Final Image Preview

Below is the final design we will be working towards. Want access to the full Vector Source files and downloadable copies of every tutorial, including this one? Join VECTORTUTS PLUS for just $9/month.

Step 1

Before we start, I wanted to let everyone know I will be using Illustrator CS4 for this tutorial. Don’t worry, everything I am creating can be done in the other CS versions, I just wanted to let you know because the panels in the images will look different. Below is an example of the new Gradient Panel with a bunch of new goodies, but for this tutorial we will only be using the features that are in the other CS versions.

Step 2

Create a new document, then make a 190 px wide by 290 px tall rectangle with the Rectangle Tool (M).

Step 3

With your Direct Selection Tool (A), select the top left corner of the rectangle. With the point selected, the Control Panel defaults to the Anchor Point options. Press the second to the left button, converting the anchor point to a smooth point.

Step 4

Repeat the previous step with the top right anchor point.

Step 5

Fill the rectangle with a Linear Gradient from the Gradient Panel and change the first swatch to a pink color and the second swatch to a darker pink color.

Step 6

Use the Gradient Tool to adjust the gradient by clicking and dragging from the middle of the shape to the bottom.

Step 7

Copy (Command + C) the shape and Paste in Front (Command + F). With the new shape selected, use the Selection Tool (V) and scale the shape to half of its original size. After scaling, place the the copied shape towards the bottom of the original.

Step 8

Change the first swatch in the gradient fill to a light pink and the other swatch to a slightly darker pink.

Step 9

With the Star Tool, click on the artboard to bring up the Star dialog. In the dialog change Radius 1 to 50 px, Radius 2 to 25 px and the Points to 3.

Step 10

With the triangle selected go Effect > Stylize > Round Corners. In the dialog change the radius to 15 px.

Step 11

With the Selection Tool (V), squish the triangle horizontally to half of its original size. Next rotate the triangle 180 degrees.

Step 12

Fill the triangle with a Linear Gradient, make the first swatch a dark pink from the previous shape and the second swatch make a darker pink. Adjust the gradient so the darkest part of the gradient is at the bottom of the triangle.

Step 13

Place the triangle at the bottom of the bigger body shape creating a leg. Once placed, drag out a copy of the leg to other side. Simply hold down Alt + Shift while dragging the shape.

Step 14

Create a 200 px wide by 50 px tall rectangle and round the corners at 25 px.

Step 15

Go to Effect > Warp > Arch. With the Warp Options dialog open, change the Bend to 20 and the Horizontal Distortion to -49. Next, make sure to expand the effects by going to Object > Expand Appearance. If you don’t do this you will get some unexpected results as the steps continue.

Step 16

Rotate the shape 45 degrees to the right so the shape is vertical. Next, place the shape over the top of the body shape. Once placed, Copy (Command + C) and Paste in Front (Command + F) the ear shape. Reflect the shape vertically by going to Object > Transform > Reflect and choosing the Vertical option in the dialog. Once reflected, move the copied ear to the other side of the body.

Step 17

Change the fill of the the ears to the first swatch pink color in the body shape.

Step 18

Select the first ear and go to Object > Path > Offset to open the Offset dialog. Change the Offset to -15 px. Next, move the offset slightly down and to the left.

Step 19

Change the fill of the offset to the light Linear Gradient that was used in the belly shape of the body.

Step 20

Repeat the same step for the right ear shape.

Step 21

Copy (Command + C) and Paste (Command + V) the main right ear shape. Rotate the copied shape 190 degrees and scale it down to half of its original size. Fill the shape with the original body gradient and place it behind the lower left side of the body.

Step 22

Copy (Command + C) and Paste in Front (Command + F) the arm shape, reflect it vertically, then place it on the other side of the body.

Step 23

Now that the body is done, we can start adding a face to the bunny. Start by creating an ellipse with the Ellipse Tool (L) that is 37 px by 37 px. Fill the ellipse with a Radial Gradient with the first swatch a dark pink and the second swatch the same pink as in the ears.

