Do you want to start designing custom wallpapers for your phone and computer? Use these Illustrator tools and effects to elevate your work, or store them for future projects.
Designing custom wallpapers for your phone or computer is an excellent medium for dabbling in the world of graphic design. With little effort, you can quickly make stunning designs that incorporate texture, color, and aesthetics.
This list will guide you through the Illustrator tools and effects to help you create your first digital wallpaper, and hopefully, you will be able to apply them to other projects. Let's get started!
1. Gaussian Blur
The Gaussian Blur has to be one of the most widely used effects within Adobe Illustrator. Essentially, it uses a mathematical function, the Gaussian function, to blur images and objects. You can access the Gaussian Blur filter by selecting your object and then going to:
Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur
You might be wondering how you would use this in a wallpaper design. Well, you can use this effect to create a glowing effect on objects and text. Of course, there are the Outer/Inner Glow effects as well, but this method creates a much more natural-looking end product.
To create this glowing effect, press Ctrl/Command + C then Ctrl/Command + F to copy and duplicate the object on top of itself. Then, send it behind the original by selecting the duplicated object and pressing Shift + {. Finally, go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur and start fiddling with the effect. You should now see a glow effect on your object.
You may have noticed that we used a lot of shortcuts to achieve this effect. Shortcuts help speed up your workflow within a program. Check out our list of Adobe Illustrator shortcuts to help you speed up your current workflow within Illustrator.
In practice, the Gaussian Blur can really level up your wallpaper designs. Take a look at how it's applied here on the text:
2. Blend Tool
The Blend tool is another versatile utility you can use for your wallpaper designs. The Blend tool allows you to mix colors and shapes into one cohesive piece. It's great for creating abstract shapes that give off a 3D effect.
Here, we are going to be creating smooth, wave-like shapes using lines and the Blend tool.
First, create your lines using the Pen tool (click P). Click to anchor a point onto the artboard, and then click and drag to create a curve. Continue creating a curved line until you reach your desired length. Make sure there is no Fill on your line, only a Stroke.
In this example, the Stroke width is set to 10px.
Similarly, create a second line that overlaps the first like this:
Once you've got here, click on the Blend tool, or click W. Make sure you have both lines selected. Double-click on the Blend tool icon and select Specified Distance. You should get a screen that looks like this:
Click OK, and click on both of your lines, you should be left with a blended shape; adjust the pixel distance until the colors form a smooth gradient.
Using the Blend tool can seem daunting for beginners, but it really does give an impressive look to your final product. If you're stuck, use the video shown below to better help you navigate this tool.
Here's are some examples of how the Blend tool can be used for creating mobile wallpapers. Notice how they also incorporate the Gaussian Blur effect.
3. Grain
Adding grain to your wallpaper instantly makes it look much more interesting as you are able to see the texture of your design. Grain can be added to the background or individual objects, but remember not to overuse it as it will result in a noisy and distorted wallpaper.
To apply grain to an object, make sure the object is selected and then go to Effects > Texture > Grain. This will open up a tab for you to configure the intensity and contrast of the grain effect.
Here's an example of how grain can be applied to mobile wallpapers to add texture.
4. Gradient Tool
The Gradient tool is a great tool to help you add color to your wallpaper. While you may already know the standard linear-gradient, the Gradient tool offers a much more versatile and easier method of applying a gradient... the Freeform gradient.
With your object selected, click on the Gradient tool (or click G) and if you double-click the tool, it should bring up the Gradient tab. You can also access this by going to Window > Gradient (Ctrl +F9). Once open, click on your object to apply a gradient, then select Freeform Gradient, it should be the third type of gradient on the Gradient tab.
You should see a series of circles appear on your object. These circles each have a color assigned to them automatically. You can adjust the color by simply changing the Fill, and you can adjust the radius/strength of each individual circle by dragging the outlined circle outwards or inwards.
The Freeform gradient is great because you can adjust the positioning of these circles. This results in a unique color profile for your object or background, which you can easily tweak later on.
You can add more gradient balls by clicking around your object; Illustrator will use the previously selected color. You can also remove gradient balls by simply having one selected, and hitting Backspace.
Here's an example of how a Freeform gradient can be applied to a wallpaper (take note of the mountain):
Save Your New Wallpaper for Future Use
Once you have finished creating your masterpiece, you need to save it to your computer. All of these wallpapers incorporate a combination of these tools and effects, and the overarching lesson you should take away from this is, don't be afraid to experiment.
Adobe Illustrator is quite literally a blank canvas, and it's chock-full of tools and effects outside of the ones shown here. Have fun experimenting, and once you get used to the program, you can start mixing and matching more effects and techniques!
