{"id":5733,"date":"2016-12-21T11:24:21","date_gmt":"2016-12-21T11:24:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graphicmama.com\/blog\/?p=5733"},"modified":"2022-08-09T08:57:58","modified_gmt":"2022-08-09T08:57:58","slug":"create-vector-watercolor-texture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/graphicmama.com\/blog\/create-vector-watercolor-texture\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create Vector Watercolor Texture and Elements in Adobe Illustrator"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Watercolor design is a big trend right now. The unique and beautiful qualities of watercolor are used in many design solutions, such as packaging, web, stationery, and others. There are many free and premium resources on the web, varying from high-res photos of watercolor textures, patterns, and elements to <a href=\"https:\/\/graphicmama.com\/blog\/vector-file\/\">vector files<\/a>, offering even more design possibilities.<\/p>\n<p>In this tutorial we will show you <strong>how to create your own vector watercolor texture from scratch,<\/strong> you will learn how to create different watercolor elements by hand,\u00a0and how to convert them from raster to vector image in <a href=\"https:\/\/graphicmama.com\/blog\/adobe-illustrator-tutorials\/\">Adobe Illustrator<\/a>. It is super easy, and fun, and you get to create exactly what you need for your design vision, without depending on other sources!<\/p>\n<p>We have also prepared a<strong> free download file with the PNGs and .ai source of the watercolor elements in this tutorial<\/strong>. So let&#8217;s get started!<\/p>\n<h2>Create watercolor textures and elements<\/h2>\n<p>First, you need to prepare some materials for your work with watercolor:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Paintbrushes &#8211; oval and flat<\/li>\n<li>Watercolor paint<\/li>\n<li>Watercolor paper (the paper we are using is 180 g\/m2, which gives you a good texture and absorbs water quite well)<\/li>\n<li>Pencil and eraser<\/li>\n<li>Handkerchiefs<\/li>\n<li>Water cup<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5752\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21113215\/a.jpg\" alt=\"a\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21113215\/a.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21113215\/a-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21113215\/a-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Step 1 &#8211; Working with an oval brush<\/h4>\n<p>In this step, you will make different shapes, with single and mixed colors, using an <strong>oval paintbrush<\/strong>. Take the brush and dip it into the cup with water generously. Take just a little bit of color and start making shapes on your paper. The rule is, that the more paint and less water you have on your brush, the more saturated color you will get. The less paint you apply with the brush, using more water &#8211; the lighter and more airy the colors will be:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5756 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21114220\/b1.jpg\" alt=\"Working with oval brush\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21114220\/b1.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21114220\/b1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21114220\/b1-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Then start mixing with other colors and always add a little bit more water, while the paper is wet so that the colors mix well together:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5761\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21114840\/c.jpg\" alt=\"c\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21114840\/c.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21114840\/c-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21114840\/c-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5763\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21115122\/d.jpg\" alt=\"d\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21115122\/d.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21115122\/d-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21115122\/d-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>While the color you just applied is still wet, don&#8217;t be afraid, experiment, and add a drop from another color. That will create a nice splash:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5765 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21115351\/e.jpg\" alt=\"watercolor brush\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21115351\/e.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21115351\/e-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21115351\/e-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Step 2\u00a0&#8211; Remove excessive paint<\/h4>\n<p>If you added too much water, or you just want to achieve a cool, washed-out effect, take a handkerchief and gently tap on top of the paper. The paper will absorb the excessive paint and will leave its own texture mark:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5772 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21120233\/hh.jpg\" alt=\"watercolor design\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21120233\/hh.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21120233\/hh-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21120233\/hh-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Your\u00a0watercolor pattern is ready! Leave it to dry out, scan it, or take a high-res photo of it and we will work with it in Adobe Illustrator later:<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5771 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21120231\/gg.jpg\" alt=\"watercolor textures\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21120231\/gg.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21120231\/gg-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21120231\/gg-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Step 3 &#8211; Working with a flat brush<\/h4>\n<p>If you want to create a pattern with smooth edges and borders, rather than painting ovals, then use a <strong>flat paintbrush<\/strong>. Use less water, so your contours remain smooth and crisp:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5774\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21120634\/i.jpg\" alt=\"i\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21120634\/i.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21120634\/i-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21120634\/i-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Step 4\u00a0&#8211; Create various elements<\/h4>\n<p>Once you get comfortable with the watercolor by painting textures, backgrounds, ovals, splashes, and rectangles, the fun part begins! Use your imagination, go wild and draw whatever you want: flowers, hearts, leaves, &#8230; &#8211; we leave it to you to fill in the dots! Here are some examples of our shapes and experiments, that you can get for free as watercolor vector textures and elements. You are welcome!