Step 24

Create another ellipse with the previous one, but smaller, and fill it with a dark pink color. Next draw two smaller white filled ellipses within the dark pink one. Now you have an eye!

Step 25

Place the eye shapes over the top left part of the body shape. Once placed, Copy (Command + C) and Paste the (Command + V) the eye shapes and place them on the other side of the body.

Step 26

Create a triangle like before and scale it down to half of its original size. Also like the other triangle, round the corners and fill it with the same gradient. Next, place the triangle over the middle part of the body below the eyes.

Step 27

With the Line Tool (\) draw a dark pink (same as the dark pink eye color) 3 pt line right below the nose, spanning the distance of the eyes.

Step 28

Draw a ellipse so the bottom fourth of it is the width of the line you just drew. Next, draw a rectangle that encompasses the top half of the ellipse up to the line you drew. Select the rectangle and ellipse and press the Subtract Shape Areas button from the Pathfinder Panel. While still in the Pathfinder Panel, press the Expand button. If you own CS4, Illustrator expands it for you!

Step 29

Fill the subtracted shape with the same Linear Gradient as the body gradient, but adjust it so the darker part of the gradient is at the top. Place the shape behind the line you created before.

Step 30

Create a rectangle that is 38 px wide by 40 px tall. Like with the main body shape, select the bottom left anchor point with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and change the anchor to a Smooth Point. Do the same for the bottom right anchor point.

Step 31

Place the tooth shape behind and below the mouth line on the left side of the nose shape. Fill the tooth with a Linear Gradient with the first swatch white and the second swatch a light gray. Adjust the gradient so the white is at the top of the tooth.

Step 32

Copy (Command + C) the Tooth and Paste in Front (Command + F). Create an ellipse the covers the bottom two-thirds of the tooth. Select the tooth copy and the ellipse and Subtract the shapes. Once subtracted, change the color of the shape to a light gray.

Step 33

Drag out a copy of the tooth shapes to the left side.

Step 34

Now it is time to add some hair. With the Pen Tool draw a hair puff shape towards the top of the body. Fill the shape with the same Linear Gradient as the nose shape.

Step 35

With the hair shape selected, Copy (Command + C) and Paste in Back (Command + B). With the copy selected, move it down slightly. Fill the copy with the same gradient as the main body shape and adjust it so the darker part of the gradient is at the top of the shape.

Step 36

The bunny character is done, but lets have some more fun to it. Let’s make it look like the bunny just devoured a carrot! Use you Pencil Tool (N) and draw twenty - twenty-five small ellipse like shapes over the teeth and mouth area of the bunny (make these shapes a bit rough). Fill the shapes with a Linear Gradient, set the first swatch to an orange color and the second to a darker orange color.

Step 37

Draw an ellipse that is 45 px wide by 30 px tall. Draw another ellipse over that one that is 65 px wide by 30 px tall. Place the second ellipse so the bottom is in the center of the first one. Select both ellipses, Intersect the Shape Areas from the Pathfinder Panel, and press Expand. Next, fill the shape with the orange linear gradient you used for the small elements around the mouth, then adjust the gradient so the lighter part of the gradient is at the top of the shape.

Step 38

With the Pencil Tool (N), create some little ellipse like shapes around and below the previous shape. Fill these with the same orange gradient.

Step 39

Copy (Command + C) the original top ellipse shape and Paste in Front (F). Scale the shape down to half of its original size, then place it towards the top of the original shape. Change the first swatch in the copied shape to a green color and the second swatch to a darker green color.

Step 40

With the Pen Tool (P), draw a couple stems coming out of the carrot top. Fill these shapes with the same green gradient you just used.

Step 41

Create an ellipse that is 75 px by 75 px. Fill it with a Radial Gradient with the first swatch a light brown color, the second swatch a white color, and set the ellipse to Multiply from the Transparency Panel. Next, squish the ellipse vertically to half its original size. Place the ellipse behind all the carrot top artwork as a drop shadow.

