Layered Mandala - Adobe Illustrator Tutorial
2020 ж. 17 Қар.
88 372 Рет қаралды
In this viewer requested tutorial I create multi layered mandala artwork with Adobe Illustrator. If you happened to have access to a laser cutter you would be able to use the artwork that you create to cut your own multi level mandala. Unfortunately I don't have a laser cutter so I also demonstrate an effect in Illustrator that simulates the artwork having depth. Both are cool options... but obviously it's way cooler if you could cut this vector artwork out and create a physical piece of art out of it!
In the tutorial I cover file setup, custom guides, custom swatches, the eye dropper tool, some basic pen tool functions, the path finder palette, the rotate and reflect tools, and of course.... my favourite key command Transform Again
Ironically - the 'I don't have a laser cutter' did a MUCH better job explaining how to do mandalas than many, many other videos specifically focusing on the creation of a mandala and using lightburn. This video solved almost ALL of my issues with illustrator I've been struggling with!
Glad I could help solve the issues you were having with Illustrator.... Still don't have a laser cutter, but it's on my wish list.
@@davewatkinscreative just letting ya know, on Geekbuying there is a sale on the Sculpfun s9 laser cutter :) Ive had it on my wishlist when it was €400 and now it was €160 Idk if it ships to Canada though
@RavenAlu Thanks for the tip! My plan is to eventually buy a large CO2 laser. Your suggestion did get me looking down the rabbit hole at smaller diode units though. It's amazing how many options are out there.
Brilliant from the start, and especially in the end. Wow. Great work. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the comment.
Amazing tutorial! Just what I needed. Thank you!
Great to hear! Thanks for the comment.
Amazing Dave. Was looking for this effect everywhere but never found it. When you put the shadow in it gave so much dimension and intricacy. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks Chris! I'm looking forward to experimenting with this effect even more myself. Glad you found the tutorial useful.
Super impressive! Thank you for the clarity! Especially a very well prepared and edited visual.
Thank you very much for the kind words. Glad you enjoyed the tutorial.
Dave, this tutorial was fantastic! So easy to follow and you did a great job explaining everything. Thanks!
You're very welcome! Thanks for checking it out.
DUDE... this tutorial is PERFECT!
High praise man! Really appreciate it!
Exactly what I was looking for! Thanks Dave, beautiful work!
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed the tutorial. Had a lot of fun making this one.
kzhead.info/sun/bLyuntSXn2iOioU/bejne.html
kzhead.info7ON-bFOI8JI
Dave!! Very cool tutorials! very easy to understand!!! Great design style!!!
Thanks so much! Appreciate the kind words.
This tutorial is EXACTLY what I have been looking for! I have all kinds of designs made in polygonia design suite (highly recommend checking out!!) and haven't known how to translate them to illustrator in this way, thank you so so so much, this is going to change everything! I'm excited to try and projection map some designs once they've been cut! THANK YOU SO MUCH DUDE
You're very welcome! I haven't heard of Polygonia before. Will have to check it out.
This might be the best tutorial I have watched for illustrator. Absolutely awesome.
Wow, thanks Lance! Really appreciate the kind words.
Thank you for this video! You are so clear in your explanations! This helps so much!
Glad you found the video helpful! Whenever I set out to make a video I have two goals in mind. I want the end result of what I share to be interesting but most of all I want it to be easy to follow along with. Thanks for letting me know I'm on the right track.
This is right on time. I saw someone laser this style out of cardboard and knew I needed to learn the design side. Thanks man, first project on the list when my new laser head arrives.
Glad I could help! Would love to see what you're able to create.
This tutorial was spot on. Explanation and clarification of each step including the keyboard shortcuts was excellent. You didn't leave anything out and you didn't drag on about anything unnecessary. Super excited to attempt my first design and cut it out on my Glowforge. I have seen people selling files like these on Etsy, and I want to begin using my GF to make and sell pieces. Using someone else's files to make an art piece to sell just didn't sit right with me, so I really appreciate this tutorial and the time you put into making this.
