Join paths to make one single line drawing so I can gradient the stroke

Question

I have made a drawing with the pen tool. Most of the paths are unclosed. I would like to put a gradient stroke on the paths.

I don't seem to be able to join all of the paths together, which I assume is the first problem to solve. See below for my drawing.

I believe if the strokes are all separate then at best I will gradient each stroke individually which will not give me the effect I am looking for.

I think it may also have changed because I used the shape builder to fill it originally. So perhaps that has made a difference?

I'm using Illustrator CS5. I have tried using Unite, Join, etc via the pathfinder.

I don't want to merge it into one shape, i want it to stay as a line drawing as the shape will never have a fill. My intention is to put a gradient over the entire line drawing so it looks like it is shimmering.

Here is an example of what I would like to achieve (made in Photoshop).

Answer 1

Select all your shapes and set (fill and stroke) color to none and group them together

Then go to the appearance panel and click on the dropdown and choose add new stroke

Now just apply the gradient as the stroke.

Answer 2

CS 5 can not put a gradient on a stroke, later editions can. However you can keep the objects as lines and put a gradient on them at the same time with a little known hack.

• Make a pattern with a gradient. It now possible to assign it to a stroke. You can then use the transform dialogs to rotate, translate and scale the gradient into place.

Answer 3

Illustrator CS5 doesn't let you put a gradient on a stoke...

My workaround is:

Duplicate the flamingo;

Expand it;

Now you can aplly the gradient.

You will have the original stroked under the copy with the gradient.

Answer 4

The key here for me (in Illustrator CS5) was to select everything and then go to Object > Expand Appearance then go to Object > Expand (and make sure ONLY the stroke option is ticked).

I used this tutorial https://astutegraphics.com/blog/how-to-apply-a-gradient-fill-to-strokes-in-adobe-illustrator-cs5-and-earlier/

Once the object is expanded it becomes a shape instead of a path and you can fill it. Once you can fill it you can use a gradient.

However, the problem that I had was the object when expanded did not cut at the anchor point.

Also to hightlight @WELZ excellent comment these answers are a better explanation.

See Example 1 Example 2 Example 3.