Did you know that it’s not just the USA that has an Independence Day in July? Algeria has one too! That’s why I decided to create this Independence Day illustration, and now I want to show you how to create it.
We will use basic shapes and warp effects. We will also use an option which allows you to repeat your last movement as many times as you want. You will learn how to create a new layer and lock it, as well as many other different things which could be helpful to you in your future projects.
If you like tutorials with a national note, you would probably like my tutorial about Oktoberfest. Or maybe you would like to browse some images about travel. PhotoDune has a good collection of such images.
Whenever you are ready, let’s start!
1. How to Create the Background
After creating a new document, we will start by creating the background. Take the Rectangle Tool (M) and click on your artboard. In the new dialogue window, enter Width and Height 850 px and press OK. A big square will appear on your artboard, which is going to be the background. Make sure the background stays in the middle of your artboard and has no stroke color and the fill color shown below. You can set the color on the Color panel (Window > Color).
If you are afraid of accidentally moving the background, it’s better to lock the layer right where it is. Be sure the Layers panel is open (Window > Layers). Lock the layer where the background is (a lock sign should appear on the left side of the layer’s name), and create a new layer (press the Create New Layer button on the panel) where you will create everything else.
2. How to Create the Flag
The Algerian flag has green and white colors in the background. Hit the Rectangle Tool (M) again and create a green rectangle in the middle. The width and height don’t matter very much here—just make sure it’s not too big.
After that, while keeping the green rectangle selected, create a new copy of it in front (Control-C, Control-F). Using the Right Arrow, move the new copy to the right. Change its fill color to the one shown below. It is okay if the two rectangles slightly overlap each other, so you won’t have a gap between them.
3. How to Create the Dove
Step 1
Let’s start to create the dove from an ellipse. Hit the Ellipse Tool (L) and draw a small ellipse. Rotate it a little bit to the left.
Then, add a tiny brown circle as an eye.
Step 2
Now we are going to create the beak. Again, you need to draw an ellipse.
Grab the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C) (or in the newer version of AI: Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C)), and click on the right anchor point of this ellipse. It will turn from a smooth side to sharp corner, and that’s what we want.
Place the beak behind the dove’s head. For this, select the beak, cut it off (Control-X), and place it behind (Control-B).
Step 3
On to the body. Start with a newly created ellipse and, while keeping it selected, go to Effect > Warp > Inflate. Enter the options shown below in the new dialogue window. Then press OK.
It’s very important to expand this shape (Object > Expand Appearance) because if you don’t and then start to rotate the shape, it will turn into a weird shape.
Place the shape you just created on the dove’s head, as shown below. You actually don’t need the black stroke—I created it for you so you can see how the shapes have to be placed a bit better.
Step 4
Let’s create the wing. Again, you want to create an ellipse. While keeping it selected, go to Effect > Warp > Flag. Enter the options shown below in the new dialogue window. Then press OK.
Expand this shape: Object > Expand Appearance.
Add many small ellipses as feathers. Remember, you don’t need the black stroke—I created it just for better visibility.
Finally, group the whole wing (right-click > Group).
Step 5
Place the wing on the dove.
Create a copy of the wing, and change its fill color. Now, place it behind the dove’s body.
Step 6
The last thing we need in order to finish off our dove is the tail. Create a few ellipses and place them as shown below.
It’s better to group the whole dove: select it, and then right-click > Group.
Transfer the dove to the left corner of the Algerian flag.
4. How to Create the Banner
Step 1
Delete the fill color and set the stroke color shown in the image below. Grab the Line Segment Tool (/) and draw a line.
To create a triangle, you need to take the Polygon Tool and click on your artboard. In the new dialogue window, enter Sides 3 with any Radius, and hit OK.
Turn the triangle upside down and set a green fill color without a stroke.
While holding the Shift and Alt buttons together, start to move this triangle to the right. You’ll notice that you’ve just got a copy of your triangle perfectly aligned.
After that, press Control-D a few more times to fill up the brown line. The Control-D buttons repeat your last movement.
Using the Selection Tool (V), select every second triangle on the banner. Then, change their fill color to the one shown below.
Step 2
Group the whole banner.
While keeping it selected, go to Effect > Warp > Arc and, in the new dialogue window, enter the options shown below.
It is very important to expand your banner (Object > Expand Appearance) as you will rotate the banner later on.
Place the banner on the right corner of the flag, opposite the dove.
5. How to Create the Moon and Star on the Flag
Step 1
To get a perfect moon shape, start with an even circle. To create an even circle, hold the Shift button while creating it using the Ellipse Tool (L).
Create a new, smaller circle and make these two circles overlap as shown in the image below.
Select both of them and then press the Minus Front button on the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder). See the moon shape?
Step 2
Grab the Star Tool and create a small star with the same fill color. Rotate it a bit to the right and place it as shown below.
Transfer the moon and star onto the flag.
6. How to Create the Floral Decorations
Step 1
To create a flower, we will need the Polygon Tool again. So grab this tool and click on your artboard. Now enter 6 Sides with any Radius, and press OK.
While keeping the created hexagon selected, go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Pucker & Bloat. Then enter the options shown below.
Finally, add a yellow circle in the middle. The flower is ready!
Step 2
Make more flowers in a different color as they will be our decoration, so we need variety.
Step 3
Delete the fill color and set the stroke color shown below. Hit the Arc Tool and create a curve. I like also to check Round Cap on the Stroke panel (Window > Stroke).
To make the green stroke color the fill color, press Shift-X. Then, draw many small ellipses as the leaves, thus forming a palm leaf.
Group the whole palm leaf.
Give one palm leaf to the dove. Notice that the leaf is behind the dove’s beak.
Place the previously created flowers on the flag. Add the palm leaves behind the flowers. Feel free to play around with the arrangement if you like.
7. How to Create the Fireworks
Step 1
Set the new fill color shown below and draw a star using the Star Tool. Add a tiny circle under it.
While holding the Shift and Alt keys together, shift the circle down. Press Control-D once, and a new copy of the circle will appear at the same distance from the previous one.
While holding the Shift and Alt keys, move the star down. Then, make it smaller. Create a new line from the tiny circles using the same method as before.
Step 2
Group the whole line of stars and circles. Take the Rotate Tool (R) and, while holding down the Alt key, click under the line. In the new dialogue window, enter a value around 30 degrees and hit Copy.
Press Control-D a few times to finish off the fireworks.
Step 3
Using the same method as before, create another line of ellipses, circles and stars for the future fireworks. Feel free to create any shapes you want for it.
Step 4
Using the Rotate Tool (R) while holding down the Alt key, create a new firework effect.
Step 5
Make a few copies of the yellow fireworks. Change the fill color of few of them to the ones presented below. Be sure each set of fireworks is grouped separately.
Place all of them behind all the objects, but in front of the background. For this, you can select the fireworks together with the background, cut them off (Control-X), and place them behind (Control-B).
Conclusion
Thank you so much for sticking with me until the end. I hope you learned something new and will share your experience with others. And, as always, make sure to check out GraphicRiver for more ideas, inspiration, art, and more.
Now that you know how to create this piece of art, you can create much more using the same shapes, warp effects, and tools that I showed you how to use. Hopefully you enjoyed this tutorial and I will see you in my next one! Bye!
Formatting typography to fit your exact purposes can be a time-consuming process. So imagine instead being able to make a font subtly bolder or more italicised just by adjusting a slider in Illustrator.
Variable font technology now allows you to do just that. These individual font files actually behave like multiple fonts, allowing you to adjust the weight, width and slant of type as you work.
But are variable fonts actually useful for designers, or a fun but pointless gimmick? Here we take a look at how you can use variable fonts in Illustrator CC and how you can best apply them in your design work.
On the hunt for more cool fonts? Check out the huge range of display styles, serifs and sans serifs over on Envato Elements and GraphicRiver.
What Are Variable Fonts?
A variable font is an OpenType font format that includes new technology called OpenType Font Variations.
Jointly developed by four of the most influential technology companies—Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Adobe—these font files contain a huge amount of extra data, compared to your average OpenType font.
A variable font can contain a font’s entire glyph set, or individual glyphs with up to 64,000 axes of variation, including weight, width, slant, and, in some cases, specific styles, such as Condensed, Bold, etc.
OK, But… Why?
Alongside Color Font technology, variable fonts can seem to the uninitiated a little, well, pointless. Many typographers would argue that the process of manually formatting fonts is the most professional and satisfactory way to go about things.
Color fonts are set to take over the graphic design world in 2018, but what are they, and how do you use them? Learn all about color fonts in this tutorial.
Creating fonts has never been so easy as with Fontself—a powerful extension for Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Learn how to make color fonts with Fontself!
However, variable fonts are a natural progression for the field of typography, which is increasingly reflective of developments in responsive web design. Designers are demanding more convenience and interactivity from their design tools, and fonts which you can adjust with the roll of a slider are meeting this demand.
Variable fonts provide designers with a single font file that behaves like multiple fonts. The new OpenType format allows us to quickly adjust certain…
Variable fonts offer flexibility and immediate results, which makes them a welcome novelty for the time-strapped typographer.
They’re also great for adjusting typography ‘live’. So if, for example, you’re showing a client a design on a screen, you can adjust the formatting of a header before their eyes instantly.
How Do I Find Variable Fonts?
You can use a limited range of pre-installed variable fonts in Adobe Illustrator CC and AdobePhotoshop CC, including:
Acumin Variable Concept
Minion Variable Concept
Myriad Variable Concept
Source Sans Variable
Source Serif Variable
Source Code Variable
Independent typeface designers are also starting to release their own variable fonts, though many of these are still only available as prototypes. Check out Gingham, a minimal sans serif by Christoph Koeberlin, or Jabin, a variable take on Gothic type styles by Frida Medrano.
You can also find a beta website, v-fonts.com, which features an ever-growing list of new variable fonts.
How Do I Use Variable Fonts?
Here, we’ll look at how to use variable fonts in Illustrator CC.
The process is really easy. Simply select the Type Tool (T) and drag to create a text frame on the page. Place your cursor into the frame and type in your text.
With either the frame selected or the type highlighted, choose a variable font from the normal font menu in the Character panel (Window > Type > Character).
Click on the small double-T symbol to the right of the font weight menu. When you hover over the symbol, you’ll see ‘Variable Font’ appear next to your cursor.
Clicking on this opens a pop-out window with sliders to adjust three options, which are detailed below.
Weight
Adjusting this slider makes the type appear thinner or bolder. Depending on the variable font, this can range from ultra-thin to a very heavy or fat weight.