<\/p>\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/22075709\/Watercolor_Design_GraphicMama.zip\"  class=\"btn\">Download the Watercolor Texture and Elements<\/a>\n\t\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5778\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21121439\/k.jpg\" alt=\"k\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21121439\/k.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21121439\/k-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21121439\/k-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5779\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21121441\/l.jpg\" alt=\"l\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21121441\/l.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21121441\/l-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21121441\/l-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5780\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21121446\/m.jpg\" alt=\"m\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21121446\/m.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21121446\/m-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21121446\/m-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Create your own text with a watercolor effect<\/h2>\n<p>There are many free watercolor resources and if you need inspiration or to use ready once, <a href=\"https:\/\/graphicmama.com\/blog\/free-watercolors\/\">check our article on the topic.<\/a> But if you have the time, or you haven&#8217;t found what you need, then we have one more surprise for you &#8211; we will show you how to create your own simple text with applied watercolor effect! It is super easy to do. Let&#8217;s see how. If you are uncomfortable with hand lettering, try and sketch out some ideas with a pencil first. Don&#8217;t worry right now about the arrangement of the letters and the scaling, because we can easily change that in Photoshop. Well, we picked a quote we like about the design and wrote it down with marker on a plain, ordinary sketchbook paper:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5782\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21122210\/hand-lettering-for-watercolor-vector-texture.jpg\" alt=\"hand-lettering-for-watercolor-vector-texture\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21122210\/hand-lettering-for-watercolor-vector-texture.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21122210\/hand-lettering-for-watercolor-vector-texture-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21122210\/hand-lettering-for-watercolor-vector-texture-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Scan all your materials and prepare the files<\/h2>\n<p>We hope that you had fun making watercolor textures and elements and that you liked hand-lettering!\u00a0Now leave all your watercolor to dry out and scan it (or take high-res photos).<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5785\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21122510\/ready-watercolor.jpg\" alt=\"ready-watercolor\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21122510\/ready-watercolor.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21122510\/ready-watercolor-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21122510\/ready-watercolor-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Then,\u00a0open your scanned files in Adobe Photoshop and duplicate several layers of your scan. That way, you can cut each element out from the rest of the scanned image and export it as an individual PNG. It is handy to keep these designs in separate files!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5800\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21125842\/z.jpg\" alt=\"z\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21125842\/z.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21125842\/z-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21125842\/z-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Select one of the watercolor textures you made with <strong>Lasso Tool (L)\u00a0<\/strong>and go to <strong>Select &gt; Inverse<\/strong> &#8211; this will select everything else, but not the texture you just marked. Now press <strong>Delete<\/strong> and everything you don&#8217;t need right now will disappear. Press <strong>Ctrl+D\u00a0<\/strong>to deselect.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5803\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21130259\/y.jpg\" alt=\"y\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21130259\/y.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21130259\/y-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21130259\/y-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You can go to <strong>Image &gt; Adjustments &gt; Hue\/Saturation\u00a0<\/strong>if you want to play a little bit with the colors. Under the same menu, you can adjust also contrast and the like. Try, experiment, and see what works for you best. Use the <strong>Magic Wand Tool (W)<\/strong> to select some white spaces left and delete them.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5806\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21130652\/x.jpg\" alt=\"x\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21130652\/x.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21130652\/x-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21130652\/x-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>So far so good &#8211; you are done with one of the elements, export a PNG from its\u00a0layer, going to<strong> File &gt; Save As.<\/strong> Repeat the same steps for the rest of your element designs. When you are ready, we will move on to importing them in Adobe Illustrator, so we can finally create our\u00a0vector watercolor texture and elements.<\/p>\n<p>Note, that if you don&#8217;t have a scanner and you prefer to take a photo of your works, you might face a problem. Sometimes, your background won&#8217;t be completely white, but you can easily fix that in Photoshop. Just open the image, go to <strong>Image &gt; Adjustments &gt; Levels\u00a0<\/strong>and carefully move the sliders, so the gray spots from your background disappear. Try moving the gray slider a bit to the left, and the white slider a bit to the right.<\/p>\n<p>Here are all the elements we created, with adjusted colors and removed white backgrounds:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5819\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21133929\/all-textures.jpg\" alt=\"all-textures\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21133929\/all-textures.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21133929\/all-textures-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21133929\/all-textures-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Create your vector watercolor texture and elements<\/h2>\n<h4>Step 1 &#8211; Preview your texture and elements<\/h4>\n<p>Import your watercolor texture and elements into\u00a0<strong>Adobe Illustrator<\/strong>\u00a0and open <strong>Window &gt;<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>Image Trace<\/strong>. For <strong>Mode<\/strong>, select\u00a0<strong>Color<\/strong>, and for\u00a0<strong>Palette<\/strong>, select\u00a0<strong>Full Tone<\/strong>. Then press\u00a0<strong>Preview.