Spring has arrived! Let’s greet this amazing season with a
beautiful lettering illustration. Of course, we’ll add some floral
decorations, love, passion, and creativity!
Today, you’ll learn
how to create digital writing in Adobe Illustrator to make some elegant
lettering with floral elements for our gentle, ornamental composition.
Ideally, it would be great to have a pen tablet for this tutorial for
your convenience. We will also use the Width Tool, the Pen Tool, and the
Arc and Line Segment Tool.
After
opening your Adobe Illustrator, create a new document with 850 x 850 px
Width and Height. Our illustration will be placed on a dark grey
background. So let’s create a dark-grey rectangle with the Rectangle
Tool (M).
Step 2
Now, let’s start writing. Remember that
it doesn’t have to be perfect because we just need to mark where the
real letters will appear.
So that we can write legibly, let’s
get some help: the Rulers. To make them appear, go to View > Rulers > Show Rulers (Control-R). Take
the upper ruler and drag it down to the place where you want to write.
Repeat this action to make another ruler appear, so that you have two
lines between which you can place your letters.
Now that
you’ve prepared where you want to write, let’s begin writing using the Pencil Tool (N) with no fill color. If you make a mistake, you can
always erase it using the Eraser Tool (Shift-E). It’s easier if you can
see the whole artboard (Control-0), because the smaller the letters you
write, the less your hand will shake.
Step 3
Lower the
Opacity on the Transparency panel of this layer, close it, and create a
new layer.
On the new layer, take the Pen Tool (P) and outline the word
“Hello”. I recommend the Pen Tool because you won’t have a lot of anchor
points which make your file heavier, as you would with the Brush Tool (B).
Write each letter separately, since it will be easier for you to manipulate the letters later. Begin by writing simple letters and then
add some curly decorations later.
Now you can add some curls by
manipulating the handles of the anchor points. If you want to connect
two letters, select the anchor points that you want to connect using the Direct Selection Tool (A), right-click the mouse, and select Join.
Step 4
Now it’s time for the next word, “Spring”.
Close
the upper layer, where you wrote using the Pen Tool (P), and unlock the
bottom one, where you will write the new text. Make sure that you’re in
the bottom layer and create another couple of rulers below the first two
rulers that you made, where you want the second word to be placed.
Simply take the upper ruler and drag it down. Do this action twice to
get a pair of rulers as boundaries for your letters. Using the Pencil
Tool (N) with no fill color, write the word “Spring”.
For better visibility, you can increase the bottom layer Opacity.
Step 5
Similar
to what we did before with the word “Hello”, lock this layer, lower the Opacity, and go to
the upper layer. Next, select the light-cream or yellowish stroke color, and by using the Pen Tool (P), outline the word “Spring”. When you are
finished, add some curls to the letters by manipulating the handles of the
anchor points.
This is my result. Feel free to do something similar to this.
Step 6
Look
at the Layers panel, take the layer where we drafted the letters (the
non-decorative letter layer), and drag it to the trash icon (Delete Selection). Press
Control-R to hide the Rulers. Select the lines on your artboard (you placed letters between them) and press Delete on the keyboard.
This is what our lettering now looks like:
2. How to Create Floral Details
Step 1
Now we’ll add some spring floral details. Let’s make the first type of leaves.
Set
the stroke color to green with no fill color. Using the Arc Tool, draw
the stem of our leaf. Add a few lines from both sides of the stem by
using the Line Segment Tool () or the Arc Tool, if you prefer. Make sure to check Round Cap on the Stroke panel.
We’ll transform these
lines into leaves by using the Width Tool (Shift-W).
Hit the Width Tool (Shift-W) and place your mouse/pen tablet over the
“prospective” leaf. Stretch where the leaf should be thicker. Repeat
with the rest of the leaves.
Make a few of these leaf branches.
Finally, we need to expand the lines which were transformed. Select
them and go to Object > Expand Appearance, and then Object >
Expand. (The first time you expanded just the leaves, and then the second time the stem).
Step 2
For the second type of leaves, we’ll use
the Arc Tool again to draw lines in two colors: lighter green on the back
and darker green over it. Change the width of these lighter lines with
the Width Tool (Shift-W). Expand all lines (Object > Expand
Appearance, Object > Expand) and make the leaf edges sharper by
moving the handles of the anchor points (use the Direct Selection Tool (A)).
Step 3
Now
we will create a rose. Add a pink circle with no stroke color and pink
fill color (feel free to choose any shade of pink). To make an even
circle, draw an oval using the Ellipse Tool (L) while holding down the
Shift key.
Now add some outer petals. Remove the fill color and make the
same stroke color (Shift-X) as used for the circle. On the Stroke panel, increase the Weight of the stroke and check Round Cap. Grab the
Pencil Tool (N) and start drawing curly petals, which will be the
outside of the circle.
To make the inner petals, decrease the
Weight of the stroke, and make the stroke color slightly darker. Using
the Pencil Tool (N), create inner petals as shown in the image below. Add
some lighter petals as well.
Step 4
In this step, we will
create a flower bud. Add a pink circle with no stroke color and pink
fill color. Make two copies of this circle with slightly darker
color and place them behind the first circle (Control-X, Control-B).
Add the fourth copy of the circle behind and make it darkest. Add a few
black lines with the Pencil Tool (N) (just grey stroke color), behind
the first circle as stamens. And finally, create a green oval behind all
petals of the bud as a receptacle.
Expand the stamens. You can select the whole bud, go to Object > Expand, and in the new dialogue window select Stroke and press OK.
Step 5
For the third type
of flowers, let’s use the Line Segment Tool () again and draw a few
petals as lines. Use the Width Tool (Shift-W) to change the width of
these lines and create petals. Add a tiny circle inside the flower.
Yellow fill color with no stroke. Isn’t it easy? Finally, expand these
lines. Go to Object > Expand.
Step 6
Create a similar but
smaller, white colored flower using the steps we just took. Use the
Line Segment Tool () for the white petals, deform the lines with the Width
Tool (Shift-W), add the yellow circle inside, and finally, expand these
lines (Object > Expand).
Step 7
Here are all the floral
elements that we just created. Before moving on to the next step, make
sure that you have expanded all of them (Object > Expand Appearance,
Object > Expand).
3. How to Arrange the Floral Elements
Step 1
Make a few copies of the dark green leaves and spread them over and under the letters.
Step 2
Select the other leaves that we created, make a few copies, and place them also around the text.
Step 3
Now it is time to place a few copies of our beautiful rose.
Step 4
Add some of the flower buds.
Step 5
Scatter a few small red flowers.
Awesome Work, You’re Done!
And last but not least, let’s not forget to place our tiny white flowers. With this, we will finish our illustration.
Congratulations! Our spring lettering card is ready! Great job! I hope you’ve enjoyed following this inspirational tutorial and discovered some new tips and tricks that will help you to design more lettering designs and floral compositions. Enjoy the spring, and have fun!
In this tutorial, you will learn how to use the Mesh Tool and
Gradient Tool in Adobe Illustrator to create a beautiful red rose, and you’ll also learn how to recolor it!
Let’s start by creating leaves around the rose! This will make it easier to create the rose afterwards.
Create a dark green #415414 rectangle, and then delete its right upper node to create a triangle. Take the Mesh Tool (U) and place a node in the middle of the shape, and then bend the other nodes to resemble the leaf in the picture below.
We will be using the Mesh Tool a lot because it makes the shaping and coloring of different elements so much easier!
Step 2
With the Lasso Tool (Q) or the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the tip and the left side of the leaf, and color it with #A8B060.
Step 3
Select the top middle node of the leaf and color it with #6C7A33. Make a copy of this part, reflect it vertically, and put it aside for a while.
Step 4
With the Mesh Tool (U), add a node on the left side of the leaf, and then shape the rest of it so it looks more natural.
Step 5
Continue coloring the leaf with the instructions below.
Step 6
Grab the copy you made in Step 3, and continue coloring it according to the picture below.
Step 7
Move on to creating another leaf. This one involves just making a long rectangle, coloring its top part a darker color, and then shaping it with the help of the Mesh Tool.
Step 8
Move on to coloring the leaf shape.
Step 9
Create a copy of the shape we made in the last step, and then right-click and Transform > Reflect it Horizontally.
Step 10
Use Effect > Warp > Flag on the reflected copy with 20% Bend.
Select the shape and go to Object > Expand Appearance.
Step 11
Bend the expanded shape to make it look like the second step in the image below.
Step 12
Put all the parts together! It’s already starting to look good!
We are done with the leaves!
2. How to Create the Flower
Step 1
Out of a red rectangle, create a petal shape. Using the Mesh Tool, create a lot of nodes in the middle of the petal and shape it accordingly.
Step 2
Continue by coloring the petal.
Step 3
Create a dark red rectangle and shape it with the Mesh Tool.
Step 4
Color the petal, following the steps below.
Step 5
Just three petals remain! Try to shape this one as accurately as possible.
Step 6
Color the resulting shape.
Step 7
Bend this rectangle as accurately as possible.
Step 8
Then, color it.
Step 9
Finally, bend and color one final petal and you’re done!
Step 10
Assemble the rose under the leaves!
3. How to Make the Rest of the Flower
Step 1
Create the stalk, following the steps below.
Step 2
Similarly, make the shape that will be connecting the leaves to the stalk.
Follow Steps 3-6 in Section 3 of the tutorial, using the mesh we created above.
Step 5
Add your finished leaves to the shape we made before!
Step 6
And now assemble the whole rose! We’re almost done!
4. How to Create the Shadows
Step 1
Let’s create the shadow for the rose! Draw two narrow rectangles, the lighter rectangle a bit wider than the second one.
Step 2
Turn the lighter rectangle completely transparent by going to the Transparency optionsand setting the Opacity to 0%.
Step 3
Move the brown shape on top of the transparent one, and then go to Object > Blend > Blend Options, setting the mode to Specified Steps and its amount to 30.
After confirming the setting, select both objects and proceed to Object > Blend > Make.
Step 4
Set the transparency mode of the resulting object to Multiply.
Step 5
Add the shadow to the rose, just under and to the right of its stalk.
Step 6
Create another type of shadow by applying a beige to white Radial Gradient to an ellipse.
Modify its shape by dragging the gradient with the Gradient Tool (G) to follow the shape of the ellipse.
Step 7
Create lots of copies of the result and add them together to mirror the shape of the actual rose.
Step 8
Now, add them behind the flower!
Step 9
Quickly create the paper background for the rose.
Step 10
Place the rose with the shadow onto the new background! We’re done!!
5. How to Recolor the Roses
Step 1
In this final section, I’ll teach you how to recolor our finished rose and show you a few sample variants.
First, select the petals of the flower and turn them into black and white by going to Edit > Edit Colors > Convert to Grayscale.
Step 2
Lighten the rose by going to Edit > Edit Colors > Adjust Colors and setting the Black slider to -55%.
Step 3
Now, after going to Edit > Edit Colors > Saturate, set the Intensity to 78%.
Step 4
Create six copies of this rose. If you want to try all of the colors, I’m going to show you. Alternatively, you can try making your own colors by experimenting with Edit > Edit Colors > Adjust Colors. In the window, switch to the RGB tab and tick Convert.
Bright pink:
Red: 24%
Green: -35%
Blue: -22%
Light pink:
Red: 43%
Green: 5%
Blue: 10%
Yellow:
Red: 31%
Green: 14%
Blue: -64%
White:
Red: 35%
Green: 29%
Blue: 23%
Orange:
Red: 26%
Green: -23%
Blue: -31%
Dark Red:
Then:
Red: 43%
Green: 5%
Blue: 10%
Step 5
Now that we have all the different colors, we can create a beautiful bouquet of roses just like this:
Awesome Work, You’re Done!
Thank you for following along, and please
feel welcome to post your result in the comments. I’ll be looking
forward to seeing it!
In this tutorial, you learned how to
create a beautiful photo-realistic rose from scratch, using the Mesh Tool and the Gradient Tool.
I
hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial and learned how to use some useful
tools for the future! Check out some of my other vector tutorials on my instructor profile.
A great actor once said, “Spring is nature’s way of saying let’s party.” This is so true—we can all feel spring’s influence, especially if you are a visual artist. In a season full of colors and details, it’s almost impossible to stay uninspired. So let’s start this spring with a nice illustration of a cute flower-haired girl.
After opening Adobe Illustrator, go
to File > New (Control-N). In the dialog box, set the Profile to Web, the Width to 800 px, and
the Height to 900 px.
2.How to Create a Color Palette
Before
we start illustrating, let’s take a moment to define a color palette. This is
one of the most important steps because the color palette gives us the
atmosphere of the theme and brings us closer to the mood we’re trying to
achieve.
In this case, we’ll go for eight colors: three dark, three medium, and two light tones. I decided to use soft pastel tones, but
you can go with stronger ones if that’s how you feel about spring.
3.How to Create a Character
To create the character, we will use mostly the Pen Tool (P). Beginners might
need some time to get used to it, but it’s worth the time spent learning it because
once you master it, you can create all sorts of amazing vector art.
Step 1
Using
the Pen Tool (P), create an oval shape. This will be the face of our character, so try to make smooth curves at the bottom of the object. Most of the top will
be covered with hair later on, so just pay attention to the lower part. Color
it in #a67c52 from our color palette.
Step 2
Draw
the next object: the body. Because we won’t show the character from the chest
down, create a bottle-like shape. Try not to add many anchor points so the
shape looks smooth and elegant.
Step 3
In
order to distinguish the head from the body, we will need to create some sort
of a border between those two parts. Select and Copy (Control-C) the head
shape and the body shape and Paste Them in Front(Control-F).