This is a great option for playing with the visual impact of headers or sub-headings, allowing you to define just the right amount of boldness for your text.
Note that increasing the weight of the font can also expand the overall width of the text, purely due to the increased size of each character.
Width
To give your type a condensed (or squashed) look, or stretch it to give it a broader appearance, adjust the Width slider.
While this has an aesthetic effect on your text, it’s also a really nifty method for banishing any stray orphans or widows in your typography if you don’t want to spend a long time adjusting tracking or kerning manually.
Slant
Although applying false italicisation to text is often considered a big no-go in typographic circles, the Slant slider actually replicates a large variety of authentic italic weights.
This gives you the professional look of actual italics, but the wide variety of options you can often only achieve by applying false italics.
Where Should I Use Variable Fonts?
Variable fonts have been designed with web design in mind, and they are supported by Safari, Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. The web is the natural home for variable fonts because they are uniquely tuned to responsive sites and apps. You can play around with different variable fonts to see how they would appear online on the Axis-Praxis site.
By storing information about multiple font families within just one font file, variable fonts also offer a space-saving solution for web designers.
However, variable fonts also present an exciting new way of formatting typography for print designers. Because adjusting the fonts is so quick and convenient, they make a brilliant timesaver for print designers as they work on drafts.
Conclusion: Are Variable Fonts a Gimmick or Here to Stay?
For web designers, variable fonts represent another exciting development in responsive typography. Along with color fonts, variable fonts allow web designers to be more flexible and creative in their designs, making typography the focal point of websites rather than a mere necessity.
For print designers, the jury is still out as to whether variable fonts are useful enough to replace manual typography formatting. Until a very wide range of variable fonts are made available in Adobe software, it seems unlikely that they will replace the standard method of formatting type for most designers.
Looking for more great fonts? Check out the selection of typefaces on Envato Elements and GraphicRiver, or read our edited lists of some of the best fonts out there:
Get started on incredible designs for 2018! Check out this selection of brand new typefaces from Envato Market and Envato Elements.
Get the best retro fonts for your projects! Check out this list of premium goodies exclusively picked from Envato Market and Envato Elements.
Welcome to our Illustrator in 60 Seconds series, in which you can learn an Illustrator skill, feature, or technique in just a minute!
Illustrator in 60 Seconds: How to Create an Emoji Icon
In today’s video, we’re going to quickly learn how to create a cute little emoji icon, using nothing more than some basic shapes that we’re going to adjust here and there.
So, assuming you already have Illustrator running in the background, bring it up and let’s get started!
Also, don’t forget you can always expand your collection by heading over to Envato Elements, where you’ll find a great selection of emojis.
How to Create an Emoji Icon
Start by setting up a new web document, which we will adjust by setting both its Width and Height values to 96 px.
Create the main shape for
the body using an 88 x 88 px circle (#FFDA64),
which we will color using yellow and then center align to the larger Artboard.
Add the mouth using a smaller 64 x 64 px circle (#8E735C), which we will color
using brown and then adjust by selecting its top anchor point using the Direct
Selection Tool (A) and then immediately removing it by pressing Delete.
Create the teeth using a
white (#FFFFFF) 56 x 8 px rectangle, followed
by the tongue using a 40 x 20 px ellipse which we will color using orange (#F9914B). Group and then mask the two using a
smaller 56 x 56 px circle.
Finish
off the icon by adding the eyes using two 12
x 12 px circles with a 4 px
thick Stroke (#8E735C), which we will position 20 px from one another. Then remove their bottom anchor points.
Position the resulting shapes at a distance of 14 px from the mouth’s top edge, making
sure to set their Cap to Round.
Learn More From Our Awesome Tutorials!
Want to expand your icon-building skills? Start now by checking out these in-depth tutorials that will help you bring your icon game to the next level!
Lately I’ve been getting a lot more technical and started exploring solutions to the different challenges that you might encounter along your creative…
This little quick tip is dedicated to a subject that is close to my heart but at the same time gave me some strong headaches in the early days of my design…
Today I have something special prepared for you. We are going to compare two essential Illustrator tools, the Layers panel and the Artboards one, and talk…
Today, I’m going to share with you ten tips on icon design that I’ve managed to isolate and put down in digital ink after doing some research from both my…
Draw a rectangle with rounded edges and fill it with #D5D6D7.
Step 2
Take the Mesh Tool (U) and create a Mesh grid inside the object.
Then color the nodes just like in the screenshot below. You will need these colors:
#E6E6E6
#F6F6F6
#E8E9EA
#C9C9C9
Step 3
Add another rounded rectangle, color it with #E8E8E8, and then set it to Screen and 40% Opacity.
Step 4
Draw another rounded rectangle, and then make its Stroke a Linear Gradient from #CECECE to #FFFFFF. Select the result and go to Object > Expand to expand the stroke.
Step 5
Construct the tray.
Step 6
Draw a triangular element with Mesh (#050505 and #FFFFFF), and then set it to Screen with 60% Opacity.
Step 7
Add a few variations of the element by changing its size or opacity.
Step 8
Similarly draw one final element. Set it to Screen and 60% Opacity.
Step 9
Assemble the elements as shown below, and then add a Clipping Mask in the size of the tray.
Place the elements over the top of the tray to simulate a clear foil. Check your Transparency settings if the result doesn’t look like the one below!
Step 10
Begin drawing a Blend shadow. Create two objects, one filled with #777777 and another one with #9D9D9D, and place them together as shown below.
Step 11
Make the bigger object completely transparent, and then go to Object > Blend > Blend Options. Set it to Specified Steps, 30.
Step 12
Select both objects and go to Object > Blend > Make.
Set the result to Multiply with 70% Opacity.
Step 13
Place the shadow under the tray.
2. How to Draw the Plastic Packets
Step 1
Begin by drawing one of the packets with Mesh!
Create a #E9E9E9 rectangle, and then, using the Mesh Tool (U), add #A3A3A3 stripes along the top and bottom edges of the rectangle (add Mesh rows very close to each other, alternating the color to create stripes).
Shape the rectangle into a packet with the same tool (manual dragging of nodes), and color the nodes indicated below with #CECECE. Finally, add some #FFFFFF nodes.
Step 2
Finish coloring the packet by following the step in the screenshot below.
You will need these colors:
#A7A7A7
#BEBEBE
#DDDCDC
Step 3
Create a smaller version of the packet by scaling a copy of it.
Step 4
Begin drawing another plastic packet with Mesh.
#E1E1E1
#FCFCFC
#F4F4F4
#FFFFFF
Step 5
Finish the packet, and set it to 60% Opacity.
#CFCED0
#F2F2F2
Step 6
Draw the seal for the packet.
#74D7E5
#88DFE9
#37888F
Step 7
Create a Blend shadow for the seal with #828282 and #E3E3E3 objects.
Consult Part 1, Steps 10-12 for the process.
Step 8
Add the same shadow to a #E3E3E3 strip.
Step 9
Draw a red strip with Mesh. Add a shadow to it.
#FF4D6B
#FFABB9
#661024
Step 10
Finish two packets using the seals.
3. How to Draw the Sacks
Step 1
Begin drawing the first sack with Mesh.
#E9E9E9
#A3A3A3
#EDEDED
#B3B5B4
#F9F9F9
Step 2
Draw the top.
#D9D9DA
#F5F5F6
#CCCDC
#F6F6F6
Step 3
#CCCDCD
#F6F6F6
#CCCCCC
Step 4
#DCDDDF
#F6F6F6
#C9C9C9
Step 5
Assemble the top of the sack.
Step 6
Draw the tie.
#00C9E8
#0482A9
#00ADCD
#00B8D8
Step 7
Draw a Blend shadow for the tie with #565656, #DCDDDF, and the same settings as before.
Step 8
Assemble the sack and set it to 80% Opacity.
Step 9
Create a copy of the lower part of the sack and start bending it with Effect > Warp > Arc Lower, using 80% Bend. Go to Object > Expand Appearance to expand the result.
Step 10
Continue bending with Effect > Warp > Inflate, using -14% Bend and -24% Horizontal Distortion. Expand Appearance.
Step 11
Create a copy of the top of the sack and bend it with Effect > Warp > Arc and 17% Bend.
Expand Appearance.
Step 12
Finally, take a copy of the blue tie and recolor it with Edit > Edit Colors > Adjust Colors.
Red: 75%
Green: -60%
Blue: -63%
Step 13
Assemble the second sack.
4. How to Draw the Plastic Cup
Step 1
Begin drawing the main part of the cup with Mesh. Set it to 70% Opacity.
#D0D0D0
#DBDBDB
#FFFFFF
#B1B1B1
Step 2
Begin drawing a part of the lid.
#CBCBCB
#E5E5E5
Step 3
Draw another part of the lid.
#CBCBCB
#B6B6B6
#F8F8F8
Step 4
Add the final part of the upper lid.
#CBCBCB
#E8E8E8
#B5B5B5
#F9F9F9
Step 5
Construct the upper part of the lid.
Step 6
Draw some more parts.
#D9D9D9
#BDBDBD
#FEFEFE
#F0F0F0
#C7C7C7
Step 7
#D9D9D9
#B6B6B6
#FFFFFF
#EEEEEE
#D2D2D2
Step 8
#CACACA
#DFDFDF
#D5D5D5
Step 9
#CBCBCB
#ABABAB
Step 10
Construct the whole lid.
Step 11
Add the lid to the cup.
5. How to Draw the Plastic Bottle
Step 1
Draw the main part with Mesh.
#CECECE
#989898
#DCDCDC
#F1F1F1
#C2C2C2
#CDCDCD
Step 2
Finish the main part.
#FFFFFF
#D2D2D2
Step 3
Add a #B2B2B2 strip.
Step 4
Begin drawing the lid.
#DDDEDE
#FFFFFF
#C0C0C0
Step 5
Draw another part.
#DDDEDE
#FDFDFD
#C1C1C1
Step 6
Make the third part out of a copy of part 2.
Step 7
Draw a #9B9B9B strip.
Step 8
Create a Blend from a #525151 strip to a #717071 strip, using Specified Steps, 9.
Create another Blend with #BBBBBB and #7C7C7C objects.
Step 10
Assemble the elements as shown, and set them to 60% Opacity.
Step 11
Assemble the lid of the bottle.
Step 12
Add the lid.
Step 13
The set is all done!
Step 14
You can add a checkered background to really showcase the transparency of the packages!
Awesome Work, You’re Now Done!