Thanks so much for the wonderful comment Cameron it made my day! It's great to know that people are finding the tutorial useful. Would love to see what you are able to create.
Extremely helpful thanks for making this video!
Glad that you found it helpful! Thanks for checking it out.
Exactly what I've been searching for!!!!! thank you so much!
Glad to help! Thank you for the comment :)
Thank you! This was beyond helpful!
Glad you found this helpful!
Holy cow! What an excellent video! Detailed explanation with point-by-point execution. Easy to follow and duplicate. You are an outstanding instructor. Well Done!
Wow! Thank you so much for the kind words. Really appreciate it!
Seriously AMAZING! I've been looking for a tutorial like this for a long time and have never found anything. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
Thats awesome! I had a lot of fun putting this one together. It's great to hear that you found it useful.
kzhead.info/sun/bLyuntSXn2iOioU/bejne.html
Thank you for this! Definitely picked up a lot of tips and tricks.
Fantastic! That’s my goal with the channel so glad to hear it’s working.
Perfect. Thank you so much for this tutorial
You are so welcome! Thanks for checking it out.
You're The Best Dave!! Thank You
Really appreciate all of your support! Really means a lot to me.
Thank you! Just what I needed to take my SVGs to the next level!
That's awesome! Glad I could help you add to your creative toolkit.
Stumbled onto your channel because I recently got Illustrator. Just wanted to say that you do a great job of explaining things and keeping things simple. There aren't very many people that are actually good at explaining things in a way that everyone (beginners to experts) can understand. Also, I like that you outline what all you cover in your video via the description. Well done! Definitely subscribing :D
I really appreciate the comment Aaron! My goal has always been to make content that is easy to follow along with so I'm glad to hear that you think I hit that mark.
@@davewatkinscreative Most definitely man! Keep up the great work!
Amazing. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
You are so welcome!
Such a nice lesson! Learned a lot :) Thank you so much!
Really appreciate that! Glad to hear you found it useful.
You gave clear cut instructions on how to design one of these for laser cutting! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful! My goal is always to be clear and easy to follow along with so hearing this feedback is wonderful.
I love your direct information on this. I specifically looked up a tutorial on this because I do have a laser. Thank you for posting this. I’ll be working on perfecting my layers. I’ll have to send you a finished product when I’m done. 👍🏻
Thanks for the feedback. Really glad you will be able to put these techniques to use with your laser cutter.
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Yeah, I'm definitely liking the video!
Glad to hear it! Thanks so much!
This was the best tutorial of all time for fast tracking into illustrator use. I am finishing it up now and have learned so much on the way, and for a 25 minute video what a lot of info.. please do more
What a compliment! Glad that you found it so helpful.
Perfect. Exactly what I needed. I am a technical drawer using Illustrator but am now expanding out into artistic design for my laser cutting business. Super-concise and on-point for creating mandalas much more efficiently. Well done!
So glad you found this helpful Matt! I'm just dying to get my hands on a laser cutter. I have a ton of material that I would love to bring to life in physical form.
Dave Epic works . Thanks Im sleeves up and working on all sorts of abstract geometric art . Love your work for springboard creative flow . Thank you again.
That's awesome! Glad that I could provide a bit of inspiration.
Thanks so much for this great tutorial! I especially like that you used basic tools and techniques that my ancient CS6 has. As a cardmaker and paper crafter I am now confident that I can create my own designs.
That's awesome! I hung onto CS6 for a long time myself. While I appreciate a lot of the new features that they roll out the biggest reason I upgraded to CC was for the corner widgets that let you round individual corner points.
This is a fantastic tutorial. I've been thinking about making my own mandala cut files, and the way you describe each step in detail is just what I needed. It's nice that you didn't ruin it with an annoying music bed. Your voice and teaching style make feel confident I can duplicate these steps in my own designs.
Glad to hear that you liked the format of the tutorial. Best of luck putting together your own version!
