How to apply custom texture to a shape in Illustrator

Go to FILE > PLACE, and find your texture image. Click "Place."

Click and drag your texture image into the swatches palette.

Click on the shape tool on the left vertical toolbar and choose your shape. By default, it will look like a rectangle. Click and hold to see the mini menu of shapes to choose from. Once you've chosen your shape, click on the artboard (or canvas) and drag to make your shape as big as you want.

While your shape is still selected, click on the "fill" button at the bottom of the vertical toolbar to the left of the screen.

Then, click on the texture swatch in the swatches palette. Your shape should now have the texture applied to it.

First, you need to duplicate the layer your shape is on. To do that, click on your layer in the layers palette, and drag it to the small icon below that looks like a square with a flapped corner. That is the "Create New Layer" icon.

You should now see another layer above your previous one that is a "copy."

Next, click on the circle to the right of the copied layer to select that shape (that is on top of your original shape).

You will then click on the "fill" button at the bottom of the vertical toolbar located at the left of the screen.

Then, click on any color in the swatches palette to apply it to your shape.

You now need to make the color transparent in order to see the texture underneath. To do this, find the transparency palette, and click and hold the arrow on the opacity. A slide bar will show up where you can adjust the opacity.

First, click on the circle to the right of your copied layer in the layers palette to make sure the star on top is selected.

Click the small gradient button below the "fill" and "stroke" buttons on the vertical toolbar.

Under the gradient tab to the right of the screen, you will see the gradient spectrum.

Now, click on one of the colors (light or dark) in the gradient slider bar. Then, on the color tab in the color palette, click on the tiny tab in the top right corner that looks like a tiny arrow and three lines. Choose RGB from that menu to set the color mode.

Repeat for the other color in the gradient spectrum.

Then, click on the light end or dark end from the gradient spectrum, and choose any color from the color palette or the swatches palette.

Repeat for the other end of the gradient spectrum.

Next, click on the Gradient Tool button in the vertical tool bar at the left of the screen. This will allow you to change the direction and appearance of the gradient.

All that's left to do is to click and drag near your shape in the direction you want the gradient. (Make sure the top shape with the gradient color is selected by clicking on that circle to the right of the layer in the Layers palette). Play around with how long you make the "line" when you click and drag and where you start dragging from.