Step 42

Create two more ellipses, as in the previous step, then place them behind the feet. Create another bigger ellipse, but make the brown color of the gradient lighter and place in between the feet shadows.

Step 43

Create a rectangle the size of you document and fill it with a Radial Gradient. Make the first swatch white and the second swatch a light yellow color. All done!

Final Image

Below is the final image we just worked on.

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Runtime for this video tutorial is about thirty minutes. Aside for one point where I’m just sitting there drinking coffee (I thought I hit pause), it’s reasonably professional. The tutorial is covered from start to finish, so you can see how this 3D Pixel Illustration is built in illustrator. I give shortcuts and tips as the illustration is built as well. For the written tutorial visit Create a Vibrant 3D Pixel Type Treatment.

Let me know any feedback you have in the comments. I plan to do more of these, so any advice you all have would be helpful.

Introduction

If you are using Illustrator for detailed imagery creation, the Blend Tool can be your most important tool. Compared to the Gradient Mesh Tool, the Blend Tool is a Live tool, meaning that you can change its object or shape, its color or position, and the blend will be updated live. You can create blends either with the Blend Tool or the Make Blend command. One thing to remember though, the Blend Tool takes a lot of RAM, so it may slow down your computer.

Exercise File

Below is an screenshot of the Exercise file that accompanies this tutorial, and is available to PLUS Members. Want access to the full Vector Source files, Vector Packs, Exercise files, and downloadable copies of every tutorial, including this one? Join VECTORTUTS PLUS for just $9/month.

The Blend Tool

Overview and Keyboard Shortcuts (see image below for Menu items):

• Blend Tool (W)
• Blend selected paths or shapes (Ctrl + Alt + B)
• Release blend (Shift + Ctrl + Alt + B)
• Expand to make blend permanent
• Reverse Spine to flip a blend
• Replace Spine to apply a different path
• Reverse Front to Back to reverse the stacking position of blends (useful for animation)

Blends with Various Shapes

You can make a blend between open paths like lines

Or between closed paths like shapes

And blends between blends

Blend Options Palette

Under Object > Blend > Blend Options, you will find different settings that you can apply:

Smooth Color

Specified Steps

Specified Distance

Applying Blends with the Blend Tool (W)

When selecting the Blend Tool (W), you can easily morph two or multiple colors together. Also, by clicking on the corner points of a shape instead of the middle, you can morph the shape into a mirrored object.

Blending Different Shapes

When morphing two or more different shapes together, you can easily built up complex objects.

Blending Shapes with Different Gradients

You can blend two shapes with a different gradient and achieve some neat effects. These objects can be used as backgrounds or part of more complex shapes you are creating.

Aligning blends Along a Path

Once you applied a Blend, you can modify the path that the blend runs along.

Along a path with Specified Steps

Along a path with Smooth Color

Along a path with Specified Distance

Replace Spine Option

Once you have created a blend, you can change the path that it runs along. Just create a path to your liking, select both the path and the blend and go to Object > Blend > Replace Spine.

Align to Path or Page

Once you have created a blend and applied a specific path, it can be important that in the Blend Option Palette you choose the correct options.

Reverse Spine

If you want to have a spine reversed, for example have a gradient blend run reverse, you can achieve this by selecting your blend and going to Object > Blend > Reverse Spine.

Creating Highlights With Blends

You can create some neat highlights for shapes with blends. Especially where the Gradient Tool doesn’t work so well.

The Possibilities are Endless!

When working with blends, you can create some really interesting stuff. You can even blend symbols, outlined fonts, or brushes. Remember though that blends are RAM suckers and your AI file could get heavy. Nevertheless, they can save you time and help you create some awesome effects.

Below is an illustration that I made quite a while back. The Blend Tool was next to the Gradient Tool as one of my most important tools in creating this piece. Have fun using the Blend Tool in your work.

