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This Magic Texture Creates an Engraved Money Effect in Photoshop!

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How to Create Textures in Illustrator Part 1

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how to design custom figure illustrations in adobe illustrator tutorial

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How to Design Custom Figure Illustrations from Photo in Adobe Illustrator Tutorial (intermediate)

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How to Make a Linocut Look with Adobe Illustrator | Adobe Creative Cloud

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This is an advanced tutorial using Illustrator and Photoshop

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Master dynamic gradients in Adobe Illustrator

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Create soft gradients to add depth and beauty to your vector artworks.

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This tutorial focuses on creating a vibrant, poppy portrait in Adobe Illustrator. Using bright colors, transparent gradients, and a sense of whimsy, you'll be constructing facial features and candy hair in no time.

Step 1

Get your sketch ready.
Either fire up Photoshop or some other drawing program, or scan in some pencils. Your sketch can inform you of anything from a simple idea to your full color profile.

Step 2

Using the Pen Tool (P), either trace the contour of the face you've drawn, or build it anew with a simple circle and some angled lines to create the jaw.

Technically, if you want to create a full head, that circle should be much higher up. This face will be edited a bit as we go along.

Here's how my Layers panel currently looks, with my two shapes for the head and a solid filled Rectangle (M) as the background.

Step 3

Ears, neck, hair, and simple background elements. Your focus is to color block the main components in your composition. It's in this stage that you find balance in your piece or making any changes to the contour of the shapes.

Group like shapes together for easier layer management (Ctrl + G).

Step 4

One major component of bright, colorful artwork is deciding if you're using black or not. In this case, all darker colors are purples, pinks, and reds.

Start the eyes by outlining their basic shape with the Pen Tool (P).

Create a second shape inside of your newly drawn eye cavity. This will be key in creating the perfect outline of the eye.

Select both shapes and hit Exclude in the Pathfinder panel (first option from the right).

Fill in the rest of the eye (shape for the white of the eye, rounded shape for the iris, etc).

Step 5

Trace the mouth with a light pink. For such a cute pout, you can trace half of the mouth space, Copy and Paste, and flip it horizontally. In order to easily flip your shape, left click to select, right click for options. Hover over Transform and choose Reflect. Choose Vertical axis.

Use the Pathfinder tool to Unite both shapes once properly aligned (first option from the left).

For now, draw a simple shape with the Pen Tool (P) for the inside of the mouth (make it purple), and add a circle of lighter and transparent pink over top for the bubble.

Step 6

Create a shape for the shadow under the nose (or at the end) with the Pen (P) or Pencil Tool (N). Select the Gradient panel for this shape. You'll want it to go from the main skin color to a darker shade (-90 degrees if you're following this example). Reduce the transparency to your liking. You'll follow the same steps to create gradient shapes for shading/rendering in this piece.

Create a shape that follows the contour of the top plane of the nose. Choose your gradient colors based on the main skin tone and something lighter (in this case it's a bit creamier in tone).

Step 7

For the nostrils, the two shapes are the same (Copy and Paste, flipped over a vertical axis), but with a radial gradient. The transparency on the gradient colors themselves are reduced heavily so the change from the base color to the highlight color happens gradually.
You can push the nose further with more transparent gradient shapes, allowing it to pop out from the face.

Group your nose shapes when done (Ctrl + G).

Step 8

Select the white of the eyes.

Make it a linear gradient going from a dark purple-gray to white and back to the dark purple-gray again. Move the gradient tabs to your liking so the shadows of the whites of the eyes are closer to the edges, but have a smooth transition to the bright center. Create some shapes of a dark purple (lower the Opacity) for shadows within the eye cavity.

Arrange these shadows under the eye outline, but above the eye white, iris, and pink eye bits.

Step 9

In case you like your eyes to pop with cutesy color, this step is right up your alley. I used a dark purple for the pupil and outlined it with a light lavender circle (no color fill, Stroke Weight set to 0.5pt).

To add more interest to the eye, I added some more transparent gradients around the iris and created a pink flower shape to go between the purple iris and the shadow shapes.

For the highlight, I used a light yellow gradient to pink, both with varying transparencies.

If applicable to your face shape, you can Copy and Paste the eye details and such to the other eye. Or draw them anew for a more dynamic image.

Step 10

Start with a shape that begins beneath the hair and ends slightly below the eyes.

This will be a gradient similar to those on the nose, going from the base skin color to a darker skin tone (in this case, it has pink and brown tones).

Step 11

For the sides of the face, Copy, Paste, and Align the base face shape with itself. Then create a shape similar to the one shown: something that defines the bottom of the chin, sides of the cheeks, and temples. The linear gradient will go from shadow color to transparent base color back to shadow. Adjust as you see fit.

Step 12

Select the duplicate face base and the shadow shape, open Pathfinder and hit the third button from the left to delete the extra pieces of the shape.

You will now have a shadow shape that fits the face perfectly. Place above the base face shape in your Layers panel.

Step 12

Add whatever other shadows you feel fit your piece. In this case, one under the hair that mimics the contour lets the candy-colored hair pop off the face.

Eyelids and forehead were also tended to in order to make the face less flat.

Step 13

Even though the bubblegum will overshadow the mouth, I still find it important to take time to render it properly.
The top lip is darker than the bottom.

The inside of the mouth has depth. Transparent shapes work well to define the shadows between the upper and lower lips. Define shadows, cracks, and highlights on the mouth in the same manner the eyes and nose were rendered. Stick to reds, pinks, and creamy yellows.

Step 14

The eyebrows were changed to a darker purple. The eyes got a bit of liner as well (see the purple below the lashes). Same goes for the nostrils. also rendered slightly were the ears. Note that detail shapes on the eyes and nose are shades of dark pink versus the purple being used for the eyes or dark, dark shadows.

Step 15

The key to hair is to think of it in sections versus in strands. In this case, we have two pigtails, bangs, and two sections over the head. Starting with the right section over the head I chose a redder version of the bubblegum pink to define the part in the hair and the space around the puffy bangs.

I'll also use this color to define the contour of the bangs. They'll mimic cotton candy, clouds, or wads of gum.

Continue this process through out.

Step 16

We've got some rounded pigtail shapes to shade.

Much like the lips, the hair has some shiny bits which are transparent gradients that go pink to creamy yellow.

Using a darker gradient, define their edges along with overlapping hair shapes.

Step 17

Dark mauve serves as a good color to define the hair part as well as the edge of the bangs from the face.

Step 18

This whole time I've had the bubble shape set as invisible. Make it visible once more, Copy and Paste the shape twice.

See the picture for how to align the shapes over the base bubble so we can have a perfectly fitting shadow.

Follow the same steps from rendering the face.

Set this new shape as a darker, transparent gradient.

Step 19

Follow the same steps as those from outlining the eye cavity (smaller shape inside larger shape, Pathfinder to delete so only an outline is left).

Use a light peach for this step and reduce the transparency.

Add some light, creamy circles of various transparencies for hot spots on the bubble (make sure you don't obscure the mouth too much).

Step 20

Fill in whatever you need in the background to make the portrait pop forward. In this case, I used a radial gradient (dark blue to light blue), added some clouds, and set a radial gradient of pink to white to purple on the rainbows to give them a ribbon-like effect.

Conclusion

Here's our final portrait. A candy-colored bubblegum girl infused with blindingly bright colors. May all your work be just as bright and happy!

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How to Create a Colorful Stylized Portrait in Adobe Illustrator

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This tutorial focuses on creating a vibrant, poppy portrait in Adobe Illustrator. Using bright colors, transparent gradients, and a sense of whimsy, you'll be constructing facial features and candy hair in no time. Get your sketch ready. Either fire up Photoshop or some other drawing program, or scan in some pencils.

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In this tutorial we're going to talk about how to create an illustrated self-portrait in a geometric style. We'll be using a photograph of ourselves as the base of the illustration, drawing a sketch from that, and then creating the final piece. Let's get started!

Since posting this tutorial, readers have been inspired to create their own self portraits in this style. Check out what they've achieved over on a special edition of Tuts+ Workshop: Created by You.

You can also find some inspiration by searching on Envato Market. Check out this set of geometric portraits, for example. Or if you're not confident in your own skills, get an expert designer to create a vector portrait for you.

Step 1

First, we take or select a photo. Because we're going for a symmetrical look, make sure you get a close up shot of your entire face and shoulders. In this case I'm going to take a picture with my webcam. It's not necessary for it to be a perfect shot as this is just the base of our illustration.

Step 2

Now, create a New Document (cmd+N or ctrl+N) in Adobe Illustrator with an artboard size of 600 x 480px.

We are going to organize the layers as follows:

The top layer is named "Draw". This is were we'll do our illustration.

Below the "Draw" layer is the "Sketch" layer.

Below that is the "Photo" where we are going place the photo we just took.

Finally the "Background" layer. In this layer draw a square the same size as the artboard (600 x 480px) and fill it in with a grey color, this in case you have to draw things in white or light colors.

Step 3

Lock the "Background" and "Photo" layers.
In the "Sketch" layer, using the Blob Brush Tool (Shift + B), we draw our sketch using the photo as a guide. Try to do the lines straight and simplify as many details as you can. For example the hair, or in this case the glasses are like octagons, as geometry is the base of this style.

Step 4

Now you can delete the "Photo" layer. Don't worry if your sketch is a little messy, this is just our guide for the self portrait.

Step 5

Change the Opacity of the sketch to 30% and lock the "Sketch" layer.

Now, start drawing from back to front using the Pen Tool (P). With a 1pt Black Stroke Weight, start tracing the hair, using only straight lines.

Step 6

For the t-shirt, just draw one half of it, then Copy (Cmd + C) and Paste in front (Cmd + F).

Use the Reflect Tool (O) and flip the path.

Select both paths and use the Pathfinder > Unite option. Almost everything in the illustration can be done this way: copying, reflecting and Unite.

Step 7

Now, draw the neck of the shirt. This can be done with the Polygon Tool.

Then place the shapes at the base of the neck.

Step 8

Use the same process with the head shape. Draw an octagon and then select the top nodes. Move them with the arrow keys and/or adjust with the Scale Tool.

The same shape can be duplicated and used for the face. Then use Pathfinder > Minus Front on another duplicate to trim the neck shape as shown below.

Step 9

To add detail, you can use the shape you've already created. For instance, in the example below, to add detail to the neck you can duplicate the shape for the face and enlarge it. Then duplicate again the base shape of the neck and use Pathfinder > Intersect.

Step 10

Add a little more detail to the illustration with the Pen Tool (P) and Shape Tools. Remember to take advantage of the shapes you have created previously and duplicate them to use with Pathfinder.
We're going to leave the face until the end of the drawing process.

Step 11

Press D, and your illustration should look something like the below. Rearrange the shapes if required.

I've needed to rearrange the shapes of the head and the front of my hair.

Step 12

Now we'll approach the face. Here we're going to apply all the techniques we've already used-like the use of the Pathfinder, Scale Tool, Reflect Tool, etc.
Let's begin.

To create the lips, we can start with a hexagon. Pull the side nodes and use the Scale Tool to modify the shape. Then draw a triangle and align it to the center.
Use Pathfinder > Minus Front to remove the triangle from the top of the lip.
Then Copy and Paste in Front the lips and scale the shape to the middle to create the parting in the lips. Modify the nodes at the top sides of the lips with the Direct Selection Tool (A).

Step 13

For the eyes, we begin with an octagon. Using the Eraser Tool (Shift + E), remove the lower section of the shape.
Then, Copy by moving the path with Shift + Alt keys to Copy the object while moving it downwards.
Duplicate the basic form and apply Minus Front in the Pathfinder. This is the shadow of the eye. Duplicate it further to create the eyelash.
To add more details, draw a little octagon for the iris and duplicate the basic form and transform it to make the lower eyelid.
Finally, add some details-and it's done!
Since the eyes are looking in the same direction, we can just duplicate one, move it over, and be done.

Step 14

For the nose, we start with an octagon again.
First, modify some nodes and add some anchor points to get the base shape of the nose. Then draw some octagons and other simple shapes to add volume and detail. Remember to use the Pathfinder and Align to keep symmetry in the drawing.

Step 15

The glasses are very simple. Just an octagon slightly modified, then Copy and Paste in Front and Scale to form detail. Then apply Minus Front with Pathfinder.
Finally duplicate and add detail to finish the glasses.

At this point, our illustration should look something like this.

Step 16

We're now going to generate our color palette.
First select your colors for light and shadows. Draw squares with fills of the colors you're going to use for the different parts of the portrait. I've picked six colors, three are for the highlights and three are for shadows.

Step 17

With the Blend Tool (W), first click on the light color and then on the darker color. The result will be a smooth blend between the two.

Go to Object > Blend > Blend Options and change the option to Specified Steps. Input the value "5" and click on OK.

Step 18

Now select the blend and go to Object > Expand. Now you can use the colors and add them to the Swatch panel by selecting them and clicking on the New Color Group button.

You can also add a name and save the palette for future illustrations.

This is our color palette, for the eyes and details we just change the option of the Blend to Specific Steps of 2 instead of 5.

Step 19

Now, we are going to draw a line down the center of our illustration. We select the hair and lock it with Cmd + 2. Then select the line and go to Object > Path > Divide Objects Below. This is going to cut all the paths that are behind that line.

With all the objects divided we can Unlock the hair by pressing Cmd + Alt + 2 and start to apply our colors!

Step 20

I suggest placing your colors on the canvas, close to your art, so you can apply them with the Eyedropper Tool (I). Click to grab the color and then hold Alt and Click on the object to which you want to apply that color.

There's a side of highlights and a side of shadows. Try to play with the colors to give the illustration life. For example, in the skin in the side of highlights, you can use the first 3 colors for the base skin but in the nose, lips and eyes from the 3 to the 6 color.
In the shadow from 2 to 4 to the base color and 4 to 7 for the nose (the same goes for the clothes and hair).

Step 21

To draw the beard and moustache, draw a small rectangle with the Rectangle Tool (M). Alt+Drag to copy the path and then press Cmd + D to repeat the last action. Group all and Align in to the center of the face shape.
Our self portrait is almost done.

Step 22

To finish the illustration, you can add some details such as more shadows or little ears by adjusting some nodes, etc.

Conclusion

Our final illustration! I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial. If you do follow this tutorial and create your own self portrait, please post it in the comments so we can see your result. Saludos amigos!

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How to Create a Self-Portrait in a Geometric Style

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In this tutorial we're going to talk about how to create an illustrated self-portrait in a geometric style. We'll be using a photograph of ourselves as the base of the illustration, drawing a sketch from that, and then creating the final piece. Let's get started!

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Software: Illustrator CS4 or later

Project time: 1-2 hours

Skills: Use the Pathfinder panel to knock out and combine shapes, Apply vector textures to shapes

Download the support file here

In this tutorial, I'll explain how to create a T-shirt design by creating some cool retro graphics just a few simple steps. Using Illustrator, we'll form some simple vector shapes with the Pen tool and then add textures for a retro aesthetic.

We'll also use the Pathfinder panel extensively, particularly the 'Add to shape area' and 'Subtract from shape area' commands. I'll then walk through how to add interest with a limited colour panel.

Step 01

First of all, open T-shirt.ai from the support files: this will act as the background for your design. Build some geometric hand shapes in Illustrator using the Ellipse and Rounded Rectangle tools. The fingers are rounded rectangles that have been cut in half using the 'Subtract from shape area' command on the Pathfinder panel. The top shape will always subtract from the one below. When you're happy, hit 'Add to shape area' on the Pathfinder panel to make the hand one big shape. Make sure that you select 'Make Compound Shape' after you subtract or add, and then hit Expand.

Step 02

Round off the areas where the digits join the hand by creating some curved shapes and hitting 'Subtract from shape area'. Next, duplicate the hand so that there's another one below. Rotate it 180deg to make a rectangle area: this is where we'll place the camera, as seen in the final image.

Step 03

Using the Pen, Rectangle and Ellipse tools, create a range of geometric shapes. Then combine them to build up the image of a camera (or whatever you like). When you're happy, fill in the shapes with colour. Notice how you can use the dark blue in the background as a third colour for some in-laid shapes.