Now, move the
head shape slightly lower. Select both shapes again and use the Intersect command of the Pathfinder panel. This will result in a small new shape which
will serve as a shadow right beneath the chin. Color it #754c24.
Step 4
The
eyes are the first thing we do when drawing a face. To make things easier, we
will create one eye and then duplicate it. Create a long oval shape and another
one which will intersect with it. The second shape should indicate where the iris
will be. Copy and Paste in Front the two oval shapes and use the Intersect command of the Pathfinder panel. Color the eye white and the iris #754c24
brown.
Step 5
Use the Pen Tool (P) to make three spiky shapes which we will
use as eyelashes. Position them in a corner behind the eye.
Step 6
Make a copy of the eye object and place both of the
eyes on the head. Flip the eyelashes (Object > Transform > Reflect) on the other side of the right eye. Color them #40333c, dark grey.
Step 7
Create simple shapes to add details on the face such as
eyebrows, nose, and mouth. These simple shapes should contain no more than three or
four anchor points. Color them #754c24, dark brown.
Step 8
It
is time to add some clothes too, so creating a simple sleeveless shirt will do just
fine. Use the Pen Tool to make a simple shirt object over the body. Then Select
both the body and shirt, Copy them (Control-C) and Paste in Front(Control-F). Then use the Intersect command of the Pathfinder panel. Color the shirt
in #dfa856, orange.
Step 9
It
is time to add a nice curly hairstyle. Use the Pen Tool to create a wavy line
which will go in a circle and eventually close in a round shape.
Step 10
Once
you are done creating the hair, color it #40333c, dark grey. Select it and arrange it
behind the whole character (Object > Arrange > Send Backward). Now to cover the forehead,
create another wavy shape which will start from the highest middle point of the
head and go down in waves diagonally.
Step 11
Continue
drawing the bangs until you’ve closed the line. Try to keep the symmetry while
creating it. Color it in the same color as the hair, dark grey: #40333c.
We are done with building this cute character. Now, let’s
add some details.
4.How to Create Details
Step 1
Sketch
some flowers, and try to make at least ten of them. I did some simple daisies, sunflowers,
roses, and tulips. If you use a pen tablet, try using a light grey color so the
sketch will be easier to trace.
Step 2
Use the Pen Tool (P) and start
tracing the flowers one by one. Try to keep it simple and don’t get stressed
over the result because these floral elements are for decoration purposes only.
Always start with the petals and finish with the middle circle. Once you are
done, use colors from our color palette to color them.
Step 3
Move
on to the next flowers in the sketch. Again, start with the bigger parts and end
with the details. Don’t forget to delete the sketch once you are done tracing.
Use some of the nice colors we chose to color them.
Step 4
Keep tracing the rest of the flower drawings.
Step 5
Once
you are done, Multiply all the flowers once. Change the colors on their copies.
This way you will get more diversity in colors, and the human eye will
perceive them as different objects.
Step 6
As
a final detail, sketch a simple bird. Using the Pen Tool (P), trace the
bigger parts first (body, wings, and eye) and then the smaller ones (beak and legs). When you are done, use some of
the brighter colors from our color palette.
5.How to Arrange the Details
Step 1
This
is the final stage of the illustration. Start adding the flowers over the hair
surface. You will notice how the bright, warm colors go well over the dark
background. Add the bird, and then start adding the flowers.
Step 2
Keep adding the flowers one by one. Pay attention to each one of them and the space
it needs. Resize them if necessary so they will fit well in the hair shape.
Resizing them will also result in more diversity in the illustration, so
don’t hesitate to do that.
Step 3
Once
you are done adding the flowers, take a moment to observe the whole hair composition.
Move some of them so you can fill some of the empty spaces.
Step 4
Draw a few small circles and color them in various colors from the color palette.
Position them in the empty areas of the hair, between the flowers. Try to
cover most of the noticeable gaps in the hair area.
Step 5
Once it’s all done, Group(Control-G) the whole character and place her on the
artboard with the bottom part slightly out of it. As a final touch, add a
simple rectangle behind the character and color it #f1eac7.
Great Work, You’re Now Done!
Congrats on the (I hope) not too hard work. In this
tutorial we created a cute, minimalistic character with quite a complex feature: the hair. When simplicity and complexity meet, the outcome is usually nice
because we perceive the image as simple but our eyes are busy exploring the
details. Also, we used the Pen Tool a lot and hopefully mastered those anchor
points and paths. Feel free to share your results in the
comments below.
Some time ago, one of our readers asked me to teach her how to draw a Boston Terrier. I decided to create a tutorial to show everybody how to create it.
Besides the fact that I had to create not just a dog, but a dog of a certain breed, this tutorial also had to be adapted for a beginner level of illustrators. It was challenging. After looking through a large number of pictures of Boston Terriers, I came to the illustration presented to you today.
As always, we will use simple shapes, and by applying a variety of tools and effects we will transform them into a cute Boston Terrier puppy. And you can decide if it turned out well or not.
If you don’t know what a Boston Terrier looks like, browse some PhotoDune images and get inspired.
1. How to Create the Puppy’s Head
Step 1
After creating a new document (850 x 850 px Width and Height), we will start by forming the shape of the puppy’s head. Using the Rounded Rectangle Tool, create a dark grey rounded rectangle. To get a rounded rectangle with very rounded corners, create the small rounded rectangle first and then stretch it. Or you can go to View > Show Corner Widget and modify the corners by dragging them inside.
Now let’s modify the bottom part of this shape. We’ll use the Fish effect: go to Effect > Warp > Fish and enter the options below. Finally, we need to expand this shape. Select it and go to Object > Expand Appearance.
Step 2
For the eyes, create a gray ellipse using the Ellipse Tool (L) and slightly rotate it to the left. Add a slightly rotated black ellipse (for the pupil), followed by a small white circle as a highlight. To make an even circle, draw it using the Ellipse Tool (L) while holding the Shift key.
Step 3
Place the eye on the head. Keeping the whole left eye selected, right-click your mouse and select Transform > Reflect. Once you get a dialogue box, select Axis Vertical, Angle 90 degrees, and press Copy. Move the new eye to the right. Also move the white circle to the right side, because the highlights should always be on one side.
I know that currently it looks like a cute alien! But believe me, it will be a Boston Terrier.
Step 4
Now let’s create the nose. Start by creating a grey horizontal ellipse with the Ellipse Tool (L). Then, using the Direct Selection Tool (A), shift the top anchor point a little bit down. Add another grey circle behind the deformed ellipse in the same fill color.
On the top part of the transformed ellipse, add a light-grey ellipse. And finally create two tiny black ellipses for the nostrils. These black ellipses should not have white strokes; I just added them so you can see it better. You will see that it will change in the next step.
Step 5
Using the Ellipse Tool (L), create a beige oval and place the nose on it. Select the two side anchor points of the ellipse with the Direct Selection Tool (A), and move them down using the Down Arrow key on your keyboard.
Add the same beige colored rounded rectangle (use the Rounded Rectangle Tool), laying it horizontally. Then rotate it to the left, as in the image below. Make a vertical copy of this rounded rectangle (Transform > Reflect, enter Axis Vertical, Angle 90 degrees, and press Copy). Move the copy to the right.
While creating the rounded rectangle, try to avoid having it long and with corners that are not well rounded. To achieve the proper rounding of the corners, create a small rounded rectangle and then stretch it.
Step 6
Keeping all the beige objects selected (the deformed oval and the two rounded rectangles), unite them by pressing the Unite button on the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder). Be sure that you work only with the beige muzzle and do not touch the black nose.
With the beige muzzle selected, apply the Round Corners effect: go to Effect > Stylize > Rounded Corners and select the options presented below.
Next, expand the shape (Object > Expand Appearance). Create another copy of the beige muzzle behind the original one, making it slightly darker and moving it down just a bit to get a shadow.
Step 7
For the mouth, create a dark ellipse with the same fill color as the shadow of the muzzle from the previous step (use the Eyedropper Tool (I)).
Make another larger beige ellipse the same color as the basic muzzle, and make sure it is behind the mouth (Control-C, Control-B).
Now make the shadow of this beige ellipse: create a slightly larger ellipse behind (Control-C, Control-B), make it darker, and move it down a little bit.
Place this cute muzzle on the head of our puppy.
Step 8
For the ears, let’s start by drawing another grey ellipse. Using the Direct Selection Tool (A), move down the left and right anchor points. To create the shape shown below, move the handles by using the Direct Selection Tool (A). Make another copy of this shape, change it to a pink color, make it a bit smaller, and place it inside the larger one.
We will place the ears on the head later.
Step 9
To make a light spot in the middle of our Boston Terrier’s head, create another beige ellipse. Grab the Direct Selection Tool (A) and move the left and right anchor points up. To further modify this ellipse, we’ll use the Fish effect: go to Effect > Warp > Fish and enter the options below. Don’t forget to expand this shape (Object > Expand Appearance).
Step 10
In this step we will place the spot and the ears on the Boston Terrier’s head.
First, place the spot we created in the previous step in the middle of the head. Also, place the ear on the left side of the head. To make another ear, take the Reflect Tool (O) and while holding down the Alt key, click the forehead (in a new window enter Vertical, Angle 90 degrees and press Copy).
The head of our puppy is ready!
2. How to Create the Glasses
Step 1
Delete the fill color and set a black stroke color. Hit the Rounded Rectangle Tool and draw a small rounded rectangle, and then apply a warp effect: go to Effect > Warp > Arc. Expand this shape (Object > Expand Appearance). Create a vertical copy of this shape. Move the new shape to the right.
Step 2
To make the bridge of the glasses, place a black rectangle with no stroke color using the Rectangle Tool (M). Go to Effect > Warp > Bulge and set the warp options. Expand it.
Step 3
Now let’s create the hinge, the little part you see on the side of the glasses. Take the Rounded Rectangle Tool and place a tiny rounded rectangle as in the image below. After that, using the Direct Selection Tool (A), move the anchor points which need to be hidden behind the frame. And then create a vertical copy of this tiny shape (you already know how to do it, right?).
Finally, place the glasses on the dog. How cute and smart does he look now!
3. How to Create the Puppy’s Body
Step 1
Let’s first slightly rotate the head of our puppy. Now, using the Ellipse Tool (L), draw a dark grey oval. Take the Direct Selection Tool (A) and move down its right and left anchor points. Place the body under the head (Control-X, Control-B).
Step 2
Create a copy of the body on top of the original one (Control-C, Control-F) and change its fill color to beige. Finally make this shape smaller and make sure it’s at the top.
Step 3
To draw the foreleg, start with an oval again. While keeping this oval selected, go to Effect > Warp > Arc. In the new window, adjust the options from the image below. Expand this shape. Next create a small ellipse below and move down its side anchor points using the Direct Selection Tool (A) and use the Down Arrow key on the keyboard to help.
Step 4
Make a copy of the small deformed beige ellipse behind the original (Control-C, Control-B), make it darker and move it slightly up. Use the same darker color as for the shadows from the muzzle (use the Eyedropper Tool (I)).
Next make another copy of a deformed beige oval on top of original (Control-C, Control-F), make it darker (use the same Eyedropper Tool (I)) and narrower (use the Selection Tool (V)). Keep it selected and make a copy in front of it (Control-C, Control-F), making it little narrower and lighter. Expand the foreleg.
Step 5
To create another foreleg, make a vertical copy of the existing one. Move the created copy of the foreleg to the right using the Right Arrow button on your keyboard.
Step 6
Let’s create the hind leg. Take the copy of the paw from the previous step, where you created the forelegs. Draw another dark grey ellipse and place it behind the paw. In the end, slightly rotate the big vertical ellipse to the left.
Step 7
Attach the hind leg to the puppy’s body. Place it in front of the body but behind the forelegs. To create another hind leg, create a vertical copy of the existing one. Move this new hind leg to the right side.
Our cute Boston Terrier is ready.
4. How to Create the Chair
Step 1
Using the Rounded Rectangle Tool, create a rounded rectangle. In the image below, you can see which fill color you need. Slightly deform this shape to make the back of the chair. Select the rounded rectangle and go to Effect > Warp > Inflate. Enter the options you see below.
For further transformation select the same object and apply another effect. Go to: Effect > Warp > Shell Upper. The necessary options are presented below. Finally, expand this shape.
Step 2
Now let’s make the seat. Create a rounded rectangle and apply the Arc effect (Effect > Warp > Arc and use the options below). Expand this shape. Add an ellipse of the same color behind, go to the Pathfinder panel and press the Minus Front button. For both shapes, you don’t need a black stroke. On this image, the black stroke color is only for better visibility.
Step 3
Let’s continue to create the chair. To make rounded corners for the seat, go to View > Show Corner Widget. Using the Direct Selection Tool (A), select these two sharp corners of the seat and drag inside using the dots that appear.
Attach the back and seat of the chair together. To make a visible dividing line, select the seat and make a copy behind (Control-C, Control-B). Change the color of it and move this part up.
Let’s make a cushion seat. Add a new ellipse over the chair’s back, but behind the seat. The color of this ellipse should be the same as the main color of the chair. Create a copy of this ellipse behind, make it darker, and move slightly up.
Step 4
For the leg of the chair, create a rectangle with the Rectangle Tool (M) and attach it to the bottom of the chair. Next, we will use the Polygon Tool to make a triangle. Take the Polygon Tool and click on your artboard. In the new dialogue window, type 3 Sides with any Radius. Then click OK. Now flatten this triangle to get a result similar to the image below.
