How to Create Feathers in Illustrator

[@SimonBarnsley]

You make the best tutorials I've seen for Illustrator. Thanks for doing these. They are superb.

[@EveryTuesday]

+Simon Barnsley thanks so much! Means a lot to hear that :)

[@JohnMutch]

This is a very simple and easy tutorial to follow. Excellent presentation and well executed! Beautiful thanks for sharing

[@SharonGeorgeII3003]

Every time I watch your videos, I feel glad I found you. :) Thanks for all the clearly instructed tutorials!

[@EveryTuesday]

Aw! I'm glad you found me, too! :)

[@andrewleonardi3351]

If you're having issues with the pencil: You have to select the feather with the selection tool and THEN press N to have the pencil work with the selected layers. Then follow her instructions closely. :)

[@NicoPerezMusic]

The small details in this video have solved some of my most frustrating questions. Great teaching!

[@Ariventuras]

This tutorial is awesome! You explain each step really well and the pace is perfect for following along.

[@EveryTuesday]

+Ariana Nicole So happy to hear that :) Thanks for watching!

[@EveryTuesday]

I'm sorry you feel that way - I'm only one person who tries my absolute best to answer as many questions, comments and messages I receive on a daily basis on every social platform I'm a part of, on top of running a business and still providing as much free content as I can. Things inevitably slip through the cracks - if you've seen more videos here, you'll notice I'm constantly trouble shooting, but I'm not able to get to everyone (the being only one person thing). If you double click on your pencil, these are the settings I'm using: every-tuesday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Screen-Shot-2016-06-15-at-2.39.32-PM.png

[@travelingjon]

You are such a boss! All of your tutorials are awesome and so so so helpful. Keep up it! Now I want to make some feathers.

[@EveryTuesday]

+Jonathan Burnham ha, awesome! Thanks for watching!

[@HIMrocksHIM]

Your videos are long and make me hesitate before watching them. But i dont regret it at all. Great tutorials also very rich. Thank you.

[@mamapod2]

Wonderful! I have some design ideas that I want to use feathers in. I really love how you incorporated the watercolor texture. It gives it a stained glass look.

[@PumpkinCritter]

Hi Teela, I am following this tutorial using the latest Illustrator CC update, my pencil tool isn't working like yours is, it is drawing on top of my leaves instead of changing the shape.. I looked at the pencil tool settings you posted in other comments but my settings window looks different since the update so I'm unsure what my settings should be.. can you help me with this?

[@vumamaheswari4406]

thankyou teela 4 ur wondrful tutorial....its like mindblowing...

[@wephotogal]

New subscriber! You are awesome! Very clear and easy to follow. Thank you!

[@CharminBEAR796]

This was great I just started a class and i loved this

[@heavymetalkatana]

For everyone commenting on the pencil tool not working: I've been trying to figure it out for an HOUR and succeeded! The catch is to follow her EXACT motion (after getting the settings right, she posted them below in the comments). Start on the path, make a small curve outside and then go in the feather shape, creating the detail, then once you are back out, cross the path and create a downward curve finishing on the path. Hope that makes sense. Just see her exact motion and repeat it.

[@fitrianhidayat]

still doesn't work edit: after starting in the path, moves *inside* first, and then outside, the rest is just as you said

[@angienations4073]

That is awesome! thank you for sharing this. i can't wait to make some feathers.

[@glennysrosario7474]

I love that you make everything so easy! Thank you!!!

[@Rosina68]

Thanks for sharing this! It's really helpful and easy to understand!

[@theresahutch168]

This was a great help! Thank you for your clear explanation and cool ideas....

[@inanjoice8251]

Teela thank you so much for your video! I've got a problem with the pencil tool. The feather is selected but when I draw "the cut' the feather keeps disappearing. I've done the move for like twenty times but it still doesn't work. What do I do?

[@collinshenry9627]

luvly tutorial, totally loved it

[@Greyfeathers30]

This tutorial came just in time for a project I'm working on. Thanks!

[@EveryTuesday]

+SimsVideoWatcher1 Yay! Awesome to hear - thanks for checking it out!

[@xtraordinaria]

Wow you are amazing at explaining!

[@EveryTuesday]

+xtraordinaria aww, thanks! :)

[@rvalasini9938]

Great Tut. Very creative and simple techniques to use :) Ps. Love how you did the organic and the other style. Option is good.

[@EveryTuesday]

+R Valasini Thanks for watching!

[@glennpallad9637]

Thanks Teela, good tutorials, thank you sooooooooooo much!!!

[@EveryTuesday]

Of course! Thanks for watching!

[@Elcodigodebarras]

Thanks for this delicious tutorial; English is not my home language but with your kinda graphic explanations everything go on wheels. Thanks again because with your work internet is a little more friendy for all !

[@EveryTuesday]

+El codigo de barras Happy to hear! Thanks for watching!