Step 04

Let's add some detail to the eye using a dashed stroke. Select the Ellipse tool and create a circle just larger than the pupil. Click the dashed line option on the Stroke panel, and adjust the weight and dash values to form thin segments that go around the circle evenly. In the Stroke panel, change 'Align Stroke to Centre' to 'Align Stroke to Inside'. Next, select the shape and go to Object>Expand Appearance to change the selection from a dashed stroke to a shape. Use the 'Add to shape area' command to join it together. Do this again to make the 'click-wheel' shape at the top of the camera.

Step 05

Open the vector_textures.ai file. Copy and paste the woodgrain texture over your T-shirt file, and scale and position it so that it fits over the camera appropriately. Now select both the wood grain and the shape you wish to subtract from.

Step 06

Use the 'Subtract from shape area' command, select Make Compound Shape and hit Expand. Now we have a retro woodgrain panel on our camera. Head back to the vector_textures.ai file. Copy and paste the splatter shape over to your T-shirt file. Scale and position it over the camera, and select both the splatter and some of the circles that make up the lens shape. Go to 'Subtract from shape area', select Make Compound Shape and hit Expand to knock out some splatter. Go to Object>Arrange to keep the shapes in order once the splatter has been subtracted.

Step 07

Let's add some dimension to the camera without using a third colour, gradients or anything that will complicate the T-shirt printing process. Select the Pen tool and draw some shapes around the camera. Combine these using the 'Add to shape area' command (don't forget to select Make Compound Shape and hit Expand).

Step 08

Copy and paste the vector_textures.ai file over to your T-shirt and place it in the areas underneath the camera shape using Object>Arrange (paste it multiple times if needed). Combine your halftone shapes using the addition function. Now use the 'Intersect shape areas' command in the Pathfinder panel to cut what you want from the halftones. Select both the camera dimension shape and the halftone shape, hit 'Intersect shape areas', choose Make Compound Shape, then Expand. Make it the colour of the shirt.

Step 09

We need to add some texture to the hands. Combine both hands with the 'Add to shape area' command. Duplicate them and move the copies so that they offset the original hands. Paste and arrange the halftones so that they're under the offset hands. Combine the halftone shapes and use the subtract tool to knock out the halftones with the duplicated hands. Now copy and paste the original hands in place. Arrange them so that they're above the dots. Select the new hands and the remaining dots, and use the 'Intersect shape areas' command to reveal a shadow on the hands. Make the dots light blue.

Step 10

Draw some rectangles for 'arms' and arrange them so they're behind the camera. Now use the Pen tool to draw a shape that looks like a flash burst. Paste the halftone dots under the shape and use the 'Intersect shape areas' command to reveal a halftone flash burst. Lastly, delete some of the dots on the palm of the bottom hand and draw a rectangle to close the rounded parts of the hand. Use the 'Add to shape area' command to combine the hand and the rectangle. This hand now looks like the backside is facing forward. And you're done.
This tutorial first appeared in Computer Arts magazine.
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Create a retro T-shirt design in 10 easy steps using Illustrator

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Software: Illustrator CS4 or later Project time: 1-2 hours Skills: Use the Pathfinder panel to knock out and combine shapes, Apply vector textures to shapes Download the support file here In this tutorial, I'll explain how to create a T-shirt design by creating some cool retro graphics just a few simple steps.

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What You'll Be Creating

In this tutorial I will show you how to create a natural mountain landscape in flat design using the most basic shapes and tools of Adobe Illustrator.

If you would like to skip the tutorial, you can just purchase the result as a part of my Camping Travel Landscape package. Find more inspiration for Travel Designs on GraphicRiver.

Follow along with us over on our Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel:

1. How to Create a New Document

First we need to set up a New Document ( File > New or Control-N) with these settings:

From the Advanced Tab:

2. How to Set Up the Layers

It would be a good idea to organize our project using layers, since this way we can easily focus on each part of our landscape.

Bring up the Layers panel, and create five layers, renaming each of them as follows:

Lock all but the first "lake" layer. To Lock layers, click the Edit Column button (to the right of the eye icon) in the Layers panel for each layer you want to lock.

I prefer to do it the faster way by Alt-Clicking the Edit Column button in the Layers panel for the only layer I want to stay unlocked.

3. How to Create the Mountain Lake

Step 1

Start to build a mountain lake by creating a 900 x 58 px light blue #4bafe3 rectangle in the bottom part of the artboard with the help of the Rectangle Tool (M).

Make one more 580 x 40 px shape of the same color, placing it under the bottom edge of the first one closer to the left side.

Step 2

Using the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the corners of the large rectangle or just click inside the shape, holding down Shift. You can see the Live Corner Widget shown inside the corners. Make the shape's corners fully rounded by pulling the circle indicators to the center. You can also use Effect > Stylize > Round Corners.

Use the same method to round the corners of the smaller rectangle.

Select both objects and merge them into one object, using the Unite option of the Pathfinder panel.

Step 3

Select the blue shape and Copy it, using Control-C. Click Control-Bto get a Duplicate behind the main object. Move it a few pixels lower and change the color to #406e85.

Step 4

Select the top edge of the light blue figure with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and Copy it by clicking Control-C. Press Control-F to get a Duplicate of the top side line in front of the main shape. Change the Fill color of the line to None and Stroke color to black. Set the Stroke weight to 3-4 px, making the stripe stand out from the main shape.

Choose the line and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Zig Zag. Change the Size value to 3 px, Absolute. And set Ridges per segment equal to 27. Select Smooth Points and click OK, getting the wavy line. Go to Object > Expand Appearance to apply the effect.

Step 5

Select both the left and the right side anchors of the wavy stripe with the Direct Selection Tool (A), and use Control-J to join the open path, getting a closed shape as a result.

Drag the resulting wavy shape right onto the top edge of the main blue figure and change its Fill color to #4bafe3 and Stroke color to None. Select the wavy shape together with the large blue form and merge them into one object, using the Unite option of the Pathfinder panel.

Step 6

Choose the main blue form and press Enter to open the Move window. Set the Horizontal Position value to 0 px and the Vertical position valueto -10 px, and click on the Copy button. Set the Fill color of the new shape to #73d0ff and place it to the back with the help of Shift-Control-[.

Repeat all the actions for the newly created figure to get another Duplicate behind it. Change the Fill of the second copy to #ace5f6.

Group all the shapes together with Control-G, aligning them to the middle of the artboard.

Step 7

Now we are going to add some details to the lake to make it more real.

Take the Ellipse tool (L) and create a 22 x 10 px ellipse, filling it with #ace5f6 color. Convert the left and right anchor points from smooth to sharp corners by clicking on them with the Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C), getting the leaf-like shape (1).

Draw a horizontal line across the middle of the figure which passes through both sharp anchors. Divide both shapes in Pathfinder (2), Ungroup (Control-Shift-G) them, and Delete the top half (3).

Use the Move option window to create two more copies at the same distance (4). Group (Control-G) all the shapes.

Spread the copies of our group over the lake, making the sun's glittering reflections (5), something like what we see on the water's surface on a sunny day.

Step 8

Make an 8.5 x 21 px ellipse of #fff75a color with the help of the Ellipse Tool (L). Click on the top anchor with the Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C), converting it to a sharp corner.

Select the left and right anchors of the ellipse with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and move them down by a few pixels, resulting in a drop-like shape.

Choose the yellow shape, take the Rotate Tool (R), and then Alt-click on the bottom anchor point of our figure. In the Rotate panel, set the Angle to 20° and click the Copy button. Press Control-D one more time to repeat the last action, getting two more copies. Select both copies and move them slightly to the bottom.

Step 9

Keeping the copies selected, choose the Reflect Tool (O). Holding the Alt key, click on the top anchor of the vertical yellow figure. In the Reflect option window, set the Axis to Vertical and press Copy, reflecting both shapes to the right side of the vertical form. Group (Control-G) the yellow shapes. It will be the blossom of the water lily.

Build a 62 x 6.5 rectangle, Filling it with #c1db35 and making the corners rounded with the help of the Live Widget feature.

Place the yellow blossom closer to the right side of the green figure, hiding its bottom part behind the rectangle.

Create a 13 x 13 px circle Filled with this #fff75acolor and send it backward with Object > Arrange > Send Backward. Then place the circle closer to the right side of the green rectangle, hiding its bottom edge behind the figure. Group (Control-G) all the parts together.

Step 10

Using the same methods as in the two previous steps, create a small fish of #ace5f6 color.

Spread the copies of fishes and water lilies over the lake surface as shown in the example below.

4. How to Create the Meadow and the Forest

Lock all the layers but the "main" layer.

Step 1

Let's start to create the bulrush by building a 1.7 x 55 px vertical rectangle, with #66801b for the color of the stalk.

Make one more 4.25 x 17 px rectangle, which we will color using#696354. Use the Live Corners feature to make the corners of the shape fully rounded.

Put the brown shape on the top of the green stalk, making its bottom part overlap the top of the stalk and aligning to its middle.

Using the Pen Tool (P), draw simple triangle-like shapes of #66801b color for the leaves on the bottom part of the stalk. Group (Control-G) all the bulrush parts together.

Step 2

Build an 82 x 78 px rectangle of #c1db35 color, making its top part fully rounded with the help of the Live Corners feature. Draw a vertical line which goes across the middle and the top anchor of the shape.

Divide both shapes in Pathfinder and Ungroup (Control-Shift-G) them. Color the left half with #79981f. Make a small circle of #99ba38 color on the right half of the large figure. Copy the circle and spread the copies over the right part, making it textured. Group (Control-G) all the parts together. This will be the bush.

Create a smaller Copy of the bush near the first one and drag both bushes to the left side of the lake, hiding their bottom parts behind the waves.

Make a few copies of the bulrush that we created previously, and place them on the right side of the lake, hiding the bottom part of the stalks behind the water line.

Step 3

Start to create the shore by building a 1075 x 57 px rectangle with a #a2c430 Fill color. Make if fully rounded and align it to the middle of the lake. Send it backward with Object > Arrange > Send to Back.

Select the green rectangle and Copy it with Control-C. Click Control-B to get a Duplicate behind the main object. Move it down by a few pixels and change the color to #406e85. Group (Control-G) the rectangles and place them behind the lake.

Step 4

Let's continue adding details to the shore by creating a 14 x 14 px rectangle with a #79981f Fill color. Choose the Add Anchor Point Tool (+) and click on the middle of the top edge of the rectangle, adding one more anchor point. Delete the left and right top anchors with the Delete Anchor Point Tool (-), getting the triangle shape (1).

Select the triangle with the Selection Tool (V) and press Enter to open the Move options window. Set the Horizontal Position value to 0 px and Vertical position valueto 14 px, and click on the Copy button. Press Control-D to repeat the action, and continue pressing Control-D to add 17 copies (2). Group (Control-G) them together. This will be the grass.

Create a 110 x 100 px circle with a #7a7462 Fill color. Draw a horizontal line which goes across the middle and side anchors of the shape. Select both figures and Divide them, using the Pathfinder panel (3). Ungroup (Control-Shift-G) the shapes and Delete the bottom part. This figure will act as a stone. Create a smaller stone of #8f8873 color (4).

Combine and copy stones and grass, spreading them behind the ground rectangle. Don't forget to use Object > Arrange > Send to Back for the objectsto place them behind the ground rectangle. Add one or more copies of the bush we created previously. You can use an example below as a reference (5), but feel free to make different combinations of grass, bushes, and stones.

Step 5

Now we are going to work on the forest background. Build a 1030 x 40 px rectangle with #d0f341 color, aligning it to the middle of the artboard. Round its corners, send it backward with Object > Arrange > Send to Back, and place it behind the larger green rectangle, making its bottom part overlap the top edge of the larger figure.

Step 6

To form the forest we will need two types of trees: fir trees shaped like a triangle, and leaf trees shaped like a circle.

Create a 140 x 235 px rectangle with a #d0f341 Fill color. Click on the middle of the top edge of the rectangle with the Add Anchor Point Tool (+), adding one more anchor point. Delete the left and right top anchors with the Delete Anchor Point Tool (-), getting the triangle shape.

Make a vertical line which goes across the middle and the top anchor of the shape. Divide both figures in Pathfinder and Ungroup (Control-Shift-G) them, coloring the left half into #a2c430. Create a small rectangle of #a2c430 color, Copy it, and spread the copies over the right part of the tree, making it textured. Group all parts and send the tree to back with Object > Arrange > Send to Back.

Step 7

Let's make the crown of the second tree by building a 165 x 165 circle which we will Fill with #d0f341 color.

Draw a vertical line across the middle and anchors of the shape.

Divide both shapes in Pathfinder and Ungroup (Control-Shift-G) them. Color the left half with #a2c430. Add a few small rounded rectangles of #a2c430 color to the right half for a textured effect. Add a trunk with a #7a7462 Fill color to the bottom of the crown.

Group (Control-G) all the parts and send them to the back with Object > Arrange > Send to Back.

Step 8

Let's place our trees in a row behind the back rounded rectangle shape, Duplicating some of them and varying the sizes to form a balanced composition. Add a few more of the brushes we've created already.

Leave a space in the middle of the forest for the hills and the mountains which we will be creating in the following steps. The result should look like this:

5. How to Create the Hills

Lock all the layers except the "hills" layer.

Step 1

With the help of the Pen Tool (P), create the wavy shape with a #8ead28 Fill color.

Select the figure, and then choose the Reflect Tool (O) and, holding the Alt key, click on the bottom right anchor. In the Reflect option window, set the Axis to Vertical and press Copy, reflecting the shape to the right side.

Merge both shapes into one with the Unite option of the Pathfinder panel, getting the hill.

Step 2

Put the hill behind the main scene, placing it closer to the right side. Make a smaller Copy of the darker green color (#79981f) on the left side of the landscape, hiding it behind the first shape. All the side and bottom parts of our hills should be hidden behind the trees, bushes, and the ground level.

Step 3

First, select the left hill that we created in the previous steps.

Right-click and choose Isolate Selected Group from the drop-down menu. The isolated hill appears in full color, while the rest of the artwork appears dimmed.

Take the Pen Tool (P) and build a vertical zig-zag line crossing the hill shape. Set the Fill of the line to None, the Stroke Weight to 9 px, and the Stroke Color to #66801b. Make the corners of the line rounded by choosing them with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and dragging the Live Corners markers.

Choose the line and go to Object > Expand. Check the Stroke option, and uncheck the Fill option, pressing OK. Our stroke will transform into a filled shape

Let's cut off the parts of the path that stand outside the hill. Select the overlapping path together with the hill shape, and use the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M) by holding down the Alt key and clicking the unwanted pieces to Delete them.

Press OK and Escape to exit isolation mode or, using the Selection Tool (V), double-click outside of the isolated group.

Step 4

Unlock the "main" layer. Select one leaf and one fir tree and Copy them. Lock the "main" layer again and go back to the "hills" layer. Press Control-V or go to Edit > Paste, getting the copies of our trees on the "hills" layer.

Spread the trees over the hills, Duplicating some of them and varying the sizes to fill the empty space.

Step 5

Create silhouettes of the background hills by making Duplicates of the previously created hills, changing their Fill colors to #515c1b and making taller or shorter shapes with the help of the Selection Tool (V).

You should get something like this:

6. How to Create the Mountains

Lock all the layers but the "mountains" layer.

Step 1

Let's start to form the mountain shape by creating a 582 x 540 px rectangle, Filling it with #99927b color.

Take the Add Anchor Point Tool (+) and click on the middle of the top edge of the rectangle, adding one more anchor point. Delete the left and right top anchors with the Delete Anchor Point Tool (-), getting the triangle shape.

Step 2

With the help of the Line Segment Tool (/), build a 400 px Width black Stroke without Fill, positioning it under the top part of the rectangle, leaving a gap of about 200 px from the top anchor and aligning it to the middle of the rectangle.

Select the line and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Zig Zag. Set the Size value to 10 px, Absolute. And set Ridges per segment equal to 9. Select Smooth Points and click OK. Go to Object > Expand Appearance to apply the effect.

Choose the triangle shape and Copy it, using Control-C. Click Control-F to get a Duplicate on top of the triangle. Select the duplicate and the line using the Divide option of the Pathfinder panel, dividing our triangle into two shapes. Ungroup them and remove the bottom part. Color the upper remaining figure with #e2f0e9, getting the snowy top of the mountain.

Step 3

Create a narrower Copy of the triangle in front of the first one and change its color to #99927b, forming slight shadows on the mountain. Build a narrower Duplicate of the shadow part in the front of it, coloring the new one with #87806c.