A meditative process that flexes creativity. Nice! 😌
Thank you 🙌 I always enjoy putting these projects together. So relaxing.
Great walkthrough - thank you! I'm transitioning to digital from a lifetime of pen and ink and photography, and I'm starting to see the benefits. I'll be watching your other vids too!
Thats awesome Nathan! Having the traditional skillset will give you an awesome foundation to start from.
I'm revisiting the tutorial a year or so after watching for the first time. It's still incredible. Please keep going Dave. You're remarkable.
Glad to hear that it still holds up after all this time. I’ve been trying to get back into making videos for the channel lately. Have a couple ideas in the works.
Ohhh.. that's fantastic news. Can't wait! @@davewatkinscreative
Amazing! Thank you so much for taking the time to explain your detailed process.
Awesome tutorial, beautifully explained, I was looking for a layered artwork tutorial in illustrator and found it. 🇨🇦
That's awesome, thank you!
Amazing. Thank you!
Thanks Lina. Glad you liked it!
Awesome tutorial! Thank You Dave, New subscriber here because of this. Have a joyous 2022
Happy New year! Thanks for the sub!
Really helpful tutorial and great artwork! Thanks 😊
Really appreciate that! It's great to hear that you found it helpful.
Love this, many thanks!
Appreciate that Paul!!
Great video. These techniques can used for so many things.
You bet! My goal is is to share tips and tricks that can be integrated into peoples work flows down the line and not just on the project I’m demonstrating.
I really appreciate this video, I had spent probably 10 hours struggling with a mandala but always having problems with it, got started in the right direction with this video hopefully the finished product will turn out great. Thank you.
That's awesome to hear! Good luck putting together your mandala designs.
Absolute hero! Been looking for a tutorial for this, guess you’ve gained a new subscriber!
Thanks for the sub Joe!
kzhead.info/sun/bLyuntSXn2iOioU/bejne.html
New to Adobe and Laser art. This video helps immensely. Thank you Dave!!
You’re very welcome! Glad to hear that you found this helpful!
Lovely! Thank you, it has been a very helpful tutorial for me
You’re very welcome 😊 thanks for checking it out.
@@davewatkinscreative ❤️
You are an awesome explainer! More of this! Well done!
Thank you so much! Always nice to hear feedback like this.
WOW! I am a teacher in Australia... we just got a laser cutter. Therefore i am in the looking at everything stage and this was an amazing tutorial. I will have to look at some more your yours. Definitely subscribed! Cheers, thank you so much!
That's awesome! Hope you and your students have lots of fun using the laser cutter. Thanks for subscribing!
That is great!!! Awesome tutorial.
Thank you! Cheers!
Huge thumbs up my dude! I impulse bought a laser cutter engraver 3 days ago wanting to make art like this with little idea how to do it. I have a ton of experience in making computer graphics of all sorts but again I had never done anything like this. You are awesome for sharing this! Subscribes commented and liked 100%.
That's awesome! Best of luck working with your new laser cutter. I still haven’t taken the plunge and bought one myself. I’ll just continue to dream of all the things I could be making.
This was incredibly helpful. I am not great with illustrator, and have fought for hours trying to make things I wanted to, but your tutorial really really helped me out. You presentation was clear and concise information rich. The keyboard shortcuts coming up on screen and explained was also very helpful. You do excellent work. Thank you!
Thanks so much for the wonderful comment Tommy. Really glad to hear that you found this tutorial useful.
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Great explanation. Very well done!
Thank you kindly!
You're an absolute legend. I've been using ai for a few years now but even I walked away with a ton of new tricks and ideas. Had to leave a thanks!
Wow, thanks! Really appreciate that.
Amazing tutorial, great job. Going to try it out myself now.
Go for it! There are a lot of cool things you could create with this technique.
@@davewatkinscreative yeah just made my first one with this technique, lots of fun and happy with the result:)
incredible work. thanks for the video.
