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Scatter Brushes
Creating a custom
scatter brush.
   

Scatter brushes in Illustrator allow you to apply a pattern or objects to a path. There are four types of brushes in Illustrator (calligraphic, scatter, art and pattern). In this tutorial you will learn about Scatter Brushes.

 

*You should already be familiar with
Calligraphic Brushes,

before starting this tutorial.
 
Scatter Brush
 

Scatter

  • Scatter brushes are usually used for repeating objects in random patterns such as stars, snowflakes or blades of grass.
  • You need to create artwork that will be used to scatter along a path.
   
1. Create artwork you want to have scattered around a path. I made a Star with a fill color, a white stroke and a black stroke.
   
Default Scatter Brushes
(highlighted in red here)

2. Window > Show Brushes
   

3a. Select all your artwork > Drag it into the Brushes Palette > New Scatter Brush > OK.

OR

3b. Select all your artwork > Choose New Brush from the Brush Palette Menu> New Scatter Brush > OK.
   

4. Choose brush options > OK.

Name: Enter a name for your brush.

Size: (1% or greater) This determines the size of the brush in relation to the artwork that was used to create it.

Spacing: (1% or greater) How far apart do you want the objects to space themselves.

Scatter: (-1000% to +1000%) The distance the objects will appear above or below the path. A value of 0% will place the objects directly on the path. For objects to appear both above and below the path, choose Random or Pressure and enter both minus and plus values.

Rotation: (-360° to +360°) Rotate the objects as they appear on the path. The objects can rotate relative to the path or the page.

Fixed, Random, Pressure: You can scatter the objects along the path uniformly or randomly. Pressure is used for scattering randomly with a drawing tablet, instead of a mouse.

Colorization: Controls how the stroke color effects the color of the artwork in the scatter brush. (more in Step 6)
   

5a. Select your Paintbrush Tool (B).

Select your new Scatter Brush from your Brushes Palette.

Paint with your paintbrush.

OR

5b. Create a path with a shape tool or Pen Tool.

Apply your brush by selecting your Scatter Brush from the Brushes Palette.
   
  My scatter brush with a green stroke and three different colorization settings, below.

6. Colorization

Select the path which has your scatter brush applied to it.

Change the stroke color of the path, (mine's green).

Double click on your new scatter brush in the brushes palette to get your brush options.

Change the Colorization Method in the brush options.

Tints will change all the artwork in the scatter brush to tints of the stroke color.

Tints and Shades changes all the artwork to tints of the stroke color while maintaining their original shades.

Hue Shift changes the key color to the color of the stroke. In addition, all other colors will shift the same number of degrees the key color shifted, to another color on the color wheel.

TIP!
You can use the eyedropper in the Brush Options Colorization settings to select a different key color. The key color is the base color for all color changes.
   
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