Now our mountain looks more detailed and interesting.

Step 4

Now that the basic view of the mountain is ready, let's add a flat-style shadow, covering one half of the rock.

Select the back triangle shape, Copy it and Paste in Front (Control-C > Control-F). Keeping the duplicate selected, go to Object > Arrange > Bring to Front, placing the copy in front of the mountain. Select the bottom right anchor of the triangle with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and drag it to the center, aligning to the middle anchor.

Change the Blending Mode of the resulting triangle to Multiply while lowering the Opacity levels to 40% in the Transparency panel, getting the shadow. Group (Control-G) all the mountain parts together.

Step 5

Put the mountain on the main scene, hiding its bottom part behind the hills. Create two smaller mountains to the left and to the right of the main rock, making them overlap the larger mountain and placing them in front of it.

Form two more triangle mountain silhouettes with a #659cad Fill color behind the main landscape, finishing the composition.

7. How to Create the Background

We are almost done with our mountain landscape. But we still need a background depicting sky, sun, and clouds.

Let's start by Locking all the layers except the "sky" layer.

Step 1

Build a 1200 x 1200 px square of #77b8cc, aligning it to the middle of the artboard.

Step 2

To fill the empty space and add depth to our landscape, create cloud-like shapes of #9accdb color behind the mountains with the help of the Pen Tool (P) or the Rectangle Tool (M), making the corners of the resulting figures rounded.

Step 3

Start to build the cloud by creating two overlapping circles with the Ellipse Tool (L), setting their Fill and Stroke to the default black and white colors. Switch to the Rectangle Tool (M) and place a narrow stripe at the bottom of the cloud, letting it down a little lower than the bottom edge of the large circle.

Unite all the shapes in the Pathfinder to make a single object. Change the Fill color to #e2f0e9 and stroke to None. Make a few more clouds of different sizes and spread them over the sky, leaving a space for the sun.

Step 4

Build a 105 x 105 px circle which we will color using #fff45a. Draw a vertical line across the middle of the circle, using the Line Segment Tool (\). Keeping the line and the circle selected, Divide them in the Pathfinder. Ungroup (Control-Shift-G) the shapes and color the left half with #fde23d.

Build one more 144 x 144 px circle of #fbcd30 color, placing it behind the first one, aligning to its center. Select the large circle and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Zig Zag. Set the Size to 5 px, Absolute. And set Ridges per segment equal to 10. Select Smooth Points and click OK. Go to Object > Expand Appearance to apply the effect.

Group all the sun shapes together and place it on the main scene.

Unlock all the layers.

Our Mountain Landscape Is Ready!

Great job! Our flat-style mountain area scene is finished. You can use your imagination and continue playing around and adding details until you are fully satisfied with the result.

This mountain landscape illustration is just a part of my Camping Travel Landscape, and there are far more travel and adventure illustrations in my portfolio!

I hope you've discovered some new tips and tricks that you can use for creating wonderful illustrations in future. Feel free to share your results in the comments below.

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How to Create a Mountain Landscape in Flat Style in Adobe Illustrator

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In this tutorial I will show you how to create a natural mountain landscape in flat design using the most basic shapes and tools of Adobe Illustrator. If you would like to skip the tutorial, you can just purchase the result as a part of my Camping Travel Landscape package.

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In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a logo in Adobe Illustrator.

To create our logo design we will combine a few simple shapes using some very simple linear gradients where we will try to increase the depth and to create an eye-catching design.

Final Image

As always, this is the final image that we'll be creating:

Tutorial Details

Program: Adobe Illustrator CS5

Estimated Completion Time: 45 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner-Intermediate

Step 1

Let's create a new document first. Make sure to set the dimensions to 500 x 500 pixels and the Color Mode to RGB.

Step 2

We will start with the Polygon Tool. Select it in the Tools Panel and click on the Artboard. It will bring up the Polygon Option box. Set the Radius to 150 pixels and Sides to 5 and hit the OK button. Fill color is not important.

Step 3

We need to modify our Polygon a little. Select the yellow shape and under Effect select Stylize > Round Corners.

Step 4

Make sure to expand the shape. Select Object > Expand Appearance. It will turn the object into an editable shape.

Step 5

Next thing we have to do is to create the "hole" in our modified pentagon.For that, we will use the Polygon Tool again. Grab it from the Tools Panel and click on the Artboard to bring up the Polygon Options Box. Set the parameters as shown in the picture below and hit the OK button.

Step 6

Make sure to align both shapes. Select them and under the Align Panel hit both, Horizontal and Vertical Align Center.

Step 7

Now we need to create a "hole" in our Polygon. Select both shapes and under the Pathfinder Panel hit the Minus Front button. It will cut out the middle part of the Polygon.

You should end up with something like this.

Step 8

In this step, we will try to create specific ribbons that will constitute our logo. To do that we need to divide the shape we have just created into 5 parts. One of the possible ways to do that is to create certain paths by using the Pen Tool (P). Since some people have difficulties with this tool we will try to avoid it by using a small trick.

Duplicate (Ctrl / Cmd + C, Ctrl / Cmd + F) the yellow shape and change the Fill color of the copy. Under right click select Isolate Selected Compound Path. This way we will be able to modify the pink shape without messing up the rest of our design.

Step 9

Select the Direct Selection Tool (A) from the Tools Panel, select and remove (by hitting the Delete key on your keyboard) anchor points as shown in the picture below.

Step 10

Remove the Fill color and set the Stroke color to any color you want. You should end up with a single path with a curved edge, just as shown in the picture below.

Step 11

Grab the Selection Tool (V) from the Tools Panel and move the path we have just created as shown in the picture below. You can also zoom that part of the illustration by selecting the Zoom Tool (Z) from the Tools Panel. This way you'll be able to place the path at the right spot.

Step 12

We are going to repeat the previous step in order to create four more paths. In the end, you should have something like this.

Step 13

Select all elements we have created so far and under the Pathfinder Panel hit the Divide button. It will divide our yellow shape into 5 stripes that we will turn into nice colorful ribbons very soon.

Step 14

Ungroup (Shift + Ctrl / Cmd + G) the shape we have just created. If there are any small particles created by the imperfect positioning of elements make sure to remove them. Also, you should remove all unwanted anchor points by using the Delete Anchor Point Tool (-).

You should end up with something like this.

Step 15

Our logo is now ready to get some nice color gradients. We will be using only linear color gradients. Keep in mind that the angle of the drawn gradient is very important. So let's get started.

You should end up with something like this.

Step 16

Now we are going to emphasize the edges. To do that we are going to use a similar technique we have used few steps earlier when we created paths to divide yellow shape.

We will duplicate (Ctrl / Cmd + C, Ctrl / Cmd + F) each of the five sides of the logo. With the Direct Selection Tool (A) select all the anchor points we don't need and remove them by hitting the Delete key on the keyboard (To be sure not to mess up the rest of the illustration enter the Isolate Selected Path mode. You will find it under the right click). Basically, the idea is to end up with the straight path on the inside edge of the logo.

Step 17

Remove the Fill color and set the Stroke color to #FA91FA. We will set the Stroke Width to 1 pixel, but you can adjust it how you like. Just make sure to set the Profile to Width Profile 1.

Step 18

Repeat the previous step for the other four sides of the logo as well. You should end up with something like this.

Make sure to turn paths into editable shapes by selecting Object > Expand Appearance.

Step 19

In this step, we will create a nice soft shadow for our logo. We will be using the Blend Tool to achieve that.

First we will select all the elements we have created so far and duplicate them (Ctrl / Cmd + C, Ctrl / Cmd / Cmd + F). Under the Pathfinder Panel hit the Unite button. It will unite all elements into one shape placed on the same spot as our logo, perfectly centered.

Make sure to set the Fill color for the new shape to gray (#666666).

Step 20

Holding the Alt / Opt key on your keyboard click on the gray shape and drag it downwards. It will create a copy of the gray shape. Make sure to hold the Shift key on your keyboard for straight dragging.

Step 21

Set the Opacity for the new shape to 0%.

Step 22

Make sure to place the gray shape with full Opacity on the top ( Shift + Ctrl / Cmd + ] ). Select both shapes and under the Object select Blend > Make.

Step 23

Select Object > Blend > Blend Options. Set the Spacing to Specified Steps and the value to 30. It will create 30 new shapes in between which will look like a smooth transition from one shape to another.

You should end up with something like this.

Step 24

Make sure to place the shape we have just created underneath our logo design ( Shift + Ctrl / Cmd + [ ).

Step 25

Let's set a nice background for our final design. Grab the Rectangle Tool (M) from the Tools Panel and click somewhere on the Artboard. The Rectangle Options box will pop up. Set the dimensions to 500 x 500 pixels.

Step 26

Apply nice radial gradient as shown in the picture below.

And We're Done!

Place the background underneath our logo design, adjust the size of the shadow that the logo casts on the background and voila!

This time we did something more colorful than usual. Also, during the creation process, we have learned how to use things we already have in order to create something new.

I encourage you to play around with shapes and colors, you might end up with an amazing design. Just explore all possibilities that Adobe Illustrator offers so you can make your own logos.

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What You'll Be Creating

Join me and follow this joyful and meditative tutorial if you wish to learn some simple coloring techniques in Adobe Illustrator. We'll use the Mesh Tool while drawing a cute cartoon cow, floating in the yoga Lotus Pose above a green meadow. Grab your mouse or tablet pen, relax your mind, and let's get started!

1. Create the Basic Cow Shapes From Your Sketch

Step 1

Start by making a rough sketch either on paper or digitally. You can use my image, which I doodled with the Pencil Tool (N) right in Adobe Illustrator.

First of all we are going to form the basic shapes of the head. Use the Rounded Rectangle Tool with 50 px Corner Radius to make a smooth shape for the nose, and use the Warp Tool (Shift-R) (you can check my tool settings in the screenshot below) to deform the nose, making a slight bulge on its upper part. Add the cow's lower lip and warp it as well, dragging its lower part down a bit.

Step 2

Step 3

Let's add the basic horn shapes to our cow's head. Form a squashed ellipse and head to Effect > Warp > Arc, setting the Horizontal Bend value to -7% to make the shape blob in the bottom part. Object > Expand Appearance and apply the Arc effect again, this time setting the Vertical Bend value to 60%, making our shape slightly arched to the left.

Make a second horn and place both behind the basic head shape.

Step 4

Move on to the cow's body. Create another rounded rectangle, placing it beneath all other shapes, and edit it with the Warp Tool (Shift-R), making it wider at the bottom.

Step 5

Step 6

Now let's form the cow's legs, putting them in the well-known Lotus pose. Firstly, add a deformed ellipse for the back part of the leg, filling it with a slightly darker color than other body parts. Then use the Pencil Tool (N) to form the curved narrow shape for the front part of the leg. Make its tip forked, depicting a hoof.

Put a dark-brown freehand shape above the hoof part and use the Intersect function of the Pathfinder panel to cut off the unneeded parts. Don't forget to duplicate the leg shape before using the Pathfinder features, as it usually deletes both interacting objects.

2. Use Mesh to Color & Enliven the Objects

Step 1

Let's start enlivening our image from the very first element that we've created: the cow's nose. Select the shape and go to Object > Create Gradient Mesh. Set 4 for the Rows and 3 for the Columns quantity in the pop-up options window, and click OK.

Now the fun part! Arm yourself with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and start coloring by selecting two upper anchor points in the middle part of the nose and making them lighter than the basic nose shape. Then select all anchor points at the edges of our shape and make them darker, forming a shadow along the perimeter. You will notice the shape becomes more three-dimensional and smooth at once.

Use the same technique to color the cow's mouth, making its upper part darker. You can turn the shape into mesh directly with the Mesh Tool (U) by clicking the object and then adding as many rows and columns as you need by clicking with the Mesh Tool (U) again in various parts of your shape (I usually click in the center and at the edges of the objects).

Step 2

Let's add some ambient lighting in order to make the surface even more realistic. Take the Mesh Tool (U) and click the central vertical and horizontal lines closer to the edges, this way creating several additional rows and columns (the lines will be crossing in the spot that you've clicked).

Now take the Lasso Tool (Q) and select the points on the newly created lines, making them a bit darker. Then select only the outermost points all the way along the edge of the shape. Press and hold the Shift key if you can't select all the points at once. Finally, fill the selected points with lighter pink color, making the edges glow.

Step 3

Step 4

Now do the same trick with the Lasso Tool (Q) to create an ambient occlusion effect. Select the outer anchor points along the perimeter of the shape and make them much lighter, as if there is an additional light source behind our character.

Step 5

When you're satisfied with the coloring, deform the head with the Warp Tool (Shift-R), making its lower part wider than the top.

Move on to the right ear, this time setting the Rows value to 3 and the Columns to 2 in the Create Gradient Mesh options window. Add more mesh lines along the edge of the shape and apply the same colors as on the cow's head to preserve the overall character palette.

Step 6

Add the inner pinky part of the ear and use the Reflect Tool (R) to mirror the ear over the Vertical Axis, placing its copy on the other side of the head.

Step 7

Select a column of the anchor points closer to the left edge and fill it with light-brown color, making a bright highlight. Then select the similar column on the opposite side of the horn and make it darker. Add gentle ambient lighting along the border of the shape and color the second horn in the same way, or simply replace it with a copy of the finished one.

Step 8

Move to the central part of the body, making it bulging and three-dimensional, just the same way as we did with the head.

Step 9

As for the arm, you might need to tweak the mesh a bit with the Direct Selection Tool (A) as it may look deformed at first when applied to a curved shape. Select and move the anchor points and their handles with the Direct Selection Tool (A) just as we do it with a regular path. Color the arm to match the other parts of the cow's body.

Step 10

Start coloring the "hand" or the upper hoof. Add new mesh lines with the Mesh Tool (U) one by one by clicking on the outline of the shape. This might seem a bit tricky, but try to lay the lines along the shape, making them curved, so that the hoof doesn't look flat. Pick the color from the horns using the Eyedropper Tool (I) and make the hoof shiny.

As you can see, every anchor point in our mesh has four anchor handles. You can move and edit them with both the Direct Selection Tool (A) and the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C) in order to obtain a realistic result.

Step 11

The next element in turn is the inner (or upper) part of the cow's leg. Try making it a bit darker as it is farther from the viewer than the front part and is covered in shadow from the body.

Step 12

Proceed to the front part of the leg. Make its tip more rounded in order to make the mesh grid more even.

Follow the usual process-add more rows and columns with the Mesh Tool (U), placing them closer to the edges. Finally, apply the colors, putting a bright overtone in the center and along the boundary of the shape.

Pay attention to the area where two parts of the leg overlap, forming a knee. Fill the edge anchor points with the same color, so that the shapes blend nicely with each other, making a bent leg.

Step 13

Make the hoof more three-dimensional by coloring it the same way as we did with the "hand" part and with the horns. Enliven the element with bright hues of brown, achieving a smooth, glossy effect.

We've finished with the main elements of our character and here is how it looks at this stage:

3. Add Minor Details to the Cow

Step 1

Let's start with the main parts by forming a pair of nostrils on the cow's nose. Put a small ellipse on the left side of the nose and fill it with radial gradient, going from dark red in the center to bright orange at the edge, emphasizing the depth of the nostril hole. Add another ellipse beneath the first one, making it slightly larger, and fill it with linear gradient from light pink to white. Switch to Multiply Blending Mode, thus forming a gentle shadow around the nostril in order to deepen it a bit more.

Put two more ellipses behind the nostril, one larger than the other, select them both and use the Minus Front function of the Pathfinder panel to cut out a hole. Fill the newly created shape with linear gradient from dark red to black, switching to Screen Blending Mode to make a highlight. Duplicate and reflect the nostril, placing it on the other part of the cow's nose.

Step 2

Form a group of ellipses of various sizes in the upper part of the nose and fill them with dark-red color, switching to Screen Blending Mode, thus making the nose spotty and realistic.

Step 3

Make several copies and place the notches in the appropriate position above the horn. Select them and Make Compound Path (Control-8). Here we need to cut off those unwanted parts outside the horn. For this purpose, select the horn and apply Object > Path > Offset Path with 0 px Offset value, thus creating a horn silhouette.