Thanks John. Glad you liked it!
This was super useful. Thank you!
You're very welcome! Thanks for checking it out.
Really amazing! Thanks for sharing
My pleasure! Hope that you’ll be able to put the techniques to good use.
Thanks! I use drop shadows a lot and had never heard the tip to use a gaussian blur. I love the finished product!
It's amazing how many different ways there are to achieve the same results in Illustrator. Glad that I was able to share a new technique with you.
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VERY HELPFUL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH
You're very welcome!
This is fabulous! Thanks so much!
Thanks Kelly. You are so welcome!
Thank you! I learned so much from this video. New subscriber.
Thanks for the sub Pamela!
Wow. Great work. Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much!! 🙂🙏👌
You are very welcome! 😁
Thanks Dave! Awesome tutorial to Illustrator. I was struggling with the paths you made it easy to understand. I have used Illustrator for years in the printing business but just to basically to make dielines for die cutters. I have since retired and I am trying to start a laser cutter side hustle.
That’s awesome! Glad to hear that you were able to use this video to add to your expertise. I’m sure you’ll be able to create some awesome work!
You don’t see me but I can assure you that I got up and started applauding, thank you for this.. great video. I should really learn some design skills, looks very interesting challenging and productive for whatever I would like to create. Thanks again.
That's far too kind! I can honestly say I've never had a standing ovation before. Good luck on your creative journey.
Thank you for your effort
My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed the tutorial.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
You bet! Thanks for checking it out.
Many many thanks for this idea I want this to apply on my work
You are most welcome 😊 Hope you find a good way to apply this technique to your own work.
This was a very good and detailed video. I generally skip the video after 4-5 mins but you managed to keep my attention for the entire video length.
That’s great to hear! It’s always tough trying to balance being detailed without getting boring.
This was amazing. Thanks
Thanks Chris. Glad you enjoyed it!
dabbled with illustrator over the years (15) but always been a photoshop artist really, you know, to the point of frustration through lack of illustrator knowledge! this was really helpful to try to move forward, many thanks :)
This means a lot to me! I personally turn to KZhead whenever I need help learning something. From home repair to cooking I'm always looking to pick up new skills. It's really cool to be a part of someone else's learning journey. Wishing you the best of luck in learning Illustrator!!
This is amazing. I was going down a path of using overlapping shapes, but the path thickness trick is way better. It solves for the challenge of getting small overlaps between the layers for gluing without needing a full hidden sheet underneath.
Glad it helped! I think it's an often overlooked that you can change the units of measurement within Illustrator. In this case it's handy in controlling the exact dimensions of strokes.
Thank you so much Dave, you are awesome and your design is simply amazing, I am so thankful that you've created this tutorial and it turned out even better than I imagined. Thank you, thank you, thank you, your faithful viewer Daniel :)
You're very welcome! Thanks so much for the great video idea. I had a lot of fun putting this one together.
I have a CO2 laser arriving very soon and i love the prospect of being able to make these in illustrator. Thanks for an awesome tutorial.
You're very welcome! Best of luck with your new laser cutter. Would love to get my hands on one. So many ideas so little time!
Fantastic, thank you 😁
No problem 👍 Glad you liked it
Awesome video! Thanks a lot 👏
You’re very welcome! Appreciate the comment.
Great tutorial. Thanks a lot.
Glad you liked it!
I'm from the Dominican Republic, and thanks to this guy, I was able to make my first mandala painting. I give it a 10 out of 10
Really appreciate the compliment. Thanks for watching!
amazing Thanks A lot
You are most welcome! Cheers!
Freaking AMAZING. Subbed for sure!
Appreciate that. Thanks for subbing!
Thank you for this video. I learned a lot about AI, and specifically about creating Mandala's for laser cutting. I have a diode and CO2 laser and I find mandala's fascinating. I hated that the only way I could make one was to buy a file off of Etsy. Your video has given me the courage to make my own.
That’s amazing! Hope you have lots of fun creating your own designs from scratch. A laser cutter is high on my wish list!