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1. Be inspired and develop the work of previous character artists – Dan Scott

Dan Scott is a freelance illustrator located near Kansas City, Missouri. He has worked on projects with Dark Horse Comics, Warhammer 40k, Wizards of the Coast and DC Comics. Dan Scott is widely know for his CG artwork and illustrations using computers to create his digital art. In an interview with 3D Total, he outlines his process of researching the characters he is working with in order to develop the key features that have been laid down in the past:

With a painting that shows an iconic character like him [Superman], I felt I needed to first research how he had been depicted in the past. Quite often there’s a little bit of research time that needs to be put in before you even put pencil to paper (or maybe I should say stylus to tablet), whether it be to see what kind of plants are found in the jungle scene you’re going to paint, or to make sure you know the proper musculature on that horse you’re getting ready to depict. In this case I dug out several trade paperbacks I had to see how other artists had shown him. I made mental notes of what I liked and disliked about them and regurgitated it all into my own personal take on the character.

Read the full article

2. Develop and fine-tune your style of character illustration as the issues progress – Brian Denham

Brian Denham worked as the illustrator behind the X-Files comics based on the popular TV series. As a comic book based on real life characters the recreation of the likenesses of Mulder and Skully proved to be a challenge. In an interview Brian Denham talks about how he tunes his style across the issues to get closer to a realistic depiction of his subjects:

I think Mulder is the hardest. I drew an awesome shot of Mulder in #1 but a page later it’s not as good. Things like that will work themselves out as I go.
I’ve got a grasp of Scully early on, but I noticed what looked good in black and white didn’t look so good colored. So I changed some things about how I draw Scully. I try not to draw so much black shadows in her lips as I did in the zero issue. The likenesses were off on the last page as you can see. I’ll drop some things as I go and it gets to a more fine-tuned version of the characters.

Read the full article

3. Collaborate and discuss ideas with the Editor, using sketches and pictures as references – Simone Bianchi

Simone Bianchi is an Italian comic book illustrator who is the current artist for the X-Men character Wolverine and has produced some outstanding cover art for Detective Comics. In an online interview from the 2007 New York Comic Con he describes how he works alongside the Editors during the artwork creation before he even begins sketching. This helps ensure all the work done is something that the editor is going to want to use and minimizes the amount of work that is scrapped in the final edit.

The average process is that I talk my Editor Peter Tomassi, we throw some ideas together through the phone and I start sketching around taking some pictures as reference and drawing the cover.

Read the full article

4. Focus on the storytelling not just the comic book art – Mark Brooks

Mark Brooks is a professional illustrator for Marvel comics who as a penciller interprets the story and creates the characters in each sequence. He has recently worked on Ultimate Fantastic Four and the X-Men Annual. When asked at the New York Comic Con he made a point about creating art that relates closely to the story:

I’ve learned that it’s a lot more to do with the storytelling than just pretty art … Comics are a lot more than art, I see a lot of up and comers that get into comics in the same position I was in and I see them focusing very heavily on the way they draw and doing covers and pin-ups and things like that and I don’t see a lot of focus on storytelling, which is something I’ve really tried to focus on in the last few years. I think if anyone can learn from my experience, focus on that just as much as focussing on your art.

Read the full article

5. Use facial expressions to convey emotion and subtext– Alex Toth

Alex Toth is a master of comic book art active through the 40’s through to the 80’s. His most recognizable work includes projects with Hanna-Barbera, Super Friends, and Space Ghost. In an interview at TwoMorrows he talks about his use of facial expressions to convey emotion in his art:

First of all, romance was very special. It dealt with emotions in a different way than the slam-bang adventure stuff. There are a lot of things under the surface… a line of dialogue could say “this,” but the expression of the person would say “that.” Maybe only the camera/us/the reader’s viewpoint would reveal the truth when she said, “I love you, too, George.” Her face, eyes were saying something else! And the reader knows that, but “George” doesn’t! He can’t see that! So, there were all of these little nuances of line readings, acting, reacting, interpretation, layers of character personality, integrity, etc., people bouncing off each other… that was suddenly very grown-up, as opposed to the slam-bang… It was a whole new ballgame, and it forced me to really pay attention, and look, learn and listen.