[@nicolle6978]

Great tutorial, I use illustrator every single day but I don't use all the tools and this was a great tutorial to don't stay out of shape ,THANKS

[@EveryTuesday]

+nicolle gratacos awesome to hear :) thanks for watching!

[@damienbartle9665]

Thanks for the tutorial. I'm just wondering, how would bend the feather around, say a circle?

[@alexandrugrecov8964]

easy to follow, good results, congratulations!

[@solmorales2117]

Hi Teela I love your videos! I want to start watercolor lettering but I am not sure what tools would work best for me. Could you please tell me what watercolor tools you use and where did you get them? Thank you for sharing all these videos and tips, they help a lot!!

[@Telekon5]

Excellent Tutorial!

[@zecmrzimte]

Hi, Teela. Can you help? When I try to cut out a part of ellipse with pencil tool, the ellipse doesnt change its shape, It just makes a selection inside. Thanks.

[@mavericknoone]

Nice tutorial. Also, nice pooch :)

[@antonmessina5304]

Space bar trick is new to me !!! 🤓

[@kvazimodo2642]

You are briliant, thank you

[@stephensweeney5331]

Such a great tutorial! Thank you!

[@sonaldhingra4762]

Hi..amazing tutorial. I have a question. Can I use your textures for commercial use. I create my own designs but I am looking for textures Thanks

[@EcstaticTastebuds]

Thanks! This is awesome. I was able to do it (just had a little trouble with the pencil tool at first :o ).

[@peacemakersx]

was looking for something like this thanks! :)

[@David_K_C]

Great video!

[@sleeth]

Thank you. Hardly ever use the pencil tool.

[@cooldude9568]

Is that a graphic tablet you're using? Those pencil strokes are waaay too perfect to be done with just a mouse

[@EveryTuesday]

nope, that's really just a mouse, promise - and 10 years of experience using it daily ;)

[@IonutIndreica]

Great tutorial, thank you!

[@nicholassolly199]

Thank you so much Teela

[@joannalee9459]

Why do I always find you?!?! I spend hours looking at your videos~! How old were you when you started?

[@EveryTuesday]

+Joanna Lee Glad you find me! I've been doodling since I can remember - got serious about designing on a computer when I was 17, now about to turn 30 :)

[@marktheworld03]

Sweet tutorials! It helped me a lot. Keep it up! :)

[@EveryTuesday]

+Mark Gerard Bailon awesome to hear! Thanks for watching!

[@cynthia_ess]

great stuff!

[@pushpajay6701]

Thanks for nice tutorial

[@rafaelschwenk932]

I didn't know how to use the pencil tool, or what it was used for, also the mask. May not be a good suggestion, but you could list in the description (or in the video, even a playlist maybe) the tools you used, so we could use this example for another thing with the same purpose . For example, with this video I learned how to use the pencil tool, I can use for any otther thing I'm doing now, and if I want to see other ways this tool can be used or know more about it I would know exaclty where to find. As always, really good tutorial, all little details explained, thanks a lot!

[@EveryTuesday]

+Rafael Schwenk hey! Thanks for the feedback! I'll definitely consider it for future tuts :)

[@creativefootprint877]

Hi, Love the tutorial Teela Cunningham, for some reason my pen tool is not drawing the shapes. And I have checked the pen settings in my illustrator and it matches yours. I have followed the steps completely however every time I attempt to draw a shape it either does not cut out the shape drawn or completely deletes the entire shape. What am I doing wrong?

[@aprilstark8887]

Great job, thanks!

[@EveryTuesday]

+April Stark thanks for watching!

[@bv340jasielarponsarkar6]

Thanks for nice tutorial. Have you any tutorial about Adobe Illustrator settings? Please give me link.

[@flaviaazevedodegouvea9496]

Muito lindo! Adorei, parabéns!

[@taragreening3947]

Could you please let me know the settings your using for your pencil tool, I can't seem to get mine to function quite right. Thanks!

[@whitegorilla6646]

Nice very helpful thanks!

[@tyfullingim4429]

this might be be a stupid question, but do you know or use other programs than illustrator?

[@Rini-D]

Hi Teela, I did follow your instruction, select the selection using selection tool then pencil. I get the first selection okay, it cuts. But the second selection it cut the whole things. It seems like something wrong with my pencil setting. any suggestion?? Thanks.

[@EveryTuesday]

Hey, when you double click the pencil, these are the settings I have: every-tuesday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Screen-Shot-2016-06-15-at-2.39.32-PM.png

[@Rini-D]

Teela Cunningham Thank you so much. Your awesome!

[@kimberlywhite6923]

Hi, Teela. I'm a big fan of your work since taking two of your awesome Skillshare classes. I hope you can answer this question, please: For creating a printable to sell online, would you create the printable asset in CMYK and the web preview in RGB? Or both in CMYK? Thanks!

[@EveryTuesday]

Hey Kimberly! Good question! You can get more vibrant colors with RGB, so having your previews in RGB would be ideal :)

[@loricorzo4482]

When I try to take shapes out with the pencil, I must be doing something wrong... Do I have to be super accurately on the path to the path to take out the shapes?