Amazing! Thank U so much
You're very welcome! Thanks for the comment.
I regret that I have only one "like" to give for this... bravo!
This comment made my day! Thanks so much. Hopefully you'll find some of my other videos just as helpful :)
Very helpful. Thanks a bunch
That's awesome! Glad you found it helpful.
DUDE!! yes this is amazing. I need Illustrator now. Inkscape isn't as intuitive for me. And I do have a laser cutter. Thanks so much for this.
I would love to get my hands on a laser cutter! Hope you're able to try out Illustrator. I can't imagine using anything else.
Fantastic!
Glad you like it! Thanks for checking it out.
Amazing! Thank you so much! would love to see more material like this! Again just amazing Thank you for making this and make it look so easy that even me when I've never used illustrator can follow it! Yashar Coach!
Thanks so much for the awesome comment Eran. It's great to hear that you're able to follow along with this easily. That's one of my main goals when producing these tutorials.
@@davewatkinscreative Did you ever made a tutorial to show us how to make the animation ?
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It took me forever to get to it but finally posted the animation tutorial. Better late than never?
Amazing!! Thanks!!
Thanks so much!!
wow! thankyou
You're very welcome 😊
Great tutorial Man!
Appreciate it!
do you know what ? , you are my hero one million thanks Dave
Wow! Don't think I've ever been anyones hero before. You're welcome x 1 million!
I just found your channel and even though it's the first time i use Illustrator you've made it super clear for me! Your instructions and editing just make the techniques really easy to grasp and your voice is also quite pleasent. Im still kinda slow but im loving that my designs are getting done so much more quickly now! It's insane and awesome. Do you think you could make a tutorial on how to animate these designs as well? Id love to learn that from you. Thanks a lot for doing this
Wow this comment just made my day! Illustrator is a great piece of software that people can find a little intimidating. I'm glad that I was able to help you learn some new techniques. A few people have asked for an animated mandala tutorial now so I will definitely have to put that on my list of things to create!
kzhead.info/sun/bLyuntSXn2iOioU/bejne.html
thank you so much!
You're very welcome!
Well, that was (kind of) what I was looking for. Unfortunately I don't have access to Adobe Illustrator. Following and recreating this tutorial is pretty difficult in Incskape. Some features don't even exist or are just a pain in the butt to find in Illustrator. On the other hand I found my way around and came to understand the principles of what you were doing. I managed to get at least similar results. With a little bit more experience this will help a bunch. Creating a mandala and laser cutting it is what I want to do. There were several questions I had, that you could help me with. Thanks, mate. This is so much better than symmetry-mirror rotation I was playing around with in inkscape.
Awesome! Glad to hear that the principles in here were useful to you.
My day 1 of AI and I'm loving all your videos. Thanks!
Glad to hear that you're finding my videos helpful!
@@davewatkinscreative Since I am new to AI (literally now day 2), I'm sorry if this is a dumb question but I design fabric-- is it possible to add fill colors and textures inside the spaces of a mandala in AI or is that done more in PS?
Hey Mandy - Not a dumb question at all. Adding texture in illustrator can be done a number of ways and as you mentioned can also be done in Photoshop if thats where you feel more comfortable. If you'd like to stick to Illustrator I would recommend looking into Opacity Masks. This feature can be found in the transparency panel and it will allow you to use a complex vector shape to create a mask for a linked texture image. I do not have a tutorial on this technique but I'm sure someone will have made one. Hope that helps point you in the right direction.
@@davewatkinscreative thank you 😊
@@davewatkinscreative could I email you a question?
LOL wow. Subscribed. I need this skill.
Thanks for subscribing! Glad you enjoyed the video.
Awesome 👌 thanks for sharing this amazing content 👏
You’re very welcome! Thanks for visiting my channel.
@@davewatkinscreative u r welcome, thanks to for sharing such great content 👏
Great Work Dave
Thanks. Appreciate that!