Step 4

Apply the Offset Path with 0 px Offset value to the whole body of our cow, creating a single flat silhouette. Place several circles above the silhouette and cut off the unneeded parts in the same way as we did with the horn notches. Fill the created spots with brown color and switch to Multiply Blending Mode, making them semi-transparent.

Step 5

Let's form the cow's pink tummy. Create a 3x3 Gradient Mesh and make the shape more spherical and three-dimensional. Use the Warp Tool (Shift-R) to deform the shape a bit, making it more realistic.

Step 6

Add two half-circled thin strokes for the eyelids and place a red circle between the brows. Add some gentle shadows under the brows and eyes in Multiply Blending Mode to make the face more sculpted. Place some more shadows under the cow's head and on the tummy to separate the body parts from each other.

Step 7

Now that the cow is finished, let's add some compositional elements and a simple background to give our image a finished look. Form a green ellipse and add a wavy freehand shape above with the help of the Pencil Tool (N). Cut out the upper part with the help of the Pathfinder panel. Duplicate the shape and decrease the size of the upper copy a bit. Add a few green spots, making the meadow more fancy.

Step 8

Select both meadow copies and apply Object > Blend > Make. Proceed to the Blend Options and set the Spacing to Specified Steps with 10 to 20 steps. We also need to add some grass to give our meadow a natural look. Form a narrow triangle, as we did for the horn notches, and drag it to your Brushes panel. Create a new Art Brush with default settings and draw a few strokes with the Paintbrush Tool (B), creating gentle grass blades. I've also added a subtle elliptical shadow in the middle of the meadow for more realism, as our cow will be floating above the ground.

To make the ground more vivid and bright, select the upper shape from our blend group, duplicate it and apply a radial gradient from dark yellow to black, switching it to Screen Blending Mode and thus creating a sunny yellowish overtone.

Step 9

Finally, add a big ellipse in the background, depicting a rising sun. Fill it with pale-yellow gradient, but don't make it too bright, so that the sun doesn't look too distracting. Fill the white background with a gentle blue color, imitating a clear sky.

Here You Have It! Your Meditating Cow Is Finished!

Make a deep inhale and relax-our bright, calming illustration is ready! I hope you've enjoyed creating subtle color blends with the Mesh Tool and found these tips and tricks useful for your future tutorials. Keep creating art and bringing beauty and joy! Peace to everyone!

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Om! How to Create a Meditating Cartoon Cow in Adobe Illustrator

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Join me and follow this joyful and meditative tutorial if you wish to learn some simple coloring techniques in Adobe Illustrator. We'll use the Mesh Tool while drawing a cute cartoon cow, floating in the yoga Lotus Pose above a green meadow. Grab your mouse or tablet pen, relax your mind, and let's get started!

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How to Create Summer Road Trip Illustration in Adobe Illustrator

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Like traveling, and designing classic cartoon-style artwork in Adobe Illustrator? Then you’ll love this tutorial.
In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a fun summer road...

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What You'll Be Creating

In today's tutorial I'm going to show you how to create a cute character illustration, using some of Illustrator's most basic shapes and tools, combined with the power of Blending Modes.

Let's get started!

1. Set Up a New Document

As always, with each and every project, the first thing we need to set up is the document. Go to File > New or use the Control-N keyboard shortcut and create an 800 x 600 px file, using the following settings:

And from the Advanced tab:

Quick tip: since we're going to be creating the illustration using a pixel-perfect workflow, I recommend you take a couple of moments and read my in-depth tutorial on how to create pixel-perfect artwork, which should get you going in no time.

Name the file however you want, and then let's move on to the next step.

2. Layer the Project

No matter the project you're working on, you should always try and use layers since they can help a lot when it comes to creating and structuring your design, letting you focus on one section at a time, without the fear that you've accidentally moved or misplaced a shape.

So, assuming you already know how to use the Layers panel, create three layers and name them as follows:

3. Create the Cute Character

Will begin the project by working on the cute little iPhone character, which will actually be a really easy process, as you will see in the following moments.

Step 1

Position yourself onto the first layer, and then using the Rounded Rectangle Tool, create a 168 x 314 px shape with a 20 px Corner Radius, which we will color using#64c4f1 and then align towards the center of our Artboard.

Step 2

Give the shape an outline, by selecting it and then going over to Object > Path > Offset Path and entering 6 px into the Offset value field. Leave all the other settings as they are and hit OK.

Step 3

Color the outline using a darker hue (#1b456b) so that it can stand out from the main shape.

Step 4

Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 230 x 140 px shape (#659def) which will act as the display, and give it a nice 6 px thick outline (#1b456b). Select and position the two shapes towards the center of the phone's body, leaving a 38 px gap between them and the larger outline.

Step 5

Start adding details by creating the top section sensors (#1b456b), the side buttons (#1b456b) and the iconic bottom round button (outline: #1b456b; fill color: #519fc4).

Step 6

Using the Ellipse Tool (L),start working on the character's face by creating two 18 x 18 px circles (#1b456b), positioned 60 px from one another, which will act as the eyes.

Then, add another 28 x 28 px circle, which we will need to turn into a mouth, by flipping its fill with its stroke ( select the shape > Shift-X) and cutting it in half, giving it a thickness of 6 px.

Position the mouth right underneath the eyes, and then group ( Control-G) and position the face towards the center of the screen.

Step 7

Add a pair of flushed cheeks, by creating two 20 x 20 px circles, which we will color using #4f8bd3 and then position underneath the eyes, a few pixels towards the outside.

Step 8

Since the phone is pretty much done, we can now focus on adding little details such as highlights and shadows to its body and the screen.

Start by selecting the phone's main shape, which we will duplicate ( Control-C > Control-F) and then use to create an inner offset by going to Object > Path > Offset Path and entering -4 px into the value field.

Then, select both the duplicate and the offset, and use Pathfinder's Minus Front to create a cutout, which we will turn into an all-around ring highlight, by setting its color to white (#FFFFFF), its Blending Mode to Soft Light and its Opacity to 80%.

Step 9

Using the same values used for the previous step, add two vertical highlights towards the right section of the phone, and another one just under the bottom section of the screen's outline, maintaining the same 4 px thickness when possible.

Step 10

Start adding some shadows over the screen and the round button, using black (#000000) for the color and 14% for the Opacity.

Step 11

Finish off the detailing process by adding the diagonal highlights that go over the screen ( Color: white #FFFFFF; Blending Mode: Soft Light; Opacity: 30%), and the two star-shaped twinkles from the phone's top left corner ( Color: white #FFFFFF; Blending Mode: Soft Light; Opacity: 80%).

Then select and group all the shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Step 12

Add a 144 x 10 px ellipse underneath the main illustration, setting its color to black (#000000), while lowering its Opacity level to 20%.

Since at this point we're pretty much done with the main section of our illustration, we can move on to the second layer, and start working on the little side patterns that will give it a nice, even balance.

4. Create the Side Patterns

This part is actually easy and really fun, since you'll have to create a bunch of shapes, from squares to circles, plus signs, triangles, and diamonds, which you will then scatter around on each side in order to get a nice-looking pattern.

Use 4 px thick strokes (#1b456b) to create the shapes, and take your time to make sure it ends up looking not only playful but also organic and spontaneous.

5. Add the Finishing Touches

Once we've added the side patterns, we can then move on to the last part of the creative process, which will involve creating and overlaying a gradient in order to give our illustration a nice color pop.

Step 1

Create a copy of the phone's main shapes (its outline and the side buttons) and a copy of the side patterns (which you will need to expand by going over to Object > Expand > Fill and Stroke), and paste them onto the third layer.

Then, select all the shapes, and go to Object > Compound Path and hit Make. This will basically make all your shapes act as one larger piece, which is exactly what we want since we're going to be applying a gradient over them in the following step.

Step 2

Select the compound path that we've just created, and create a linear gradient using #0000ff for the left color and #00ffff for the right one, making sure to set the angle at 90°.

Step 3

Finally, adjust the gradient, by setting its Blending Mode to Hard Light and lowering its Opacity to 28%.

We Did It!

There you have it, a really easy way to create a cute little character using a bunch of shapes and some little tricks involving Gradients and Blending Modes.

I hope you've managed to learn some new tricks along the way, and as always I'm looking forward to seeing what you've managed to create.

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How to Quickly Create a Cute Phone Character in Adobe Illustrator

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In today's tutorial I'm going to show you how to create a cute character illustration, using some of Illustrator's most basic shapes and tools, combined with the power of Blending Modes. Let's get started! As always, with each and every project, the first thing we need to set up is the document.

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What You'll Be Creating

Vectoring hair in portraits can be a time-consuming process and is sometimes difficult to master in a short space of time. A few years back, I wanted to help solve this issue by creating a set of brushes in Adobe Illustrator. Since then, they have become the third best-selling AI brush on GraphicRiver!

In this tutorial, I'm going to show you how to create one set of brushes (four individual brushes) and then how to create a free-flowing, detailed hairstyle with them. You can easily adapt this process to create further brushes and hairstyles. Alternatively, you can purchase the full set of vector Hair Brushes on GraphicRiver.

Follow along with us over on our Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel:

1. How to Create a Tapered Art Brush

Let's start by creating a basic tapered brush. This is the base shape for this set of brushes but also a handy brush for drawing individual hairs.

Step 1

Using the Ellipse Tool (L), click once on your canvas, and in the popup, set the Width to 30 px and the Height to 2 px. Click on OK. Make sure your ellipse is filled black.

Step 2

Using the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the rightmost point on the shape. Then click on the Convert selected anchor points to corner button to turn the curve into a point. This will give you one tapered point.

Repeat this with the leftmost point. This will complete your tapered shape.

Step 3

With the shape selected, in the Brushes panel click on the button Create New Brush. Select Art Brush from the popup, and you'll be presented with the Art Brush Options window.

The key setting you'll need to change is the Colorization Method to Tints. As your shape is black, it means it will take on the 100% saturation of the colour you select. Therefore, whatever your stroke colour will be, your brush will take on this colour.

I've named this brush Tapered Brush and then I click on OK.

2. How to Create a Hairline Brush

The hairline of any portrait is often neglected and often missing in vector portraits. This is mainly because it's time-consuming and difficult to perfect. However, by creating a scatter brush, you can create a near-realistic hairline effect. So instead of drawing one stroke per hair, you're only creating one stroke for the entire hairline!

Step 1

You should still have your tapered shape. So for now, Copy and Paste it and hide the original.

Select your duplicate and go to Object > Transform > Rotate. Let's rotate the shape by 90 degrees and click on OK.

Step 2

With the shape still selected, in the Brushes panel, click on Create New Brush and then select Scatter Brush.

The settings I want you to change are:

The Spacing to 5%. This is so the brush will overlap on itself.

The Scatter to Random and then 25%/0%. This is so the brush alters its placement above and below where the line is placed.

The Rotation relative to: Path as I want the brush to stay perpendicular to the direction of the path you're drawing.

Finally, good old Colorization Method to Tints.

Then click on OK.

3. How to Create a Hair Shine Brush

The hair shine brush can be used for multiple things, depending on how you tailor the brush. This specific version will help you create a textured shine on the hair. When layered at different Opacities, it can give a realistic touch to a silhouette design.

Step 1

You should still have your vertical tapered shape. Copy and Paste this and, using the Selection Tool (V), move it to the side of the first. Repeat this until you've got five to eight shapes as shown below.

Step 2

With the shapes selected, let's create a New Art Brush. The main settings to pay attention to are:

Direction is vertical (up/down or down/up doesn't matter with this one).

Colorization Method: Tints.

Click on OK once you're done.

4. How to Create a Hair Piece Brush

This particular brush is useful for drawing multiple clumps of strands in one stroke. This is a great time-saving brush and can be useful for long or short styles of hair.

Step 1

First, remove your vertical tapered shape, and let's go back to the original horizontal shape.

Using the Rectangle Tool (M), draw over half of the shape. With Smart Guides ( Control-U) enabled, you'll be able to find the midpoint of the tapered shape more easily.

Select both shapes, and with the Pathfinder panel, select Minus Front. You'll be left with half of the tapered shape.

Step 2

Let's start by Copying the tapered shape. Using the Direct Selection Tool (A), click on the rightmost point and drag it out.

Paste in Front ( Control-F), and then drag out the rightmost point again but this time pulling it to the side.

Paste in Front, drag out the rightmost point again, and place it in a new location. Continue doing this until you've got a fanned-out collection of tapered shapes, with the two vertical points at the left remaining in place.

Step 3

Select all of the fanned-out, tapered points, and create a New Art Brush. The settings to pay attention to are the Direction to be left to right (so your starting point is the root of the clump of hair) and the Colorization Method to Tints. Then click on OK.

5. How to Use Vector Hair Brushes

Let's look at the four brushes you've created. These are all the same Stroke Weight, apart from the clump of hair, which is 3 pt. They've been applied to a straight horizontal line.

For this exercise, I'm going to be using a blank head shape which is included in the Easy Hair Brushes pack so you can practice. However, you can apply these to any head base you wish!

Step 1

This hairstyle is going to be in silhouette, with some added shine in greyscale. With the Pen Tool (P), draw a line which traces along the hairline. Don't bring this completely to the bottom of the sideburns on a feminine face. You can, however, do this on a more masculine face to create trendy, 70s-style sideburns.

Step 2

Using the tapered brush and the Paintbrush Tool (B), add some hairs to merge the sideburns into the hairline.

Step 3

With the Pen Tool (P), draw an arched shape with a black fill for the mass of hair which covers the rest of the head. This completed hairstyle is an overall great base to practice further hairstyles on. So if you're not keen on the free-flowing style that's coming, you can go back to this point and start again.

Step 4

Create a New Layer behind your portrait to add hair with the Hair Piece Brush with the Paintbrush Tool. The smaller the Stroke Weight, the more detailed the hair strokes will be.

My advice is to start with a larger stroke (such as 8 pt) to create the main structure of the hair, and then come down gradually to a 1 pt to add finer strands for a more realistic look.

Step 5

With the original Tapered Brush, you can add smaller individual hairs which flow away from clumps of hair. This helps to break any patterns you may have created with the Hair Piece Brush.

It's also great to have individual hairs overlapping onto the face or shoulder as that adds effortless detail.

Step 6

With the Hair Shine Brush, draw long and short strokes within the mass of hair set to Blending Mode Normal, Opacity 10%, and with a white stroke.

Make the strokes overlap to create more intense shine effects in the hair.

Step 7

Finally, with the tapered brush by adding white strokes to add further realistic shines. Set these to Opacity 20% to stand out.

Awesome Work, You're Done!

You'd be surprised how quickly you can create hairstyles with these brushes and how realistic you can make them. With practice, it will take you minutes rather than hours!

By creating several different brushes to fit different hair length, textures and styles, you can create many different looks.

If you're interested in purchasing the whole Easy Hair Brushes for Adobe Illustrator set, they're available only on GraphicRiver.

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How to Vector Hair With Brushes in Adobe Illustrator

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Vectoring hair in portraits can be a time-consuming process and is sometimes difficult to master in a short space of time. A few years back, I wanted to help solve this issue by creating a set of brushes in Adobe Illustrator. Since then, they have become the third best-selling AI brush on GraphicRiver!

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What You'll Be Creating

Summer is the perfect time for the most vivid and colorful designs! Tropical patterns are one of the hottest summer trends this year, and all these mixes of fruits, leaves and flowers look really great on fabric, apparel, and print media.

Join me in this tutorial and let's learn to create a stylish seamless pattern using simple shapes and various Warp Effects to create tropical elements, making them look hand-drawn. We will finish up by combining our elements into a balanced texture, using the Pattern Tool.

By the end of this tutorial, you'll learn to create unique trendy patterns ready for print or fabric, clothes, and banners. And, what is more, they can be used as a background for your website, online shop, or blog.

Check out this collection of tropical patterns on GraphicRiver to find out what other elements you can depict to make your texture look different.

Let's begin!

1. How to Draw a Banana

Step 1

Take the Ellipse Tool (L) and let's start creating the banana! Make a 230 x 50 px yellow oval.

Go to Effect > Warp > Arch and set the:

Click OK and Object > Expand Appearance to apply the effect.

Click OK and Object > Expand Appearance to apply the effect.

Step 3

Resize the shape, making it slightly smaller. Duplicate (Control-C > Control-F) it and attach the rectangles to both tips of the banana, as shown below. Select all three elements and use the Unite function of the Pathfinder to merge them into a single shape.