What now? You can try any of my other tutorials from my profile, or check out my portfolio on GraphicRiver, as well as the original vector we recreated in this tutorial.
I hope you enjoyed the tutorial, and I would be super happy to see any results in the comments below!
In this quick tip, you will learn how to create a pineapple seamless pattern in Adobe Illustrator. We will be using basic shapes, Warp effects and the Pattern > Make option to create this trendy pattern.
This tutorial is designed for beginners, so it is very easy to recreate. If you want some inspiration as well as motivation, then check out GraphicRiver, especially their collection of patterns.
And now, let’s start!
How to Create a Pineapple Pattern
Step 1
I assume you have already opened up Adobe Illustrator and
created a new document with 850 px Width and Height.
First, we want to create the tiny segment that
makes up most of the pineapple. Delete the stroke color if you have one, and set the fill color to R=239, G=177, B=3.
Then take the Rounded Rectangle Tool
and create a very small rounded rectangle. Probably by default you have
the option that when you draw a small rounded rectangle, it has very rounded
corners, and the more you stretch it, the sharper the corners will
be. If not, try to adjust the corners of your rounded rectangle by
dragging them inside by using the Corner Widget (View > Show Corner Widget).
After you’ve created the shape you need, we want to rotate it 45 degrees. Hold the Shift button and rotate the rounded rectangle using the Selection Tool (V). The Shift button allows you to rotate it exactly 45 degrees.
Don’t take off the selection, but create a new copy in front (Control-C, Control-F). Change the color of the new copy to R=255, G=200, B=32.
Step 2
Then draw a circle with any fill color, which should overlap the two rounded rectangles as shown in the image below, on the left side of the rounded rectangle. To create an even circle, hold the Shift button while creating it. Don’t be confused by the black strokes as I drew them just for better visibility—you don’t actually need them.
Next, hold the Shift and Alt buttons together and move the circle to the right. You’ll notice that you just created a new copy of the circle which is perfectly aligned. Now, select both circles, but not the rounded rectangles, and unite them: press the Unite button on the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder).
And the last action you need to do is to select the united circles (which are now one shape), and select the upper copy of the lighter rounded rectangle. Finally, press the Minus Front button on the Pathfinder panel. The tiny segment is ready!
Step 3
Now that you have a segment of the pineapple, we want to multiply it. While pressing down on the Shift and Alt keys, and while using the Selection Tool (V), move the segment to the right.
Then press Control-D a few times to get a line of these segments. The Control-D combination repeats your last movement.
Make sure your Smart Guides are on: View > Smart Guides. Then select the whole segment line and move it down and diagonally. The Smart Guides will help you to place it evenly. Now you have two segment lines.
Select the two segment lines and, while holding the Shift and Alt buttons, move the lines down. Just straight down. Press Control-D a few more times, until you get a rectangle from the segments.
Step 4
It is very important to group the whole segment rectangle (right-click > Group).
While keeping it selected, go to Effect > Warp > FishEye. In the new dialogue window, enter the options you see below. Press OK, and set it aside.
Step 5
Next, we want to create the pineapple shape. Start with a rounded rectangle (fill color R=204, G=130, B=0) with very rounded corners. Use the Rounded Rectangle Tool for it.
While keeping it selected, go to Effect > Warp > Inflate. In the new dialogue window, enter the options you see below. Press OK. Expand the shape: select it and go to Object > Expand Appearance.
Step 6
Take the two elements you created so far: the pineapple shape and the rectangle made of segments. Place them one over another, as shown in the image below. Be sure that the pineapple shape is smaller than the rectangle that is completely made of segments. Also make sure that the two elements are expanded.
Then select the pineapple shape, and make a copy of it in front (Control-C, Control-F). You created a copy directly in front of it, but we want to have this copy in front of the rectangle made of segments. So cut the copy (Control-X), and place it in front of the segments rectangle.
While keeping the two upper shapes selected, press the Crop button in the Pathfinder panel.
Step 7
Let’s add some leaves to our pineapple. Draw a green ellipse (R=48, G=158, B=131) using the Ellipse Tool (L).
Take the Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C) and click on its top and bottom anchor points. They will become sharp.
Create a copy of it in front (Control-C, Control-F), make the copy smaller and darker (R=1, G=107, B=87), and shrink it down.
Step 8
Group the leaf (right-click > Group), and create a new copy of it, because we want to have two leaves.
Select the new copy and warp it: Effect > Warp > Arc. Enter the options you see below and press OK. Now, expand the shape (Object > Expand Appearance).
So now you have two leaves:
Step 9
Place the straight leaf behind the pineapple. Then, place the warped leaf behind the pineapple, on the left side.
After that, take the Reflect Tool (O) and, while holding down the Alt key, click in the middle of the pineapple. In the new dialogue window, enter Axis Vertical, Angle 90 degrees and then press Copy. That’s how you’ll get the third leaf.
Make sure the leaves stay in the middle of the pineapple, and then create a copy of them behind (Control-C, Control-B). Shift the three new copies up, and make them a bit smaller. Change the fill color of the new leaves to R=0, G=133, B=106 (you can leave the inner, darker part unchanged). The pineapple is done!
Step 10
Let’s create a background for our pattern. We’re creating it separately—that’s why you can easily change its color later.
Hit the Rectangle Tool (M) and click on your artboard. In the new dialogue window, enter 850 px Width and Height. Change the fill color to R=249, G=226, B=112.
Step 11
Select your pineapple, and go to Object > Pattern > Make. You’ll get a look which will be something similar to the one below.
Enter the options you see below. The most important parts here are the options Brick by Column and Move Tile with Art, but other options will be different than mine. Feel free to play around with them and choose what you like the most. When you like how your future pattern looks, press the button that says “Done” (it’s located over by the Pattern Options window).
After that, you can safely delete your pineapple, because it’s already stored in the memory of your computer.
Step 12
After using the Rectangle Tool (M), click on your artboard again and enter 850 px Width and Height. Place the new rectangle in the middle of the artboard.
From the Swatches panel (Window > Swatches), choose your new pattern. And watch the magic!
Awesome Work, You’re Done!
And you are all done! I hope you enjoyed creating this seamless just as much as I did. If you want to keep on drawing but don’t know what to draw, then check out Graphic River. They have a huge selection of images and patterns.
As you can see, it is not that hard to create amazing images in Adobe Illustrator. I really hope you liked this tutorial and I will see you next time!
If you enjoy pattern tutorials, I’d like to recommend two I’ve created here on Envato Tuts+:
In the following steps, you will learn how to create a cactus text effect in Adobe Illustrator. For starters, you will learn how to set up a simple grid and how to create a pattern brush.
Moving on, you will learn how to create and save a pretty complex pattern. Taking full advantage of the Appearance panel, you will learn how to create the first piece of your cactus and how to save its attributes. Using two simple shapes and some effects, you will learn how to create the pots. Finally, for the background, you will learn how to apply a radial gradient a built-in pattern.
For more inspiration on how to adjust or improve your final text effect, you can find plenty of resources at GraphicRiver.
1. How to Create a New Document and Set Up Grid
Hit Control-N to create a new document. Select Pixels from the Units drop-down menu, enter 850 in the width box and 500 in the height box, and then click that More Settings button. Select RGB for the Color Mode, set the Raster Effects to Screen (72 ppi), and then click Create Document.
Enable the Grid (View > Show Grid) and Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). You will need a grid every 1 px, so simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid, and enter 1 in the Gridline every box and 1 in the Subdivisions box. Try not to get discouraged by all that grid—it will make your work easier, and keep in mind that you can easily enable or disable it using the Control-“ keyboard shortcut.
You should also open the Info panel (Window > Info) for a live preview with the size and position of your shapes. Don’t forget to set the unit of measurement to pixels from Edit > Preferences > Units. All these options will significantly increase your work speed.
2. How to Create a Pattern Brush
Step 1
Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and focus on your toolbar. Remove the color from the stroke, and then select the fill and set its color to R=255 G=188 B=53. Move to your artboard and simply create a 25 x 14 px shape—the grid and the Snap to Grid should make it easier.
Step 2
Change the fill color to R=93 G=74 B=27 and pick the Ellipse Tool (L). Create the five squeezed circles shown below and place them exactly as shown in the following image.
Once you’re done, select all these new shapes and turn them into a compound path (Control-8).
Step 3
Pick the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 25 x 7 px shape, and place it as shown in the first image. Select this new rectangle along with your compound path and click the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder).
Step 4
Pick the Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C), focus on your brown shapes, and simply click the top anchor points as shown in the first image.
Select the yellow rectangle and remove the fill color.
Step 5
Select all the shapes made so far, open the Brushes panel (Window > Brushes), and click the New Brush button. Check the Pattern Brush box and click OK to open the Pattern Brush Options window. Type a name for your new brush, enter all the attributes shown below, and click OK to save your new brush.
3. How to Create a Pattern
Step 1
Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 50 px square and fill it with yellow.
Step 2
Using the Pen Tool (P), draw two simple paths and place them on the right edge of your yellow square as shown below. Make sure that both paths are selected and open the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance).
Remove the fill color, set the stroke color to R=93 G=74 B=27, and open the Stroke fly-out panel. Increase the Weight to 2 px and select Width Profile 1.
With one of these shapes still selected, open the Graphic Styles (Window > Graphic Styles). Click the New Graphic Style button to save the appearance of your selected path.
Step 3
Make sure that the two paths made in the previous step are still selected and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the attributes shown below and click OK.
Step 4
Using the Pen Tool (P), draw five simple paths and place them on the top edge of your yellow square as shown below. Apply your graphic style from the Graphic Styles panel to all these paths.
Select only the second and the fourth paths from this set of new paths. Go to the Appearance panel and change the Weight to 1 px, and then go to the Graphic Styles panel and save a new graphic style.
Step 5
Make sure that the two paths made in the previous step are still selected and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the attributes shown below and click OK.
Step 6
Using the Pen Tool (P), create the five paths shown in the first image and apply your first graphic style from the Graphic Styles panel.
Using the same tool, create the eight paths shown in the second image, and apply your second graphic style from the Graphic Styles panel.
Step 7
Select all your tiny brown shapes and go to Object > Path > Outline Stroke, and then turn the resulting shapes into a compound path (Control-8).
Step 8
Select your yellow square along with the brown compound path and click the Intersect button from the Pathfinder panel. Simply drag the resulting shapes inside the Swatches panel (Window > Swatches) to save them as a pattern.
4. How to Create a Graphic Style
Step 1
Disable the Grid (Control-“) and the Snap to Grid (Shift-Control-“).