[@earlbriones9548]

This is a very good tutorial! I am currently trying to learn AI step by step by watching your videos! I have a question though, how do you put the watercolor texture kit to AI? :)

[@EveryTuesday]

Hey! You'll want to go file > place and select the texture as a jpg or png that you'd like to use :)

[@camilasantos8157]

I don't know what i am doing wrong but when i click to "make clip mask" the only thing tha adds the watercolor mask is the cable of the feather!!! Could you help me to apply the texture on the entire feather??

[@nuriac2480]

Thank you so much Teela

[@nitchakarnchansamutyothin6208]

Could you please explain ...how can i cut the feather with just a pencil tool? I tried to follow your guid but the feather is just stay in the same shape. Thank you

[@rupeshlingayat7992]

hi, first select shape u want to make shape on, then draw shape on selected shape with pencil. without selection it wont work

[@tahtaalfina2683]

@@rupeshlingayat7992 thank youuu

[@omermustafa9772]

very nice

[@nishantkumar9570]

Awesome! Thank You

[@mostafaonsy7278]

Great Tutorial .. Thank u :)

[@ilyahohenstein692]

when you make the clipping mask there is white at the top of the stem, how do you avoid that?

[@e3innovative]

Thank you

[@readul87]

nice tutorrial

[@ProjectSageMedia]

Hello to anyone watching this in 2020. Just like you my pencil tool didn't cut so I am here to help. After making your lines go to Object>Path> Divide objects and it will remove it. Also make sure to have the stroke you just made selected.

[@Shamikaip]

You have to start and end touching the path you want to cut using the pencil tool otherwise, it creates a new path.

[@saber291996]

Excuse me, my pencil just draw some lines, it can not do the same thing in the video. Could somebody help?

[@edwinju7609]

You're awesome

[@kristinapalic1440]

Yeah, I have the same problem with the tool. And my settings are exactly like yours.. The first move is like yours, but the second just deletes the rest of the feather..

[@kristinapalic1440]

AH just as I commented, I realized whats the problem. I missed the path every time. Thank youuuu! It was a pleasure watching this tutorial ! :))

[@melodytait2596]

Hi Teela! I'm using the Creative Cloud version of Illustrator, and I'm having some difficulty with the "unite" tool. Whenever I try to unite my objects, the entire object turns black!! Is this because I'm using a different version? And is there a different way to make the lines one piece? Thank you!

[@melodytait2596]

Nevermind! I tried doing this again today and everything went 100% smoothly. I have no idea what I was doing wrong the first time, hopefully I don't do it again! :D

[@rodrigorivas97]

Having the same problem. Did you ever find out what were you doing wrong? let me know please!

[@1krissaffron]

i wasn't able to draw the details of the feather with my pencil tool. didn't work for me. I started on the path and finished but it didn't draw the detail. What am i doing wrong?

[@EveryTuesday]

+Kris Saffron Hey Kris! Did you have your feather selected before you started using the pencil tool? That might be it :)

[@jodeecostello6892]

My pencil tool does not work like that! I've tried thirty times to get it to cut out the feather shapes, but nothing happens! Any suggestions?

[@EveryTuesday]

+Jodee Costello Chances are you don't have your feather selected before using your pencil tool - try that :)

[@jodeecostello6892]

+Teela Cunningham (Every-Tuesday) No, that's not it. My shape is selected, but the pencil tool just draws a line and keeps the original color of the shape, it doesn't "cut" the shape out. Are there certain settings for the pencil tool?

[@jodeecostello6892]

+Teela Cunningham (Every-Tuesday) I'm using CS5, if that matters.

[@the3dmus]

+Jodee Costello I had the same issue: what you need to do is go into the pencil tool options (double clicking the icon) and then ensure "Edit selected paths" is ticked.

[@nitchakarnchansamutyothin1430]

+the3dmus thank you for the answer...:)

[@anasolarov]

The cutting with pencil tool didn't work for me :/ not sure what i did wrong

[@tomi4717]

Copying from a 5 year old comment: the3dmus +Jodee Costello I had the same issue: what you need to do is go into the pencil tool options (double clicking the icon) and then ensure "Edit selected paths" is ticked.

[@anasolarov]

Thanks! I will do that

[@Suchawa]

i love u why only 1 tut week :< why not 5 a week

[@EveryTuesday]

+barlew ha! quality over quantity! I'm also only one person ;)

[@3333alex]

My pencil won't do the same as your pencil

[@EveryTuesday]

when you double click your pencil, these are the settings mine have: every-tuesday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Screen-Shot-2016-06-15-at-2.39.32-PM.png

[@yingzhang-jelitko8551]

it is very good, but too fast

[@DoodlewithMari]

HA!! SUCCESS just ugly but I DID IT!!! :)

[@EveryTuesday]

+MARIposa Designs yay! I'm sure it looks great :)

[@edwinju7609]

are you single?