Read the full article

6. Don’t portray an action and a consequence in the same frame if you can avoid it – Lee Sullivan

Lee Sullivan is British comic artist who has worked on titles including Transformers, Thundercats, Doctor Who and Robocop. When interviewed with SciFi Pulse he touches on a tip when portraying action sequences in comic format:

I think one of my least favorite situations is when a writer asks for action and consequences to happen in the same frame; for example: first guy comes through door, second guy hits him and first guy crashes into table. You might get away with the last two actions combined, but you can’t really show them combined with the first. That’s another panel!

Read the full article

7. Be true to your own talent rather than follow trends – Tony O’Donnell

Tony O’ Donnell is a talented comic artist who has worked on titles including Ghostbusters from Marvel UK and DC Thomson’s Starblazer. In an interview for the British Comics fanzine Vicious he offers his advice for aspiring comic illustrators:

Keep a sketchbook and use it! Don’t try to imitate the current ‘fave’ artist - maybe by the time you can draw just like him or her that style is out of fashion. Try to be true to your own talent and draw to please yourself, rather than follow temporary trends. All of this advice is difficult to follow and I wish I’d followed it myself. Still, better late than never! In the past I’ve overworked my pencils in order to make them as ‘good’ as possible, whereas I now believe it’s best to adopt a looser approach and perhaps to have more self-belief in your own personal style. I was given the same advice in 1982 by Steve Dillon, who I think believes that being a perfectionist can take the ‘fun’ out of drawing comics.

Read the full article

8. Draw what you really want to see as a reader – Scott McCloud

Scott McCloud is a comic artist and writer who has not only produced illustrations for DC Comics, but has also released a number of industry related books. More recently he produced the press release comic strip for the Google Chrome browser. In an interview in 2006 he was asked what advice he would give to upcoming artists:

Write and draw what you really want to see as a reader. Don’t try to write and draw what you think others will buy or what others want to see, because if you’re not as interested in the subject matter that you’re telling us about, then that’s going to show. And that lack of enthusiasm is going to weaken your work. You have to care deeply about what you’re doing. If you do, then there will always be at least someone else out there who cares as deeply about it as you. But if you’re trying to sell out, if you’re trying to create the kinds of stories you think other people like, you’re always going to come in second behind others who have a more genuine love for that material. So you might as well just write what you love.

Read the full article

9. Don’t rely on the mainstream incarnations of popular characters as a base for your work – Lee Bermejo

Lee Bermejo has had very recent success as an artist alongside writer Brian Azzarello with the release of the Joker graphic novel. There were striking resemblances between his interpretation of the Joker and that of the popular movie release The Dark Knight, despite being well underway with his illustrations of the joker character before Heath Ledger was even cast. In an interview he was asked whether it is important for artists to incorporate visual elements from films to bridge the gap with comic books:

I think the only thing that really matters is that the essence of the characters remain the same regardless of the medium. The surface elements and some psychological issues are fun to play around with and bend a bit, but you just need to give people what they know is that character in order for various audiences to “get it.” I prefer to see people’s personal approaches to mainstream characters. It’s just something that I enjoy and would rather see a thousand different takes on these guys than have everything start to adapt to the current, most successful incarnation.

Read the full article

10. Showcase only your best work – Lee Sullivan

Lee Sullivan, as featured above has also compiled an extremely useful guide to writing and drawing for comic books on his website. Covering extensive areas of the industry and including many helpful tips it’s a great read for anyone with an interest in comic illustration. One such point he presents is how to present your work:

Getting your work seen is very hard and very dispiriting - editors rarely have time to look at your stuff and most wouldn’t recognize good work if it jumped up and bit them on the nose, at least, that’s how it seems. Very few people can make the leap between what you have in your folio and what they are scouting for. A tip here about portfolios - chuck out everything you’re even slightly dissatisfied about in terms of quality - it ALWAYS lets everything else down. You’re often judged by your worst work!

Read the full article

If you found this post useful, please give it a Digg below. Cheers!