Pick the Type Tool (T) and open the Character panel (Window > Type > Character). Select the Insaniburger font and set the size to 200 px.
Simple click on your artboard, add the “Cactus” piece of text, and set the color to R=78 G=174 B=99. Place your text as shown below, and then go to the Layers panel and lock it.
Step 2
Focus on the first letter of your text. Using the Pen Tool (P) or the Brush Tool (B), draw a simple path roughly as shown in the following image. Make sure that it stays selected and focus on the Appearance panel.
Be sure that there’s no fill color and select the stroke. Set its color to R=93 G=58 B=20, increase the Weight to 4 px, and select Width Profile 1 from the Stroke fly-out panel.
Step 3
Make sure that your round path stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel, and set the fill color to R=75 G=147 B=106.
Step 4
Make sure that your round path stays selected, keep focusing on the Appearance panel, and add a second fill using the Add New Fill button. Select it, set the color to R=78 G=174 B=99, and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the attributes shown below and click OK.
Step 5
Make sure that your round path stays selected, keep focusing on the Appearance panel, and add a third fill. Select it and set the color to white (R=255 G=255 B=255). Lower its Opacity to 30%, change the Blending Mode to Overlay, and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the attributes shown below, click OK, and go to Effect > Pathfinder > Add, and then go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Enter a -7 px Offset and click OK.
Step 6
Make sure that your round path stays selected, keep focusing on the Appearance panel, and add a fourth fill. Select it, apply your pattern from the Swatches panel, and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the attributes shown below and click OK.
Step 7
Make sure that your round path stays selected, keep focusing on the Appearance panel, and add a second stroke using the Add New Stroke button. Select this new stroke and apply your pattern brush from the Brushes panel, and then drag it below the other stroke.
With your round path still selected, go to the Graphic Styles panel and save a new graphic style.
5. How to Create the Cactus Text
Step 1
Using the Pen Tool (P) or the Brush Tool (B), draw a new path roughly as shown in the first image. Make sure that it stays selected and apply your last graphic style from the Graphic Styles panel.
Step 2
Make sure that the path made in the previous step stays selected, and focus on the Appearance panel. First, select the bottom two fills and replace the existing colors with the ones shown below, and then click the Transform effect applied for the top fill and adjust the Rotate Angle as shown below.
With this path still selected, go to the Graphic Styles panel and save a new graphic style.
Step 3
Keep focusing on the first letter from your text and draw more round paths along that letter, as shown below.
Step 4
Select those new round paths and apply the last two graphic styles from the Graphic Styles panel. Try not to have two paths with identical styles one after the other. Also, select these paths one by one, open the Transform effect applied for the top fill (in the Appearance panel), and adjust the Rotate Angle to match the orientation of the selected path.
Step 5
Select the smaller cactus pieces and focus on the Appearance panel. Open the Transform effect applied for the top fill, drag both Scale sliders to 50%, and click OK.
Step 6
Move on to the other letters from your text and follow the same techniques used for the first letter. First, create the round paths and apply the graphic styles, and then adjust the pattern rotation and the pattern scale for the smaller paths.
6. How to Create the Cactus Flowers
Step 1
Using the Pen Tool (P) or the Brush Tool (B), draw three simple paths as shown in the first image. Fill them with R=239 G=75 B=74 and add a 3 px stroke. Set its color to R=93 G=58 B=20, increase the Weight to 3 px, and don’t forget to select Width Profile 1. Once you’re done, save these attributes as a graphic style.
Step 2
Using the Pen Tool (P) or the Brush Tool (B) along with the graphic style saved in the previous step, add the cactus flower for the other letters. Once you’re done, go to the Layers panel, unlock your piece of text, and delete it.
7. How to Create the Pot
Step 1
Enable the Grid (Control-“) and the Snap to Grid (Shift-Control-“). For the following steps, you will need a grid every 5 px. Just go to Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid and enter 5 in the Gridline every box.
Pick the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 75 x 20 px shape, fill it with yellow, and place it as shown in the following image.
Step 2
Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 65 x 40 px shape, fill it with blue, and place it as shown in the first image.
Switch to the Direct Selection Tool (A) and focus on the bottom side of this new rectangle. Select both anchor points, go to the control panel, and enter 20 px in that Corners box. Once you’re done, send this shape to back (Shift-Control-[).
Step 3
Select your yellow shape and focus on the Appearance panel. Replace the yellow with R=188 G=117 B=71 and then add a second fill. Select it, set the color to R=214 G=146 B=97, and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the attributes shown below and click OK.
Step 4
Make sure that your rectangle stays selected and keep focusing on the Appearance panel. Add a third fill and select it. Set the color to white, lower its Opacity to 25%, change the Blending Mode to Overlay, and then go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Enter a -8 px Offset, click OK, and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the attributes shown below and click OK.
Step 5
Make sure that your rectangle stays selected and keep focusing on the Appearance panel. Add a 4 px stroke and set its color to R=92 G=59 B=28.
Step 6
Make sure that your rectangle stays selected and keep focusing on the Appearance panel. Select the entire path (simply click that “Path” piece of text from the top of the panel) and go to Effect > Stylize > Rounded Corners. Enter a 5 px Radius, click OK, and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Roughen. Enter the attributes shown below and click OK.
Step 7
Select your blue shape and focus on the Appearance panel. Replace the blue with R=188 G=117 B=71 and then add a second fill. Select it, set the color to R=214 G=146 B=97, and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the attributes shown below and click OK.
Step 8
Make sure that your bottom shape stays selected and keep focusing on the Appearance panel. Add a third fill and select it. Set the color to white, lower its Opacity to 25%, change the Blending Mode to Overlay, and then go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the attributes shown below and click OK.
Step 9
Make sure that your bottom shape stays selected and keep focusing on the Appearance panel. Add a 4 px stroke and set its color to R=92 G=59 B=28.
Step 10
Make sure that your bottom shape stays selected and keep focusing on the Appearance panel. Add a new fill and drag it to the bottom of the panel. Set the color to black, lower its Opacity to 60%, change the Blending Mode to Soft Light, and then go to Effect > Convert to Shape > Ellipse. Enter the attributes shown below, click OK, and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the settings shown in the following image and click OK.
Step 11
Make sure that your bottom shape stays selected and keep focusing on the Appearance panel. Select the entire path and go to Effect > Stylize > Rounded Corners. Enter a 5 px Radius, click OK, and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Roughen. Enter the attributes shown below and click OK.
8. How to Multiply Your Pot
Step 1
Duplicate the two shapes that make up your pot and place the copies as shown in the first image. Using the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the anchor points highlighted in the first image, and drag them to the right as shown in the second image.
Keep focusing on these copies, select only the bottom shapes, and focus on the Appearance panel. Open the Transform effect applied to the top fill and the Ellipse effect applied to the bottom fill and adjust the settings as shown below.
Step 2
Create another four copies of your smaller pot, and place them as shown in the following image.
9. How to Create the Background
Step 1
Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create an 860 x 510 px shape, and fill it with R=195 G=224 B=177. Make sure that this rectangle covers your entire artboard and send it to back (Shift-Control-[).
Step 2
Open the fly-out menu from the Swatches panel and go to Open Swatch Library > Patterns > Basic Graphics > Basic Graphics_Textures.
Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a new 860 x 510 px shape and place it on top of the existing rectangle, as shown in the following image. Fill this new shape with the USHS 22 Gravel Beach pattern, lower its Opacity to 50%, change the Blending Mode to Soft Light, and then go to Effect > Artistic > Film Grain. Enter the attributes shown below and click OK.
Step 3
Make sure that the rectangle made in the previous step is still selected and keep focusing on the Appearance panel. Add a second fill and select it. Lower its Opacity to 50% and change the Blending Mode to Overlay, and then apply the radial gradient shown below. Use the Gradient Tool (G) to stretch your gradient as shown below.
Congratulations! You’re Done!
Here is how it should look. I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial and can apply these techniques in your future projects. Don’t hesitate to share your final result in the comments section.
Feel free to adjust the final design and make it your own. You can find some great sources of inspiration at GraphicRiver, with interesting solutions to improve your design.
Using the Rounded Rectangle Tool, create a pill-shaped object by adjusting the settings.
Draw a second object in the shape of half a pill. Place it on top of the first one as shown below, and then, in the Pathfinder panel, choose the Exclude function to complete the icon.
Change the pill’s color to #F1B14F.
Step 2
Next, you’ll need a circle and a narrow rectangle. Place the rectangle behind the circle as pictured below and choose Minus Back in the Pathfinder panel.
Color the resulting object with the same color, #F1B14F.
Step 3
Using the Polygon Tool, draw a hexagon and fill it with a Linear Gradient from #E2E3E4 to #FFFFFF at an angle of -36.3°.
Place the pills inside the polygon as pictured below.
Step 4
Begin creating a shadow for the icon with Blend.
You will need two hexagons, the smaller one colored with #2B2B2B and the bigger one with #D7D7D7. Arrange them as shown.
Step 5
In the Transparency panel, set the bigger hexagon’s Opacity to 0%.
Then apply the function to both objects with Object > Blend > Make.
Step 6
Place the shadow under our first icon. Make sure to create a bunch of copies of it or just keep one aside to copy later—we will be using this shadow with each of the polygonal icons.
Step 7
Draw the icon of a tooth by beginning with an outline of the left half. With Object > Transform > Reflect, create a reflected copy of it and attach it perfectly to the other one.
Merge both outlines by using Unite in the Pathfinder panel.
Step 8
Fill the result with a Linear Gradient from #E2E3E4 to #FFFFFF.
Step 9
Create another hexagon, the same size as the first one, and apply a Linear Gradient from #1E9CA8 to #60C2D6 at an angle of -54°.
Place the tooth inside, and then add the shadow we made earlier.
Step 10
Take a rectangle, colored with #E59489, and create a few copies of it with the Object > Transform > Rotate function, using angles of 60° and 120°.
Unite the shapes.
Step 11
Place the icon on top of a copy of the hexagon made in Step 3.
Step 12
Begin drawing the briefcase using rounded rectangles.
For the handle, first use a Stroke, and then Expand it. Unite both objects.
Step 13
Draw a cross with two rectangles and the Unite function.
Step 14
“Cut out” the cross in the briefcase using the Exclude function in the Pathfinder panel.
Fill the resulting object with a Linear Gradient from #E2E3E4 to #FFFFFF.
Step 15
Draw another hexagon, filling it with a Linear Gradient from #236185 to #6B9ABF at an angle of -60.5°.
