Create a creative fireworks display in Adobe Illustrator

If you have always wanted to learn how to create a colorful Feuerwerk in Adobe Illustrator, you are exactly right here. This guide will not only show you how to design the background for your Feuerwerk, but also how to create custom brushes to make the Feuerwerk lively and dynamic. By the end, you will be able to create your personal Feuerwerk that stands out perfectly against any dark background.

Main Insights

• Create a custom background for your Feuerwerk.
• Design custom brushes for a vibrant design.
• Change colors according to your wishes and needs.

Step-by-Step Guide

First, open Adobe Illustrator and create a new document. For that, click on "File" in the top menu bar and select "New." Name your document "Feuerwerk" and choose the A4 format in landscape orientation. Make sure to set the color mode to RGB, as this is better suited for online applications. Confirm your selection by clicking "Ok."

Now you have created a new document, and a new layer named "Layer 1" will appear in the layers palette. If the layers palette is not visible to you, go to "Window" and enable the "Layers." To rename your base layer, double-click on the name "Layer 1" and call it "Background."

To design the background, select the rectangle tool and draw a rectangle. It doesn't matter what size you choose here; simply draw a rectangle. By default, it has a white fill and a black stroke. To remove the stroke, click on the stroke and select the icon that shows a red line to set it to None. Fill the area with black to create the dark background.

To give the background a special touch, you can round the corners of the rectangle. You can do this with the selection tool, by hovering your mouse over the small round points at the corners. Pull them until you achieve the desired shape. Alternatively, you can use the rounded rectangle tool to create an immediately rounded rectangle.

Now that your background is ready, lock this layer so you don't accidentally change anything on it. To do this, click on the lock symbol in the layers palette. Create a new layer and name it "Feuerwerk." This new layer will be used to create the brushes you will use later for the Feuerwerk.

To create the brushes, you first need to create a shape. Zoom into your document by holding down the Alt key and scrolling the mouse wheel. Alternatively, you can also select the zoom tool from the toolbar and manually zoom in. Now create a black rectangle by using the rectangle tool again, rounding the left side.

Select the direct selection tool and click on the right anchor point while holding down the Shift key to also select the left anchor point. Now, drag the selected anchor point down to create a semicircle. Make sure you have the smart guides activated in the view options; these will help you recognize the midline of the shape.

Once you have created the shape, you can add a gradient. Click on the gradient tool and select the linear gradient. Configure the colors by, for example, setting a vibrant red tone on the left and deep black on the right. If necessary, you can further adjust the gradients by moving the handles.

To save this shape as a brush, select the shape and go to the brush palette. Click on "New Brush" and select "Art Brush." You might receive an error message; in that case, you need to convert the shape. Go to "Object" and then "Expand," which will break the gradient fill into separate objects. After the conversion, click again in the brush palette to save the shape as an art brush.

Give your brush a name, for example, "Feuerwerk 1," and set the pressure sensitivity to a range of 30% to 80% so that your brush stroke can vary depending on the pressure. You can also set the direction when drawing, depending on how you want to lead your stroke.

Now that you have prepared your first brush, create another brush using the same principle, but with different colors. Experiment with different gradients to create a second brush that adds even more variety to your Feuerwerk.

Summary - Creating Feuerwerk in Adobe Illustrator

In this step-by-step guide, you have learned how to create an impressive background for your Feuerwerk and how to create custom brushes in Adobe Illustrator.