\u00a0<\/strong>You will have to wait a bit to render.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5829\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21135105\/vector-watercolor-texture.jpg\" alt=\"vector-watercolor-texture\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21135105\/vector-watercolor-texture.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21135105\/vector-watercolor-texture-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21135105\/vector-watercolor-texture-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If you want to reduce the file size of your vector watercolor texture, then in<strong> Pallete<\/strong> drop down, instead of <strong>Full Tone<\/strong> selected <strong>Limited.<\/strong> This will give you a more vector, simplified look of your watercolor and your file will drop in size:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5833 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21135703\/vector-watercolor-texture-2.jpg\" alt=\"vector-watercolor-texture AI\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21135703\/vector-watercolor-texture-2.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21135703\/vector-watercolor-texture-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21135703\/vector-watercolor-texture-2-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Step 2\u00a0&#8211; Trace your image after the preview<\/h4>\n<p>Once happy with how the image looks, make sure <strong>Preview<\/strong> box is checked off &#8211; \u00a0this will allow you to click the\u00a0<strong>Trace<\/strong> button. After tracing, you only have to go to\u00a0<strong>Object &gt; Expand<\/strong> and there you have it &#8211;\u00a0your very own vector watercolor texture and elements! Don&#8217;t forget to remove the white background of your image by selecting it with <strong>Direct Selection Tool (press shortcut A)\u00a0<\/strong>and pressing delete. Save you vector watercolor. Here is what your vector watercolor texture should look like before the save:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5837\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21140441\/ready-vector.jpg\" alt=\"ready-vector\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21140441\/ready-vector.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21140441\/ready-vector-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21140441\/ready-vector-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Create your vector watercolor text<\/h2>\n<p>You haven&#8217;t forgotten about the text we created, have you? Well, we haven&#8217;t! Let&#8217;s get our hands on it.<\/p>\n<p>Open the scanned image of your text in Photoshop and use the <strong>Magic Wand Tool (W)<\/strong> to remove the white background. Select the different words with <strong>Lasso Tool (L),\u00a0<\/strong>right-click and choose <strong>Layer via Cut.\u00a0<\/strong>This will bring your selection to a new layer and you will be able to move the separate files around easily and scale them independently. We ended up with this rearrangement of the lettering:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5847 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21153924\/text-for-art.jpg\" alt=\"create watercolor textures and elements\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21153924\/text-for-art.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21153924\/text-for-art-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21153924\/text-for-art-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Now repeat the same actions, as for the textures to convert your PNG text image into a vector text. Don&#8217;t forget to <strong>Expand<\/strong> it and delete the white parts. The new thing is, that after you&#8217;ve done the steps you learned, you have to select your text, and go to <strong>Object &gt; Compound Path &gt; Make.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5850 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21154559\/compound-path.jpg\" alt=\"create watercolor textures and elements\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21154559\/compound-path.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21154559\/compound-path-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21154559\/compound-path-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>After that, in the layer panel, move your text above the vector watercolor texture, which you have opened in the file as well:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5852\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21155031\/text-over-pattern.jpg\" alt=\"text-over-pattern\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21155031\/text-over-pattern.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21155031\/text-over-pattern-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21155031\/text-over-pattern-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Select the two, and hit\u00a0<strong>Ctrl+7,<\/strong> which will create a <strong>Clipping Mask.<\/strong> This means, that the vector watercolor texture will cut with the outlines of your text, like here:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5853\" src=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21155405\/text-final-vector.jpg\" alt=\"text-final-vector\" width=\"910\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21155405\/text-final-vector.jpg 910w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21155405\/text-final-vector-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/i.graphicmama.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/21155405\/text-final-vector-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We hope you liked this tutorial, let us know what you think, by dropping a line or two in the comment section below! We would love to hear from you!<\/p>\n<p>You may also be interested in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/graphicmama.com\/blog\/best-drawing-software\/\">23 Drawing Software Options to Become Digital Picasso<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Watercolor design is a big trend right now. The unique and beautiful qualities of watercolor are used in many design solutions, such as packaging, web, stationery, and others. There are many free and premium resources on the web, varying from high-res photos of watercolor textures, patterns, and elements to vector files, offering even more design&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":12656,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[395,42,410,363,13,27,411],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.5.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Create Vector Watercolor Texture and Elements in Adobe Illustrator | GraphicMama Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn to create vector watercolor texture and elements in Adobe Illustrator in very easy steps to follow. 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