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- In this chapter I'll

take you on an absolutely



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blissful tour of one

of the most impressive



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features in all of Illustrator.



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I know, I'm always saying stuff like that.



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But seriously, you're gonna like this.



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The feature in question goes by



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the name Gradient Mesh.



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And it allows you to

add points of shadow and



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highlight inside a single path outline,



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so that you can take an

otherwise flat shape and



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make it appear contoured

and volumetric and



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just plain full on real.



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Think of Gradient Mesh

as a kind of net that you



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cast across the height and width



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of a path outline.



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At the intersection of

any two ropes in that net



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there exists an anchor point.



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You can, of course, move

that anchor point around



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to any location you

like which adds contours



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to the net, which in turn implies



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an element of depth.



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But you can also assign

each point a unique



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color which in turn causes

Illustrator to create



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a series of miniature

gradients between every



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single pair of colorful anchor points.



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Look at me.



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No, I'm serious, just

for a second, look at me.



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Now look at these flat, almost cartoonish



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looking path outlines,



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which thanks to Gradient Mesh,



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we're gonna turn into this

dramatic, dimensional,



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final piece of art.



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I mean seriously, Photoshop,



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why don't you have this feature?



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Now look at me again,



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you can't can you?



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I don't blame you.



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Gradient Mesh, it's so much better.