first layer of light and shade in painting.

Step 04

Open the Appearance panel and add a new fill to the object. The new fill color is to add a light yellow gradient to this object.

Step 05

Set the fill blending mode in the previous step to color filtering. As the name implies, the color filter mode means to filter out black. The original brown turned into bright yellow, which is very suitable for the gradual change of light yellow.

Step 06

Next, let's make edge light. There are many ways to make edge light. I use the mixed method here. First select the object drawn in the previous step, and then copy and paste the following layer (ctrl+C & gt；; Ctrl+B). Select the copied object, open the Appearance panel, and delete the filled top layer. Set the remaining gradient fill, and the gradient change can refer to the following figure. The transparency of the right gradient slider drops to 0. The purpose of this is to adjust the color of the edge light first. (Note: For the convenience of operation, I closed the upper object here)

Step 07

Now it's time to use the hybrid tool, copy the object made in the previous step and paste it below. Enlarge this object a little, and the transparency will be reduced to zero.

Step 08

At this time, both objects are selected, and then double-click the blending tool to set the parameters to be blended, and the specified number of steps is 20. The blending parameters vary according to the object you draw. You can find the best effect by constantly trying.

Step 09

Add a little light source to the edge light, and draw a perfect circle directly this time. Set the fill color of the perfect circle to radial gradient fill, with black around and pink in the middle. When we set the blending mode of this object to color filtering, the black color is filtered out, so there are a little more light sources. And this light source can be adjusted at any time through the gradient slider.

Step 10

At this time, there is still a high-light reflection part. Draw the shapes of two reflective light sources first. Combine these two shapes into a group. Open the appearance panel of this group and fill it with gradient colors. A radial gradient that changes the color to black and white.

Step 1 1

Remember the function of the color filter mixing mode I mentioned earlier? We use the same principle to set the blending mode of this object to color filtering. Then, we will naturally come to the conclusion that these black and white gradients will turn white on the left and fade out on the right. But here we can't directly change the mixing mode. Because we have added the appearance style to this object, we finally need to change the blending mode of this object. Therefore, we need to expand the appearance again to make the filter work and achieve the desired effect.

In the same way, reflect the light again. This time, the transparency can be reduced to 18%.

The first blowhole is completed.

Fourth, copy the pore style

Step 12

Make the first air hole, and all other air holes can be done with the straw tool. Of course, it's not as simple as I thought. First, double-click the pipette tool to pop up the setting options of the pipette tool.

You also need to copy the edge light and light source reflection at the first air hole. Adjust the gradient according to different positions.

Verb (abbreviation for verb) fuzzy edge

Step 13

There is also a kind of stomata, whose edges are blurred and seem to melt a little. This kind of air hole needs us to make it again. Here, I use a mask to make this fuzzy melting effect. After absorbing the styles of other pores as in the previous step, copy and paste a copy on it. Then select the copied object, open the appearance panel, delete the top filling layer, and change the yellow gradient filling below to black and white radial filling.

Step 14

Select the two layers (color and black and white) in the previous step, and then go to the transparency panel to create a mask. At this time, you will see a radial gradient of black and white at the position of the mask. Click on the mask, and you can use the gradient effect to adjust the effect of blurred edges.