Three Ways to Create a Handmade Look in Illustrator
Illustrator Effects
Creating a handmade aesthetic from an existing design can add a sense of charm and individuality to your works, making them ideal for use in logos, emblems, product packaging, and illustrations. This style helps convey a more personal and crafted feel, which is perfect for projects that need to stand out. In Illustrator, you can easily replicate this effect in many different ways, but today I will show you three simple yet effective methods to achieve a hand-drawn look using the Brush Tool, Wrinkle Tool, and Blur Effects and these simple techniques will help you add organic textures, uneven edges, and a natural flow to your creations.
Method 1
Step 1
Open your design in Illustrator.
![](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/Three-Ways-to-Create-a-Handmade-Look-in-Illustrator/01.jpg?mtime=20241123154331)
Step 2
Go to Window - Brushes.
![](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/Three-Ways-to-Create-a-Handmade-Look-in-Illustrator/02.jpg?mtime=20241123154332)
Step 3
With your design selected, click on any of the available brushes. In this case I will be using "Crayon 8" from the Crayon Illustrator Brushes set that you can get at Medialoot, but you can use any other brush you like.
![](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/Three-Ways-to-Create-a-Handmade-Look-in-Illustrator/03.jpg?mtime=20241123154333)
Step 4
Go to Window > Stroke and set any stroke Weight you wish for your design. In this case, a weight of 0,5 pt seems to work just fine.
![](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/Three-Ways-to-Create-a-Handmade-Look-in-Illustrator/04.jpg?mtime=20241123154335)
Method 2
Step 1
Open your design in Illustrator.
![](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/Three-Ways-to-Create-a-Handmade-Look-in-Illustrator/05.jpg?mtime=20241123154336)
Step 2
Select the Wrinkle Tool.
![](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/Three-Ways-to-Create-a-Handmade-Look-in-Illustrator/06.jpg?mtime=20241123154337)
Step 3
Double click on the Wrinkle Tool to open the Wrinkle Tool Options window, apply the following settings and click OK. Note: You may adjust all of these settings to your liking according to the effect you want to achieve.
![](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/Three-Ways-to-Create-a-Handmade-Look-in-Illustrator/07.jpg?mtime=20241123154339)
Step 4
Now, simply click and drag the cursor over your design.
![](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/Three-Ways-to-Create-a-Handmade-Look-in-Illustrator/08.jpg?mtime=20241123154340)
Method 3
Step 1
Open your design in Illustrator.
![](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/Three-Ways-to-Create-a-Handmade-Look-in-Illustrator/09.jpg?mtime=20241123154341)
Step 2
Go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Set the Radius to about 7 pixels and click OK.
![](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/Three-Ways-to-Create-a-Handmade-Look-in-Illustrator/10.jpg?mtime=20241123154342)
Step 3
Go to Object > Rasterize. Apply the following settings and click OK.
![](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/Three-Ways-to-Create-a-Handmade-Look-in-Illustrator/11.jpg?mtime=20241123154343)
Step 4
Lastly, go to Window > Image Trace. Apply the following settings and click the "Expand" button.
![](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/Three-Ways-to-Create-a-Handmade-Look-in-Illustrator/12.jpg?mtime=20241123154344)