Step 4

Let's create a rough, textured effect, thus adding a gentle hand-drawn touch to our shape. Go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Roughen and set the:

Click OK.

Step 5

Object > Expand Appearance to apply the effect.

Step 6

Now grab the Pencil Tool (N) and let's add those simple details that make our banana look more realistic! Double-click the Pencil Tool (N) icon in the Tools panel and make sure that the Fidelity slider is set to the center or closer to Accurate. You can also see all the other options in the screenshot below; all the boxes are checked.

Set the Fill color to None and the Stroke color to brown in the Color panel. Then open the Stroke panel (Window > Stroke) and set the Weight to 1.2 pt and Cap to Round Cap.

Draw a small oval at the right tip of the banana and a bigger rounded shape on the opposite side.

Step 7

Continue adding details at the ends of the banana by making short strokes. Draw a larger arched stroke along the whole shape.

Step 8

Add more of those strokes and finish off the banana by drawing two rounded shapes on the tips, this time setting the Fill color to brown.

Yay! The banana is ready! Let's move on to the next element of our pattern!

2. How to Make an Orange Slice

Step 1

Let's start with the rectangle. Use the Rectangle Tool (M) to make a 90 x 45 px yellow shape and select its bottom anchor points with the Direct Selection Tool (A). Drag the circle marker to the center, making the corners rounded with the help of the Live Corners feature. You can also adjust the Corner value from the control panel on top, setting the exact value if needed.

Step 2

Select the shape and go to Object > Path > Offset Path, set the Offset value to 8 px and leave all other options as default. Click OK and Fill the new shape with an orange color.

Select both shapes, grab the Eraser Tool (Shift-E), hold down Alt, and erase the top part of the shapes, so that the elements are perfectly aligned to the top of each other.

Step 3

Make the yellow shape slightly smaller, so that there is a gap between the shapes.

Step 4

Apply the Effect > Distort & Transform > Roughen filter with the same settings as previously to add a scribble effect along the edges.

Take the Line Segment Tool (\) or the Pen Tool (P) and add a group of white strokes to slice the yellow shape into segments.

Step 5

Keeping the strokes selected, go to the Brushes panel (Window > Brushes) and open the Brush Libraries Menu at the bottom of the panel. From here, go to Artistic > Artistic_ChalkCharcoalPencil and find a Charcoal - Pencil brush (or any other brush to your liking, but it should be thick enough and have a grunge texture). Click it to apply to the strokes. Increase the Width of the strokes if they look too thin.

Step 6

Select all the strokes and Object > Expand Appearance and Unite them in the Pathfinder. Finally, Object > Compound Path > Make (Control-8) to merge any separate pieces of the grungy texture together.

Select the created white shape together with the yellow half-circle and apply Minus Front to cut out the shape, creating separate yellow segments.

Step 7

Finish the orange slice by adding a few short strokes here and there, using the Pencil Tool (N).

3. How to Draw Dragon Fruit

Step 1

Start by making a 105 x 115 px pink ellipse and use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to modify the shape a bit by moving the anchor handles.

Step 2

Use the Rectangle Tool (M) and the Bulge Warp Effect to create a small trapezium, just as we did for the banana.

Select the fruit and apply Effect >Distort & Transform > Roughen to make the edges rough.

Step 3

Place the seed on the fruit and start multiplying it by holding down the Alt key and moving the seed. Rotate the copies and vary the size of the seeds a bit.

And there we have it! Add a few dark strokes on top of the fruit and let's move on!

4. How to Create Tropical Leaves and Plants

Step 1

And now my favorite part! I really love drawing tropical leaves and elements because they always look unique, and the process itself is very calming and entertaining with a lot of creativity!

First of all, we need to create our own brush to speed up the process of drawing leaves.

Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to make a squashed ellipse of 100 x 5 px.

Select its side anchor points with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and Convert selected anchor points to corner from the control panel on top.

I haven't changed anything in the Art Brush Options, leaving all the settings as default. However, we can always change these settings later by double-clicking our brush in the Brushes panel-for example, if we need to change the Width of the brush or its Colorization Method.

Step 2

Draw a dark-green stem of our future leaf using the Pencil Tool (N).

Now take the Paintbrush Tool (B) and start making perpendicular strokes along the stem, drawing those small parts of the leaf. Make some of them shorter, others longer, and make some of them overlap so that the leaf looks more true to life.

Make the strokes smaller and smaller as you move closer to the top of the leaf.

Create another leaf, of a slightly different shape, covering it with longer strokes.

Step 3

Now let's draw a leaf of a monstera plant. These monstera leaves always help to achieve a proper look for any tropical design.

Use the Pencil Tool (N) to draw a leaf silhouette. Its elliptical shape shouldn't be perfect, so make it wobbly and non-symmetrical. Remember to make the top of the leaf pointed and its bottom rounded like an upside-down heart shape.

Switch the Fill color to black (or any other color) and draw freehand elliptical shapes over the top of the leaves, marking future holes. Select all the black shapes and Make Compound Path (Control-8).

Select the black shape together with the leaf silhouette and use the Minus Front function of the Pathfinder to cut out the black elements.

Finally, apply the Roughen effect to make the leaf grungy.

Step 4

Let's draw a leaf in the shape of a hand-fan. Use the Pencil Tool (N) to draw its silhouette in a freehand manner.

Apply the Roughen effect and finish off the leaf by adding dark-green strokes with the help of the Pencil Tool (N).

Step 5

Now let's move on to the next tropical leaf. This time I used an 85 x 230 px oval as a base. Take the Direct Selection Tool (A) and move the anchor points and their handles around, changing the shape.

Apply the Roughen effect and finish up with the leaf by adding the stem and the veins with the help of the Pencil Tool (N).

Step 6

Let's create another brush for the next plant. Make a 12 x 12 px circle and drag its left anchor point further left. Convert selected point to corner from the control panel on top.

Drag and drop the created shape in the Brushes panel. Create a new Art Brush, leave its Options as default, and try it out by making a few strokes. Adjust the Width, if needed, making the plant look nice and proportional.

Step 7

Now that all the leaves are ready, I've decided to play with the colors, making them look more natural and diverse. We can recolor objects either manually or using the Recolor Artwork tool from the control panel on top or from Edit > Edit Colors > Adjust Color Balance.

I'm using the third option, adjusting the colors of each leaf, trying different tints of green.

And there we have it! All our elements are ready! Let's move on and create a trendy pattern!

5. How to Design a Tropical Seamless Pattern with the Pattern Tool

Step 1

Select all the elements that we've created and go to Object > Pattern > Make.

Step 2

From here, head to the Pattern Options panel and set the following options:

Now we can see semi-transparent copies of our objects around the tile box, which helps us to visualize our future pattern clearly, making it look balanced and eliminating any gaps.

Start spreading fruits and leaves inside of the tile square, resizing and rotating them, making the elements overlap. Use the Control-[ and Control-] keyboard shortcuts to move the elements backward or forward.

Step 3

Start adding copies of the objects to fill the whole tile. Use the Reflect Tool (O) by double-clicking it to flip the shapes over the Horizontal or Vertical Axis and click Copy to make mirrored copies.

Step 4

Finish up by adding more leaves and make sure that everything looks balanced and harmonious.

Step 5

Now we can find our pattern in the Swatches panel (Window > Swatches). Create any shape to your liking, for example, a square and apply our pattern by clicking it in the Swatches panel. We can always return to the Pattern Mode by clicking the Edit Pattern button and move the elements if something doesn't seem to look good.

Step 6

Let's see how it looks on a dark background! Create an 800 x 600 px rectangle and Fill it with a deep dark-green color.

There we have it!

Tropical Vibes! Our Trendy Seamless Pattern Is Finished!

Great job! I hope you've enjoyed following this tutorial and learned some new techniques about creating brushes and applying effects. Feel free to use these tips and tricks in your future projects, and don't forget to share the results with the world!

If you want to learn how to create a seamless tropical pattern in Photoshop, we also have the tutorial for you.

Summer heat in a tropical paradise! What could be better? In this tutorial we'll create our own tropical pattern, making it seamless and discovering several...

Happy designing!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Create a Tropical Pattern in Adobe Illustrator

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Summer is the perfect time for the most vivid and colorful designs! Tropical patterns are one of the hottest summer trends this year, and all these mixes of fruits, leaves and flowers look really great on fabric, apparel, and print media.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What You'll Be Creating

According to Wikipedia, the Paisley pattern is a design using the buta or boteh, a droplet-shaped vegetable motif of Persian origin. In the modern world you can find this shape in the patterns of bandanas (check out these interesting bandana patterns on GraphicRiver).

According to paisleypower.com:

Ancient Babylon in present day Iraq is claimed to be one place of origin of the paisley form, possibly dating back to 1700BCE. Another opinion, expressed by Sam Willis in the 2016 BBC TV series The Silk Road, is that the symbol originated from the city of Yazd in Iran. In Yazd originates the weaving of the traditional fabric called a termeh, a cloth made of silk and wool which often included the paisley (boteh) form. Another common theory is that it originated in Persia 200-650 AD during the rule of the Sassanians who created an empire whose armies kept the Romans at bay for centuries.

In this tutorial you will learn how to create a paisley pattern. You can even use this as a coloring page! If you enjoy coloring, please check out my first coloring book!

Our pattern won't be seamless, as I am afraid to make this tutorial very long and have you get bored. If you want to create a seamless pattern, please check this tutorial to learn how to create one. Just keep in mind to use your paisley pattern instead of the flowers.

Let's get started!

1. How to Create the Main Shape for the Pattern

First, create a new document ( File > New) with the following dimensions: 850 px Height and 850 px Width.

Now we will start by drawing the main shape of the pattern. Using the Ellipse Tool (L), draw an ellipse. Set a white fill color and a dark grey or black stroke color for this shape. Next, using the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C),make a sharp top anchor point on the ellipse: while keeping the ellipse selected, click on the top anchor point-this point should be sharp now.

After this, we will modify this shape using the Warp Effect. Go to Effect > Warp > Arc and adjust the necessary options. Be sure to check Preview, so you can see what's going on with this shape after adjusting the options.

As we will use this shape later in this tutorial, make a copy of it and set it aside.

Let's continue to modify this shape. Select it and go to Effect > Warp > Arc. In the new Warp Options window, adjust the options presented below. Finally, expand this shape ( Object > Expand Appearance).

Make another copy of the created shape, which will be a reflection of the original one. For this, select the shape, right-click your mouse and select Transform > Reflect. Once you get a dialogue box, select Axis Vertical, Angle 90 degrees, and press Copy. Move the newly created shape to the right and make it much smaller. Attach the smaller copy to the top corner of the larger shape as shown in the image below. Now, keeping these two objects selected, unite them by pressing the Unite button on the Pathfinder panel ( Window > Pathfinder).

To make a smoother and wider transition between these shapes, select them, select the Smooth Tool, and smooth out the lines around the connection. You will see that this action will smoothly transform the connection. We just created the main shape of the paisley!

2. How to Create the Flower for the Pattern

Draw a circle with white fill color and dark grey (or black, if you wish) stroke color. To make an even circle, use the Ellipse Tool (L) while holding down the Shift key. Create a copy of this circle in front ( Control-C, Control-F), make it smaller, and place it exactly in the middle of the original one. For this, while keeping the created copy selected, hold down the Alt and Shift keys as you drag this circle inside. For the smaller circle, check Dashed Line on the Stroke panel.

Make a third copy of the circle, but this time larger than the original one ( Control-C, Control-B, then holding the Alt and Shift keys make it bigger). Select this circle and go to Object > Path > Add Anchor Points. This action will add four new anchor points. Repeat these commands as many times as you need for the number of petals you want to create later.

Let's transform the largest circle into petals. While keeping the largest circle selected, go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Pucker & Bloat. Select the Preview button and adjust the necessary value on the Pucker & Bloat effect to get a flower, close to the one presented below. Do not forget to expand this shape ( Object > Expand Appearance). Now make a larger copy of the created shape with petals behind the original one ( Control-C, Control-B).

After this, create a large copy of the dashed circle ( Control-C, Control-V), and place it behind all shapes ( Control-X, Control-B).

Finally, create the largest circle behind all the shapes.

Step 3

Now we need to create a new brush. Create a circle ( Ellipse Tool (L) while holding down the Shift key). Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a rectangle and cover the bottom half of the circle. We will use it as a cutter; therefore, the color of this rectangle is not important. Select both shapes and press the Minus Front button on the Pathfinder panel. This action leaves us with the semicircle shape.

Select the newly created semicircle and move it to the Brush panel. A new window will appear. Choose New Pattern Brush and press OK. In the second window that pops up, apply the options shown below. Please notice Colorization Method has to be None. Then press OK. Our brush is ready for use.

Now choose the new brush and create a new circle behind everything. You will get petals around the circle. Expand this shape. Finally, make a larger copy of this expanded shape, and place it behind ( Control-X, Control-B). Our flower for the pattern is ready!

3. How to Decorate the Main Shape

Make two copies of the flower shape and place them inside the main shape of the paisley. Feel free to resize the flower shape. Just keep in mind to hold the Shift button to resize it evenly.

Now we will make a smaller copy of the main shape, but placed exactly in the middle. How to make it? While keeping the shape selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path, and enter a negative number (between -4 and -10). You will get a smaller copy of the shape in front of the original one.

Next create another, smaller copy of this shape. Select the second copy and again, go to Object > Path > Offset Path, and enter a negative number. Change the line type of this smallest shape to Dashed Line.

And finally, make an even smaller copy of the main shape inside. For the smallest copy, delete the stroke color and set a dark grey fill color, as shown below. We are almost ready!

Let's add some white circles on the dark grey shape.

In this step we will create another brush, which will be used for further modification of the main paisley shape. First we will create a shape, which will be used for this brush. Take a copy of the droplet-like shape created in the very first step. Be sure it is expanded.

Now we will cut away a part of this shape. For the cutter, create a rectangle with any fill and stroke color you want. Make the rectangle overlap with the droplet-like shape. While keeping these two shapes selected, press the Minus Front button on the Pathfinder panel. We will end up with the top part of the shape.

Remove the stroke color of this shape and add a dark grey fill color. Next, make a copy of this shape in front ( Control-C, Control-F) and change the fill color of the front copy to white. Now, holding the Shift key, shrink it down from the top. Finally, make a new copy of the smaller white shape in front ( Control-C, Control-F), and change its fill color to dark grey. Shrink it down from the top. You will end up with the shapes shown below.

Select this shape and move it to the Brush panel. In a new window, select New Pattern Brush and press OK. In the window that appears, apply the options shown below and hit OK. Now we have another brush!

Apply the new brush to the largest shape. For this, you want to select the necessary shape and choose the brush you've created on the Brush panel.

4. How to Design the Paisley Pattern

Group the main paisley shape ( right-click > Group) and create many copies of it. Spread the copies over the entire artboard. Feel free to resize the paisley.

Some empty spaces can be filled with copies of flowers, which are used inside the main shape.

Also, you can make another type of flowers. Just take two details from the flowers you used in the pattern and add a fill color for the petals.

Spread these flowers on the pattern.

To finalize our pattern, create a square with no fill and no stroke color on top of the whole pattern. For this, hit the Rectangle Tool (M) and click on your artboard. Once the dialogue window pops up, enter 850 px Width and Height, and then click OK.

To make the square exactly in the middle of the artboard, look at the Align panel ( Window > Align), and make sure that in the pop-up menu, Align To: Align to Artboard is checked. Select the square and press the Horizontal Align Center and Vertical Align Center buttons on the Align panel. Next, select the whole pattern together with the top square ( Control-A) and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make (Control-7). This action will hide all parts of the pattern that are beyond the square.

Now our pattern has a transparent background. Just create a square with a white fill color ( 850 × 850 px), align it to the artboard, and place it behind the pattern ( Control-X, Control-B). You're done!

A Piece of the Soul

Congratulations! Now you know how to create the famous paisley pattern in Adobe Illustrator. I hope you learned some new things that you can use for more patterns. I would be happy to see your version of paisley patterns. Just don't hesitate to use your creativity and imagination.

If you like coloring books, please have a look at my first creation:

If you would like to purchase it, you can do it on Amazon. Good luck, and I would be happy to see you again!