Place the briefcase inside and add a shadow.
Step 16
Begin drawing the icon of a “beating heart” by drawing half of it and adding a line, as shown in the screenshot below.
Expand the Stroke of the line, and then place it behind the heart and apply Minus Back.
Step 17
Create a copy of the object with Reflect, and then Unite both halves.
Step 18
Color the heart with a Linear Gradient from #E2E3E4 to #FFFFFF, and then place it inside a cyan hexagon (see Step 9).
Step 19
Begin drawing the vial by first Uniting a rectangle and circle to create the outline, and then Cropping another circle as pictured below.
Use the Pathfinder panel for the mentioned functions.
Step 20
Create a highlight by applying a specific Stroke Profile to a curve, then Expanding the Stroke.
Place the shape on the right side of the object we just made and cut it out with Exclude.
Step 21
Unite the vial outline and contents, and then apply a Linear Gradient from #E2E3E4 to #FFFFFF.
Step 22
For the vial’s background, use a hexagon filled with a Linear Gradient from #A92D1D to #D7775F, using an angle of -60.5°.
Step 23
Draw a drop by Reflecting half of the shape, Uniting both, and finally Excluding a highlight in the object.
Look for the functions in the Pathfinder panel or consult earlier parts of the tutorial if you are confused.
Step 24
Fill the drop with a Linear Gradient from #E2E3E4 to #FFFFFF. Place it on a cyan hexagon.
Step 25
Begin drawing a clipboard using a rounded rectangle (apply a stroke, then expand). Then add a shape made out of a rounded and regular rectangle, combined in the Pathfinder panel, as well as some rectangles.
Unite the outline of the object, and then use Object > Compound Path > Make (Control-8).
Step 26
Color the clipboard with #EDB264 and place it inside a gray hexagon.
Step 27
Draw a cross (like in Step 13) and apply a Linear Gradient from #E2E3E4 to #FFFFFF.
Step 28
Color a new hexagon with a Linear Gradient from #BB7110 to #E4B14B. Use a -60.5° angle and place the cross inside.
Step 29
Use the icons we made to assemble the first part of a banner!
Step 30
Draw a waveform. Apply a Stroke to it, and then Expand it and create two copies: one bigger and wider, one smaller.
Color the wider version with #992617 and the narrower one with #1E5451.
Set both to Screen in the Transparency panel.
Step 31
Create a grid using the Rectangular Grid Tool with a Width of 640 px, Height of 200 px, and with 9 Horizontal and 31 Vertical Dividers.
Step 32
Expand the grid, and then make it into a Compound Path with Object > Compound Path > Make (Control-8).
Use a Linear Gradient from white to #414128. Set it to Screen with 40% Opacity.
Step 33
Begin drawing a simple mesh background for the banner.
Take a 640 x 200 px rectangle, filled with #B4BEC0, and with the Mesh Tool (U) position a few mesh nodes as pictured below.
Select a few center nodes, coloring them with #F8F9F9, and then continue by coloring the upper right nodes with #F1F3F4. Finish by adding a few dark edges with #839395.
Follow the screenshot to see which nodes to color.
Step 34
Draw a new mesh shape using these colors:
#000000
#FDFDFD
#8E8E8E
Set the result to Screen.
Step 35
Add a copy of the Mesh curve and reduce its Opacity to 60%. The Blending Mode should be left at Screen.
Arrange the shapes inside a 640 x 200 px outline, and then select everything and use Make Clipping Mask after right-clicking.
Step 36
Place the grid, the waveforms and the curves onto the mesh rectangle, and then add the icons on top.
Step 37
Create another blend shadow out of #333333 and #F9F9F9 rounded rectangles.
Make the white shape transparent, and then go to Object > Blend > Make (using Specified Steps, 30).
Set the shadow to Multiply.
Step 38
Place the shadow under the medical banner.
2. How to Create Two More Banners
Step 1
Begin drawing an icon of a doctor.
Crop out a part of an ellipse, and then cut out a cross in a trapezoid with Minus Front.
Step 2
Create the doctor’s body with Crop and Minus Back.
Step 3
Select all the pieces and create a Compound Path out of them. Apply a Linear Gradient from #E2E3E4 to #FFFFFF.
Step 4
Add a Blend shadow out of #352F2A and #FFFFFF objects.
Step 5
Fill a circle with a Linear Gradient from #A92D1D to #D7775F, and then add the doctor icon inside and add a shadow.
Step 6
Draw a #B2CECD heart and place it inside a circle filled with a Linear Gradient from #E2E3E4 to #FFFFFF.
Step 7
Add a cyan, #1E9CA8 to #60C2D6 gradient to a circle, and then place the heart icon we made earlier inside.
Step 8
Assemble the icons into a group.
Any icons that you may be missing can be simply assembled out of elements you’ve already made (maybe recoloring them into other solid colors).
Step 9
Draw another mesh banner. You will need these colors:
#EEF1F3
#7E8C8F
#D8DEDF
Step 10
Add the grid from the first section, then the icons.
Step 11
For the third and final banner, take a copy of the vial from earlier and change its Gradient to #A92D1D – #D7775F. Place it inside a grey hexagon.
Step 12
Similarly recolor the clipboard with a Linear Gradient from #E2E3E4 to #FFFFFF.
Use an orange hexagon.
Step 13
Assemble a group of icons.
Step 14
Draw a new banner with mesh.
#DDE1E2
#849295
#FCFCFC
Step 15
Place the icons onto the banner, and then add a few transparent polygons to the background (30% Opacity).
Step 16
Add some waveforms.
The top one should be filled with a Linear Gradient from white to #414128 and set to Color Dodge with 60% Opacity.
The waveform on the bottom of the banner should be filled with #2B474C and set to Overlay.
Step 17
Great job! The only thing that’s left is to put all the banners together.
Awesome Work, You’re Now Done!
What now? You can try any of my other tutorials from my profile or check out my portfolio on GraphicRiver, as well as the original vector we recreated in this tutorial.
I hope you enjoyed the tutorial, and I would be super happy to see any results in the comments below.
In this tutorial you will learn how to create an astronomy-inspired retro poster. We will use the Clipping Mask a lot, as well as Warp Effects, and at the end we will apply a texture to add a vintage look to our poster. Feel free to browse a big collection of textures on GraphicRiver, and choose the one you like the most.
Without any further ado, let’s get started!
Tutorial Assets
The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial:
1. How to Create the Head of the Astronomy Child
Step 1
In a new document in Adobe Illustrator, take the Ellipse Tool (L) and draw an ellipse. You’ll probably have a white fill color and a black stroke. Now you need to change it: delete the stroke color and set its fill color to R=234, G=226, B=206 on the Color panel (Window > Color). During this tutorial, we won’t use any stroke colors.
Then, add a smaller, darker ellipse (R=209, G=196, B=167) inside the first one.
While keeping that last ellipse selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path… A new dialogue window will pop up, where you need to enter Offset -8 px. By default, the options will be Joints: Miter, Miter limit: 4. Press OK. You just created a third ellipse, which is the face of the child. Change its fill color to R=178, G=131, B=107.
Step 2
To create some bangs, we’ll take the Rectangle Tool (M). Draw a brown rectangle (R=99, G=64, B=55) and while keeping it selected, go to Effect > Warp > Arch. Enter the options presented below, and press OK.
Expand this shape: Object > Expand Appearance.
Step 3
Put the bangs on the child’s face. Place them so that just the bottom part is on the face, and the upper part (the two top anchor points) will be beyond the face.
Then we will use the Clipping Mask. Select the face, make a copy in front (Control-C, Control-F), cut that new copy off (Control-X), and place it over the bangs (Control-F).
To see the bangs more clearly under the newer face copy, it is better to delete the fill color of the face copy and use any stroke color (I marked it with red stroke).
Select the face copy (in my case it’s the red stroke ellipse) together with the bangs. Go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make (Control-7). Then the upper part of the bangs should be hidden.
Step 4
For the eyes, make sure you have the same fill color as the bangs but without any stroke. Hit the Ellipse Tool (L) and, while holding down the Shift key, draw a small circle for the eye.
Create another small circle as the second eye. Make the second eye smaller, as we’re trying to create three-quarters of the visible face.
Now for the cheeks. Add a new small ellipse under the first eye (the fill color should be R=160, G=108, B=85).
Create a same ellipse for the second cheek. Rotate it slightly to the right, and make it a bit smaller.
Step 5
Now for the mouth. Set the fill color to R=234, G=226, B=206 and create two ellipses: first a vertical one, and then a horizontal one. They have to overlap as shown in the image below.
Go to the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder) and press the Minus Front button while the two ellipses are selected. You’ll end up with a crescent shape, which is the mouth of the child.
Place the mouth between the two cheeks. Rotate it slightly to the right.
Step 6
The helmets of spacesuits usually have parts that look like headphones, so let’s create them. Draw an ellipse on the left side of the head. The fill color should be R=209, G=196, B=167. Also rotate it a little to the left.
Add a smaller red (R=211, G=122, B=95) ellipse, which should also be rotated to the left.
Then add one more grey ellipse on other side of the child’s head, behind the head. Finally, add one more red ellipse behind the head, and behind the grey ellipse. The head is done!
2. How to Create the Body, Arms, and Legs
Step 1
Let’s make the body. Take the Rounded Rectangle Tool and draw a rounded rectangle (R=234, G=226, B=206). While keeping it selected, go to Effect > Warp > Arc. In the new dialogue window, enter the options you see below.
Put the body behind the head.
Step 2
Now for the arm. Using the same fill color as for the body, draw an ellipse with the help of the Ellipse Tool (L). Go to Effect > Warp > Arc. You can see the options below.
After that, expand it (Object > Expand Appearance).
Step 3
Place the arm on the left side of the body.
Add a tiny ellipse as the thumb. In the image below it is marked by a black stroke color, which you don’t need in your illustration.
Make a copy of the whole arm, change its fill color to R=209, G=196, B=167, and create a vertical reflection of this new copy: while keeping it selected, press the O key on your keyboard and then press Enter.
In the new dialogue window, Axis Vertical is checked by default. Press Enter one more time. This maneuver should make a vertical reflection of the second arm. Remember this for your future projects: select the object you want to reflect, press the O key and then Enter twice, and that’s it.
Place the second arm behind the body (Control-X, Control-B).
Step 4
Let’s make the belt for the spacesuit. Using the Rectangle Tool (M), draw a rectangle. Then warp it: Effect > Warp > Arch.
Expand the shape.
Place the belt in the right place.
