Digital Pop Art: Unleash Your Inner Warhol

Amy Courtright-Elmer

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Illustrator

• Step 1: Decide on an image
  In order to create your own pop art in Illustrator you first have to find or create a black and white line art image to work with. It can be something very simple and modular or it can be something with a little more detail, like our image shown in Figure 9. Once you’ve selected or created an image, open it in Illustrator. Now you’re ready to transform your image into pop art.
  
  Figure 9
• Step 2: Fill your image with color
  The next step is to add color to your image. To do so, simply select an area of your image. Then go to the Color palette and click the Set Foreground Color swatch. Select a color to fill the area in with. Then drag the swatch into the Swatches palette so that you have it handy. Select any remaining areas of your image that you want to make the same color and fill them in as well. Continue adding color until your image looks the way you want it to. At this point your image should resemble ours, shown in Figure 10.
  
  Figure 10
• Step 3: Create the dots
  The last step in the process is to turn some of your color fills into dots, as shown in Figure 11.
  
  Figure 11

  To do so, first select a part of your image. Then choose Effect > Pixelate > Color Halftone. In the resulting dialog box, shown in Figure 12, adjust the Max. Radius setting to a number between 8 and 20. Click OK. Keep in mind that the larger the number is, the larger your dots will be. Now, repeat these steps on any other areas of your image that you want to add dots to.

  
  Figure 12

  Note: When using the Color Halftone effect your results will vary depending on what color mode you’re working in. In RGB mode the dots will appear translucent, whereas in CMYK mode the darker dots will cover the lighter ones. Also, note that process colors can’t be made into halftones.

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