Step 5
Create a small circle (for an even circle, use the Ellipse Tool (L) while holding down the Shift key). After that, behind the circle create a very narrow, long, vertical ellipse. While keeping the ellipse selected, press the Rotate Tool (R) and then the Enter button on your keyboard. In the pop-up window, enter 90 degrees and hit Copy.
Select all three shapes and while holding the Shift and Alt keys, drag them to the right. This way, you’ll create a second copy of them, which will be horizontally aligned. While the newly created three shapes are selected, press the Control-D buttons twice to repeat the previous step and create new groups of these shapes exactly the same distance from the previous one. Now select the whole line of these shapes and while holding the Shift and Alt keys, drag them down. And again, press the Control-D buttons to repeat the previous step.
If you see you need more lines with these shapes, feel free to repeat pressing Control-D until you get enough. It will depend on the shape of your chair.
Step 6
Place the grouped objects (right-click > Group) on the chair’s back. Now, keeping them selected, go to Effect > Warp > Arc and use the options below. Our comfortable chair is ready.
5. How to Create the Background
Step 1
First, we want to place our Boston terrier on the chair.
Step 2
Create a light beige square behind the image, 850 px Width and Height, by using the Rectangle Tool (M).
Awesome Work, You’re Now Done!
If you wish to add some decorations like home plants, you can follow one of my previous tutorials on how to create some indoor plants.
Awesome work, you’re done! I hope you’ve enjoyed following this tutorial. Now you are ready to create your own interesting illustrations with fancy characters and pets. If you have any suggestions for more tutorials, please let me know. I will try to make a tutorial adapted for beginners.
In today’s tutorial, we’re going to pull
out our architect hats and learn how to “build” our very own miniaturized set
of New York’s most iconic buildings, using nothing more than the basic shapes
and tools that we work with on a daily basis.
So, assuming you’ve
already refilled your coffee mug, let’s get to it!
And don’t forget, you can always expand your collection by going over to GraphicRiver, where you’ll find tons of awesome vector buildings.
1. How to Set Up a New Document
Since I’m hoping that you already have
Illustrator up and running in the background, bring it up and let’s set up a New Document (File > New or Control-N)
using the following settings:
Number
of Artboards: 1
Width: 800
px
Height: 600
px
Units: Pixels
And from the Advanced tab:
Color
Mode: RGB
Raster
Effects: Screen (72ppi)
Preview Mode: Default
Quick
tip: some of you might have noticed that the Align New Objects to Pixel Grid option
is missing, which is because I’m running the new CC 2017 version of the
software, where great changes have been made to the way Illustratorhandles the way shapes snap to the underlying Pixel Grid.
2. How to Set Up a Custom Grid
Since we’re going to be creating the icons
using a pixel-perfect workflow, we’ll want to set up a nice little grid so that we can have full control
over our shapes, that is if we’re running the older version of the software.
Step 1
Go to the Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid submenu, and adjust
the following settings:
Once we’ve set up our custom grid, all we
need to do in order to make sure our shapes look crisp is enable the Snap to Grid option found under the View menu, which will transform into Snap to Pixel each time you enter Pixel Preview mode.
Now, if you’re new to
the whole “pixel-perfect workflow”, I strongly recommend you go through my how
to create pixel-perfect artwork tutorial, which will help you widen your
technical skills in no time.
3. How to Set Up the Layers
With the New Document created, it would be
a good idea to structure our project using a couple of layers, since this way
we can maintain a steady workflow by focusing on one icon at a time.
That being said, bring up the Layers panel, and create a total of four
layers, which we will rename as follows:
layer 1: reference grids
layer 2: empire state building
layer 3: chrysler building
layer 4: world
trade center building
4. How to Create the Reference Grids
The
Reference Grids (or Base Grids)
are a set of precisely delimited reference surfaces, which allow us to build
our icons by focusing on size and consistency.
Usually, the size of the grids determines
the size of the actual icons, and they should always be the first decision you
make when you start a new project, since you’ll always want to start from the
smallest possible size and build on that.
Now, in our case, we’re going to be
creating the icon pack using just one size, more exactly 128 x 128 px, which is a fairly large one.
Step 1
Start by locking all
but the reference grid layer, and then grab the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a 128 x 128 px orange (#F15A24) square, which will help define the
overall size of our icons.
Step 2
Add a smaller 120 x 120 px one (#FFFFFF) which will
act as our active drawing area, thus giving us an all-around 4 px padding.
Step 3
Group the two squares composing the
reference grid using the Control-G keyboard
shortcut, and then create three copies at a distance of 40 px from one another, making sure to align them to the center of
the Artboard.
Once you’re done,
lock the current layer and move on to the next one where we’ll start working on
our first icon.
5. How to Create the Stamp Frame
Let’s kick off the project by creating the stamp-like frame which will be
the repeating element for each of our icons. That being said, make sure you’re
on the right layer (that would be the first one) and then zoom in on the first
reference grid.
Step 1
Create the frame’s outer section using a 100 x 116 px rectangle, which we will
color using #45576B and then center align to the underlying active drawing
area.
Step 2
Adjust the shape that we’ve just created by
positioning a couple of 8 x 8 px circles
(highlighted with red) exactly 8 px from one another both horizontally and vertically, which we will then
cut out from the larger rectangle using Pathfinder’s Minus Front Shape Mode.
Step 3
Continue adjusting the resulting shape by
flipping its Fill with its Stroke (Shift-X), and then setting its Weight to 4 px from within the Stroke panel.
Step 4
Create the frame’s colored fill section using a 76 x 92 px rectangle (#EFA28B), which
we will center align to the larger outline.
Step 5
Finish off the frame by adding an outline to
the colored fill section using the Stroke method. Create a copy of it (Control-C)
which we will paste in front (Control-F)
and then adjust by changing its color to #45576B and then flipping its Fill with its Stroke (Shift-X). Set
the path’s Weight to 4 px, and then select and group all
three shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 6
Once we’ve finished working on the frame, we can
create two copies of it (Control-C >
Control-F) and position them onto the remaining reference grids, making
sure to paste each one of them onto their respective layer (that would be the
third and the fourth). Then before you lock the layers back, change the color
of the second frame’s fill section to #8CC1ED and the third one’s to #8CEAC8.
6. How to Create the Empire State Building
With the frames in place, we can now begin working on the actual buildings,
so make sure you’re back on the right layer (that would be the second one) and
zoom in on the first reference grid so that you can have a better view of the
shapes.
Step 1
Start working on the Empire State Building’s
base by creating a 22 x 18 px rectangle
with a 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B) which we will bottom
align to the fill section’s outline, positioning it at a distance of 5 px from its left edge.
Step 2
Create another slightly taller 14
20 px rectangle with the same 4
px thick Stroke (#45576B), which
we will position on top of the one from the previous step.
Step 3
Create the right section of the building’s base by placing a copy (Control-C > Control-F) of the two
shapes that we have onto the opposite side of the frame, keeping the same 5 px gap between them and the larger
outline.
Step 4
Start working on the building’s center section,
by creating a 38 x 10 px rectangle
with a 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B) which we will center
align to the frame, positioning it on top of the base shapes.
Step 5
Adjust the shape that we’ve just created by
opening up its path, by adding a new anchor point to the center of its bottom
edge using the Add Anchor Point Tool (+) and then removing it by pressing Delete.
Step 6
Continue working your way up by creating a 30 x 12 px rectangle with a 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B), which we will center align to the previous shape,
positioning it on top.
Step 7
Start working on the building’s upper section by creating a 22 x 6 px rectangle
with a 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B), which, as you’ve
probably already guessed, we’ll position on top of the previous shape.
Step 8
Add another 6
x 12 px rectangle with a 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B) on top of the shape
that we’ve just created, making sure to center align the two afterwards.
Step 9
Finish off the building’s structure, by adding
the antenna using a 14 px tall 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B), which we will of course position on top of all
the other shapes.
Step 10
Next, we’re going to take a
small detour and add in the little highlights before starting work on the
windows themselves. So, using the Rectangle
Tool (M), create a bunch of 2 px tall
white (#FFFFFF) rectangles, which will cover the upper visible section of most
of the building’s composing sections.
Step 11
Adjust the shapes that we’ve just created so that they turn up looking
like actual highlights, by selecting them all and then lowering their Opacity to just 60%.
Step 12
With the highlights in place, it’s time to start working on the windows,
which we will create by drawing them using a couple of 2 px thick vertical Stroke
lines (#45576B) positioned 4 px from
one another (if you’re using the Align
panel’s Distribute options). Take
your time, and add the lines to each section of the building, selecting and
grouping (Control-G) both them and
the larger composing shapes together as you go along.
Step 13
Add the hard shadows by creating a couple of
rectangles (#45576B) which we will position so that they overlap the path of each building’s outline.
Step 14
Adjust the shadows (all except the top center
one) by individually selecting their top inner anchor points and then pushing
them to the bottom by a distance of 1 px for the top ones and 2 px for
the rest. You can use the Move Tool (right click > Transform > Move > Vertical > + / -2 px depending on which side you start with).
Step 15
Finish off the icon by drawing in the sky using a couple of 2 px thick Stroke lines (#45576B). Take your time, and once you’re done, group
all the lines together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut, doing the same for all of the icon’s composing sections
afterwards.
7. How to Create
the Chrysler Building
Assuming you’ve already
finished working on the first icon, move on up to the next layer (that would be
the third one), locking the previous one, and then zoom in on the second
reference grid so that we can get started.
Step 1
Start working on the building’s bottom section by creating a 48 x 16 px rectangle with a 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B) which we will center align to the bottom of the
colored fill section’s outline.
Step 2
Create a smaller 32 x 10 px rectangle with a 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B) which we will position
on top of the previous shape, making sure to center align the two.
Step 3
Finish off this section by adding a 16
x 20 px rectangle with a 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B), which we will
adjust by setting the Radius of its
top corners to 8 px from within the Transform panel’s Rectangle Properties.
Step 4
Select all three shapes, and turn them into a single larger path by
uniting them using Pathfinder’s Unite Shape Mode.
Step 5
Start working on the building’s left side section by creating a 6 x 18 px rectangle with a 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B), which we will position onto the first step of the
larger shape.
Step 6
Add a little ledge to the shape that we’ve
just created, using a 4 px wide 4 px thick Stroke line (#45576B) which we will position onto its top-left
corner. Once you’re done, select and group the two together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 7
Create the building’s right-lower section using
a copy (Control-C > Control-F) of
the one that we’ve just finished working on, which we will vertically reflect (right click > Transform > Reflect
> Vertical) and then position onto the opposite side of the building.
Step 8
Create the building’s center section using a 32 x 28
px rectangle with a 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B) which we will position
on top of its base.
Step 9
Adjust the shape that we’ve just created by setting the Radius
of its top corners to 16 px from
within the Transform panel’s Rectangle Properties.
Step 10
Continue adjusting the resulting shape by adding a new anchor point to
the center of its bottom edge using the Add
Anchor Point Tool (+), and then removing (Delete) in order to open up its path.
Step 11
Continue working your way up by creating a 24 x 14 px rectangle with a 4
px thick Stroke (#45576B) which
we will adjust by setting the Radius
of its top corners to 12 px and then
opening up its bottom path. Once you’re done, position the resulting shape on
top of the previously created one.
Step 12
Add another 16 x 12 px rectangle
with a 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B), which we will adjust
by setting the Radius of its top
corners to 8 px, opening up its
bottom path as we did with the previous shape. Then, once you’re done, position
the resulting shape on top of the building’s center section.
Step 13
Start working on the building’s upper section by creating a smaller 8 x 6 px rectangle with a 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B), which we will adjust by setting the Radius of its top corners to 4 px, positioning the resulting shape
on top of the previous shape, making sure to open up its bottom path.
Step 14
Create the final piece of the building’s upper section using a 6 x 16 px ellipse with a 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B) which we will adjust by cutting it in half by
selecting and then removing its bottom anchor point. Center align the resulting
shape at a distance of 4 px from the
active drawing area’s top edge, making sure to extend its bottom section onto
the previous shape, using the Pen Tool
(P).
Step 15
Add the antenna using an 8 px tall 4 px thick Stroke line (#45576B), which we will center align to the previously
created shape.
Step 16
As we did with the previous building, start adding the little highlights
using white (#FFFFFF) as your main fill color, lowering their Opacity to 60% once you’re done. Create the straight highlights using regular
rectangles, while using cutouts for the arched ones, making sure to send them
to the back of the building afterwards (right
click > Arrange > Send Backward).
Step 17
Start adding details to the upper section of the building by creating a 2 x 2 px circle, which we will color
using #45576B and then position in the center of its second shape.
Step 18
Create three 2 x 4 px ellipses (#45576B) which we will position 1 px from
one another, moving the center one to the top by 1 px. Group (Control-G)
the shapes and then position them in the center of the top section’s third shape.
Step 19
Create a second set of 2 x 4 px ellipses
(#45576B), which we will distance at 2
px from one another, grouping (Control-G)
and then positioning them towards the center of the top section’s fourth shape.
Step 20
Using nine 2 x 2 px squares
(#45576B), add the little windows to the arched section of the building,
grouping them together afterwards using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 21
Create a 6 x 41 px rectangle
with a 2 px thick Stroke line (#45576B), which we will
adjust by setting the Radius of its
top corners to 3 px, center aligning
the resulting shape to the bottom of the colored fill section’s outline.
Step 22
As we did with the first building, take your time and draw in the
windows using a couple of 2 px thick Stroke lines (#45576B) positioned 2 px from one another, selecting and
then grouping (Control-G) them
together once you’re done.
Step 23
Add the shadows using a couple of rectangles which we will position so
that they follow the path of the building’s composing sections.
Step 24
Adjust the shadows, by individually selecting
their top inner anchor points, and then pushing them to the bottom by a
distance of 2 px using the Move Tool (right click > Transform > Move > Vertical > 2 px.
Step 25
Finish off the icon by drawing in the sky using a couple of 2 px thick Stroke lines (#45576B). Take your time, and once you’re done, group
all the lines together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut, doing the same for all of the icon’s composing sections
afterwards.
8. How to Create
the World Trade Center Building
We are now down to
our third and last icon, so assuming you’ve already moved on up to the next
layer (that would be the fourth one), zoom in onto its reference grid, and let’s
finish this.
Step 1
Create the building’s main shape using a 36 x 56 px rectangle with a 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B) which we will center align to the bottom edge of
the colored fill section’s outline.
Step 2
Start working on the building’s upper section by creating the antenna using a 36 px tall 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B), which we will position on top of the larger shape.
Step 3
Create the bottom section of the roof platform
using a 28 px wide 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B), which we will center align to the building’s main
shape, positioning it at a distance of 6
px from it.
Step 4
Add the platform’s support legs using a 16 x 6 px rectangle with a 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B), which we will center align to the larger rectangle’s
top edge.
Step 5
Create the upper section of the platform using
another 28 px wide 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B), which we will center align to the bottom section,
positioning it at a distance of 6 px from
it.
Step 6
Connect the platform’s two sections using two
sets of 6 px tall 4 px thick Stroke lines (#45576B), which we will position 4 px from one another using the Align panel’s Distribute options, placing one on each side of the antenna.
Step 7
Quickly grab the Pen Tool (P), and then draw in the diagonal support rods using a 2 px thick Stroke line (#45576B), starting from the top section of the
platform and going up onto the center section of the antenna.
Step 8
Finish off the upper section of the building by
adding an 8 px wide 4 px thick Stroke line (#45576B) which we will center align to the antenna.
Then, once you’re done, select and group all of the current section’s shapes
together using the Control-G keyboard
shortcut.
Step 9
Add the main highlights using seven 32 x 2 px rectangles (color: white; Opacity: 60%) which we will vertically stack 6 px from one another, grouping (Control-G) and then center aligning
them to the building’s main body.
Step 10
Start working on the front section of the
building by creating the windows using twelve 20 px wide 2 px thick Stroke lines (#45576B) vertically
stacked 4 px from one another.
Once you have the lines, group (Control-G)
and then center align them to the tower’s main body, at a distance of 4 px from its top edge.
Step 11
Add the front section highlights using six 20 x 2 px rectangles (color: white; Opacity: 60%) vertically stacked 6 px from
one another, which we will group (Control-G)
and then center align to the windows, positioning them underneath the first Stroke line. Then, once you’re done,
select and group both the windows and highlights together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 12
Create the front section’s main outline using a 20 x 56 px rectangle with a 4 px thick Stroke (#45576B), which we will center align to the building’s main
body.
Step 13
Adjust the rectangle by individually selecting
its top anchor points and pushing them to the inside by a distance of 8 px using the Move tool (right click >
Transform > Move > Horizontal > + / – 8 px depending on which side
you start with).
Step 14
Create a copy (Control-C > Control-F) of the resulting shape, and then use it
to mask the front section’s windows and highlights (right click > Make Clipping Mask), making sure to send them to
the back afterwards (right click >
Arrange > Send Backward).
Step 15
Add the background windows using a couple of 2 px thick Stroke lines (#45576B), vertically stacked 4 px from one another. Start from the outer edge of the larger
outline and go all the way to the front section’s one. Then, once you’re done, select and group all of the building’s shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 16
Finish off the icon by drawing in the sky using
a couple of 2 px thick Stroke lines (#45576B). Once you’re
done, group (Control-G) all the lines
together, doing the same for all of the icon’s composing sections.
Hats Down!
Great work! Our little icon pack is completely finished!
I hope you’ve managed to follow each and every step,
and as always learned something new and useful during the process.
In today’s tutorial, we’re going
to put on our mechanic’s hat and take a look at the process of creating a
car repair shop illustration, using the most basic of tools that Illustrator
has to offer.
That being said,
take a quick sip of that freshly brewed coffee and let’s get started!
Oh, and don’t forget you can always expand the project by checking out GraphicRiver, where you can find tons of car-themed illustrations ready to be
clicked on.
1. How
to Set Up a New Project File
Since I’m assuming you already have
Illustrator up and running in the background, bring it up and let’s set up a New Document (File > New or Control-N)
for our project using the following settings:
Number
of Artboards: 1
Width: 1200
px
Height: 600
px
Units: Pixels
And from the Advanced tab:
Color
Mode: RGB
Raster
Effects: Screen (72ppi)
Preview Mode: Default
2. How
to Set Up a Custom Grid
Now, I know we’re not working on icons
today, but since we’re going to be creating the illustration using a
pixel-perfect workflow, we’ll want to set up a nice little grid so that we can
have full control over our shapes.
Step 1
Go to the Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid submenu, and adjust
the following settings:
Once we’ve set up our custom grid, all we
need to do in order to make sure our shapes look crisp is enable the Snap to Grid option found under the View menu, which will transform into Snap to Pixel each time you enter Pixel Preview mode.
Now, if you’re new to
the whole “pixel-perfect workflow”, I strongly recommend you go through my how
to create pixel-perfect artwork tutorial, which will help you widen your
technical skills in no time.
3. How
to Set Up the Layers
Once we’ve finished setting up our project
file, it would be a good idea to structure our document using a few layers, since this way we can maintain a steady workflow by focusing on one
section of the illustration at a time.
That being said, bring up the Layers panel, and create a total of three
layers, which we will rename as follows:
layer 1: background
layer 2: garage
layer 3: car
Quick tip: I’ve colored all of my layers using the same green
value, since it’s the easiest one to view when used to highlight your selected
shapes (whether they’re closed or open paths).
4. How to Create
the Background
We’re going to
kick off the project by creating the little sunset background, so make sure
you’re on the right layer (that would be the first one), and then lock all the
other layers and let’s get started.
Step 1
Grab the Pen Tool (P) and use
it to create the foreground line by drawing a 600 px wide 16 px thick Stroke line, which we will color using #382E2E and then center align to the underlying Artboard at a distance of 106
px from its bottom edge.
Step 2
With the foreground in place, start working on the circular background
by creating a 488 x 488 px circle,
which we will color using #EFBB6A and then center align to the Artboard’s bottom edge.
Step 3
Create a slightly smaller 328
x 328 px circle (#DDA25B), which we will position on top of the previous
one, aligning it to its center. Once you have both shapes in place, select and
group them together using the Control-G
keyboard shortcut.
Step 4
Since we want the bottom sections of both circles to be hidden, we’ll
have to mask them using a 600 x 380 px rectangle
(highlighted with red) which we will center align to our foreground line,
positioning it over its top half. Once we have the rectangle in place, simply
select both it and the grouped circles and then right click > Make Clipping Mask.
Step 5
Finish off the background by simply selecting the circles that we’ve
just masked and then sending them to the back of the foreground line by right clicking > Arrange > Send to
Back. Once you’re done, quickly select all of the background’s composing
shapes and group them together using the Control-G
keyboard shortcut.
5. How to Create
the Garage
Since we’re done
working on the background, you can lock its layer and move on up to the next
one (that would be the second one), where we will take our time and build the
little garage.
Step 1
Create the front section of the building, using a 272 x 200 px rectangle, which we will color using #E5DCDC and then
position onto the upper half of the foreground line, at a distance of 196 px from the Artboard’s left edge.
Step 2
Give the shape that we’ve just created an outline using the Stroke method, by creating a copy of it
(Control-C) which we will paste in
front (Control-F) and then adjust by
first changing its color to #382E2E and then flipping its Fill with its Stroke (Shift-X). Set the resulting shape’s Weight to 16 px, and then select and group (Control-G) both it and the underlying rectangle together.
Step 3
Start working on the garage entrance by creating a 168 x 72 px rectangle (#755757) with a 16 px thick outline (#382E2E) which we will group (Control-G) and then center align to the
front section’s bottom edge.
Step 4
Give the entrance some depth by adding its side section using a 24 x 72 px rectangle (#998181) with a 16 px thick outline (#382E2E), which we
will group (Control-G) and then
align to the larger section’s left edge.
Step 5
Create the actual door using a 168
x 32 px rectangle (#65ABCE) with a 16
px thick outline (#382E2E), to the center of which we will add a 168 px wide 8 px thick Stroke line
(#382E2E). Group (Control-G) all
three shapes together, and then position them on top of the entrance’s front
section.
Step 6
Create the little motor operating the door, using a 32 x 16 px rectangle (#382E2E),
on top of which we will add a smaller 16
x 8 px one (#382E2E), which we will group (Control-G) and then left align to the garage door.
Step 7
Start working on the garage’s shelf by creating its left leg using a 74 px tall 8 px thick Stroke line
(#382E2E), which we will center align to the entrance’s front section,
positioning it at a distance of 26 px from
its right edge.
Step 8
Create the leg’s bottom section using a 16 x 16 px square (#382E2E), which we will center align to its
bottom edge.
Step 9
Draw the actual shelves using two 38 px wide 8 px thick Stroke lines (#382E2E), which we will
vertically stack at a distance of 16 px from
one another, grouping (Control-G)
and then positioning them between the leg and the entrance’s right edge.
Step 10
Add a 14
x 8 px rectangle (#382E2E) on each shelf, and then select and group
all its composing shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut. Also, since we’re pretty much done
with the garage’s entrance, you can select all its composing sections and group
(Control-G) those as well.
Step 11
Create the building’s street number sign using
a 20 x 16 px rectangle (#382E2E),
which we will position on the right side of the entrance, aligning it to the
door outline’s bottom edge.
Step 12
Create the little road blocker using a 32 px tall 8 px thick Stroke line
(#382E2E) on top of which we will add a 16
x 16 px circle (#382E2E) which we will group (Control-G) and then position on the right side of the garage’s
entrance. Once you’re done, select and group all the shapes that we’ve created
so far using the Control-G keyboard
shortcut.
Step 13
Create the garage’s side section using a 136 x 200 px rectangle (#998181)
with a 16 px thick outline (#382E2E), which we will group (Control-G) and
then position on the right side of the building.
Step 14
Add the horizontal detail lines using eleven 136 px wide 8 px thick Stroke lines (#382E2E), which we will
vertically stack at a distance of 16 px from
one another, grouping (Control-G)
and then center aligning them to the building’s side section.
Step 15
Create the little window using a 32
x 40 px rectangle (#5086A3) with a 16
px thick outline (#382E2E), which we will group (Control-G) and then center align to the building’s side section,
positioning it on the second horizontal detail line. Once you’re done, select
all of the side section’s composing shapes and group (Control-G) those together as well.
Step 16
Draw the drainpipe using an 8
px thick Stroke line (#382E2E)
which we will then position on the right side of the building, at a distance
of just 4 px from it.
Step 17
Connect the pipe to the building using two 16 x 8 px rectangles (#382E2E) which we will vertically stack at a
distance of 136 px from one another,
and then position between the pipe and the larger garage itself. Once you’re
done, select and group all three shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 18
Move a few pixels up, and start working on the air conditioner unit by
creating its side section using a 56 x
32 px rectangle (#6B6868) with a 16
px thick outline (#382E2E), which we will group (Control-G) and then position onto the building’s side section, at a
distance of 24 px from its right
edge.
Step 19
Create the front section using a 24
x 32 px rectangle (#969393) with a 16
px thick outline (#382E2E) which we will group (Control-G) and then position on the left side of the shapes from
the previous step.
Step 20
Finish off the air conditioner by adding a
couple of rectangles as seen in the reference image to give it more detail,
selecting and grouping (Control-G)
all its composing shapes together afterwards.
Step 21
Create the garage sign’s front section using a 128 x 48 px rectangle (#65ABCE) with a 16 px thick outline (#382E2E), which we will group (Control-G) and then left-align to the
motor’s left edge, positioning it at a distance of 48 px from it.
Step 22
Next, grab the Pen Tool (P)
and draw in the little wrench using an 8
px thick Stroke line with the
color set to #382E2E.
Step 23
Add the little screws using four 8
x 8 px circles (#382E2E), which we will position onto each of the sign’s
corners, making sure to leave a 4 px
gap around them. Once you’re done, select and group all of the front section’s
composing shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 24
Create the sign’s side section using a 24 x 48 px rectangle (#5086A3) with a 16 px thick outline (#382E2E), which we will group (Control-G) and then position onto its
right side.
Step 25
Finish off the sign by adding the support legs using two 16 x 16 px squares (#382E2E) underneath
its front section, selecting and grouping (Control-G)
all its composing shapes once you’re done.
Step 26
Start working on the street light’s pole by drawing it using an 8 px thick Stroke line (#382E2E), which we will position on top of the larger
building, on the left side of its sign.
Step 27
Create the light
cap using a 32 x 32 px circle (#382E2E)
which we will adjust by cutting its bottom half by selecting its bottom anchor
point using the Direct Selection Tool
(A) and then removing it by pressing Delete.
Position the resulting shape onto the shorter end of the pole, and then add a 16 x 8 px rectangle (#382E2E)
underneath it, selecting and grouping (Control-G)
all three shapes together afterwards.
Since we’re pretty much done working on the garage, you can select and
group (Control-G) all its composing
sections together as well.
6. How to Create
the Car
Assuming you’ve
already locked the previous layer, move on up to the third and last one, where
we will create the last piece of our little illustration.
Step 1
Start working on the rear end of the car by creating a 40 x 32 px rectangle (#E2775A) with a 16 px thick outline (#382E2E) which we will group (Control-G) and then position onto the
left side of the garage.
Step 2
Add the tail lights using two 12
x 16 px rectangles (#382E2E) which we will bottom align to the shapes that
we’ve just created, positioning each one onto its sides.
Step 3
Create the rear handle using a 12
x 12 px square (#382E2E), which we will center align to the rear end’s top
section.
Step 4
Finish off the front section of the car’s rear end by adding the little bumper using a 12 x 16 px rectangle (#382E2E) which we
will position onto the left side of the current section, making sure to select
and group (Control-G) all its
composing shapes together afterwards.
Step 5
Create the rear end’s side section using a 72 x 32 px rectangle (#CC5F46) with a 16 px thick outline (#382E2E), which we will group (Control-G) and then position onto the
right side of the previously grouped shapes.
Step 6
Next, create a 16 x 4 px rectangle
(#382E2E) and position it onto the side section’s lower-left corner, selecting
and grouping all its shapes together afterwards using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 7
Create the front section of the car’s front end using a 40 x 28 px rectangle (#E2775A) with a 16 px thick outline (#382E2E), which we
will group (Control-G) and then
right align to the previously grouped shapes.
Step 8
Add the little window using a 12 x 16 px rectangle (#382E2E) which we will center align to the bottom edge of the shapes from
the previous step, selecting and grouping (Control-G)
all of them together afterwards.
Step 9
Start working on the side section of the car’s front part by creating a 90 x 40 px rectangle (#CC5F46) which we will
position onto the right side of the rear end.
Step 10
Add the cabin’s upper section using a 32 x 20 px rectangle (#CC5F46), which we will position on top of
the larger one’s left side.
Step 11
Unite the two rectangles into a single larger
shape using Pathfinder’s Unite Shape Mode, and then
adjust the resulting shape by selecting and pushing its inner anchor point to
the right side by a distance of 16 px (right click > Transform > Move > Horizontal
> 16 px).
Step 12
Continue adjusting the shape by selecting its top-right anchor point and
pushing it to the bottom by a distance of 4
px (right click > Transform >
Vertical > 4 px).
Step 13
Give the resulting shape a 16 px thick
outline (#382E2E) using the Stroke
method, selecting and grouping both shapes together afterwards using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 14
Create the side window using a 24 x 16 px rectangle (#382E2E), which we will adjust by selecting and pushing its top right
corner to the left by a distance of 12
px (right click > Transform >
Move > Horizontal > -12 px). Once you’re done, position the resulting
shape onto the upper section of the car’s front end.
Step 15
Add the door handle using a 12 x
4 px rectangle (#382E2E) underneath which we will add a narrower 8 x 4 px one (#382E2E). Group (Control-G) the two shapes and then
position them below the window, at a distance of 4 px.
Step 16
Add the headlight using a 14 x
20 px rectangle (#382E2E), which we will position onto the nose of the car.
Step 17
Add the little front bumper section using a 12 x 16 px rectangle (#382E2E), which we will bottom align to the
front end of the car. Once you’re done, select and group all of the current
section’s composing shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut, doing the same for the entire car
afterwards.
Step 18
Create the front wheels using two 32
x 32 px circles (#969393) with a 16
px thick outline (#382E2E) on top of which we will add a set of smaller 8 x 8 px circle (#382E2E). Individually
group each tire’s shapes together, and then position them over the car as seen in the reference image.
Step 19
Create the back side wheels using a copy (Control-C) of the front ones which we will paste in the back (Control-B) and then move towards the
left by a distance of 28 px (right click > Transform > Move >
Horizontal > -28 px). Quickly adjust the copies by changing the color of
the grey circles to #6B6868, and then select and group all of the car’s
composing sections together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Well Done!
There you have it—a fairly short and easy tutorial on how to
create your very own car repair shop illustration, which can be used in any
future personal projects. I hope that you’ve managed to keep up with each and
every step and most importantly learned something new and useful along the way.
Welcome back to Best of the Design Web, where we feature some of the
best design tutorials of this past month! Tackle new and exciting
projects from across the web, and let us know your favorites in the
comments!
10 Amazing Tutorials From Across the Web
How to Create a Cartoon Style Vector Burger in Adobe Illustrator
In this tutorial, illustrator Alexandra Onica shows you how to create a fun vector burger in Illustrator. Learn how to ink the initial lines before coloring the full design in a few simple steps.
How to Create Realistic Wood Textures Using Photoshop Tools
In this tutorial, our very own Jenny Le shows you how to create awesome wood textures from scratch. Learn how to use Photoshop’s unique filters to create realistic wood for any project.
How to Create a School Bus Illustration in Adobe Illustrator
Instructor Bao Nguyen takes you along the journey of creating this wonderful school bus illustration. Learn how to use fast tools in Illustrator to build a bus from simple shapes and gradients.
Love chalk art? In this tutorial, expert Chris Spooner shows you how to create exquisite chalk lettering in Adobe Illustrator. Learn how to plan out the initial typography before experimenting with realistic chalk effects.
Digitally Color a Delicate, Beautiful Portrait in Adobe Photoshop
Create a stunning portrait inspired by Emma Leonard’s great tips! In this tutorial, Emma shows us how to start a portrait with a pencil drawing before moving onto color in Photoshop.
Disney artist Aaron Blaise shows you his incredible process behind the character designs of some of your favorite classic movies. Learn the importance of creating a story for your characters as well as how to draw them out in Adobe Photoshop.
How to Create a Pan’s Labyrinth-Style Monster Painting
In this tutorial, Jana Heidersdorf shows you how to create an atmospheric, mixed media painting inspired by the horror movie from Guillermo del Toro. Follow her process and get an inside look with a bonus video.
Learn how to make a trendy double exposure effect from Adobe Creative Cloud’s official YouTube channel. In this quick video, learn how to blend two images together using a variety of Photoshop tools.
How to Create a Neon Nightclub Music Poster in Photoshop CC
In this quick video, instructor Nathaniel Dodson shows you how to create a wicked neon music poster in Photoshop. Learn how to create the initial geometric elements before finalizing the overall design.
Top 15 Tutorials From Envato Tuts+ Design & Illustration
Our
experts have provided you with many great tutorials this month! Here
are 15 of our most tried, tested, and shared tutorials from the Design and Illustration section here at Envato Tuts+.
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For a long time we’ve used wall shelves to hold our books, cups, and lamps, or just to decorate our home with plants and portraits. They are very useful and always help us to save space in any place, and because of this I was inspired to create this tutorial, where we’ll draw these two wall shelves.
In this tutorial you will learn how to create these shelves using simple shapes and applying basic techniques to create each of the elements that are on them. I hope you enjoy the process and learn something new.
Let’s start by creating a new document (File > New) with a Width of 800 px and a Height of 600 px. The first thing would be to create the
shelf where all the objects will be placed.
For the shelf, create a 280 x 16 px rectangle with the Rectangle
Tool (M) and select #8199A3 as the fill color. For the shelf’s support, create a bolt using a 14 x 30 px rectangle and then a 4 x 4 px ellipse (#8FAAB5) with the Ellipse Tool (L).
Step 2
Add shadows to the shelf’s support using a 14 x 8 px rectangle (#6B7F87), duplicate the bolt
(Control-C > Control-F), and change its fill color to #6B7F87. After that, send it backwards (Right click > Arrange >
Send Backward) and move the ellipse down twice using the arrow keys on your
keyboard.
Group all the elements making up the support (Control-G) and duplicate it (Control-C > Control-F). Secure it to
the other side of the shelf as shown in the image below.
Step 3
Group all of the shelf together (Control-G) and
duplicate it (Control-C > Control-F). Place the second shelf by
double-clicking the Selection Tool (V) and setting a distance of 140 px above
the other shelf in the dialog window.
2. How to Create the Books
Now that we have created the shelves, we will draw each of the elements that will be on them. Let’s begin by drawing the first set of books.
Step 1
For the first book, create a 15 x 62 px rectangle (#A094D9). Then add two 15 x 4 px rectangles (#897FBA) and a 7 x 7 px ellipse (#897FBA).
Afterwards, add a 7 x 62 px rectangle (#A094D9) above the book and set
the Blending Mode to Multiply with a 20%Opacity using the Appearance
panel. Group everything together
(Control-G).
Step 2
For the second book, create one 12 x 55 px rectangle
(#3498DB) and three 12 x 3 px
rectangles (#EDEEF0), and then separate them
vertically every 3 px.
Afterwards, add a 6 x 55 px rectangle (#3498DB) and set the Blending
Mode to Multiply with a 20% Opacity using the Appearance panel. Group the entire book together (Control-G)
and place it next to the other book.
Step 3
For the third book, create a 6 x 50 px rectangle
(#F6CD61) and add a 3 x 30 px rectangle (#EDEEF0) in its center. Afterwards, create a 3 x 50 px rectangle (#F6CD61) and set the Blending
Mode to Multiply with a 20% Opacity. Group the book together (Control-G).
Double-click the Rotation Tool (R) and enter
an angle of 350 degrees in the dialog window. With the help of the guide lines, place the book next to the others.
Step 4
Now let’s create the second set of books.
First, create a 58 x 15 px rectangle (#67537A) and then select the
right-side nodes and round the corners with Live Corners using the Direct
Selection Tool (A).
Duplicate the rectangle (Control-C > Control-F)
and change its fill color to #EDEEF0. Go to Effect > Path > Offset Path and set an offset of -3
px. Then, expand its appearance (Object > Expand Appearance).
Now select the left-side nodes and align them
next to another rectangle.
Step 5
Copy the last rectangle (Control-C) for a
moment. Then select both rectangles and apply Minus Front located in the Pathfinder panel.
Paste again the rectangle (Control-F), select
the left-side nodes and move them 2 px to the right. Now create a 60 x 2 px
rectangle (#C2C3C9) to add a shadow on the book’s spine, removing the rest using the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M).
Step 6
Add a bookmark by creating a 6 x 8 px rectangle
(#39B4FF). Take the Pen Tool (P)
and add a node in the middle of the bottom, and then move it upwards slightly.
Now group the book together (Control-G).
Step 7
For the second book, we’ll be using the same
procedure from steps 4–6, so use a 49 x 12 px rectangle (#1DABB8) and
round its left-side corners.
Duplicate the rectangle (#EDEEF0) (Control-C
> Control-F) and apply an offset of -3 px. Continue with steps 5-6 explained
above.
Step 8
It’s time to create the third set of books. Begin by creating a 70 x 23 px rectangle (#39B4FF) and then add two 4 x 23 px rectangles (#EDEEF0) and
one 8 x 12 px rectangle (#EDEEF0).
Afterwards, create a 70 x 12 px rectangle (#39B4FF) and set the Blending
Mode to Multiply with an Opacity of 20% using the Appearance panel.
Step 9
We’ll create a second book the same way we did
in step 7. Use a 61 x 15 px rectangle (#C2B6D6).
Step 10
Now to create the last set of books.
For the first book, start with a 70 x 10 px
rectangle (#67537A). Then add two 2 x 10 px
rectangles (#EDEEF0) and one 30 x 2 px
rectangle (#EDEEF0).
Finish the set by creating a 70 x 5 px rectangle
(#67537A) and set the Blending
Mode to Multiply with a 20% Opacity. Group the book (Control-G).
Step 11
For the second and third books in this set, use
a 70 x 10 px rectangle (#4CD4B0) and add four 3 x 10 px rectangles (#EDEEF0).
Afterwards, create a 70 x 5 px rectangle (#4CD4B0) and set the Blending
Mode to Multiply with a 20% Opacity. Group the book (Control-G).
Duplicate the last book (Control-C >
Control-F) and double-click it to enter Isolate Mode. Change the fill color #F6CD61 and the shadow’s fill color by using the Eyedropper Tool (I) and pressing Shift on the color of the other rectangle. Press Escape to exit Isolate Mode.
3. How to Create the Portraits
Step 1
In this step we are going to create portraits
for our shelves. Start by creating one 51 x 72 px rectangle (#6F5E87) and one 40 x 60 px rectangle (#F7F7F8).
Then duplicate the last rectangle (#D8D9DD)
twice (Control-C > Control-F), and move the last copy down twice and once to the right using your keyboard’s arrows. Select it along with the last
copy and apply Minus Front from the Pathfinder panel.
Step 2
Create a new 30 x 48 px rectangle (#6F5E87), and then add two 40 x 40 px rectangles (#BADEB2) and rotate them 45 degrees using the Rotate Tool (R). Use the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M) to remove the remaining part.
Add a sun by creating a 14 x 14 px ellipse (#F7E999). Group all the elements of the
portrait (Control-G).
Step 3
For the second portrait, use a 45 x 63 px
rectangle (#299EBF), and add an inner frame using a 33 x 50 px rectangle (#8BCBDE).
Then duplicate the inner frame (#7FBACB) twice (Control-C > Control-F), move the last copy twice down and once to the right, and apply Minus Front on the Pathfinder panel—make sure both copies are selected when applying Minus
Front.
Set the Opacity to 50% in the Appearance
panel.
Step 4
Add two 70 x 70 px rectangles, selecting #D8E2EC and #87E8C6 as the fill colors. Rotate them 45 degrees using the Rotate Tool (R).
Then select the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M) and subtract towards the inner
frame, leaving the inner forms.
Group the portrait (Control-G).
Step 5
For the last portrait, use a 42 x 55 px rectangle
(#67537A) and set the inner frame to 34 x 46 px (#FFFFFF).
Follow the same steps as mentioned in step 2 to apply the inner shadow.
