• Global community
    • Language:
      • Deutsch
      • English
      • Español
      • Français
      • Português
  • 日本語コミュニティ
    Dedicated community for Japanese speakers
  • 한국 커뮤니티
    Dedicated community for Korean speakers
Exit
0

Variable Width profile for the brush tool keeps resetting

Community Beginner ,
Jan 12, 2013 Jan 12, 2013

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

This problem is baffling me. I'm fairly new to Illustrator so I would appreciate some help. I’m using Adobe Illustrator CS6 with a mouse rather than a pressure graphics tablet.

When I create a stroke using the Paint brush tool I would like the stroke to contain a variable width profile. For example narrower at the beginning and end of the stroke but thicker in the middle. Now I can do this by selecting the line after I have made the stroke and choosing the Basic Brush Definition from the drop down list.  But if i try to draw a new line the settings are reset again.  I cannot create a variable stroke while creating the stroke. The brush definition keeps resetting to 5 pt Round and stroke width 1 pt. It would be much quicker if the stroke remained as a varying width profile as I created the strokes.

I noticed the same problem with the blob brush tool except it's even worse. With the blob brush tool the stroke weight always resets regardless of whether or not I try to set a Variable width profile.

I tried deselecting "New Art has Basic Appearance" mentioned on another forum but that didn't work.

I know its possible because I’ve seen it done on this youtube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5wW_65iAiU

Notice the variable width profile is maintained as the artists draws. It doesn’t keep resetting.

Thanks

Views

44.3K

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines

correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Beginner , Feb 28, 2013 Feb 28, 2013

Okay -- I figured it out.  I was trying it on a thicker line, but I guess that line had been created by the paintbrush, or at least the "3 pt. round" brush had been applied to it.  When I clicked in back on Basic, the variable width designation appeared. 

Whew!  Thanks for sticking with me on this dumb little thing!

Votes

Translate

Translate
Adobe
LEGEND ,
Jan 13, 2013 Jan 13, 2013

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Not all brushes allow a profile.

The blob brush certainly does not.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Jan 13, 2013 Jan 13, 2013

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Just because Adobe has chosen to call a wide variety of tools "brush" does not mean we can expect anything like consistent behavior among them. Much confusion could have been averted, for example, by calling the "Blob Brush Tool" simply "Blob Tool."

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Jan 13, 2013 Jan 13, 2013

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Thanks for your responses. Just to let you know I was able to get a variable width profile using the pen tool. HOwever I had to create my own brush and move it into the brushes panel.

Would you recommend buying a pressured graphics tablet for creating variable width profiles while painting?

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Feb 25, 2013 Feb 25, 2013

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I, on the other hand, have been using Illustrator since version 88 and am having the same problem which I can't resolve.  : (

Why won't the regular paint brush stay on basic with a variable width profile?  I can use one of my own brushes, but then I won't be able to change the color unless I change the brush color.  Pain in the &*(#%@!!

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Feb 25, 2013 Feb 25, 2013

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

"Basic" is not a brush. It's a straight, no-brush, 1pt stroke. It's terribly misleading, but it's basically a "stroke reset - remove brush" button. A width profile may be maintained if the original brush supported variable widths. Not all brushes do.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Feb 27, 2013 Feb 27, 2013

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Oh, okay!  Thank you.

Well, how do I use a variable width with a plain stroke?  For example, if I'd like a 6-point stroke that tapers at both ends.  I have created my own brush for this, but then I can't change the color of the strokes unless I change the color of the brush (so I'd have to make multiple brushes if I wanted multiple colors), right?

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Feb 27, 2013 Feb 27, 2013

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Just set the Colorization method of the new Brush to Tints or Tints and Shades from the dropdown in the lower right corner of the New Brush diaglo.

Screen Shot 2013-02-27 at 9.54.36 PM.png

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Feb 28, 2013 Feb 28, 2013

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Ah-HA!  Hue shift does what I am looking for!  Thank you!  Thank you!

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Feb 27, 2013 Feb 27, 2013

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Just draw a path and apply a profile to the stroke. No brush is needed.

Snap_001.png

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Feb 28, 2013 Feb 28, 2013

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hmmm ...  this is still not working for me.  I select the plain path and then select a variable profile, but nothing happens.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Feb 28, 2013 Feb 28, 2013

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Odd. It should. It may be difficult to see the variation on a 1pt stroke, but a larger stroke weight should clearly show any profile assigned.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Feb 28, 2013 Feb 28, 2013

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Okay -- I figured it out.  I was trying it on a thicker line, but I guess that line had been created by the paintbrush, or at least the "3 pt. round" brush had been applied to it.  When I clicked in back on Basic, the variable width designation appeared. 

Whew!  Thanks for sticking with me on this dumb little thing!

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Mar 19, 2014 Mar 19, 2014

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Yes but it would be nice if it didn't reset on every stroke back to the default.  I dont see why it should considering other stroke parameters persis (colour, brushes, etc).

Note, this is issue is different than the one where stroke "Profile" is not seen because there is a "Brush" pattern on the stroke.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Feb 22, 2016 Feb 22, 2016

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

[Removed by moderator - personal insults are NOT tolerated]

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Jun 01, 2017 Jun 01, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I don't understand im new to adobe illustrator so I don't know how it works completely but I'm trying to make the brush  end and start with thinner lines so it can have more with in the middle and I'm using like blob brush but I don't know what to do

i was wondering if anyone could explain it to me in a les expert way

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Jun 01, 2017 Jun 01, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

You want to draw lines that start thin, then increase, then be thin again, don't use the brush tool. Use the pencil tool and apply a width profile. Using variable-width strokes

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Nov 01, 2018 Nov 01, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Window>Appearance>uncheck New Art has Basic Appearance

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Oct 28, 2020 Oct 28, 2020

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Here's a tutorial I found.

 

https://youtu.be/Om0eI8Z-RVQ

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Oct 28, 2020 Oct 28, 2020

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

LATEST

Just check out the answers that have been given in 2013.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines