1. How to Make a Star in Illustrator
Step 1
Instead of learning how to draw a star in Illustrator point by point, you can select Illustrator’s Star Tool and simply click and drag to quickly make a star in Illustrator. Hold down the Shift key as you click and drag if you want your star to stand upright.
Step 2
Alternatively, you can select Illustrator’s Star Tool and click on your artboard to open the Star settings window. Set the settings as you wish and click OK to easily make a star in Illustrator.
The Radius values set the chubbiness/sharpness of the star, while Points dictates the number of points that your star will have.
2. How to Edit a Star Shape in Illustrator
Step 1
Pick the Star Tool, click and drag to create a new star shape, and make sure that you don’t release the mouse button. Hold down the Control key and drag your cursor outside the shape to make a sharper star or move it towards the center of the star to create a chubbier star shape.
Step 2
Alternatively, you can open the Star settings window and numerically set the size of your star shape.
Obviously, you can get numerous star shape variations using this technique. Here are just two examples.
3. How to Change the Number of Points on a Star in Illustrator
Step 1
Pick the Star Tool, click and drag to create a new star shape, make sure that you don’t release the mouse button, and let’s see how you can add points to a star in Illustrator.
Simply press the Up Arrow key to add a point to your star or press the Down Arrow key whenever you wish to remove a point from your star.
Step 2
Alternatively, you can open the Star settings window and set the number of points using the Points input field.
4. How to Make a Perfect Star in Illustrator
Pick the Star Tool, click and drag to create a new star shape, and make sure that you don’t release the mouse button.
Press the Alt key if you only wish to see how your perfect star would look. If you drag the cursor, the star will regain its original size settings. You can hold down the Alt key as you click and drag, but again, once you release the Alt key, the star will return to its original size. If you wish to turn your star into a perfect star for good, simply press Alt-Control.
5. How to Create a Rounded Star in Illustrator
Step 1
There are two methods that you can use to create a rounded star in Illustrator. First, you can select your star shape and go to Effect > Stylize > Rounded Corners. Set the Radius as you wish and click OK.
Step 2
For the second method, you need to pick the Direct Selection Tool (A). Select your star shape, focus on the control panel, and set the Corner Radius as you wish.
The nice thing about this technique is that you can use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to select particular anchor points and adjust the Corner Radius just for those points.
6. How to Make Sparkling Stars in Illustrator
Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and use it to create a circle or an ellipse. Select this new shape and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Pucker & Bloat. Drag the slider to the left and click OK when you’re happy with the look of your sparkling star.
7. How to Make a Star Brush in Illustrator
Step 1
Now that you’ve got your star shape, let’s learn how to make a star brush in Illustrator.
Select your star and make it black, and then open the Brushes panel (Window > Brushes) and click that New Brush button. For this example, we’ll create a scatter brush. Check that Scatter Brush box and click OK to open the Scatter Brush Options window.
Set the settings as shown below, and make sure that the Colorization Method is set to Tints. This will allow you to change the color of the stars. Once you select all the settings shown below, click OK and the brush will show up in the Brushes panel.
Step 2
We’ll use this illustration to better exemplify how you can use your star brush.
Pick the Brush Tool (B) from your toolbar, focus on the Brushes panel and make sure that your star brush is selected, and then simply click and drag to draw a trail of stars. Feel free to double-click your star brush in the Brushes panel to reopen the Scatter Brush Options window and make any adjustments.
The stroke color dictates the color of the stars, and adjusting the stroke Weight will set the size of your stars.
Step 3
You can easily add variations of your star brush. To duplicate your existing star brush, simply drag it on top of that New Brush button from the Brushes panel.
Double-click the newly added brush and choose the settings shown below. Remember to click OK when you’re done making the changes, and then you can use this new star brush. Remember that you can easily change the color of these stars via the stroke color setting.