Add a 26 x 38 px rectangle ( #EDEEF0). Then add a 14 x 14 px ellipse (#F7A3A2) and
a three-pointed polygon and a radius of 8 px (#82BBC2) using the Polygon Tool.
4. How to Create the Plants
Step 1
Now let’s draw the plants that will liven up
the shelves. Use a 32 x 26 px rectangle (#BCCBFA) for the base of the pot, and then move the lower nodes 4 px inward
using the Direct Selection Tool (A).
Duplicate the pot (Control-C > Control-F)
twice and move the last copy to the left. Apply Minus Front using the Pathfinder panel and change the fill color to #A4BEE7.
Step 2
Add a new 34 x 3 px rectangle (#6B7EB9). Duplicate it (Control-C > Control-F) and
change its width to 13 px using the Transform panel, and then change its fill color
to #556AA3.
Add a 4 x 24 px rectangle (#1ABC9C). Then create a 8 x 8 px rectangle (#089E80) and
round the lower left and upper right corners with a radius of 8 px from the Transform panel. Group it (Control-G) and position it as shown in the
image below.
Step 3
Let’s draw the plant’s leaves. Use a 15 x 24 px
rectangle (#BADEB2) and set the radius of all corners to 15 px using the Transform panel. Duplicate this first leaf (Control-C > Control-F) (#ACD4A3) and
flip it vertically (right click > Transform > Reflect).
Add two 30 x 30 px ellipses (#A2CC99) and
cross them at the center, applying Intersect from the Pathfinder panel. Place this
last petal behind the rest (click right > Arrange > Send Backward). Group the plant together (Control-G).
Step 4
For our second plant, let’s begin by using the
same procedure from steps 1-2. Use a 32 x 43 px rectangle for the pot (#BCCBFA) and 36 x 2 px (#6B7EB9) and 18 x 2 px rectangles (#556AA3) for the top.
Step 5
Now we’re going to draw the leaves of the next
plant. Select the Pen Tool (P) and draw a petal as shown in the image below.
Rotate the petals using the Rotate Tool (R) and alternate the following fill
colors between them:
Remember to duplicate the petals using Control-C followed by Control-F.
5. How to Create the Radio
Step 1
Now let’s create the radio using a 37 x 80 px
rectangle (#08AAC7) to represent the body, and add a 76 x 32 px rectangle (#BFE6EC).
Duplicate (Control-C > Control-F) the last
rectangle (#A3D1D9) twice and
move the last copy twice downwards and once to the right. Then apply Minus Front on the Pathfinder panel, making sure to select the last
copies.
Add two 6 x 3 px rectangles (#007099) for
the base of the radio.
Step 2
Now add the speakers using a 22 x 22 px ellipse
(#A3D1D9), duplicate it (#08AAC7) (Control-C > Control-F) and move it upwards by 1 px.
Then add a 14 x 14 px (#EDEEF0) and a 7 x 7 px rectangle
(#08AAC7). Group all ellipses together, duplicate the
group (Control-C > Control-F), and place both of them as shown in the image below.
Add another 6 x 6 px ellipse (#A3D1D9) and
duplicate it (#007099), moving it upwards by 1 px. Repeat the same procedure but
change the fill color of the last ellipse to #08AAC7. Group the radio (Control-G).
6. How to Create the Pencil Pot
Step 1
Let’s continue with the pencil pot. Begin by
drawing a pencil using a 3 x 35 px rectangle (#EBBD63) and then add four 3 x 2 px rectangles with the following fill
colors: #CB6120, #D8D9DD, #AEADB3.
Create a 1.5 x 35 px rectangle (#EBBD63) and set the Blending
Mode to Multiply with a 20% Opacity. Add
a node using the Pen Tool (P) at the bottom of the pencil and move it downwards.
Group everything together (Control-G).
Draw another pencil using an equal 3 x 35 px rectangle (#87E8C6). Duplicate it and change its Width to 1.5 px using
the Transform panel. Set the Blending Mode to Multiply and the Opacity to 20%
using the Appearance panel. Group the pencil together (Control-G).
Step 2
Now draw the glass by creating a 22 x 30 px
rectangle (#897FBA), and add a 22 x 3 px rectangle (#7D73B0). Create another 25 x 3 px rectangle (#A094D9) for
the top of the glass. Group the glass (Control-G) and position the
pencils under the glass as shown in the image below.
7. How to Create the Box
Step 1
Let’s create the box using a 63 x 31 px
rectangle (#A094D9). Add a 63 x 3 px
rectangle ( #897FBA). Now create two
rectangles for the label, one of 28 x 10 px (#EDEEF0) and another one of 22 x 2
px (#F6CD61).
Finally, create the box lid using a 69 x 13 px
rectangle (#6F5E87). Group everything
together (Control-G).
8. Place All the Elements Together
Step 1
Combine all the items on the shelves.
Step 2
Finish the design by adding an 800 x 600 px
rectangle (#EFF7E0) to the back of the canvas. And with that, we have finished this
illustration.
Congratulations! You’re Finished!
Done! We finished this amazing illustration, and it turned out great. We have created a bit of everything, which is a good
thing because surely you have learned many new things that can help you open up
your imagination.
I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, and
that every step has been a learning experience for you. I’ll be awaiting your
results!
In today’s tutorial, we’re going to take a look at the process of creating a set of woodwork tools, using nothing more than the basic geometric shapes and tools that we probably work with on a regular basis. Grab a bigger than usual mug of coffee, since this is going to be a long one.
Oh, and don’t forget you can always expand
the project by checking out GraphicRiver, where you can find tons of tool-themed vector packs ready to be clicked on.
1. How to Set Up a New Project File
Since I’m assuming you already have
Illustrator up and running in the background, bring it up and let’s set up a New Document (File > New or Control-N)
for our project using the following settings:
Number
of Artboards: 1
Width: 1200
px
Height: 600
px
Units: Pixels
And from the Advanced tab:
Color
Mode: RGB
Raster
Effects: Screen (72ppi)
Preview Mode: Default
2. How to Set Up a Custom Grid
Now, I know we’re not working on icons
today, but since we’re going to be creating the illustration using a pixel-perfect
workflow, we’ll want to set up a nice little grid so that we can have full
control over our shapes.
Step 1
Go to the Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid submenu, and adjust
the following settings:
Once we’ve set up our custom grid, all we
need to do in order to make sure our shapes look crisp is enable the Snap to Grid option found under the View menu, which will transform into Snap to Pixel each time you enter Pixel Preview mode.
Now, if you’re new to
the whole “Pixel-Perfect workflow”, I strongly recommend you go through my how
to create pixel-perfect artwork tutorial, which will help you widen your
technical skills in no time.
3. How to Set Up the Layers
Once we’ve finished setting up our project
file, it would be a good idea to structure our document using a couple of
layers, since this way we can maintain a steady workflow by focusing on one
section of the illustration at a time.
That being said, bring up the Layers panel, and create a total of
three layers, which we will rename as follows:
layer
1: background
layer
2: carving tools
layer
3: measuring tools
layer 4: adjustment tools
Quick
tip:
I’ve colored all of my layers using the same green value, since it’s the
easiest one to view when used to highlight your selected shapes (whether they’re closed
or open paths).
4. How to Create the Background
We’re going to kick off the project by
creating the little sunset background, so make sure you’re on the right layer
(that would be the first one), and then lock all the other layers and let’s get
started.
Step 1
Create the
background’s fill section using a 368 x
148 px rectangle, which we will color using #EBEFF7 and then center align
to the underlying Artboard.
Step 2
Create the
outline section using a slightly larger 380
x 160 px rectangle (#2D2020) which we will center align to the Artboard as we did with the smaller
one, adjusting it by flipping its Fill
with its Stroke (Shift-X) and setting its weight to 4 px.
Once you’re done,
select and group the two shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut before moving on to the next section of
the tutorial.
5. How to Create the Narrower Chisel
With the background in place, we’re going
to start working on the first carving tool. So, assuming you’re on the right
layer (that would be the second one), zoom in on the background and let’s jump into
it.
Step 1
Create the handle
using a 30 x 12 px rectangle, which
we will color using #E8B15B and then position in the upper-left section of
the background, at a distance of 20 px from
its outline’s top edge and 32 px from
its left one.
Step 2
Give the shape an outline, by
creating a copy (Control-C) of it
which we will paste in front (Control-F)
and then adjust by first changing its color to #2D2020 and then flipping its Fill with its Stroke (Shift-X), making
sure to set its Stroke’s Weight to 4 px afterwards.
Step 3
Give the handle its
wooden texture by taking a couple of moments and drawing it using a couple of 2 px thick Stroke lines (#2D2020) with a Round
Cap, making sure to group (Control-G)
them all together once you’re done.
Step 4
Mask the texture
lines that we’ve just grouped by creating a copy (Control-C) of the underlying yellow shape, which we will paste on
top of them (Control-F) and then
use as a Clipping Mask by right clicking > Make Clipping Mask.
Once you’re done, select and group all of the shapes that we have so far using the Control-G
keyboard shortcut.
Step 5
Start working on the
upper section of the metal body by creating a 12 x 26 px rectangle (#9DA3B2) which we will position below the
handle, making sure to center align the two.
Step 6
Adjust the shape that we’ve just created
by adding a pair of side anchor points, positioned at a distance of 4 px from its upper edge using the Add Anchor Point Tool (+).
For this step, I recommend
you turn on the Pixel Preview mode (Alt-Shift-Y) so that you can have a
better view of the process.
Step 7
Continue adjusting
the shape by individually selecting and pushing its bottom anchor points to the
inside by a distance of 3 px using the Move tool (right click > Transform > Move > Horizontal > + / – 3 px depending
on which side you start with).
Step 8
Give the resulting
shape a 4 px thick outline using the Stroke method, making sure to set
its color to #2D2020.
Step 9
Using the Pen Tool (P) draw a 12 px wide 2 px thick detail Stroke
line (#2D2020) that connects the metal section’s two side anchor points that
we added a few steps ago.
Step 10
Create a 4 x 6 px rectangle (#2D2020) which we
will center align to the detail line from the previous step. Once you’re done, select and
group all of the current section’s composing shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 11
Create the center
section of the chisel’s metal body using a 6
x 52 px rectangle (#C0C6D8) with a 4
px thick outline (#2D2020) which we will group (Control-G) and then position below the section that we’ve just
finished working on in the previous step.
Step 12
Add the chisel’s
cutting edge using a 6 x 8 px rectangle
(#9DA3B2) with a 4 px thick outline
(#2D2020) which we will group (Control-G)
and then position below the previously created section. Since we’re done
working on the current object, you can select and group (Control-G) all its composing sections as well.
6. How to Create
the Wider Chisel
Once you’ve
finished working on the narrower chisel, you can move a few pixels towards the
right and start working on the second one.
Step 1
Create the tool’s
handle using the same 12 x 30 px rectangle
(#E8B15B) with a 4 px thick outline
(#2D2020) and 2 px thick wooden
texture lines, which we will group (Control-G)
and then position on the right side of the previous chisel, at a distance of 16 px from it.
Step 2
Create the metal
body’s upper section using the same process, only this time reposition
the main shape’s bottom anchor points towards the inside by a distance of just 2 px. Once you’re done, group (Control-G) and position the shapes
below the handle.
Step 3
Start working on the
chisel’s center metal section by creating an 8 x 16 px rectangle, which we will color using #C0C6D8 and then
center align to the previous section, positioning it so that it overlaps the surface by 4 px.
Step 4
Create a larger 20 x 48 px rectangle (#C0C6D8) which we will
position below the smaller one, making sure to center align the two.
Step 5
Select and then unite
the two rectangles into a single larger shape using Pathfinder’s Unite Shape
Mode.
Step 6
Adjust the resulting
shape by setting the Radius of its
top corners to 4 px from within the Live Corners input value box.
Step 7
Select the two anchor points created during the unification process of the two rectangles, and adjust those as well by setting their Radius to 4 px.
Step 8
Give the resulting
shape a 4 px thick outline using the Stroke method, making sure to set
its color to #2D2020.
Step 9
Connect the chisel’s
lower metal section to its upper one, using a 2 x 2 px circle (#2D2020) which we will position towards the
rounded section of its larger shape. Once you’re done, select and group all
three shapes together using the Control-G
keyboard shortcut.
Step 10
Add the blade section
using a 20 x 10 px rectangle, which
we will color using #9DA3B2 and then center align to the metal body’s bottom
edge.
Step 11
Adjust the shape that
we’ve just created by adding a pair of anchor points at a distance of 2 px from its bottom edge, and then
individually selecting and pushing its top ones to the inside by a distance of 6 px using the Move tool (right click >
Transform > Move > Horizontal > + / – 6 px depending on which side
you start with).
Step 12
Give the resulting
shape a 4 px thick outline using the Stroke method, making sure to set
its color to #2D2020.
Step 13
Finish off the current
section, and with it the tool itself, by creating a 20 px wide 2 px thick Stroke line (#2D2020) which we will
center align to the chisel’s blade, selecting and grouping (Control-G) all three shapes together
afterwards. Once you’re done, select and group (Control-G) all of the chisel’s composing sections as well.
7. How to Create
the Hammer
With both
chisels finished, move a few pixels towards the right and then start working on
the wooden hammer.
Step 1
Create the upper section
sticking out of the hammer’s head using an 8 x 6 px rectangle (#CC8550) with a 4 px thick outline (#2D2020), which we will group (Control-G) and then position on the
right side of the wider chisel, at a distance of 30 px from it.