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How to Create a Paisley Pattern in Adobe Illustrator

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According to Wikipedia, the Paisley pattern is a design using the buta or boteh, a droplet-shaped vegetable motif of Persian origin. In the modern world you can find this shape in the patterns of bandanas (check out these interesting bandana patterns on GraphicRiver).

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Software: Illustrator CS5 or later

Project time: 2 hours

Skills: Use the Gradient Mesh tool, Make opacity masks, Work with colours and transparency

Although a lot of Illustrator tools are fairly simple to grasp, using them with finesse and perfecting the finer details can take further practice. In this tutorial we'll look at a selection of transparency and gradient tools that aren't always used as subtly and beautifully as they can be. We'll create a lifelike but contemporary animal study here, but the techniques covered can be applied to any subject matter that requires a striking dynamic look or an elegant subtle shine, from branding to character design.

In my opinion, technical tricks should be secondary to the subject matter: there is no need to overemphasise a glow or a gradient when the natural form of your subject can stand up for itself. In this tutorial you'll learn subtler tricks that, in the end, will result in higher-quality artwork.
Discover the designer's guide to Giclée printing at Creative Bloq.
Step 01

Start with a pencil drawing: you can produce this freehand or using a photo for reference. However you create your line drawing, keep the shapes as simple as possible while still achieving the look of your chosen subject matter. It's just shape-making: there's no need for sketchy lines or shading.

Step 02

Trace your artwork using the Pen tool. remember that every shape you create is going to be semi-transparent, so even if it's behind another shape it'll still be visible - every line of every shape has to be perfect and fit with the overall flow of the illustration.

Step 03

Change your shapes to block colours without outlines (losing the outlines makes for a more realistic look). Next, select all your shapes and, in the Transparency panel, change the opacity to 65%. Feel free to play with this value.

Step 04

Colours work very differently when they're semi-transparent. If you look at the highlighted block, which is where two shapes overlap, on the black background it appears lighter than its neighbouring blocks, whereas on the white background it's darker. Experiment with how light and dark colours change once they're semi-transparent and layered.

Step 05

To create a glow on a shape, select the shape then choose the Gradient Mesh tool. Tap the Gradient Mesh cursor on an outline: you'll see that it slices your shape and starts to make a 3D form. Tap on any line and it will split in half, forming more gradient lines.

Step 06

Continue creating a mesh. The more mesh lines you create, the more form your shape will have. Hold down Opt/Alt to delete a mesh line. To add a gradient, use the Direct Selection tool to pick all the points you want colour added to, then choose a colour from the palette.

Step 07

The colours will vary depending on whether they're layered over dark or light colours. To add more dynamism, try a circular opacity mask. First, create a circle and duplicate it in the Layers panel. Next, using the Gradient panel, add a radial gradient from white in the centre out to black.

Step 08

With both circles selected, choose Make Opacity Mask from the Transparency panel menu, and select a colour. Everything that was white in the radial gradient will take that colour; everything that was black will now be 100% transparent. Experiment with placing this circle, in various colours, behind your artwork.

Step 09

Here's one final technique that adds a simple but effective fluid fluorescence. Select various shapes, then, holding down the Shift and Opt/Alt keys, hit an arrow key. Your shape will be duplicated and offset. As we're working with semi-transparent shapes, you'll start to create a nice movement effect.

Step 10

Even with simple illustrated shapes you'll find that it really is worth taking your time with transparencies. The smallest alteration can make a big difference, and subtle gradients and transparencies can really bring an unbeatable finesse to your illustration work.

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Bring a fluorescent transparency to life in Illustrator

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Software: Illustrator CS5 or later Project time: 2 hours Skills: Use the Gradient Mesh tool, Make opacity masks, Work with colours and transparency Although a lot of Illustrator tools are fairly simple to grasp, using them with finesse and perfecting the finer details can take further practice.

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Blending Vector Art - Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop

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Adobe Illustrator CC - Line Art Tutorial 2016

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Adobe Illustrator CC - Line Art Tutorial April 2017 - Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts

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Incredible 3D Dots and Lines Glowing Fiber Effect in Illustrator

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Need to create a seamlessly repeating patterns in Illustrator CS6 or Illustrator CC 2014? Then you're in luck. Adobe has created a tool that will make the pattern creation process both fast and easy.

When creating patterns, you have a number of options. You can make use of the patterns installed with Illustrator, draw a pattern, select a pattern from a photo or scan one in.

Use a ready-made pattern

Set up your workspace by going to Window>Workspace>Painting. To access patterns, there are several options. One is to go to the Swatches panel and once there, click on the Swatch Libraries Menu icon at the lower left.

The Swatches panel at top-left, options below in the menu and the Swatch Libraries Menu panel. You can edit the patterns in Illustrator or create one from scratch.

Here is an example of the various patterns that come with Illustrator.

Create a pattern from scratch

To create your own patter, click on File>New. In the New Document dialog box select Profile>Custom and the Width and Height to 300 pixels. Click on OK to accept.

Click on the Rectangle tool ( M) to select it and click on the artboard. When the Rectangle dialog box comes up, click OK for the default of 100x100 pixels and draw four rectangles.

Choose any colour you wish for the stroke. Set the stroke to 2 and make sure the fill is turned off. Activate the Blend tool ( W) and double-click on the artboard.

This brings up the Blend Options dialog box. Set the spacing to Specified Steps and in the parameters box, enter 16. In the orientation, choose the first option and click on OK.

With the Blend tool active, click on the top line of the red rectangle then click on the top line of the green rectangle. You should get the following result:

Deselect the current rectangles and repeat the same process for the blue and orange rectangles. Deselect the current rectangles and repeat the same process for the blue and orange rectangles. Your rectangles should look like this:

You now have a simple design to use for making a seamless pattern in Illustrator. Before you go further, select all of the rectangles and click on Object>Group ( Ctrl+G) to group all the shapes together.

How to create a pattern

Now it's time to create a pattern. With the pattern group selected, click on Object>Pattern>Make.

When you do so, several things happen: Your design is automatically transformed into a pattern, the Pattern Options dialog box appears and the pattern has been added to the Swatches panel.

Note that any changes applied in Pattern Editing Mode will be applied to the Swatch upon exit. Click OK to accept.

Before going further, name the pattern. After that you can begin editing. (Looking at the result, there are a lot of lines which could be overwhelming. Fortunately there is an easy fix, which we will get to in a minute.)

When you look at the Pattern Options dialog box you will see many options. Directly below the pattern name is the Tile Type. Your options are: Grid, Brick by Row, Brick by Column, Hex by Column, and Hex by Row.

Directly below the Tile Type is the Brick Offset. To keep things simple, choosing Tile Type: Grid disables the Brick Offset.

As you can see, there are many options but they may not be to your liking. If that's the case, click on the Pattern Tile Tool at the top of the Pattern options dialog box.

This brings up a blue outline with handles around the main pattern. It might be hard to see, so we will drag out the shape, which will create separation between the other patterns and make the blue outline easier to see.

You can now see the blue outline and some space between the patterns.

Other settings

In the Pattern Options dialog box there are many more options. One of them is to size the spacing of the pattern numerically, for greater accuracy. To do so, click on the Maintain Width and Height Proportions button in the top section and enable Size Tile to Art. The copied patterns will snap back in line with the original pattern.

To create space, enter a value in the H Spacing and V Spacing parameters box. Note you can enable the Maintain Spacing Proportions button to the right of the parameters box - or not.

Here is the result:

Of the other options, the Copies popup offers many different settings, such as 5x5 (default), 7x7, 3x7, 3x3, etc. Below the Copies option is the heading>Dim Copies to. 70% is the default but you can change if the copies are close together. This will make it easier to see what is happening with the pattern.

When you are satisfied with your changes click on the Done heading at the top of your workspace. That's it.

In this tutorial we've barely scratched the surface of what you can do with patterns. There are endless possibilities, and you are only limited by your imagination. To go further, check out these tutorials:

Words: Nathan Segal

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How to create a repeating pattern in Illustrator

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Need to create a seamlessly repeating patterns in Illustrator CS6 or Illustrator CC 2014? Then you're in luck. Adobe has created a tool that will make the pattern creation process both fast and easy. When creating patterns, you have a number of options.

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You'll learn how to create volume in vector illustrations using a few colors per object. I'll be bringing a sketch of a beautiful tropical bird (macaw) to life using vectors and then start the coloring process.

Step 1

I start by placing my sketch onto the blank canvas going to File > Place. I've learned that by sketching, and being true to my sketch when vectoring, there's a greater chance to preserved my illustration style. Next I'll set my sketch image to a 20% Opacity, Lock it and Create New Layer on top where I'll actually be creating the vector objects.

Step 2

Using the Pen Tool (P) I start the vector drawing by building the object with a few corner anchor points (no curves yet). After laying the anchor points I switch to the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift + C), click and drag every anchor point to reveal its vector and start handling the curve's orientation. I follow this method in order to make sure there is only two anchor points per curve path and to keep my object with as few anchor points as possible.

After drawing the main objects (body, wings, beak, eyes) I start drawing the smaller objects like the wing and head's feathers.

Step 3

Once I'm done drawing every object, I'm ready to let go of my sketch and start filling the shapes with solid colors Since I'm going to be working with gradients to illustrate lights and shadows, I'm going to choose an average of those colors for the base.

Step 4

This is when the coloring process starts. I'll pick one color, in this case the red body of the bird, and I'll look for the dark and light versions of that color using the Color Picker window. You should look for the tone that is right for the subject. For example, a lighter red would result in pink, I wanted a warm color so I moved the handle towards the yellow.

Step 5

After adding my variations of red to my Swatches panel, I'll use them to create the gradient swatch for my bird's body. I'll start my gradient with the light color, then the base and finally the darker red tone at the end. I'll save this gradient swatch as well since I'll be using it for all the red objects in my drawing.

When I fill the body of the bird with the red gradient the default position of the gradient is limited by the bounding box of the object (which looks kind of weird). Using the Gradient Tool (G) you can move, enlarge and shrink the gradient's range. By doing this I'll place the dark side under the bird's wing representing the shadow of the wing against the bird's body. I'll let a hint of the light color show on the top of the bird's head to illustrate the light casting upon the subject.

Step 6

Using this same logic of placing the dark color of the gradients in areas that are beneath other objects, we can start managing the other red objects and its gradients position. Notice how I didn't use the dark red for the top of the wing, this is because nothing is on top and we don't need shadows here. You can see in the image that every object has a different gradient angle, you just have to play with it until you get the shadows and lights right where it needs to be.

Step 7

To give a more realistic look I'm going to be adding some hard shadows on some key places. Since the shadow will have the same shape of the top object I'm just going to duplicate the top and bottom objects, move the top object to where I want my shadow to be and Intersect them using the Pathfinder panel. Duplicated objects are marked with green strokes in the tutorial image. Next I'll fill the shadow with a gradient going from 100% to 0% Opacity dark red.

Repeat the process for the shadows in the head and tail

Step 8

There are little details that should be added like the peak's shadow and some feather's shadows on the chest. I'll use the Pen Tool (P) to draw the shapes and the Pathfinder > Intersect to keep the shadows going beyond the chest area.

Step 9

We are finally done with the red and can move on to the yellow feathers on the bird's wing. We are going to create a combination of dark, light and the base as well for this gradient. For the light color I've include a hint of green since this type of bird has some of this color spread randomly around the feathers. Using the same logic of placing shadows between overlapping objects, I fill my top yellow feathers and move the gradient to where my I want my shadow to be.

Step 10

For the underneath yellow feathers we are going to be a bit more playful with the lights, yellow and green, to convey the bird's mixtures of colors on the feathers. We are going to keep our principle of using the dark end of the gradient where objects overlap.

Step 11

Now it's the turn of the blue feathers. We are going to do something different here. Instead of using a dark color for the gradient, we are going to use green. What I want here is to blend a little the blue feathers with the top yellow feathers, so I chose a color that they have in common. I'll place my gradient direction in order for the green to follow the yellow feathers shape as much as possible.

Repeat the process for all the blue feathers.

Step 12

Next we'll give some volume to the bird's peak. We'll start by building our gradient with the three colors of this bird's characteristic peak: beige with brown and black at the tip. Once we are done with this gradient we'll draw a black arc on the top of the peak using the Pen Tool (P). And finally we'll draw the shine of the peak's surface by following the top curve of the peak. We've also added a little bit of light to the bottom of the peak by using a Radial Gradient from black to dark grey.

Step 13

Moving on to the feathers around the bird's eye, using the eye's circle as our epicenter we are going to create a slightly bigger circle around the eye using the Ellipse Tool (L) and then another circle that covers the whole gray area around the eye. Next we'll create the two circles in the middle by selecting both circles and going to Object > Blend > Make. By default the blend is made with a Smooth Color Spacing, we want to change that to Specified Steps by going to Object > Blend > Blend Options to reveal the Blend Options window. Select Specified Steps from the Spacing drop-down menu and write 2 in the text field next to the menu. We are going to be filling each circle individually so we need to break the blend by going to Object > Expand.

Finally we want to clip the circles inside the grey shape. To do this we select the gray area, we place our shape on top of the circles by going to Arrange > Bring to Front, and with both the circles and the grey shape selected we go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make.

Step 14

We are ready to give this feathers some love! Fill the three immediate circles behind the eye with a white to gray gradient. Move the radial gradient so the light and dark colors are opposite between circles.

For the last circle and clipping mask shape we are going to switch to a light to dark gray gradient. The reason is that this feathers are at the bottom and doesn't receive as much light as the feathers closer to the eye.

Step 15

Next we're going to bring some life into the eye. Fill the white area with a light yellow. Create a smaller circle inside with the Ellipse Tool (L) and fill it with green to create the iris. Now duplicate the yellow circle and move it a few spaces downward. Fill it with a linear gradient going from 100% to 0% Opacity gray. This would give the illusion of the eye shadow upon the feathers beneath it. Create a small white circle and place it in the upper right corner of the black pupil and we're done.

Step 16

Now we're going to be adding the hard shadows for the wing's feather to give the bird the final dimensional touches. I'm going to be using the same technique I used for the bird's red body. I'll duplicate the top object, will enlarge it a little and move it a bit downward. Then I'll duplicate the feather beneath the wing and intersect the two objects by going to the Pathfinder panel Window > Pathfinder and selecting the Intersect option. I'll finally fill the resulting shape with a dark yellow since it's the shadow for the yellow feather.

Step 17

The other yellow feathers in the wing will be a bit tricky. They have more than one object on top of them so we're going to have to combine the top objects first by selecting them and using the Unite option in the Pathfinder panel. After doing this we can continue using the same technique of intersecting the top and bottom object to create the each feather's shadow. Remember to darken the shadow's color a bit depending on the depth of the feather within the wing.

Step 18

The "multicolor" (yellow/blue) feathers at the wing's bottom need a shadow for each color We are going to duplicate the top object, enlarge, move downward and finally duplicate again as many times as yellow feathers are in need of shadow. Next we'll intersect the top object copy with each yellow feather.

At the end we should have all of the yellow feathers shadows. Do the same with the blue feathers.

Step 19

Done with the bird now the wood log looks kind of flat. I'm going to draw some lines win the Pen Tool (P) to create wood veins. Next I'll select all strokes and the main wood log shape so I can Divide the wood log into several objects using the Divide option in the Pathfinder panel. The strokes will split the log shapes into independent objects so I can apply a different fills to each one of them. I'm going to use the same gradient to fill all the objects but I'll change the gradient direction so the lights and darks of the gradients can contrast with each other and reveal the veins curves.

Step 20

Finally the chopped side of the wood log. Fill the ellipse with a radial gradient going from dark-light-dark brown (same used in the wood's veins gradient). Draw an irregular shape with the Pen Tool (P) in the middle of the ellipse. Next duplicate the ellipse, set its opacity to 0% in the Window > Transparency panel and fill both the ellipse and irregular shape with the dark brown color we use in the previous gradient. Now blend the two objects by going to Object > Blend > Make. Go into the Blend Options window to change the Spacing to "Specified Steps" and set the steps to 5.

Conclusion

Here we have our final macaw. I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial and look out for more from me in the future!

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How to Create a Colorful Parrot using Gradients in Adobe Illustrator

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You'll learn how to create volume in vector illustrations using a few colors per object. I'll be bringing a sketch of a beautiful tropical bird (macaw) to life using vectors and then start the coloring process. I start by placing my sketch onto the blank canvas going to File > Place.

