Wood Grain Using Wrap, Plucker, Twirl & Bloat

[Albacore]

I am doing some work for when I am teaching woodwork for the coming term. I have to draw some units showing how to join some planks of wood together to get a wide board. Did a search and came up with some Illustrator tutorials which looked promising using Wrap, Plucker, Twirl & Bloat. Rather than use Illy and since version 11 introduced these tools I thought what the heck I'll give it a twirl. You can see what I achieve in the drawings below using various tools along with the ones mentioned. One was done using the blend tool with various line thickness while others were done using the Contour Tool then using the Slice and Cut Shapes.

Having only really played with Wrap, Plucker, Twirl & Bloat before I found these tools quite powerful and dead easy to use. I've got to be truthful here and state that Illy's control of these tools is much more precise in its application but here that precision its not what is required as it is a more random effect to get a realistic wood grain.

If anyone wants more info on how I achieve the wood grain I will happily supply the info.

[gwpriester]

Looks very convincing. Good thinking outside the toolbox.

[angelize]

Very nicely done Peter, It would great if would share a bit more info about your techniques with these tools.

[Big Frank]

i use a biscuit joiner

[Albacore]

Got a regatta on this weekend Frances so will do something on Monday. Hi Frank tongue and groove on the router table less planing.

[Albacore]

Hi Frances did as you asked it's a bit rushed so not my best work! Don't like to supply an html version where there are instructions like Gary P does too much work! So what I have done is to give instructions using the layers from the "Page & Layer gallery". Hope it helps members here at TG to anyone and it won't be many who want to use vector wood grain patterns.
Cheers
Peter

[Egg Bramhill]

Great tutorial Peter. Thanks for sharing.

[mwenz]

Yes, the tut works fine, Peter.

And hey, don't sell your tut short. The results are great.

[RKissane]

Peter,

What your tutorial showed is a function of the Shape Painter tool that I have never used and do not even know if I even knew about the Wrap, Pucker, Twirl & Bloat features because I certainly do not remember them before this. So well done and I think your grain came out really good.

Ray

[Penny O'Rorke]

Very many thanks, that's brilliant and easy to follow.



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