Step 2
Add the hammer’s head
using a 36 x 28 px rounded rectangle
(#E59A5C) with a 4 px Corner Radius
and a 4 px thick Stroke (#2D2020), on top of which we
will add the wooden texture using 2 px thick Stroke lines (#2D2020). Group (Control-G) all the shapes together, and
then position them below the previously created section.
Step 3
Create the handle using
an 8 x 48 px rectangle (#CC8550)
with a 4 px thick outline (#2D2020),
on top of which we will draw the wooden texture, grouping (Control-G) and then positioning the shapes below the hammer’s head.
Step 4
Add the hammer’s grip using a 16 x 34 px rounded rectangle (#E59A5C)
with a 4 px Corner Radius and a 4 px thick Stroke (#2D2020), which we will group (Control-G) and then center align to the bottom of its handle.
Step 5
Create the horizontal
detail lines using six 16 px wide 2 px thick Strokes (#2D2020), which we will vertically stack at a distance of 4 px from one another using the Align panel’s Vertical Distribute Space option. Group (Control-G) the lines and then center align them to the grip,
positioning them at a distance of 2 px from
its outline’s top edge.
Step 6
Finish off the grip, and
with it the hammer itself, by adding a 4
x 4 px circle (#2D2020) to the center of the surface delimited by the horizontal stroke
lines and the thicker outline. Once you’re done, group (Control-G) all of the current section’s shapes together, doing the
same for the entire tool afterwards.
8. How to Create
the Blades
As you’ve
probably noticed, the hammer has two little blades positioned around it, which
we will quickly add in the following moments.
Step 1
Create the blade’s body
using a 6 x 22 px rectangle (#C0C6D8)
with a 4 px thick Stroke (#2D2020) which we will group (Control-G) and then position on the
left side of the hammer’s handle, at a distance of 12 px from it.
Step 2
Create another smaller 3 x 10 px rectangle (#2D2020) which we
will center align to the left edge of the blade’s body, selecting and grouping (Control-G) them together afterwards.
Step 3
Create the second blade
using a copy (Control-C > Control-F)
of the left one, which we will position on the opposite side of the hammer’s
handle, maintaining the same 12 px distance.
9. How to Create the Level
Since we’re pretty much done working on
the carving tools, we can lock their layer and move on up to the next one (that
would be the third one), where we will start working on the measuring ones, the
first one being the level.
Step 1
Create the tool’s
main body using a 20 x 104 px rectangle,
which we will color using #E8B15B and then center align to the hammer,
positioning it on its right side at a distance of 16 px.
Step 2
Adjust the shape by
creating an 8 x 24 px rectangle
(highlighted with red) which we will center align to its right edge and then
remove using Pathfinder’s Minus Front Shape Mode in order to
create the little cutout.
Step 3
Create two 10 x 10 px circles (highlighted with
red) vertically stacked 52 px from
one another, which we will group (Control-G) and then center align to the level’s body, removing them afterwards using the Minus Front Shape Mode.
Step 4
Give the resulting
shape a 4 px thick outline (#2D2020)
using the Stroke method, selecting
and grouping the two together afterwards using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 5
Create the level’s
top section using a 20 x 6 px rectangle
(#C0C6D8) with a 4 px thick outline
(#2D2020), which we will group (Control-G)
and then position above its larger body.
Step 6
Add the little
vertical detail lines using two 6 px tall 4 px thick Strokes (#2D2020) which we will position 10 px from one another, grouping (Control-G) and then center aligning them to the level’s upper
section. Once you have them in place, select and group (Control-G) them and the larger rectangles together as well.
Step 7
Create the level’s
bottom section using a copy (Control-C
> Control-F) of its top one, which we will position on the opposite
side of its larger body.
Step 8
Start working on its
center balance tube by creating two 6 x
7 px rectangles (#C0C6D8) with a 4
px thick outline (#2D2020), which we will position inside the rectangular cutout
created a few steps ago.
Step 9
Unite the two
sections that we’ve just created using a 10
px tall 4 px thick Stroke line (#2D2020), selecting and
grouping all of them together afterwards using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 10
Finish off the level by adding a 10 px wide 4 px thick Stroke line (#2D2020) to the center of each of its circular
cutouts, selecting and grouping all its composing sections together afterwards
using the Control-G keyboard
shortcut.
10. How to Create the Ruler
The second object on our measuring tools
list is the ruler, which is without a shadow of doubt one of the most useful
tools that any craftsman can ask for.
Step 1
Start by creating the
tool’s main body using a 20 x 20 px rounded
rectangle (#DB6A42) with a 4 px Corner
Radius, which we will position on the right side of the level, at a
distance of 12 px from its right
edge and 12 px from its bottom one.
Step 2
Adjust the shape of
the ruler’s body by setting the Radius
of its top-right corner to 8 px from
within the Transform panel’s Rectangle Properties.
Step 3
Give the resulting
shape a 4 px thick outline (#2D2020), selecting and
grouping the two together afterwards using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 4
Create the ruler’s
center section using an 8 x 8 px circle
(#E8B15B) with a 4 px thick outline
(#2D2020), which we will group (Control-G)
and then center align to its larger body.
Step 5
Add in the little screws
using two 2 x 2 px circles (#2D2020), which we will
position onto the top-left and bottom-right corner of the ruler’s body. Once you
have them in place, select and group all of the shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 6
Add the ruler’s
tongue using a 6 x 87 px rectangle
with a 2 px thick Stroke (#2D2020), which we will
position on top of its main body, at a distance of 6 px from its outline’s left edge.
Step 7
Adjust the shape that
we’ve just created by selecting its bottom-right anchor point with the help of
the Direct Selection Tool (A), and
then removing it by pressing Delete
in order to open up its path.
Step 8
Finish off the ruler by adding its bottom
anchor, which we will create using an 8 x
12 px rounded rectangle with a 2 px
Corner Radius and a 2 px thick Stroke (#2D2020), which we will position over the larger body’s
bottom-right corner.
Once you’re done, select
and group all of the tool’s composing sections using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
11. How to Create the Caliper
The next tool off our list is the caliper,
so grab another cup of coffee and let’s jump into it.
Step 1
Start working on the
caliper’s head by creating a 36 x 12 px rectangle (#C0C6D8) which we will position on the right side of the
ruler, at a distance of 6 px from
its tongue and 20 px from the top
edge of the background’s outline.
Step 2
Create another
smaller 26 x 6 px rectangle (#C0C6D8)
and position it towards the bottom of the larger one, so that its top section
overlaps 2 px from its height, and
its right one sticks out just 8 px from
its surface.
Step 3
Create the tool’s
main body using a 12 x 90 px rectangle
(#C0C6D8) which we will position underneath the smaller rectangle, aligning it
to its left edge.
Step 4
Select all three
rectangles, and then unite them into a single larger shape using Pathfinder’s Unite Shape Mode. Then, take a couple of moments and remove the
extra anchor point created during the process (highlighted in the reference
image) by clicking on it using the Delete
Anchor Point Tool (-).
Step 5
Continue adjusting
the shape by selecting its outer jaw’s top-right anchor point using the Direct Selection Tool (A), and then pushing
it to the bottom by a distance of 6 px
using the Move Tool (right click > Transform > Move >
Vertical > 6 px).
Step 6
Give the resulting shape
a 4 px thick outline using the Stroke method, making sure to set its
color to #2D2020.
Step 7
Take a couple of
moments and create the tool’s main scale using a couple of 6 px wide and 4 px wide, 4 px thick Stroke lines (#2D2020), which we will vertically stack at a
distance of 4 px from one another,
grouping (Control-G) and then
positioning them onto the larger body’s left side.
Step 8
Add an 8 px tall 2 px thick Stroke line
(#2D2020) to the edge of the outer jaw, leaving a 2 px gap between it and the thicker outline.
Step 9
Create a 4 x 4 px circle (#2D2020) and position it
onto the lower bottom of the caliper’s body, selecting and grouping all its
composing shapes together afterwards using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 10
Start working on the
bottom outer jaw, by creating a 22 x 12
px rectangle (#9DA3B2) which we will position at a distance of 14 px from the top one’s outline.
Step 11
Create the lower section
of the jaw using a 10 x 14 px rectangle
(#9DA3B2) which we will
position below the wider one, selecting and then uniting the two into a single
larger shape using Pathfinder’s Unite Shape Mode.
Step 12
Adjust the resulting
shape by selecting its bottom-left anchor point and pushing it to the top by a
distance of 6 px using the Move tool (right click > Transform > Move > Vertical > -6 px).
Step 13
Give the jaw a 4 px thick outline using the Stroke method, making sure to set its
color to #2D2020.
Step 14
Take a couple of moments and add in the measuring scale and the nose detail line using a couple of 2 px thick Stroke lines (#2D2020). Once you’re done, select and group (Control-G) all of the jaw’s composing
shapes together.
Step 15
Start working on the
bottom inner jaw by creating a 14 x 6
px rectangle (#9DA3B2) followed by a smaller 6 x 26 px one (#9DA3B2) underneath, which we will unite, giving the
resulting shape a 4 px thick outline
(#2D2020). Once you’re done, position the two shapes onto the right side of the
caliper, at a distance of 2 px from
the top jaw.
Step 16
Create the secondary
measurement scale using four 3 px wide 2 px thick Stroke lines (#2D2020) vertically stacked 4 px from one another, which we will group (Control-G) and then position onto the right side of the jaw’s
larger body.
Step 17
Add the clamping block
using a 6 px wide 2 px thick Stroke line (#2D2020) on top of which we will add a 4 x 4 px square (#2D2020), grouping (Control-G) and then positioning the two
onto the jaw’s bottom section. Once you’re done, select and group (Control-G) all of the current section’s
composing shapes together as well.
Step 18
Finish off the caliper by creating its stem using a 6 x 10 px rectangle
(#9DA3B2) with a 4 px thick outline
(#2D2020), which we will group (Control-G)
and then position below its larger body. Then, before you move on, select and
group (Control-G) all of the tool’s
composing sections together as well.
12. How to
Create the Pencil
Since no
measuring process is complete without precise notes, the next tool that we’re
going to work on is the simple yet powerful pencil.
Step 1
Create the pencil’s main
body using a 6 x 34 px rectangle (#E8B15B)
with a 4 px thick outline (#2D2020), which we will group (Control-G) and
then position on the lower right side of the caliper.
Step 2
Create two 6 px wide 2 px thick Stroke lines
(#2D2020), and position each one at a distance of 2 px from the pencil’s outline, making sure to select and group (Control-G) all the shapes together
afterwards.
Step 3
Create the tip using a 6 x 10 px rectangle (#C0C6D8) which we
will adjust by adding a pair of side anchor points at a distance of 4 px from its top edge, and another one
to its center using the Add Anchor Point
Tool (+). Remove the top side anchor points using the Delete Anchor Point Tool (-), and then position the adjusted shape on top of the pencil’s body.
Step 4
Give the resulting shape
a 4 px thick outline (#2D2020) with
a Round Join, selecting and grouping
(Control-G) the two shapes together,
doing the same for the entire pencil afterwards.
13. How to Create the Manual Drill
We are now down to the last group of tools, so
assuming you’ve already locked the previous layer, move on up to the next one (that
would be the fourth one) and let’s start working on the drill.
Step 1
Create the drill’s
handle using a 12 x 26 px rectangle
(#E8B15B) with a 4 px thick outline
(#2D2020), which we will group (Control-G)
and then position onto the right side of the pencil, at a distance of 16 px.
Step 2
Give the handle some
details by adding a set of five 12 px wide 4 px thick Stroke lines (#2D2020) vertically stacked at a distance of 4 px from one another, which we will
group (Control-G) and then center
align to the larger rectangles. Once you’re done, select and group all the
shapes together using the Control-G
keyboard shortcut.
Step 3
Create a 6 x 8 px rectangle (#9DA3B2) with a 4 px thick outline (#2D2020), which we
will group (Control-G) and then
position above the handle, center aligning the two.
Step 4
Add the drive wheel
using a 20 x 20 px circle (#C0C6D8)
with a 4 px thick outline (#2D2020), on top of
which we will add a smaller 8 x 8 px circle
(#2D2020). Group (Control-G) all
three shapes together and then center align them to the previous shapes, so
that their outlines overlap.
Step 5
Create the turning arm
using a 22 x 8 px rectangle with a 4 px thick Stroke (#2D2020), which we will adjust by selecting and then
removing its bottom-left anchor point, positioning the resulting shape onto the
right side of the drive wheel.
Step 6
Give the arm a handle,
using an 8 x 14 px rectangle (#E8B15B)
with a 4 px thick outline (#2D2020),
on top of which we will add a set of two 8
px wide 2 px thick Stroke lines (#2D2020) vertically
stacked 4 px from one another.
Group (Control-G) the lines, doing
the same for all of the handle’s shapes, and then position them onto the
bottom-right end of the arm.
Step 7
Create the drill’s neck
using a 6 x 28 px rectangle (#9DA3B2)
with a 4 px thick outline (#2D2020),
which we will group (Control-G) and
then position above the turning wheel.
Step 8
Start working on the
tool’s jaw by creating a 10 x 12 px rectangle
(#C0C6D8), which we will adjust by adding a set of anchor points at a distance
of 4 px from its top edge,
individually selecting and pushing its top ones to the inside by a distance of 2 px using the Move tool (right click >
Transform > Move > Vertical > + / – 4 px depending on which side
you start with). Give the resulting shape a 4 px thick outline (#2D2020), followed by a 10 px wide 2 px thick Stroke line (#2D2020), grouping (Control-G) and then positioning them
onto the upper section of the neck.
Step 9
Finish off the drill
by creating and positioning a 26 px tall 4 px thick Stroke line (#2D2020) on top of its jaw. Once you’re done, select
and group all its composing sections together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
14. How to
Create the Electric Saw
We are now down
to our last tool, so move a few pixels to the right and let’s
finish this!