Step 5
We’re going to create the leg in a similar way to the arm, but this time create an ellipse which should be slightly bigger and thicker.
Warp the ellipse (Effect > Warp > Arc), and then expand it.
Step 6
Place the leg under the belt.
Make a copy of the belt, and change its fill color: using the Eyedropper Tool (I), take the color from the second arm and place it on the leg.
Add a small ellipse as shown below for the kneecap.
Step 7
Now on to the foot. Create a new ellipse, which should have the same fill color as the body.
Add a rectangle with any color. The rectangle must cover the bottom part of the ellipse.
Select both shapes and, on the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder), press the Minus Front button. You’ll end up with the top part of the ellipse.
Step 8
Place the foot on the leg.
Create a new copy of the whole leg, and make it darker: the fill color for the second leg should be R=209, G=196, B=167, and the fill color for the new kneecap should follow these numbers: R=191, G=171, B=130.
Place the second leg behind the body.
Group the child (right-click > Group) and set the illustration aside.
3. How to Create the Background
Step 1
Hit the Rectangle Tool (M) and click on your artboard. In the new dialogue window, enter Width 850 px and Height 1000 px. Set the fill color to R=231, G=220, B=186.
Step 2
While keeping the rectangle selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path… In the new dialogue window, enter Offset: -30 px, Joints: Miter, Miter limit: 4, OK. You’ll get a new rectangle aligned perfectly in the middle of the previous one. Change its fill color to R=67, G=74, B=81.
Step 3
Hit the Ellipse Tool (L) and draw a circle (it doesn’t have to be perfect) as shown in the image below. Just the upper part of the circle should overlap the background. Change its fill color to R=209, G=196, B=167. This will be the moon.
Step 4
Now we’ll use a clipping mask again: select the dark blue rectangle, and make a copy in front (Control-C, Control-F). Cut it (Control-X) and place it in front of everything (Control-F). Select the dark blue rectangle and the planet, as well as the new copy. Go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make (Control-7).
Step 5
Place the astronomy child on your poster.
Step 6
Let’s add some craters, so that it will look more like a moon! Start with a horizontal ellipse (R=234, G=226, B=206).
Add a second ellipse over the previous one (R=191, G=171, B=130).
And add a third ellipse, which should overlap the previous one (R=209, G=196, B=167).
Make the Clipping Mask (Control-7) so the third ellipse will be inside the second one. This will be the crater.
Place a few craters on the planet. Feel free to rotate them and resize them.
Step 7
It would be nice to have some stars in the sky, so let’s create them. Take the Star Tool and click on your artboard. Enter Radius 1: around 10 px,Radius 2: around 50 px, Points: 4. Set the fill color to R=234 G=226, B=206.
Create a copy of this star in front (Control-C, Control-F) and, while holding down the Shift key, rotate it 45 degrees. The Shift key allows you to rotate it exactly 45 degrees.
Spread the stars in the sky.
Step 8
If you would like to, you can add some tiny circles near the stars with red, yellow and the light grey color we used for the stars. The circles will add a sparkling effect.
Step 9
To add an old look to our poster, let’s apply a texture to it. I used one of these textures:
Step 10
Place the texture over your poster so that it will stay inside the texture and under it. Make a Clipping Mask for the texture.
Finally, on the Transparency panel (Window > Transparency), lower the Opacity to around 15%. And we are done!
Conclusion
Great job! Today you’ve learned how to make Clipping Masks, which will help you in your future projects. I hope you like this tutorial and learned a lot of stuff—or maybe you just polished your skills. Now you know how to use Adobe Illustrator as well as a lot of effects and tools.
Ever wondered what it must feel like to be
a mad scientist creating all sort of mysterious inventions? If that’s the case, wonder no more, since in today’s tutorial we’re going to get our geek on and create a little retro science-themed icon pack using some of the most basic shapes and tools that Illustrator has to offer.
Also, don’t forget you can always expand the project by checking out GraphicRiver where you’ll find literally pages upon pages of science-themed icon packs.
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
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.
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: glassware
layer
3: microscope
layer 4: lamp checker
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 on 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 grids” 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 another 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 Glassware Icon
Assuming you’ve
already moved on to the next layer (that would be the second one) after
creating the reference grids, let’s kick off the project by zooming in on our
first reference grid, where we will start working on the little stand of glass test tubes.
Step 1
Start working on the first tube by creating a 12 x 88 px rectangle, which we will color using #56C1AD and then
position at a distance of 2 px from
the active drawing area’s top edge and 30
px from its left one.
Step 2
Adjust the shape that we’ve just created by setting the Radius of its bottom corners to 6 px from within the Transform panel’s Rectangle Properties.
Step 3
Give the resulting shape 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 #5B4032
and then flipping its Fill with its Stroke (Shift-X), making sure to set its Weight to 4 px.
Step 4
Add the tube’s lip using a 20 x 4
px rectangle (#5B4032), which we will position onto the upper section of
its outline, center aligning it to the previously created shapes.
Step 5
Give the tube a hard shadow using a 12
x 6 px rectangle (#5B4032) which we will center align to the larger fill
shape’s top edge. Once you’re done, select and group all four shapes together
using the Control-G keyboard
shortcut.
Step 6
Create two copies of the tube that we’ve just finished working on (Control-C > Control-F twice),
and then distribute them on its right side, positioning them at a distance of 4 px from one another. Once you’re
done, select and group all of them together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 7
Start working on the wooden rack by creating its base using a 104 x 16 px rectangle (#C48755) with a 4 px thick outline (#5B4032), which we
will center align to the active drawing area’s bottom edge.
Step 8
Add the little label using a 20 x
8 px rectangle (#5B4032) to the sides of which we will add two smaller 8 x 4 px ones (#5B4032). Select and
group (Control-G) all three shapes
together, center aligning them to the larger wooden section, making sure to
create another group afterwards.
Step 9
Create the rack’s side sections using two 10 x 64 px rectangles (#AF7245) with a 4 px thick outline (#5B4032), which we will individually group (Control-G) and then position on top of
the previous section, aligning them to its outer edges.
Step 10
Add the rack’s upper section using a 104 x 12 px rectangle (#C48755) with a 4 px thick outline (#5B4032), which we will group (Control-G) and then position on top of
the previously created shapes.
Step 11
Add the little screws using two 4
x 4 px circles (#5B4032) which we will position on top so that they align
with the rack’s side sections. Once you have them in place, select and group (Control-G) them to the underlying
section.
Step 12
Next, take a couple of moments and add in the hard shadows using two 10 x 6 px rectangles (#5B4032) for the
wooden rack’s side sections, followed by three 12 x 6 px ones (#5B4032) for the suspended glass tubes.
Step 13
Create the horizontal section holding the tubes using a 108 px wide 4 px thick Stroke line
(#5B4032), which we will center align to the rack, positioning it at a distance
of 20 px from its upper section,
making sure to send it to the back afterwards (right click > Arrange > Send to Back).
Step 14
Finish off the rack, and with it the icon itself, by drawing in the
little diagonal structural arms using a 4
px thick Stroke with the color
set to #5B4032. Once you’re done, select and group (Control-G) all of its composing sections together, doing the same
for the entire icon afterwards.
6. How to Create
the Microscope Icon
Assuming you’ve
finished working on the first icon, lock its layer and then move on up to the
next one (that would be the third one) where we will start working on the
little microscope.
Step 1
Create the lower section of the base using an 80 x 12 px rectangle (#6B5B51) with a 4 px thick outline (#5B4032), which we will group (Control-G) and then center align to the
underlying active drawing area’s bottom edge.
Step 2
Add the base’s upper section using a 96 x 12 px rectangle (#C48755) with a 4 px thick outline (#5B4032), which we will group (Control-G) and then position on top of
the previously created shapes.
Step 3
Create two 108 px wide 4 px thick Stroke lines (#5B4032) which we will position over the top and
bottom edges of the outline, adding one more to the center of the fill shape
afterwards. Once you’re done, select and group all of the upper section’s
shapes together using the Control-G
keyboard shortcut.
Step 4
Cast a hard shadow over the bottom section of the base, using an 80 x 6 px rectangle (#5B4032), which we
will center align to its upper edge. Once you’re done, group (Control-G) the shadow to its section,
doing the same for the entire base afterwards.
Step 5
Start working on the arm by creating a 12 x 72 px rectangle, which we will
color using #82756C and then position over the base at a distance of 30 px from its left edge.
Step 6
Create a smaller 12 x 14 px rectangle
(#82756C) and position it onto the left side of
the taller one from the previous step, uniting the two into a single larger
shape using Pathfinder’s Unite Shape Mode.
Step 7
Select the lower section’s top-left anchor point
using the Direct Selection Tool (A)
and then push it to the bottom by a distance of 6 px using the Move tool
(right click > Transform > Move
> Vertical > 6 px).
Step 8
Give the resulting shape a 4 px thick outline using the Stroke
method, making sure to set its color to #5B4032.
Step 9
Add the little screw using a 4 x
4 px circle (#5B4032), which we will position at the bottom of the arm, leaving a 4 px gap
around it. Once you’re done, select all three shapes and group them together
using the Control-G keyboard
shortcut.
Step 10
Start working on the upper tightening screw by creating an 8 x 8 px rectangle (#5B4032), which we
will position on top of the microscope’s arm.
Step 11
Create the screw’s thinner section using a 4 x 2 px rectangle (#5B4032) (2), on top of which we will add a 16 x 4 px rectangle (#5B4032) (3) followed
by a slightly narrower 12 x 4 px one
(#5B4032) (4). Position all three shapes on top of the rectangle from the
previous step, selecting and grouping (Control-G)
them together afterwards.
Step 12
Create a 16 x 8 px rectangle
(#5B4032), which we will position onto the left side of the microscope’s arm,
at a distance of 12 px from its
upper edge.
Step 13
Add the support rod using a 4 x
68 px rectangle (#5B4032), which we will also position onto the left side
of the arm, making sure to send it to the back of all the other shapes
afterwards (right click > Arrange
> Send to Back).
Step 14
Add the little adjustment wheel using a 16 x 16 px circle (#C48755) with a 4 px thick outline (#5B4032), on top of which we will add a smaller 4 x 4 px circle (#5B4032). Group (Control-G) all three shapes together
and then position them in the center of the microscope’s arm, at a distance of 22 px from the larger base.
Step 15
Give the wheel a hard shadow by creating a 14 x 14 px square (#5B4032) which we
will adjust by setting the Radius of
its bottom-right corner to 14 px from
within the Transform panel’s Rectangle Properties.
