How to recolor complex artwork in Illustrator.

[JC4Ever97]

Hi, I'm having a hard time figuring out how to recolor an extremely complex vector image of watercolor flowers. (Attached below is the image). I have tried to recolor this using two ways:

1. Using the Recolor Artwork button. This tool is perfect for recoloring simple artworks, but is very time consuming to use on recoloring very complex images, such as this one, on Illustrator. I have to manually regroup similar colors before recoloring them; some images have up to 2900 colors and it takes a long of time. I have tried to first reduce the colors to (for example) 25 colors and manually regroup them, but I have to repeat the process if I want to change the colors again.

2. Using the Appearance panel and applying a Color blending mode. I have tried this method but it always results in the artwork being recolored to one, monochromatic color. I would still like to preserve the difference hues in the image.

I can't use Photoshop to recolor the image, since my client specifically requested for it to be in a vector file format. I know in Photoshop I can easily recolor using Hue/Saturation, Color Balance tools, but I'm afraid if I recolor first in Photoshop, import to Illustrator, then convert it to vector using Image Trace, the results won't be good, since the image is already in vector format in the first place and Image Trace in my experience is unreliable in tracing out complex images.

Since I'm still very new to Illustrator, I'm wondering if there is a workaround to this issue.

[Ton Frederiks]

In Illustrator Edit menu > Edit Colors > Adjust Color Balance...?

[JC4Ever97]

Is there a way to change the hue in Illustrator too? Like the Hue/Saturation tool in Photoshop?

[Monika Gause]

The plugin Phantasm offers you that capability.

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

"Is there a way to change the hue in Illustrator too?"

There is an option in the Edit tab of Recolor Artwork to change the Hue Saturation and Brightnes.

Check the Link Harmony Colors chain icon to change the colors together.

[JC4Ever97]

Thank you for the reply this is just the fix I need.

[Ton Frederiks]

Good to hear that helped.

[M A R G A R I D A]

Muito obrigada Ton!!

Eu estava com o mesmo problema e fui pesquizar uma solução mas rápida e prática e usei a tua dica e funcinou! 

[Barbara Ash]

Would it work for you to select the vector artwork in Illustrator, choose Recolor Artwork, then click the Edit tab. Click the Link Harmony Colors icon to link all of the colors. Then drag the Hue slider. Seems like it would work very similar to using Hue/Saturation in Photoshop.

[JC4Ever97]

Thank you for the reply this is just the fix I need.

[Laura Coyle.]

https://youtu.be/0MdH5l0p2hM

To add to the answers above, I have a video that demonstrates using the magic wand tool and Recolor Artwork (double click to set it's tolerance) maybe that can help with the large number of colors that are shades and tints.