Step 1
Start working on the
saw’s main body by creating a 28 x 44
px rectangle, which we will color using #DB6A42 and then position on the
right side of the drill, at a distance of 24
px from its jaw and 28 px from
the background outline’s top edge.
Step 2
Create a smaller 18 x 28 px rectangle (#DB6A42), which we will
position below the larger one, making sure to align it to its right side. Once
you have it in place, unite the shapes into a single larger one using Pathfinder’s Unite Shape Mode.
Step 3
Adjust the new shape by
selecting and then setting the Radius
of its top corners and the one created during the unification process to 4 px using the Live Corners input value field. Give the resulting shape a 4 px thick outline (#2D2020), and then
group (Control-G) the two
together.
Step 4
Create a 28 px wide 4 px thick Stroke line (#2D2020), which we will
position at a distance of 2 px from the upper section of the larger body’s
outline.
Step 5
Add the screws using
two 2 x 2 px circles (#2D2020),
which we will group (Control-G) and
thenposition above the detail line
from the previous step, leaving an all-around 2 px gap around them.
Step 6
Start working on the
tool’s side section, by creating an 18 x
22 px rectangle with a 4 px thick
outline (#2D2020) which we will align to the larger body’s left edge,
positioning it at a distance of 18 px from
its horizontal detail line.
Step 7
Adjust the shape that
we’ve just created, by setting the Radius
of its right corners to 4 px and
then adding a new anchor point to its bottom edge (where the two outlines
overlap), removing its bottom-right one.
Step 8
Add another set of
screws using two 2 x 2 px circles (#2D2020),
which we will group (Control-G) and
then position next to the side section’s upper edge, maintaining the same 2 px gap around them.
Step 9
Create a larger 4 x 4 px circle (#2D2020) and position it
in the bottom-left corner of the saw’s side section.
Step 10
Add the ventilation
insertions using three 8 px tall 2 px thick Stroke lines (#2D2020) positioned 4 px from one another, which we will group (Control-G) and then position onto the upper edge of the saw’s side section.
Once you’re done, select and group (Control-G)
all of the current section’s composing shapes together.
Step 11
Create a 6 px tall 4 px thick Stroke line
(#2D2020), and position it onto the inner section of the electric saw’s left
side. Then, add another 6 px wide 4 px thick one (#2D2020) onto its
body’s right side.
Step 12
Add the circular button
using an 8 x 8 px circle (#9DA3B2)
with a 2 px thick outline (#2D2020),
on top of which we will add a smaller 4
x 4 px circle (#2D2020). Group (Control-G)
all three shapes together, and then position them onto the lower section of the
saw’s body.
Step 13
Create another screw
using a 2 x 2 px circle (#2D2020),
which we will position below the circular button, at a distance of 2 px from the saw’s bottom left
corner.
Step 14
Create the two side
buttons using a 4 x 8 px rectangle
(#2D2020), followed by a 4 x 4 px square
(#2D2020), which we will vertically stack at a distance of 2 px from one another, grouping (Control-G) and then positioning them onto the larger outline’s right edge.
Step 15
Create the front guard
using a 10 x 5 px rectangle with a 2 px thick Stroke (#2D2020), on top of which we will add a smaller 4 x 3 px one (#2D2020), grouping (Control-G) and then positioning them
onto the upper edge of the saw’s outline. Once you’re done, select and group
all of the current shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 16
Start working on the
handle by creating its horizontal section using a 22 x 10 px rectangle, which we will color using #CC5C3A and then
position onto the saw’s right side, at a distance of 14 px from its outline’s top edge.
Step 17
Create the handle’s
vertical section using a 10 x 20 px rectangle
(#CC5C3A), which we will position below the previous shape, aligning it to its
right edge. Unite the two shapes using Pathfinder’s Unite Shape Mode, and then adjust
the resulting shape by setting the Radius
of its outer corner to 14 pxand its inner one to 4 px.
Step 18
Give the resulting shape
a 4 px thick outline (#2D2020),
followed by two 2 x 2 px circles (#2D2020)
and a 10 px wide 2 px thick Stroke line (#2D2020) positioned towards the bottom. Once
you’re done, select and group all the shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 19
Create the handle’s
bottom section using a 6 x 26 px rectangle
with a 4 px thick outline (#2D2020),
on top of which we will add a stack of five 6 px wide 2 px thick Stroke lines (#2D2020) positioned 4 px from one another. Once you have
all the shapes, group (Control-G)
them together and then position them below the previously created section.
Step 20
Create the rectangular
button using a 6 x 12 px rectangle
(#E8B15B) with a 4 px thick outline
(#2D2020), on top of which we will add a smaller 3 x 4 px one (#E8B15B), grouping (Control-G)
and then positioning them onto the left side of the previous section. Once
you’re done, select and group (Control-G)
all of the handle’s composing sections as well.
Step 21
Create the little
section connecting the saw’s upper body to its rear end, using a 10 x 12 px rectangle (#9DA3B2) with a 4 px thick outline (#2D2020), which we will
position below its lower section.
Step 22
Add a 4 x 4 px circle (#2D2020) to each side of
the shapes that we’ve just created, followed by a 2 x 4 px rectangle (#2D2020) positioned over its top edge. Once
you’re done, select and group all of the current section’s shapes together
using the Control-G keyboard
shortcut.
Step 23
Start working on the
tool’s bottom section by creating an 18
x 20 px rectangle (#DB6A42), which we will adjust by setting the Radius of its bottom corners to 9 px. Give the resulting shape a 4 px thick outline (#2D2020), followed by two 2 x 2 px circles (#2D2020) positioned towards its upper edge. Once you’re done, select and group (Control-G) all of them together,
positioning them below the previous section.
Step 24
Add the cable guard
using a 22 x 14 px rounded rectangle
with a 2 px thick Stroke (#2D2020) and a 4 px Corner Radius, which we will
adjust by setting its bottom-left one to 10
px. Position the resulting shape below the previous section, making sure
to send it to the back afterwards (right
click > Arrange > Send to Back).
Step 25
Create the little
section connecting the saw’s body to its shoe, using an 8 x 20 px rectangle (#9DA3B2) with a 4 px thick outline (#2D2020), which we will group (Control-G) and then position at a
distance of 16 px from the larger
body’s upper-left side.
Step 26
Add two 4 x 4 px squares (#2D2020) onto the larger
rectangle’s left side, and a 4 x 4 px circle
(#2D2020) onto its left one, selecting and grouping (Control-G) all of the current section’s composing shapes together
afterwards.
Step 27
Create the blade
using a 22 x 4 px rectangle (#2D2020) which we will
adjust by selecting its bottom-left anchor point and pushing it to the inside
by a distance of 4 px (right click > Transform > Move >
Horizontal > 4 px). Position the resulting shape above the previously
created section, at a distance of 4 px,
adding the teeth using two 4 x 4 px squares
(#2D2020). Once you’re done, don’t forget to select and group (Control-G) all its composing shapes
together.
Step 28
Finish off the tool, and with it the illustration itself, by creating the shoe using a 6 x 60 px rectangle (#C0C6D8) with a 4 px thick outline (#2D2020), which we will
position over the blade, aligning it to the top edge of the drill. Once you’re done,
select and group all of the saw’s composing shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
It’s
a Wrap!
This might have been
one of longest tutorials that I’ve ever written, but I really believe the end
result is all worth it. That being said, I hope you’ve had the patience to
follow it through and most importantly learned some new tricks along the way.
In this tutorial you will learn how to use the Mesh Tool and the Mesh Tormentor plugin as well as how to make your images look better with some simple
tweaks to Transparencysettings—all while creating a beautiful mystical scene with realistic clouds!
Before starting this tutorial, you should install the Mesh Tormentor plugin. Go to the Mesh Tormentor site and download the free Mesh Tormentor plugin that corresponds with your Illustrator version. Then unzip the received archive, close Adobe Illustrator, and
copy the .aip file into the folder “Extensions” on your
local installation disk. (For example, it is the C:Program FilesAdobeAdobe Illustrator CS6Plug-insExtensions
folder on my computer.) Open Adobe Illustrator again and go to Window
> Mesh Tormentor.
1. How to Create Clouds
Step 1
We will start off by creating the realistic clouds. For this, we will need to start work in Adobe Photoshop.
You can click Download attachment on the right of the tutorial to receive my photo of a cloud that I will be using; however, you’re also welcome to use your own photo!
Open the photo in Adobe Photoshop, and then go to Select > Color Range.
Step 2
In the resulting dialog window, grab the white eyedropper and click on the whitest section of the cloud. The resulting preview of the selection should look similar to mine in the screenshot below. Click OK.
Step 3
Open a new file in Adobe Photoshop, and make sure the background is Transparent.
Step 4
Drag the selected cloud from the first file to our newly opened file.
Step 5
Create a new layer under the layer with the cloud and fill the whole artboard with a blue color, just so we can see the cloud better.
Step 6
Your cloud should turn out like this at this point.
Step 7
Grab the Eraser Tool (E), select Layer 1 (the one with the cloud) and erase all of the unnecessary little artifacts on the picture. Only the main cloud shape should remain.
Step 8
Finally, grab the Blur Tool (R) and blur the edges of the cloud. This will make sure it doesn’t look pixelated when we convert it into a vector image.
Step 9
When you are happy with the result, delete the blue layer and save the image as a .png.
Open the .png file in Adobe Illustrator.
Step 10
Create an ellipse over the top of the cloud.
Go to Object > Create Gradient Mesh and set Rows and Columns to 50.
Step 11
Here’s where Mesh Tormentor comes into play. If you haven’t already, install it and open it through Window > Mesh Tormentor.
Step 12
Select our ellipse and, in the Mesh Tormentor panel, click on the fifth icon from the left in the sixth row to Increase Mesh Density.
Step 13
The result should turn out like this.
Step 14
Now, select both the cloud we made in Adobe Photoshop and the Mesh ellipse. The ellipse should be on top of the cloud! Click on the “Mona Lisa” icon in the Mesh Tormentor panel to color our mesh like the cloud.
Step 15
Delete the original raster image and voila—you’ve got your amazing realistic vector cloud!
2. How to Create the Background
Step 1
Create a dark blue square and, using the Mesh Tool (U), create a 5×6 Mesh grid.
Step 2
Following the set of steps below, color the mesh grid. The darker nodes in the images represent the ones you should be coloring with the included color code.
Step 3
Now for the clouds. Create a random blue rectangle and place our mesh cloud over the top of it. Place it just above the bottom right edge.
Step 4
Create a couple of copies and, after rotating them a bit, place them to resemble the picture below.
Step 5
Place another copy under the left cloud.
Step 6
Finish with a small copy in the middle bottom of the rectangle.
Step 7
Now, place the blue rectangle in front of the clouds (Shift-Control-]), select all shapes, right-click and select Make Clipping Mask.
Step 8
Our resulting clouds will look like this:
You can move them on top of the background we made earlier.
3. How to Create the Moon and the Beams of Light
Step 1
Create a moon shape by selecting two overlapping circles and clicking Exclude in the Pathfinder panel. Ungroup the result and delete the top shape.
Step 2
Create three copies of the resulting shape. Take the first copy, putting the other two aside for now. Fill it with a white color, and then create another copy and move it a bit up and to the left of the original. Fill it with #95A5BC. Finally, drag the blue shape’s middle node a bit to the left.
Step 3
Set the blue shape’s Transparency to 0%.
Go to Object > Blend > Blend Options. Set the Spacing to Specified Steps and the number of steps to 30.
Step 4
With both objects selected, click Object > Blend > Make.
Step 5
With the second copy that we made in Step 2, repeat a process similar to Steps 2-4.
Step 6
Take the last unused copy and put it on top of the two blends. The moon should look as if it’s glowing now. You can move it to the top right corner of the background.
Step 7
Create a circle with a Radial Gradient (White – #4AF0F8 – #0888D5 – #054B87 – Black).
Step 8
Create a couple of different copies of this shape.
Step 9
Set the Transparency of all shapes, including the original circle, to Screen.
Step 10
Create three shapes out of the gradients.
Step 11
Put all of the shapes over the top of the original circle. The result should look like this:
Step 12
Create another ellipse shape with a#274F7B to #000000Radial Gradient.
Set the Transparency to Screen.
Step 13
Similarly to Steps 9 and 10, create different shapes out of the ellipse with gradients. The most important are the ones with the thinnest rays!
Put them all on top of each other in the end.
Step 14
Put the second shape on top of the first shape.
Step 15
Move the rays on top of the sky background with the clouds and the moon.
We’re almost done!
4. How to Create the Stars
Step 1
Create three little circles with a white to black radial gradient, 80% Opacity, and Screen transparency mode. Each circle should have a different size, which should be about as small as a star should be on your artwork.
Step 2
Drag all of the circles into the Symbols panel to create three new symbols.
Step 3
Grab the Symbol Sprayer Tool (Shift-S), select one of the symbols in the Symbols panel, and drag it around the artwork, creating lots of stars.
Step 4
Repeat this with all three symbols. When you are happy with the result, select each shape with the stars and go to Object > Expand Appearance.
“Crop” the image by drawing a rectangle over top the background, selecting all the elements, and Making a Clipping Mask.
Step 5
We’re going to be creating a final couple of stars. Create another circle with white to black Radial Gradient, 80% Opacity, and Screen transparency.
Step 6
Create another shape out of three ellipses, with a similar gradient, the same transparency setting, and 60% Opacity.
Step 7
Create another star shape with the settings mentioned below.
