This illustrator tutorial will take you through the making and colouring of quilt blocks. In the above image, the same drawing pattern is used for both blocks only the colouring is inverted. In the quilt pattern, the blocks are symmetrical and are made from a basic square.
1. Draw a square using rectangle tool Create a new document. As shown in the tool bar below, set the Fill colour to none and Stroke to black (1 pixel). Select the rectangle tool and click on the artboard. Draw a square with 100 pixels x 100 pixels. Square with any size will work, but for this example, 100 x 100 is the apt one.
2. Split the square into grid
Select the square and go to the menu and select Object > Path > Split into Grid. Set the number of rows and columns to 5. Set the row and column gutters to 0. Then click OK. Note: Before setting the rows and columns you need to set the gutter to 0. Do this by first giving the rows and columns the value 2 and gutter 0. Then again go back and change the value of rows and columns to 5.
3. Split grid squares into grids
Split the 4 grid squares displayed in red into 3 x 3 grids. Select the first square grid, and choose Object> Path> Split into Grid from the menu. Give the value 3 to the number of rows and columns and gutters to 0. Then click OK.
Repeat the same action for the 3 other remaining squares.
4. Splitting grid squares into 3 rows
The 2 grid squares displayed in red will be split into 3 rows. Select the first square and go to Object> Path> Split into Grid in the menu. Set the value of rows to 3 and row gutters to 0. Leave column number as 1. Then click OK.
Repeat the same action for the other grid square.
5. Splitting the grid squares into 3 columns
See the 2-grid square in red. You have to split it into 3 columns. Select the first square and go to Object> Path> Split into Grid present in the menu. Set the value of columns to 3 and column gutters to 0. Leave the row number as 1. Then click OK.
Repeat the same action for the other grid square.
6. Drawing lines to make triangles from grid squares
Turn on the Smart Guides. To turn it on go to View> Smart Guides in the menu bar. Then set the Fill colour to none and Stroke to black (1 pixel). From the Tool bar pick the Pen tool. Click on the corners of the squares in sequence as shown below to create the triangles. The Smart Guides will guide you accurately while drawing. You can click on the anchor points which will appear when the mouse reaches the corners of the square grids.
After you reach the 4th click, press and hold the Command button on Mac (Control button on PC). Then quickly switch to the Selection tool and click anywhere outside the image. Then press the Command or Control button. Now you are ready to carry on with the next section. If there are any black lines present outside the main block, it will be removed after colouring the object.
Continue the same action with the remaining 3 corners.
7. Colouring the block
Using the selection tool, select the entire block. Go to the menu and select Object> Live Paint> Make. Choose Live Paint Bucket tool, and select a colour for the Fill of your choice. Set the Stroke value to none. As you move over the block, the defined sections will be highlighted. When you click on the highlighted sections, it will get filled by your fill colour. As shown below, click on the outer corners to give colour.
Go on and colour the rest of the block based on the pattern displayed below.
8. Removing the black lines
Select the entire object and set stroke colour to none to remove the black lines.
The quilt box is ready for use!
9. Changing colours
Use the Live Paint Bucket tool and choose another colour (brown). Triple click on any part of the original colour.