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This is a great introductory tutorial

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Quick summary ↬ Office applications are getting very advanced these days offering all sorts of fancy features for data visualization. Graph generation is a standard feature in desktop applications like Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice.org Calc, but it can also be achieved in non-spreadsheet applications like Adobe Illustrator. If you're unfamiliar with the process of creating graphs in Adobe Illustrator, this article will help in giving you some insight into the work-flow. It might also help you decide whether Illustrator is the right tool for this kind of assignment. Adobe Illustrator offers 9 graph types to visualize data. You can choose from the following graphs: column, stacked column, bar, stacked bar, line, area, scatter, pie and radar.

Office applications are getting very advanced these days offering all sorts of fancy features for data visualization. Graph generation is a standard feature in desktop applications like Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice.org Calc, but it can also be achieved in non-spreadsheet applications like Adobe Illustrator.

If you're unfamiliar with the process of creating graphs in Illustrator, this article will help in giving you some insight into the work-flow. It might also help you decide whether Illustrator is the right tool for this kind of assignment.

Further Reading on SmashingMag:

What Type of Graphs Can You Create in Illustrator?

Adobe Illustrator offers 9 graph types to visualize data. You can choose from the following:

More after jump! Continue reading below ↓

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Column Graph

Stacked Column Graph

Bar Graph

Stacked Bar Graph

Line Graph

Area Graph

Scatter Graph

Pie Graph

Radar Graph

There is also the possibility for making combinations from the existing graph types to achieve greater diversity. The only graph type that can't be combined is the scatter graph.

Creating graphs in Illustrator is as simple as selecting the Graph Tool (from the Tools panel), clicking on your Artboard and dragging and thus forming the area size of the graph. It is also possible to type in the width and height of the graph, which is useful if you want to create graphs with specific dimensions. If you decide to type in the dimensions of the graph, you should bear in mind that those dimensions are applied to the whole graph object (including labels, legend and x, y values), not just the graph chart.

Once you create this graph size and shape you will see that it's available as a single element (layer) in the Layers panel, usually with the name <Graph>. This might seem confusing at first but you'll get used to it very quickly.

The Two Faces of Illustrator Graph Functionality

Creating graphs in Adobe Illustrator is generally a straightforward task but once you get into advanced techniques of graph design, functionality can get quite annoying. You'll be surprised to discover that basic tasks like scaling and aligning are not instantly applicable on graphs.

Face 1 (Graphs as Objects)

The reason for the initial exceptional lack of functionality of the graph objects in Illustrator is that they are quite simply, 'objects'. That is to say, they are special groups of sub-elements that have a limited number of attributes the user can control. Graph objects are less flexible than usual Illustrator layers, layer elements and groups of layer elements.

Here are most of the limitations of Adobe Illustrator's graph creation functionality that are instantly noticeable:

Transform panel is not available for graph objects.

No transform controls are available for selected graph objects, thus no instant scaling or rotation is possible.

Graph objects cannot be aligned to other objects nor can other objects be aligned to them.

Two or more graph objects cannot be grouped.

It's not possible to create a clipping mask from a graph object.

A graph object cannot be transformed into a symbol.

Maybe it's not really wise to initially dig for limitations, as you may get the impression that you're left with very few things that you can actually do to graphs in Illustrator. Of course, that's the wrong impression. As noted, creating graphs in Adobe Illustrator is generally a straightforward task.

But through knowing the limitations of your tool can actually help you plan early and work smarter.

Face 2 (working with sub-elements of the Graph Object)

Illustrator Graphs have sub-elements. The sub-elements are the brightest aspect of the graph creation process in Adobe Illustrator. They are flexible and you can do all sorts of modifications to them. From repositioning, scaling, mirroring, adjusting opacity and offsetting paths to applying special effects like brush strokes, glowing edges, pixelation etc. Sub-elements are your true friends as long as you don't make further changes in the graph data!

The appearance of the following sub-elements can be modified:

However, if you make a change in the graph data, you instantly loose the control over the sub-elements' appearance and reset it to the bare minimum - fill + stroke. Actually, you reset the appearance of sub-elements with any action that causes the graph object to regenerate. That's why, as even Adobe advises, the sub-elements in graphs should always be styled as the final design process of a graph.

What about ungrouping Illustrator graphs?

Is it possible? Absolutely. As long as you're aware that ungrouping graphs removes the possibility of further changes in the graph data. Having this firmly in mind, it is only useful to ungroup a graph object once you're sure that you won't have to revisit its "Graph Data", "Graph Type" or "Graph Design" windows.

Graph ungrouping means simultaneously an increase AND a decrease in flexibility.

Ungrouping the Graph Object means an increase in flexibility because it makes all graph sub-elements behave like usual Illustrator layers, thus unleashing the full power of layer editing in Illustrator.

It is at the same time a decrease in flexibility because it's a one-way road. After the ungrouping, the graph object turns into a group of layer elements (as funny as this sounds), and looses its touch with the special graph creation functionalities.

So, it's wise to use Adobe Illustrator for designing graphs one step at a time. First prepare graph data, than design the graph. This might seem too obvious, but it's very, very easy to get carried away in the creative process, forgetting about the two faces (before and after ungrouping) of the graph object. I know, as I have made this mistake several times.

What if you want to modify several graphs at once?

That's a very legitimate question and it deserves a decent answer.

You most certainly can select several graph objects at once, and apply various effects and transformations to them. With the help of the Group Selection tool, you can even select sub-elements from different graph objects and style them as you wish. Besides other things, you can also change the Graph Type of multiple graph objects at once.

Unfortunately, what you can't do is change graph data on more than one graph object at once. It's impossible and it's a shame. Instead of being able to change the data of 50 various graphs in an instance, you will need to do 50 separate changes ( and waste valuable time).

How do Graphs Perform in Legacy Illustrator Formats?

Every incremental release of Adobe Illustrator offers options for saving working files in legacy formats. This way you can ensure that your designs will work in older versions of Adobe Illustrator.

However, even though the possibility is there, the practical value of this Illustrator feature, for graphs, is minimal.

A personal example

While preparing the final release of " The Graphs² ", saving to legacy formats added extra "features" to my designs. For example, while working on a legacy AI file, after editing the graph data on a randomly chosen graph object, the graph object repositioned itself to false coordinates, and made the design appear to be broken. After testing this on other graph objects, I figured that it was a rule and not an exception. I wasn't able to get rid of this "feature" until I decided to minimize the backwards compatibility of my designs and save into Illustrator CS4 format.

Adobe does warn about the consequences of saving in legacy formats, but this is certainly a feature for Illustrator Graphs that could be improved.

What Could Adobe Improve in its Illustrator Graphs Functionality?

It would be really nice not to have to worry about loosing touch with the graph data after graph ungrouping. Why do graph objects have to be limited? In fact, why do graphs need to be generated in the form of objects? Why not serve them in the usual way - as a group of separate layers?

Perhaps Adobe should spend more time modularizing the graph creation functionality and serve them throughout the whole Creative Suite. Data visualization is important and shouldn't be treated as a gray zone, as a pending process in the development of the Creative Suite, especially not in the development of Adobe Illustrator.

Some 'would be nice to have' stuff for Illustrator graphs

In terms of flexibility and accessibility, Adobe Illustrator's graph creation functionalities are not polished at all. The main features are very obvious, but a lot of small pieces are missing for a rock solid graph creation module.

Axes: Though it might be illogical for some, why isn't there an option for generating graphs without value axes? Hiding them manually takes additional time and it's specially annoying if you need to use the "Show All" option for hidden layers, while trying to exclude the value axes from reappearing. An extra option that will allow hiding and showing of value axes is needed in the "Graph Type" window.

Shadows: Why would you implement a shadow sub-element for graph objects if you don't provide proper options to control its appearance? And, who needs rough shadows these days when ray-tracing has spoiled us like children? We need realistic shadows for graph objects in Illustrator. We need to be able to control the light angle, the dens and the opacity of the shadow, the level of softness. We need all things that you normally get when applying a "Drop Shadow" layer style on a Photoshop layer. While saying this, there are manual ways of getting smooth graph shadows, like applying "Drop Shadow" effect on sub-elements or applying "Feather" effect on the default graph shadow sub-element.

Inter-object styling: What's the point of providing styling options for graph sub-elements, when there's no freedom in choosing when to apply them. The appearance reset for graph sub-elements has to go away! Data has to be separated from presentation. We need to be able to make unlimited changes to graph data regardless of the appearance of the graph object or its sub-elements. We need to be able to change things whenever we feel like we want to, not necessarily last.

Summary of Illustrator Graph Features

Here is a summary of the most important features of graphs in Adobe Illustrator.

Graphs are special groups of sub-elements and have a limited number of attributes you can control.

You can create 9 main types of graphs in Adobe Illustrator.

You can import graph data from external files.

You can copy and paste data from spreadsheet applications into graphs in Illustrator. You need to paste the data into Object → Graph → Data window for this to work.

If you ungroup a graph you cannot make changes to its data.

You can apply all sorts of effects to the sub-elements of a graph and not so much to the graph object itself.

Graphs and symbols do not get along quite well. A graph object cannot be converted into a symbol. However, there is an option for importing symbols into graph designs.

It is possible to create graphs with custom designs (by including images and symbols), but we won't explore this in detail in this feature. Maybe you can write a great article on this topic?

You can copy and paste charts from Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice.org Calc into Illustrator.

Illustrator offers excellent support for exporting graphs in SVG file format. Graph data remains editable in Illustrator, for SVG files created with Illustrator.

If you require advanced graph creation features, make friends with spreadsheet applications in famous Office suites.

Save some time along the way!

Here are a few quick tips (shortcuts) that might come in handy for beginners or may act as a reminder for advanced Illustrator users. These are all obvious things that will help you from wandering aimlessly around Illustrator menus and the workspace.

Instead of going to Object → Graphs → Data..., anytime you need to access the data of a specific graph, select the graph object and double click the Column Graph Tool icon from the Tools panel. Or, you can achieve the same by selecting the graph object, choosing "J" from the keyboard and then pressing the "Enter" key.

Right click a graph and you will find another quick way to access specific options for graph objects, including:

Type...

Data...

Design...

Column...

Marker...

Instead of selecting graph sub-elements within isolation mode, use the Group Selection Tool to select them without isolating your view in the workspace.

Click and drag a graph while holding the "Alt" key on the keyboard, to quickly duplicate it.

Delete graph objects with "Backspace" or "Delete" from the keyboard.

If you want to create Line graphs with curved lines apply "Round Corners..." effects (Effect → Illustrator Effects - Stylize → Round Corners...) to line sub-elements.

If you want to create a Pie Graph with empty space in between pieces, apply an "Offset Path..." effect (Effect → Illustrator Effects - Path → Offset Path...) to the graph object, and a miracle happens!

If you want to create a 3D graph, apply an "Extrude & Bevel..." effect (Effect → Illustrator Effects - 3D → Extrude & Bevel...) to the graph object. If you don't want to transform the whole graph object, apply "Extrude & Bevel..." effects to specific sub-elements you want visualized in 3D.

If you want to use "Offset Path..." effect together with "Extrude & Bevel..." on a single graph object or a single sub-element, make sure you place the offset effect below the Extrude & Bevel in the Appearance panel and you'll be fine. Otherwise you'll get the offset plane extruded also.

Don't forget to use the "Drop Shadow..." effect (Effect → Illustrator Effects - Stylize → Drop Shadow...) as a replacement to the poor shadow feature that's served by default for some graph objects.

Draw your conclusion

I used Adobe Illustrator to create " The Graps " and I can say it was an interesting experience. It wasn't as delightful as I would have liked it to be but it sure was challenging.

After reading the above article you may feel discouraged in using Illustrator for graph design. What I would certainly recommend is at least trying Illustrator for creating graphs. It's the only way of getting in touch with the work-flow and making a personal judgment of whether Adobe Illustrator is mature enough for your graph creation needs.

At the end of the day, keep in mind that with Adobe Illustrator you're creating vector art. Vector art can be re-sized infinitely, without any consequences in terms of graphics quality, thus can be fitted in almost any type of medium.

Further reading

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How To Create Graphs In Illustrator - Smashing Magazine

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Office applications are getting very advanced these days offering all sorts of fancy features for **data visualization**. Graph generation is a standard feature in desktop applications like Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice.org Calc, but it can also be achieved in non-spreadsheet applications like Adobe Illustrator.

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You probably don't need us to tell you that Illustrator CC is a brilliant graphic design tool. Whether you want to create typographic layouts, stunning illustrations or objects and elements destined for the web, it's the ideal tool. It fits into Creative Cloud perfectly, with maximum compatibility with other apps and, of course, the brilliant ability to upload directly to Behance from the File menu, sync with Kuler and share files across multiple machines.

With the new Touch Type tool you can bring a new fluidity to your graphics work. Here I'll show you how to use it to edit and manipulate live text on the fly.

01. First, find it

Roughly style up some text in Illustrator CC. Open the Touch Type tool, in the Tools panel under the Type tool or via the Character panel (Window>Type). With the tool selected, click on a character in your text frame and a bounding box will appear around that character. All of the corners will have a handle and there is an additional handle above the box, each of which has a different function for editing the character.

02. Moving and rotating

The bottom left handle is the move function. You can also move the character by clicking inside the bounding box. The character's new position will be shown in blue with the original visible behind. Centrally above the bounding box is the rotate handle. Hover over this and a rotation icon will appear. Click and drag to rotate the character. Remember as you move one character it will affect the position of the next.

03. Scaling

The top left handle controls the proportional scaling of your character. After you've dragged the handle and scaled your character have a look in the Character panel. The percentage increase or decrease will be shown in the vertical and horizontal scale fields of the panel and will be displayed by your cursor. The final two handles control the vertical top left and horizontal (bottom right) scaling.

04. Quick character changes

The Touch Type tool doesn't enable you to make changes to multiple letters in one go, but that's not a problem as you can easily use the Eyedropper tool to duplicate styles. Alternatively, you can cut and paste letters and the applied formatting will remain - then, because the text is live you can simply change the character. Another option is to create a character style that you can then apply to individual characters.

05. Selecting characters

You will find at times certain characters can be difficult to select with the Touch Type tool - especially when you have characters stacked or a mixture of different sized characters. A really simple way around this is to change the size of your text frame so you're focusing just on the characters you need to work on at any one time. Alternatively, adding a soft return might create the space you need.

06. On a path...

Finally, you can use the Touch Type tool with type on a path. Draw a path with the Pen tool and add your text to it using the Type on a Path tool found under the Type tool in the Tools panel. To refine the look of the type open the type on the Path Options panel found under Type Type on a Path Type on a Path Options. Here you will find a number of different effects options and positions for aligning your text.

Words: Jo Gulliver
This article originally appeared in Computer Arts issue 224.

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Make the most of Illustrator CC's Touch Type tool

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You probably don't need us to tell you that Illustrator CC is a brilliant graphic design tool. Whether you want to create typographic layouts, stunning illustrations or objects and elements destined for the web, it's the ideal tool.

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How To Create Texture Gradients - Illustrator Tutorial

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How to Create a Logo in Illustrator | Adobe Creative Cloud

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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How To Cartoon Yourself !- Step By Step  21 Savage Tutorial ( ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR )

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How To Make A Vector Portrait | Using Adobe Illustrator cc

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Preview

Resources

Portrait by Lillian Bertram (Creative Commons Share Alike - used here with permission)

Step 1: Set up your Illustrator document

Start with a print document of 8.5 x 11″. Make sure to change the color space to RGB.

Step 2: Import the reference photo

Import the photo you will be using as a reference (File > Place). In this tutorial, I used this portrait by Lillian Bertram.

Size it up or down as necessary-try to size it up to the artboard.

Don't sweat the resolution or pixelation of the image since the reference photo is only a guide. However, the better the quality of the image, the more detail you have to work from.

Since the artwork will be imported into the first layer, name it " Photo Reference " using the Layers panel.

Your work area should look like this:

Step 3: Set up your work area

You are going to want to go to the Layers panel and create two more layers. Name them " Outlines" and " Fill Lines ".

Go ahead and select the reference photo on your canvas.

