In the following tutorial you will learn how to use different brushes and effects to create a hand drawn text effect. Perfect for illustrative designs, you will create a cute and fun lettering effect.
Step 1
Create a 700px by 300px, RGB document and start with the background. Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a shape the size of your artboard. First, fill it with R=241 G=242 B=242 then open the fly-out menu of the Appearance panel and click on Add New Fill. This will add a second fill for your shape. You will need a nice pattern for it.
Go to the Swatches panel, open then fly-out menu and go to Open Swatch Library > Pattern > Basic Graphics > Basic Graphics_Textures. A new panel with a set of patterns will open. Return to the Appearance panel, select the second fill and click on the USGS 17 Sandy Dry Lake pattern. With this fill still selected go to the Transparency panel. Lower the opacity to 75% and change the blending mode to Multiply.
Step 2
Click the left arrow from the bottom of the patterns panel until you get to the Basic Graphics_Lines set. Reselect the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a second rectangle the size of your artboard. Fill it with the Grid 1 pica Lines pattern, lower its opacity to 75% then go to Effect > Artistic > Film Grain. Enter the data shown in the following image then click OK.
Step 3
Duplicate the shape made in the previous step (Control + C > Control + F). Select this copy. Raise the opacity back to 100%, remove the Film Grain effect then fill it with the radial gradient shown in the following image. Select this copy along with the shape made in the previous step. Go to the Transparency panel, open the fly-out menu and click on Make Opacity Mask. Now, your shape should look like in the second image.
Step 4
Once again, select the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a shape the size of your artboard. Fill it with the radial gradient shown below then lower its opacity to 15% and change the blending mode to Color Burn. Take a closer look at the gradient image. The yellow text stands for Opacity while the white text stands for Location.
Step 5
Pick the Type Tool (T) and add your text. Use the Seasons-Spring font with a size of 200pt and set the color at R=39 G=170 B=225. With this text selected go to Object > Expand. Select the resulting shapes and go to Object > Compound Path > Make.
Step 6
Select the path made in the previous step. Look into the Appearance panel, select the fill then go to Effect > Stylize > Scribble. Follow the data shown below then click OK.
Step 7
Now, let's create some art brushes. First, open the Brushes panel (Window > Brushes). Grab the Ellipse Tool (L) and simply click on your artboard. A new window should appear. Enter 10 in the width box and 1 in the height box then click OK. This will add 10 by 1px shape on your artboard. Fill it with R=39 G=170 B=225 then pick the Convert Selection Tool (Shift+C) and click on the right anchor point (highlighted in the first image). Select the resulting shape, open the fly-out menu of the Brushes panel and click on New Brush. Check Art Brush, click OK then enter the data shown below image #1. Once added click OK and you have Art Brush 1.
Let's continue with the rest of the bushes. Reselect the Ellipse Tool (L), create a 10 by 1.8px shape and fill it with R=39 G=170 B=225. Again, using the Convert Selection Tool (Shift + C), click on the right anchor point. Finally, turn the resulting shape into Art Brush 2.
Step 8
Grab the Ellipse Tool (L), create a 10 by 2.8px shape and fill it with R=39 G=170 B=225. Using the Convert Selection Tool (Shift + C), click on the right anchor point then turn the resulting shape into Art Brush 3.
Reselect the Ellipse Tool, create a 10 by 3.9px shape and fill it with R=28 G=117 B=188. Turn this rounded shape into Art Brush 4 then pick the Convert Selection Tool (Shift+C) and click on the right anchor point. Select the resulting shape and turn it into Art Brush 5.
Step 9
You must have five, fresh art brushes in your Brushes panel. Reselect the text path, go to the Brushes panel and click on Art Brush 5. Now, your text should look like in the first image. Move to the Appearance panel. Select the stroke with the art brush and click on the Duplicate Selected Item from the bottom of the Appearance panel. This will add a copy of the selected stroke. Select this copy and replace Art Brush 5 with Art Brush 1. Now, your text should look like in the second image.
Step 10
Pick the Brush Tool (B) and select Art Brush 3 from the Brushes panel. Draw some paths in the rounded area of the text, as shown in the following image. In the following image I added some zoomed areas. It might help you.
Step 11
Continue with the Brush Tool (B). Select Art Brush 5 and draw some paths as shown in the following image.
Step 12
Reselect Art Brush 3 and draw two path next each path made in the previous step.
Step 13
Select Art Brush 2 and add a new path for the paths created in the previous steps.
Step 14
Pick the Ellipse Tool (L), create a 3 by 3px shape and fill it with R=39 G=170 B=225. Make several copies of this circle and spread them around the brushes bouquets made in the previous steps.
Step 15
Reselect the Ellipse Tool (L), create a 2 by 2px shape and fill it with R=39 G=170 B=225. Again, make several copies of this shape and spread them like you did in the previous step.
Step 16
Finally, select Art Brush 4 and add some group of paths as shown in the following image. Select all these paths and group them (Control + G). Lower the opacity of this new group to 20% and you're done.
Conclusion
There you have it, a nice looking hand drawn text effect. You can use this effect on different fonts or even shapes, have a play around and see what you can come up with. Have fun!
