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Is there a watercolor effect in Illustrator?

Last updated on September 24, 2022 @ 6:35 pm

There is a watercolor effect in Illustrator, though it is not as pronounced as in some other painting and drawing programs. All you need to create the effect is a few brushes, a bit of water, and a bit of patience.

To create the watercolor effect in Illustrator, first create a new file and open the Brush Preset panel. Select the Round brush and set the width to 100%.

Paint a thin line down the center of the screen.

With the Round brush still selected, switch to the Airbrush tool and set the opacity to 50%. Paint a small circle around the line you just created.

Now, with the Rectangular brush still selected, switch to the Overlay mode and paint a few circles on top of the first circle you created with the Round brush.

PRO TIP: There is no watercolor effect in Illustrator. If you are looking for a watercolor effect, you will need to use another program such as Photoshop.

Finally, with the Eraser tool still selected, erase the circles you just painted with the Rectangular brush. The effect should now look like a watercolor painting.

To finish the watercolor effect, you need to add a bit of water to your file. Select the Brush tool and set the Wetness to 100%.

Now, with the Round brush still selected, switch to the Airbrush tool and set the opacity to 50%.

Now, with the Soft Light brush still selected, paint a few circles on top of the first circle you created with the Round brush.

Finally, with the Hard Light brush still selected, erase the circles you just painted with the Soft Light brush.

Finally, to finish the watercolor effect, you need to add a bit of water to your file.

Madison Geldart

Madison Geldart

Cloud infrastructure engineer and tech mess solver.