How to Create a Basic Chain Pattern Brush in Illustrator

Illustrator Brushes

Creating seamless and reusable pattern brushes in Illustrator is a great way to add consistent and stylish elements to your designs. Today, we’ll walk through a simple method to create a chain-like pattern brush that you can apply to any path or shape. Using just a few basic Illustrator tools and techniques, you'll learn how to build the chain links, define the brush, and apply it to different objects with full flexibility. Once you're done, you'll have a fully editable chain brush that you can reuse and customize in any of your design projects.

Step 1

Open Illustrator and make a new file at any size you want. In this case, I will set mine to 500 x 500 px.

Step 2

Select the Rectangle Tool (M) and make a 50 x 100 px rectangle with the fill set to "none" and a black stroke.

Step 3

Drag any of the 4 corner radius anchor points until it turns red, which means you've reached the maximum roundness possible for that rectangle.

Step 4

Go to Window > Stroke and set the stroke value to about 16 pt.

Step 5

Go to Object > Expand. Make sure the "Stroke" option is selected and click OK.

Step 6

Copy, paste, and move the chain link to the right as shown.

Step 7

Select both shapes.

Step 8

Go to Object > Path > Offset Path. Apply the following settings and click OK.

Step 9

Select all objects.

Step 10

Select the Shape Builder Tool (Shift+M). While holding the Alt key on your keyboard, drag over the inner objects to form each of the chain links as shown.

Step 11

Now drag the Shape Builder Tool over the remaining elements to unite them as a single shape.

Step 12

Again, select the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle covering the center part of the links as shown.

Step 13

Select all shapes, go to Window > Pathfinder, and click the Intersect icon.

Step 14

With the formed shape selected, go to Window > Brushes and click on the "New Brush" icon.

Step 15

Select the "Pattern Brush" option and click OK.

Step 16

Give your new brush a name, apply the following settings, and click OK. You should now see your new brush in the Brushes Panel.

Step 17

To test the new brush, draw any path or shape and then click on the recently made brush in the Brushes Panel to apply it.

A Final Note

If you wish to make the brush bigger or smaller, simply change the stroke weight in the Stroke Panel. If you want to change the color, select any color from the Swatches Panel—just be sure to have the Stroke Fill selected.