Position the resulting shape over the wheel’s lower half, making sure to align
it to its right side.
Step 16
Mask the shadow using a copy (Control-C)
of the arm’s fill shape as a Clipping
Mask, which we will paste in front (Control-F)
and then right click > Make Clipping
Mask. Once you’re done, send the shadow to the back of the wheel using the Arrange > Send Backward, selecting
and grouping (Control-G) all of the
arm’s composing sections together.
Step 17
Start working on the microscope’s main body, by creating an 18 x 40 px rectangle (#6B5B51) with a 4 px thick outline (#5B4032), which we
will group (Control-G) and then
position at a distance of 16 px from
the arm and 36 px from the larger
base.
Step 18
Create the observation tube using a 10
x 10 px square (#5B4032) on top of which we will add a smaller 6 x 4 px rectangle (#5B4032) followed
by a slightly wider 14 x 4 px rectangle
(#5B4032). Group (Control-G) all
three shapes together, positioning them on top of the tube’s larger body.
Step 19
Give the larger body a small insertion by creating a 6 x 6 px square (#5B4032) which we will
center align to its bottom edge.
Step 20
Create the upper section of the objective using a 10 x 10 px square (#D8A466) with a 4 px thick outline (#5B4032) to the bottom of which we will add a
slightly wider 18 x 4 px rectangle
(#5B4032) followed by a 10 x 6 px hard
shadow on the top (#5B4032). Group (Control-G)
all four shapes together, and then position them at the bottom of the
microscope’s larger body.
Step 21
Add the objective’s bottom section
using a 10 x 2 px rectangle (#5B4032), underneath which we will add a wider 22
x 4 px one (#5B4032). Group (Control-G)
both shapes together and then position them below the previous section.
Step 22
Create the actual lens using a 10
x 8 px ellipse (#56C1AD) with a 4 px thick outline (#5B4032), which we will group (Control-G) and then position onto the previous section, so that its upper half ends up overlapping it. Once you have it in place, make sure to send
it behind the wider section by right
clicking > Arrange > Send to Back, selecting and grouping (Control-G) all of the microscope’s
lower sections together.
Step 23
Add the little adjustment wheel using a 4 x 4 px square (#5B4032), to the side of which we will add a 4 x 8 px rectangle (#5B4032). Group (Control-G) and position the two shapes
onto the lower right side of the microscope’s larger body, selecting and
grouping (Control-G) all of its
composing sections afterwards.
Step 24
Start working on the right section of the arm by creating a 32 x 12 px rectangle (#C48755), which we will
adjust by setting the Radius of its
right corners to 6 px from within
the Transform panel’s Rectangle Properties. Once you’re done,
position the resulting shape at a distance of 52 px from the microscope’s base.
Step 25
Create a smaller 14 x 12 px rectangle
(#C48755) and position it underneath the previously created section, uniting
the two into a single larger shape using Pathfinder’s Unite Shape Mode.
Step 26
Adjust the resulting shape by first selecting its bottom-right corner
using the Direct Selection Tool (A) and
then removing it by pressing Delete.
Press Control-J to close up the
resulting path, and then give it a 4 px thick
outline (#5B4032), making sure to select and group (Control-G) the two together afterwards.
Step 27
Finish off the extending arm by adding the little screw using a 4 x 4 px circle (#5B4032), followed by
an 8 x 4 px rectangular insertion (#5B4032)
afterwards. Once you’re done, select and group (Control-G) all its composing shapes together.
Step 28
Cast the hard shadow onto the microscope using a 14 x 12 px rectangle (#5B4032) which we will adjust by setting the Radius of its bottom-right corner to 12 px from within the Transform panel’s Rectangle Properties. Position the resulting shape onto the bottom
half of the extending arm, making sure to send it to the back by selecting both
it and the larger microscope and then right
click > Arrange > Send to Back.
Step 29
Finish off the microscope, and with it the icon itself, by adding the
stage using a 48 x 4 px rectangle (#5B4032)
which we will position onto the right side of the microscope’s arm, at a
distance of 4 px from its larger
base. Once you’re done, select and group (Control-G)
all of the icon’s composing sections before moving on to the next step.
7. How to Create
the Lamp Checker Icon
We are now down to
our third and last icon, so assuming you’ve moved on to the next layer, zoom in
on its reference grid and let’s wrap things up!
Step 1
Create the lower section of the device’s base using an 88 x 12 px rectangle (#AF7245) with a 4 px thick outline (#5B4032), which we
will center align to the active drawing area’s bottom edge.
Step 2
Add the little side segments using two 6 x 4 px rectangles (#5B4032), which we will bottom align to the
visual section of the fill shape. Once you’re done, select and group all four
shapes together using the Control-G
keyboard shortcut.
Step 3
Create the base’s upper section using a 104 x 28 px rectangle (#C48755) with a 4 px thick outline (#5B4032), which we will group (Control-G) and then position on top of
the previous shapes.
Step 4
Add the little screws using four 4
x 4 px circles (#5B4032), which we will position at a distance of 4 px from each of the larger section’s
corners.
Step 5
Add the label using 28 x 16 px rectangle
(#5B4032), to the sides of which we will add two smaller 8 x 8 px squares (#5B4032). Group (Control-G) all three shapes together and then center align them to
the larger section, selecting and grouping (Control-G) all its composing shapes as well.
Step 6
Add the hard shadow to the bottom section of the
base, using an 88 x 6 px rectangle
(#5B4032) which we will center align to its top
edge. Once you’re done, select and group all the shapes that we have so far
using the Control-G keyboard
shortcut.
Step 7
Start working on the device’s upper body by
creating a 72 x 12 px rectangle (#82756C)
with a 4 px thick outline (#5B4032), which we will group (Control-G)
and then position on top of the larger base.
Step 8
Add the horizontal detail lines using two 84 px wide 4 px thick Stroke lines
(#5B4032), which we will position onto the top and
center section of the section’s outline. Once you have them in place, select
and group (Control-G) them and the
larger rectangles together before moving on to the next step.
Step 9
Create the little button using a 12 x 6 px rectangle (#C48755) with a 4 px thick outline (#5B4032), on top of which we will add another slightly narrower 8 x 6 px rectangle (#5B4032). Group (Control-G) all three shapes together
and then position them on top of the previous section, at a distance of 12 px from its left edge.
Step 10
Add the device’s socket using a 24 x 12 px rectangle (#6B5B51) with a 4 px thick outline (#5B4032), to the bottom of which we will add a smaller 8 x 6 px rectangle (#5B4032). Group (Control-G) all three shapes together,
and then position them onto the right side of the button, at a distance of 12 px from it.
Step 11
Create the light bulb’s base using a 16 x 12 px rectangle (#D8A466) with a 4 px thick outline (#5B4032) to the center of which we will add another 16 x 4 px rectangle (#5B4032). Group (Control-G) all three shapes together, and then position them over
the previously created section.
Step 12
Start working on the bulb’s glass section by creating a 16 x 4 px rectangle (#56C1AD), which we
will position on top of the base from the previous step.
Step 13
Next, create a 32 x 32 px circle (#56C1AD) which we will position above the
smaller rectangle, at a distance of 4 px from its top edge.
Step 14
Open up the circle’s path by selecting
its bottom anchor point using the Direct Selection Tool (A) and then
pressing Delete. Do the same for the
rectangle by adding a new anchor point to the center of its top edge with the
help of the Add Anchor Point Tool (+),
and then removing it by pressing Delete.
Step 15
Unite the two paths into a single larger shape
by selecting them both and then pressing Control-J
twice.
Step 16
Smoothen up the resulting shape’s transitions by adjusting its curvatures with the help of its anchor’s handles while in Pixel Preview mode (Alt-Control-Y). Take your time, and
once you’re done, move on to the next step.
Step 17
Give the resulting shape a 4 px thick outline (#5B4032) using the Stroke method, selecting
and grouping (Control-G) both it and
the underlying fill shape together afterwards.
Step 18
Start working on the filament by creating two 8 x 8 px circles with a 4 px thick Stroke (#5B4032) at a horizontal distance of 2 px from one another, which we
will position in the center of the bulb, at a distance of 10 px from its upper edge.
Step 19
Open up the inner-bottom sections of each circle’s path by adding a new
anchor point using the Add Anchor Point
Tool (+), and then removing it by selecting and pressing Delete.
Step 20
Finish off the filament, and with it the icon itself, by selecting and
uniting the bottom anchor points using the Control-J
keyboard shortcut, drawing the vertical sections using the Pen Tool (P). Once you’re done, select and group all of the bulb’s
composing shapes, doing the same for the entire icon afterwards.
It’s a Wrap!
Great job! I hope you’ve found the tutorial interesting enough to
follow it until the end—since it was a long one—and most importantly
learned something new and useful along the way.
Did you know that 30th of July is International Friendship Day? In honor of that, I will show you how to create an image that shares a message of friendship.
In this tutorial, you will learn how to use Adobe Illustrator to create a group of international friends: a white man, an Asian woman, and a Muslim woman. We will use basic shapes and warp effects, and we’ll move anchor points to deform the shape and achieve the result we want. After completing this tutorial and using some techniques, you’ll able to create any sort of person.
If you are here to get a completed character, you can find plenty of those over at GraphicRiver. But if you are here to learn something new, then let’s start our tutorial!
Also, if you like this tutorial, you might be interested in these:
1. How to Create the White Man
Step 1
After you’ve created a new document with 850 px Width and Height, we will start to create the man’s head. Take the Rounded Rectangle Tool. If it’s your very first time using AI and you can’t find this tool, then look at the Tools panel on the left side of the artboard. Click on the Rectangle Tool (M), hold for two seconds, and a pop-up menu will show up, and there you will find the Rounded Rectangle Tool. So, using the Rounded Rectangle Tool, draw a rounded rectangle. This will be the head of the man. Delete the stroke color if you have one, and set the fill color to R=247, G=197, B=156.
Then change the fill color to R=114, G=72, B=51, and now we are going to create the eye. Hit the Ellipse Tool (L) and draw a tiny circle. In order to create an even circle, hold the Shift button while creating it.
Now delete the fill color and set the stroke color to R=210, G=132, B=76. Take the Arc Tool (it’s hidden under the Line Segment Tool (/)) and draw an arc as an eyebrow.
Select the eye and eyebrow using the Selection Tool (V) while holding the Shift key. Then click on the Reflect Tool (O) and press the Enter key at the same time, because you want to make a reflection of the eye and eyebrow. A new dialogue window will pop up. Enter Axis Vertical, Angle 90 degrees, and press Copy. Move the new eye and eyebrow to the right while holding down the Shift key so it will be perfectly aligned.