With the photo selected, go to the Transparency panel (Window > Transparency) and lower the transparency of the photo between 50% and 70% -just enough for you to still see the features, but not enough to obstruct your tracing workflow.

Now go over to the Layers panel and lock the reference photo layer so that you don't accidentally move it.

It may also help to select a Workspace preset for Painting (Window > Workspace > Painting) to set up an initial workspace and panels placement that's suitable for what you will be doing.

Step 4: Setting up your brush

Before you get started, go to the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance) to show the Appearance panel.

Click on the settings (upper left) and in the drop down menu that comes up, be sure that New Art Has basic Appearance is deselected.

Then, you can close out the Appearance panel.

Now double-click on the Paintbrush Tool (B) in the toolbar to pull up the options dialog box for the brush.

Be sure to have Keep Selected and Edit Selected Paths unchecked as they can inhibit a natural drawing process. Adjust your Smoothness to a lower number if you have confidence in your drawing strokes, or a higher number if you feel you have a shaky hand or want straighter and smoother lines. I usually keep the Fidelity option around a 4 or 5 as well.

Go to the Brushes panel, select a 1pt stroke, and double-click the 2 pt. Oval default brush. (If you wish, you may rename the brush to make it your own.)

You can adjust the options so as to respond to the pressure and tilt of your tablet, as well as make it more of a flat-tipped, calligraphy style marker.

If you don't have a tablet-don't worry-you can still make adjustments to the head of the brush and add some randomness to the variability in the stroke. These adjustments will make for a more realistic marker look.

Be sure to doodle a bit on a blank area of your canvas on the "Outlines" layer until your brush looks as you wish.

Step 5: Initial tracing

With the Paintbrush Tool (B) selected, go to the color selection area of the toolbar. Make sure that there is no fill on the brush and choose black that has a little gray to it for the stroke-you don't want to use a 100% black if you want a more natural look.

Zoom in on the area of the canvas where you want to begin working. Personally, I like to work from the eyes outwards, but also find it just as helpful to work with a quick outline around the whole face and work inwards. What you want to do is use short brush spurts of lines in a similar direction. You want to define the darkest areas of the photo, or the areas with the most contrast. Use the pressure of the tablet for thicker areas of definition. You will want to shade with cross-hatched or diagonal lines to denote areas that are midtones.

This is your chance to experiment and play around stylistically. You can change how your brush displays by going back to the Brushes panel and modifying the settings you created earlier. You will have the ability to apply your changes to all your strokes, so long as you modify the same brush you used to make all of your previous marks.

Periodically hide the "Photo Reference" layer to see how your composition stands on its own.

At some point, you want to break away from using the reference entirely once you have enough key features and focus on stylizing the portrait with your own marks and aesthetic.

Step 6: Add contrast

With your base outlines close to order, you will now add fill lines to the piece for greater contrast and to pull the piece together visually.

Select the "Fill Lines" layer. Go to your Stroke panel and choose a stroke between 3pt and 4pt.

You will now go over the outer edges and any areas where you want to make a bold distinction of contrast. This will also give it a more urban/graffiti/marker look.

Step 7: Tweaking the piece

You can also make use of the Eraser Tool (Shift + E) to organically remove unwanted marks.

Remember that all of your strokes are just paths so you can always pull and adjust curves using the Pen Tool (P) and Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift + C) to make adjustments.

Also, you can use the Group Selection Tool (white arrow with a "plus" symbol) to select and edit areas of lines by scaling, moving or rotating as you see fit.

Step 8: Before you begin coloring

Since you want to achieve a softer and layered look with the colors, you will be using layered Pencil Tool (N) fills with a lowered transparency. To begin, create a new layer to sit below your "Fill" and "Outline" layers. Name it " Color " and lock all other layers but this layer. Also, be sure to hide the "Photo Reference" layer.

Step 9: Set up the Pencil Tool

Double-click the Pencil tool Icon in the toolbar and adjust the settings as follows:

Go to the color selection area of the toolbar and swap the stroke color with the fill color so that there is no stroke color.

Double-click the fill color and choose a skin tone color that is on the lighter end of a yellow to red hue.

Next, go to Window > Transparency to select between a 15% to 20% opacity for your fills.

Test out your color and transparency by drawing some overlapping circles and see how the color fills build up. If the new fills aren't showing up as transparent-or with the correct color-check your settings and also be sure that your Appearance panel has the New Art Has Basic Appearance option deselected.

Step 10: Coloring in your portrait

Begin with the skin tones of the face. Draw overlapping shapes that contour and compliment your lines with the Pencil Tool (N).

Over the darker and shaded areas, be sure to build up the color. Also select darker shades within the same hue to add more contrast and shadow.

For the skin: I tend to work with yellows, oranges, and reds. Use a gradient for larger areas with a light to dark fade, and build on top of them. Be sure that your highlights are basically just areas with less color.

If you need to enhance highlights, draw transparent white shapes over these areas. Keep a light hand, and draw fast layered shapes with lower opacities-this helps keep the watercolor and layered feel to the illustration.

Also draw a bit outside of the lines-with this process, imperfection is our friend.

Since you will be drawing irregular shapes with the Pencil Tool (N), you may notice sharp edges and unclosed paths. To close paths, hold down the Option/Alt key right after you begin drawing your path and just before you finish it. This will complete any shape you are drawing. It's okay to have irregular shapes and sharp edges; you can always edit them at any point with the Eraser Tool or the point-editing tools.

Color in the rest of the portrait using colors that you find works best. It is a good idea to use the Eyedropper Tool (I) and choose a color palette from another photo you may find aesthetically-pleasing for user experience.

I also encourage the use of contrasting colors to add a bit of interest, like circle shapes of bluish hue shadows on yellow and orange areas of skin or small drops of deeper reds on blue or green tones. They add a bit of complexity and depth.

Step 11: Finalizing the portrait

At this point, you should be close to finished with the portrait. Improvise, add flourishes, text, and deviate towards using your own technique and style to enhance your illustration.

You may also bring your illustration into Adobe Photoshop for added effects, color management, and texture.

Conclusion

This tutorial shared with you some techniques for using Adobe Illustrator's powerful set of painting and illustration tools. We also covered ways to set up your workspace to achieve the watercolor and marker style illustration. I hope you enjoyed my tutorial and have taken away something useful for web design by reading it. Here is the final piece. Show us your work in the Flickr group pool.

Download Source Files

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Make Watercolor and Marker Style Portraits with Illustrator

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With this tutorial, we are going to work through ways of creating digital portrait illustrations that have a unique and somewhat tactile feel of marker and watercolor. This tutorial will focus on using a drawing tablet and Adobe Illustrator.

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How To Create a Beautiful Vector Portrait in Illustrator

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I’ve always love browsing the amazing style of art known as Vexel illustration and recently I decided to finally give it a go myself. Follow this step by step tutorial for the making of my first vector art portrait of Tron Legacy’s Quorra. Learn how the portrait is carefully traced and vectorized in…

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How To Create a Beautiful Vector Portrait in Illustrator

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What You'll Be Creating

In today's tutorial, I'm going to show you how to create a monochrome portrait from a photograph. Today's subject is the inspiring Aydian Dowling, who has given us permission to use one of his photos for this tutorial.

If you're not aware who Aydian Dowling is, let me introduce you to him. He is a transgender vlogger and activist, who has documented his transition on his YouTube channel ALionsFears. He's the creator/owner of Point 5cc, a trans style clothing company which helps those going through their own transition.

Aydian had a successful year in 2015 when not only did his take on an iconic Adam Levine photo become viral, but he also became runner up in the Men's Health cover competition, becoming the first transgender man to be considered as a finalist, even winning the public vote in the process! He has been featured in many places and even interviewed by Ellen DeGeneres.

So let's get into creating Aydian in vector. Find incredible Adobe Illustrator Brushes for this portrait and more from Envato Market and Envato Elements.

1. How to Change Your Reference to Greyscale

Step 1

Aydian was kind enough to provide us with a high-resolution image of himself for this tutorial. He's been photographed by many people, but I have chosen a selfie he took of himself as I know for sure he will hold the copyright to the image.

I've picked a photo of him which I feel is a true likeness of him. We all know there are photos of ourselves from certain angles in which we don't look ourselves. So as I want people to recognize Aydian from the portrait, I needed a true likeness.

Step 2

I'm going to use Adobe Photoshop to greyscale the image. I do this by going to Image > Adjustments > Black and White.

Depending on the image you're using, find the most appropriate preset or modify from the selection you have. I've opted for the Maximum White preset and then clicked on OK.

2. How to Set Up Your File and Create the Bases

Step 1

Open up Adobe Illustrator and create a New Print Document.

I've used File > Place to place our reference image onto the artboard. Then I added a white fill Rectangle (M) set to 50% Opacity in a New Layer. Finally I created a layer for adding my base shapes.

Step 2

With the Pen Tool (P), I create bases for each one of the key areas-apart from the hair. I give each one a fill of the average mid-tone color from those areas.

3. How to Create the Skin Shading

Step 1

When I'm working on skin shading, I tend to work on the mid tones first. With the reference image in greyscale, it makes it easier to see these mid tones.

The shapes for the mid tones would be very time consuming to create, so what I do is draw the highlights on the face and then remove them using Pathfinder > Minus Front from a duplicate of the face base shape.

So with the Pen Tool (P), I draw the highlights of Aydian's face.

Then I select the shapes and create a Compound Path ( Control-8). This makes it easier to then select this single shape and a duplicate of the base to use Pathfinder > Minus Front.

Step 2

Using the first shape as a guide, I then repeat this process to create further shapes to render the skin. By setting the layer to outline mode, I can make sure that the boundaries of the new shapes are not exact duplicates of each other, and therefore create an even graduation in shadow.

Step 3

With the first four shading shapes created, I give them a grey Fill and set them to Blending Mode Multiply, Opacity 15%.

Step 4

Now that the mid-tone shadows are done, I begin drawing the darker shadows. Again I'll be using the Pen Tool, but this time I won't be using the Pathfinder method. I'll just be drawing the overall shapes.

You'll notice on the screenshot below, I've gone beyond the face base. Don't worry about this as it will be rectified later.

Step 5

As before, I add further shapes for the darker shadows.

Step 6

I then select the dark shadow shapes and apply Blending Mode Multiply, Opacity 15%. Here is our shading so far.

Step 7

The shading shapes are then Grouped together ( Control-G) and with a duplicate of the face base, I select both the group and the duplicate to create a Clipping Mask ( Control-7).

Step 8

Now I add further darker shapes. These will use a darker shade of grey and will be smaller shapes. They'll then be set to Blending Mode Multiply, Opacity 5%. They'll be grouped together and then added to the clipping mask.

Step 9

Add highlights to the skin. These are done with transparent Radial Gradients, using an off-white color. Gradients create a soft edge to the shapes, which make for a smoother transition in shadows and highlights.

These are set to Blending Mode Screen, Opacity 30%.

And this is how we're looking so far.

Step 10

I lay the shading and the reference image side by side and scour it for any obvious differences. Sometimes you may add too much shadow or too much highlight to areas, and by observing the original next to your shading, you can see where you need to make changes.

Of course this step only really applies if you're rendering someone you know or someone recognisable. This extra attention to detail can help push the likeness of your portrait closer to the photograph likeness.

4. How to Vector Hair

Step 1

The first thing I'm going to do is create the hair base. I do this by tracing the reference image with the Pen Tool. I create a zig-zag line along the hairline but I don't make it exact, as I'll put more detailing into this soon.

Step 2

To add detailing to the hair, I'm going to create a tapered Art Brush from a black Ellipse (L).

Step 3

Using the Paintbrush Tool (B), draw small strokes around the hairline with the tapered brush. This is to give a more detailed hairline.

Then select all of the strokes and go to Object > Expand. While the strokes are still selected, select the base as well and use Pathfinder > Unite to combine all shapes to create one base shape for the hair.

Step 4

Now I have a more detailed hairline, the rest of the base needs more detailing. Fine hairs will be coming away from the base. In order to render these, use the Pen Tool (so that the strokes are more controlled) with the tapered brush to draw these fly-away hairs. Then repeat the process of Object > Expand and Pathfinder > Unite.

Step 5

The style of rendering I'm working towards is less detailed than my previous portraits. More detailing will go into the base and the subtle shading than in adding hundreds and thousands of individual strokes.

To achieve this, you'll need to use the Appearance panel to add gradients to darken around the edges of the base shape.

Step 6

As the base is darkened and Aydian's hair is blond, I'm going to need to add strokes to the hair which use Blending Mode Screen to create a lighter shade. I begin using larger strokes ( 3 pt) and a low Opacity and then as I add more refined details, I reduce the Stroke Weight ( 1 pt) and use a higher Opacity.

The initial strokes will be done with the Pen Tool so I have more control over the curves... then as I progress, I use the Paintbrush Tool.

Step 7

To help the hairline blend more into the skin and to give less of a harsh edge, I add loads of strokes along the hairline with a low Opacity. This helps add definition to some of the more defined strokes in the hairline and it helps show more gaps on the scalp.

Step 8

I notice that the roots of the hair and the sides of the hair aren't as dark as I'd like them. So what I do is create shapes to cover these areas set to Blending Mode Multiply to darken them. I then Group them and use a duplicate of the hair base to create a Clipping Mask ( Control-7).

Step 9

Finally, I add brighter strokes to the hair to create the peak highlights.

5. How to Add Details to the Face

Step 1

When I create the skin, I also render the majority of the shading on the lips. I try not to render the lips separately from the skin as the lips are skin and I don't want them looking as if they're floating on top of the skin.

However, when I come to adding the finer details, I'll need to add smaller shapes to intensify the contrast in the lips. I recommend using the Blob Brush Tool ( Shift-B) to create these shapes.

Step 2

When adding the eyes, I use Ellipses within Clipping Masks of the shapes of the eyeballs. I use the Appearance panel with the help of Offset Path to create the effect needed for the pupil and iris.

Step 3

Again, I compare the portrait with the original image side by side so I can modify the shadows and highlights where required. When using such low opacities, it can sometimes be hard to balance the contrast correctly. So it's always best to check in with the original image and look at the key areas.

For instance, notice how there are dark shadows around the right eye. These shadows should be darker than the shadows on the nose and so on.

6. How to Refine the Hair

Step 1

Add darker strokes to the hair to help define it further. If you look at the original image, there are very definite strands and clumps of hair at the front of the hairline. This really needs to be replicated in the hair rendering in order to help make the portrait look more convincing.

Step 2

I then begin adding the facial hair and eyebrows. I start using Blending Mode Screen strokes with the tapered brush and Paintbrush Tool (B).

For the facial hair, I draw the strokes around the area first and then I fill in the strokes. This makes it quicker for me to render.

Step 3

I then use Blending Mode Multiply strokes to add shadowed strokes. I finish off by adding thinner Blending Mode Screen strokes to show some whiskers caught by the light.

Step 4

I finish off the portrait by adding eyelashes and highlights to the eyes. Everyone has eyelashes, although women may have more exaggerated lashes due to the use of mascara and cosmetics, so keep this in mind.

Awesome Work, You're Now Done!

I finished the portrait off by using a blue fill over the top to create a blue hue. I used Blending Mode Burn to help intensify the contrast.

Then, as a nod to Aydian walking 2015's LA Marco Marco show, I added dashes of bright yellow in the background.

Those who follow my portrait tutorials will know I like to add beauty spots to symbolise a narrative. Aydian doesn't have any... so I've added one near his mouth as he's an activist.

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial as much as I've enjoyed creating it. A huge thank you to Aydian for granting us permission to use his image for this tutorial.

See you in my next tutorial!

Illustrator Brushes From Envato Elements

Create stunning vector portraits of your friends and family by browsing one of the amazing Adobe Illustrator Brush Packs available on Envato Elements.

Turn anyone into an illustrious vector portrait using this pack of pencil-inspired Illustrator brushes. This pack includes 50 hand drawn brushes created to simulate the look of real traditional drawings. Download this pack to get started today!

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How to Create a Greyscale Monochrome Vector Portrait in Adobe Illustrator

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In today's tutorial, I'm going to show you how to create a monochrome portrait from a photograph. Today's subject is the inspiring Aydian Dowling, who has given us permission to use one of his photos for this tutorial. If you're not aware who Aydian Dowling is, let me introduce you to him.

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Tracing a Vector Face From a Reference Photo.pdf