vrijdag 1 augustus 2014

Create a Propeller Pinwheel Illustration in Adobe Illustrator

Final product image
What You’ll Be Creating

In the following steps you will learn how to create a colorful propeller pinwheel illustration in Adobe Illustrator.


For starters you will learn how to setup a simple grid and how to create the first propeller using basic tools and effects. Moving on you will learn how to add color and shading for these shapes using basic blending and vector shape building techniques along with the Appearance panel. Using a simple Transform effects and a bunch of new colors you will learn how to multiply and recolor the new propellers. 


Finally, you will learn how to create a colorful and subtly textured bacgkround.


1. Create a New Document and Set Up a Grid


Hit Control-N to create a new document. Select Pixels from the Units drop-down menu, enter 600 in the width box and 750 in the height box then click on the Advanced button. Select RGB, Screen (72ppi) and make sure that the Align New Objects to Pixel Grid box is unchecked before you click OK.


Enable the Grid (View > Show Grid) and the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). For starters you will need a grid every 5px, so simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides > Grid, enter 5 in the Gridline every box and 1 in the Subdivisions box. Try not to get discouraged by all that grid, it will ease your work and keep in mind that you can easily enable or disable it using the Control-” keyboard shortcut.


You should also open the Info panel (Window > Info) for a live preview with the size and position of your shapes. Do not forget to set the unit of measurement to pixels from Edit > Preferences > Units > General. All these options will significantly increase your work speed.


2. Create the Two Main Shapes


Step 1


Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and focus on your Toolbar. Remove the color from the stroke then select the fill and set its color at R=255 G=167 B=0. Move to your artboard and simply create a 135 x 55px rectangle, the Snap to Grid should ease your work. Focus on the top side of this orange rectangle and pick the Direct Selection Tool (A). Select the right anchor point and simply drag it 55px to the left.


Make sure that your moved anchor point stays selected, move to the control panel and simply enter 24px in that Corners box. This feature is only available for CC users. The best solution to replace this effect would be the Round Any Corner that can found in this article: 20 Free and Useful Adobe Illustrator Scripts. Save it to your hard drive, return to Illustrator and grab the Direct Selection Tool (A). Select that anchor point and go to File > Scripts > Other Script. Open the Round Any Corner Script, enter a 24px radius and click OK. The end result might look a bit different.


Step 2


Keep focusing on the top side of your orange shape and make sure that the Direct Selection Tool (A) is still active. Select the left anchor point, return to the control panel and set the Corner Radius at 30px. Using the Selection Tool (V), select your entire shape and go to Effect > Warp > Arc Lower. Enter the properties shown in the following image, click OK and go to Object > Expand Appearance.


Step 3


Make sure that your orange shape is still selected and go to Effect > Warp > Arc Lower. Enter the properties shown in the following image, click OK and go to Object > Expand Appearance. Focus on the bottom side of the resulting shape and switch to the Direct Selection Tool (A). Select the right anchor point, move to the control panel and set the Corner Radius at 3px. In the end your orange shape should look like in the third image.


Step 4


Set the fill color at R=255 G=194 B=53, pick the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 70 x 55px shape and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this yellow rectangle stays selected, switch to the Delete Anchor Point Tool (-) and simply click on the bottom, right anchor point to remove it. This should turn your yellow rectangle into a triangle as shown in the second image.


Step 5


Make sure that your yellow triangle is selected and go to Effect > Warp > Arch. Enter the properties shown in the following image, click OK and go to Effect > Warp > Arc Lower. Enter the attributes shown below, click OK and go to Object > Expand Appearance.


Step 6


Focus on the top side of your yellow shape and pick the Direct Selection Tool (A). Select the left anchor point, focus on the control panel and set the Corner Radius at 10px.


Step 7


Disable the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid), enable the Smart Guides (Control-U) and focus on the top, right anchor point of your yellow shape. Using the Pen Tool (P), create a simple path roughly as shown in the first image. Reselect your orange shape and make a copy in front (Control-C > Control-F). Select this copy along with the shape made in the beginning of the step, open the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder) and click the Intersect button. Once you’re done, disable the Smart Guides (Control-U).


Step 8


Select your yellow shape and simply hit Shift-Control- ] to bring it to front. Reselect this shape along with the tiny path made in the previous step and click the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel.


Step 9


Make sure that your yellow shape is selected and make a copy in front (Control-C > Control-F). Select this copy along with your orange shape and click the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel.


3. Add Color and Subtle Highlights


Step 1


Go to Edit > Preferences > General and make sure that the Keyboard Increment is set at 1px. Reselect your orange shape and make two copies in front (Control-C > Control-F > Control-F). Select the top copy and move it 1px down and 1px to the right using the arrow buttons from your keyboard. Reselect both copies made in this step and click the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Select the resulting shape and focus on the Appearance panel. Set the fill color at black (R=0 G=0 B=0) then simply click on that “Opacity” piece of text to open the Transparency fly-out panel. Lower the Opacity to 25% and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light.