Step 2
Hit the Ellipse Tool (L) and draw a white ellipse with no stroke. I added a black stroke, so you’ll be able to see it. If you have a newer version of AI, then near the selected ellipse you will notice a handle on its right side. Use this handle and move it counterclockwise until you get half of the ellipse. We will use it as a mouth.
Step 3
Place the mouth in the right position on the face.
Take the Eyedropper Tool (I) and click on the face. You just took the same fill color as the face, because you want to draw an ear with the same fill color. Grab the Ellipse Tool (L) and draw the ear.
After that, hit the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a small rectangle as the neck. Rotate it a little to the right.
Step 4
Using the Rounded Rectangle Tool, draw a long, thin rounded rectangle over the guy’s ear. Change the fill color to R=193, G=120, B=70.
Create another long rounded rectangle behind the head.
After that, add a long, horizontal ellipse using the Ellipse Tool (L) for the fringe.
While keeping the ellipse you’ve just created selected, go to Effect > Warp > Flag. In the new dialogue window, enter the options you see below and then press OK.
Step 5
Now we are going to create the man’s upper body. Using the Rectangle Tool (M), draw a rectangle under his neck. Set the fill color to R=194, G=209, B=173.
Take the Direct Selection Tool (A), and select the bottom left anchor point of the new rectangle and move it to the left using the Left Arrow key on your keyboard.
As you want to create the sleeve with the same fill color, press the Swap Fill and Stroke(Shift-X) button on the Tools panel. Then take the Line Segment Tool (/) and on the Stroke panel (Window > Stroke) check Round Cap. Increase the stroke Weight on the Stroke panel as we need it to be very thick. After that, draw a line as shown below.
Return to the Stroke panel, uncheck Round Cap, and draw a new line in order to finish off the left arm.
Finally, delete the stroke color, set the fill color to white, and add two long horizontal rectangles on the guy’s pullover.
Step 6
Let’s make the hand. Using the Eyedropper Tool (I), take the fill color from the face. Then press the Swap Fill and Stroke (Shift-X) button, because you want to turn the fill color into the stroke color.
Using the Ellipse Tool (L), draw a small ellipse. While keeping it selected, take the Scissors Tool (C) and click on its stroke, in the places I marked in the image below. As you just cut the upper side of the ellipse, you should be able to take it off and delete it. You need just the bottom part.
Step 7
Place the hand under the sleeve (Control-X, Control-B).
Then click on the sleeve in order to use the same stroke color, and using the Line Segment Tool (/), draw another sleeve. This arm will hug a woman standing close to him in the future.
Step 8
Let’s add a belt using the Rectangle Tool (M)—the fill color is R=193, G=120, B=70. Notice that the belt is behind the pullover.
Using the Rounded Rectangle Tool, add a rounded rectangle (R=250, G=178, B=91) behind the belt.
Create a long vertical rectangle with the same orange fill color.
Using the Direct Selection Tool (A), select its left bottom anchor point and shift it to the right. Then, select the right bottom anchor point and shift it to the left. That’s how we make the leg narrower at the bottom.
Then, to get another leg, make a copy of this one in front (Control-C, Control-F), and move it to the right. The trousers are done!
Step 9
Now let’s add one more detail to his pants. Draw a yellow rectangle (R=247, G=200, B=94) at the bottom on the left side of the trouser’s leg. Then, while holding the Shift and Alt keys together, move the yellow rectangle to the right. The Alt key will create a copy for you, and the Shift key will make it perfectly aligned.
Add a leg: behind the pants, draw a new rectangle which should have the same fill color as the face.
While holding the Shift and Alt buttons together, create a new leg.
Step 10
The last objects we need to create for the man are his shoes. Draw a brown rectangle (R=193, G=120, B=70).
Using the Direct Selection Tool (A), move the two top anchor points inside so you’ll get a trapezoid.
Add two tiny rounded rectangles (R=155, G=95, B=55).
Create a new copy of the mouth, rotate it upside down, change its fill color, and place it as shown below.
Finally, add a darker rectangle (R=155, G=95, B=55) for the sole. Group the whole shoe (right-click > Group).
Step 11
Transfer the shoe onto the man’s leg.
Create a new shoe and place it on the other leg. And the man is ready!
2. How to Create the Asian Woman
Step 1
Create a copy of the man’s face, and change its fill color to R=249, G=208, B=178. Then create a copy of the man’s mouth, and place it on the woman’s face.
Add two ellipses for the ears, which should have the same fill color as the face. Draw a rectangle under the face as the neck.
Step 2
Draw a small brown circle (R=114, G=72, B=51) for the first lens of the sunglasses (remember to hold the Shift button while creating).
Create a copy of this circle to get the other lens of the woman’s sunglasses.
Turn this brown fill color into the stroke color (Shift-X) and, using the Arc Tool, draw the bridge of the sunglasses between the two circles.
Create two more arcs for the temples.
Using the same tool, but a darker stroke color (R=91, G=79, B=74), draw two eyebrows.
Step 3
Now we are going to give her a hairstyle. Draw a few ellipses to create bangs for the woman.
Then add a rounded rectangle behind the head as the back hair.
Make sure you have the Corner Widget on (View > Show Corner Widget). Now, select the two bottom anchor points of the back hair using the Direct Selection Tool (A), and slide them out. You should end up with a shape that has two smooth upper corners and two sharp bottom corners.
While keeping the back hair selected (just be sure you selected it by using the Selection Tool (V)), go to Effect > Warp > Fish. In the new dialogue window, enter the options you see below and press OK.
Step 4
Add a white rectangle which will be her top.
Let’s add a neckline under the woman’s neck. Make sure the top is selected, take the Add Anchor Point Tool (+) or just the Pen Tool (P), and click under the woman’s neck, right where it is marked in the image below. Add three anchor points close to each other.
Then take the Direct Selection Tool (A) and move the middle anchor point down. See the neckline now?
Add a longer rectangle under her shirt, which will be the body.
Change the fill color we used for the body and face and make it the stroke color. Grab the Line Segment Tool (/) and make sure you increased the stroke Weight on the Stroke panel. Then draw an arm.
Finally, add another one.
Step 5
Delete the stroke color and set the fill color to R=155, G=95, B=55. Draw a rounded rectangle for the backpack behind the woman’s body, but in front of the hair.
Delete the fill color and set the stroke color to R=193, G=120, B=70. Draw two narrow lines for the backpack straps. They should stay in front of everything.
Finally, add two more backpack straps behind the backpack, but in front of the hair.
Step 6
To create the skirt, start with a red horizontal rectangle (R=242, G=128, B=109) for the belt.
Then add a bigger, vertically oriented red rectangle.
While keeping it selected, go to Effect > Warp > Bulge, and enter the options you see below.
Step 7
To create the woman’s leg, we will create a few different shapes. Return to the man, create a copy of one of his trouser’s legs, and stretch it vertically. Change its fill color to R=249, G=208, B=178.
Add an ellipse on the top left side of the stretched rectangle.
Using the Direct Selection Tool (A), move the handles and anchor points of the ellipse to achieve a result similar to the one below.
After that, add a new ellipse under the previous one. Group the leg (right-click > Group).
Step 8
Place the leg on the left side of the woman’s body.
As you can see, I created a copy of the man’s shoe, changed it a little, and gave it to the woman. Keep her shoe in yellow tones, but actually there is no need to follow the exact RGB numbers.
Select the whole leg with the shoe. Take the Reflect Tool (O) and, while holding down the Alt key, click close to the right side of the existing leg. In the new dialogue window, enter Axis Vertical, Angle 90 degrees, and press Copy. The Asian woman is ready!
3. How to Place the Two People Together
Be sure that each character is grouped separately, so that it will be easy to move them. Now you can place them together and see if everything looks good. If you need to change the positions of their arms, use the Direct Selection Tool (A) and move one anchor point of the arm, as each arm is a line, and adjust the position however you want.
4. How to Create the Muslim Woman
Step 1
As you can already guess, you can take a copy of the previous woman’s face, change the skin color (R=216, G=158, B=104), change the colors of the eyes and eyebrows (R=91, G=79, B=74), and leave the same mouth color. Make the new face a bit smaller, because usually you can just see the face without hair on Muslim women.
Create a new pink rounded rectangle (R=252, G=173, B=162) behind the face.
Add a pink vertical ellipse behind the rounded rectangle.
Add two horizontal ellipses under the head.
Delete the fill color, and set the stroke color to R=242, G=146, B=136. Now, using the Arc Tool, draw a few arcs as shown in the image below to create the folds of her hijab.
Step 2
Create a yellow rectangle (R=247, G=200, B=94) behind the woman’s head. Move the top right anchor point to the left so it’s covered by her hijab. Change the yellow fill color into the stroke color, and draw a thick line as her right arm.
Draw her other arm, but this time don’t check the Round Cap button on the Stroke panel. Change the stroke color to R=216, G=158, B=104 and use the Arc Tool to draw her hand.
Decrease the Weight of the stroke on the Stroke panel and draw her thumb.
Step 3
On to the legs. A mint-colored rectangle (the same fill color as the man’s pullover) on the left side will be the woman’s left leg.
Make a copy of the previous woman’s shoe, change the fill color to some red tones, and then place it behind the trouser leg.
Select the whole leg with the shoe, hold the Shift and Alt buttons together, and move it to the right. The Muslim woman is done!
5. Bring the Group of Friends Together
Place the new character next to the two friends we’ve already created. Make sure the Muslim woman’s right arm goes in front of the Asian woman’s hair but behind her body.
Select the Muslim woman’s thumb, so the stroke color will stay in the memory. Then, using the Line Segment Tool (/), draw her fingers on the other woman’s backpack. Now everybody is hugging each other.
6. How to Create the Background and Scenery
Step 1
Delete the stroke color and set the fill color to R=254, G=244, B=232. Take the Rectangle Tool (M) and click on your artboard. In the new dialogue window, enter 850 px Width and Height. This will be our background.
Cut off the background (Control-X) and place it behind everything you’ve created so far (Control-B). Make sure your background stays in the middle of your artboard.
Step 2
Use a slightly darker fill color and draw a rectangle under the friends, which will represent the floor.
Step 3
Grab the Star Tool and create a giant star behind the friends. And that’s it!
Conclusion
What an image! I hope you learned something new and had fun creating it. I appreciate that you went through this tutorial with me. Feel free to post your results down below.