Gradient and Compound Path

[defaultu51ce8n2q4qk]

I'm looking to apply a gradiant over drawing I have done,

The issue I have is when I make a compund path it alters my drawing.

From this

To this

the drawing is a collections of Lines and Rectanlges with differing stroke values and this seems to be changed to one value when I make the compund shape.

is there a way to get a gradiant across this without the compund shape or is there a setting to stop the compuond shape process from chaning my drawing ?

thanks in advance.

  

[defaultu51ce8n2q4qk]

sorry about the typo in the subject i cannot seem to edit my original post to fix this !!

[michelew83603738]

Done

[Ares Hovhannesyan]

I think you can use Live Paint Tool? Did you try?

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

If you group your elements and create a gradient rectangle in the back, you can select both and make an Opacity mask in the Transparency panel (you may need to check the Clip and Invert Mask boxes).