New Exclusive Seamless Retro Patterns

This new PLUS Vector Pack is created by Designious. They release numerous professional vector design packs of all sorts over at their site. We’re excited to partner up with them on this exclusive PLUS release. There are 10 seamless vector patterns for you to get your hands on. The license allows these patters to be used in your commercial client projects as well, see the download file for details. Below are samples of some of the patterns, which can be colored any way you choose, as it’s all vector!

Sign up for PLUS today and get access to these awesome new vector patterns. Members can Log in and Download! Otherwise, Join Now!

VECTORTUTS Plus Membership

As you know, we run a premium membership system here called VECTORTUTS Plus that costs $9 a month (or $22 for 3 months!) which gives members access to the Vector Source files for tutorials as well as periodic vector resources, like this one! If you’re a member you can log in and download the tutorial. If you’re not a member, you can of course join today!

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This is a collections of 5 different hand-drawn skulls. Some have filled shapes and others just the line work. Great for grungy illustrations.

]]> http://vectortuts.com/freebies/vectors/skull-vector-pack-1/feed/ http://vectortuts.com/tutorials/illustration/how-to-create-a-magic-wand-icon/ http://vectortuts.com/tutorials/illustration/how-to-create-a-magic-wand-icon/#comments Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:37:12 +0000 Rype http://vectortuts.com/?p=449 ]]> In this Illustrator tutorial, I will show you how to create a magic wand icon. This tutorial will utilize gradient feathering and some simple shapes. These techniques are easily translated to other icons, illustrations, and logos.

Final Image

Below is the final icon we will be working towards. Want access to the full Vector Source files and downloadable copies of every tutorial, including this one? Join VECTORTUTS PLUS for just $9/month.

Step 1

Create a new document and draw a 35 px wide by 340 px tall rectangle with the Rectangle Tool (M).

Step 2

Draw another rectangle at 35 px wide by 210 px tall and place it in the center of the bigger rectangle.

Step 3

Select the bigger rectangle and go Filter &gt Stylize &gt Round Corner to bring up the Round Corners dialog. In the dialog, change the Radius to 15 px.

Step 4

Select the smaller rectangle and create a Linear Gradient from the Gradient Panel.

Step 5

For this step we are going to add two more swatches to the gradient. To do this, click two different times below the Gradient Slider. Now you should have 4 swatches on the Linear Gradient. Change the first swatch to a 63% black with a Location of 5 (the Location is middle right text field box in the Gradient Panel). Change the second swatch to a 100% black with a Location of 50. Change the third swatch to white with a Location of 90. Finally, change the last swatch to a 100% black with a Location of 100.

Step 6

Select the bigger rectangle with the rounded corners and fill it will a Linear Gradient. Make sure the gradient has four swatches like the previous gradient. Change the first swatch to a 40% black with a Location of 0. Change the second swatch to a 60% black with a Location of 30. Change the third swatch to white with a Location of 70. Finally, change the last swatch to a 30% black with a Location of 100.

Step 7

Create a rectangle the size of your document.

Step 8

Fill the rectangle with a Radial Gradient from the Gradient Panel. Change the first swatch to a violet color and the second swatch to a dark violet color.

Step 9

Place the wand over the background at a 35 degree angle.

Step 10

Adjust the gradient so the lighter part of the gradient originates from the tip of the magic wand. To do this, select the Radial Gradient using the Gradient Tool (G), then click and drag from the tip of the wand to a sixth of the way up from the bottom of the document.

Step 11

Create a 185 px by 185 px ellipse with the Ellipse Tool (L). Next, fill it with a Radial Gradient, then change the first swatch to black and the second swatch to white.

Step 12

Squish the ellipse to about a third of its original size and place behind the bottom of the wand. Once placed, change the Blending Mode to Multiply within the Transparency Panel.

Step 13

Create a 370 px by 370 px ellipse and fill it with a magenta color. Place the ellipse behind the wand and center the ellipse with the tip of the wand.

Step 14

With the ellipse selected, go to Effect &gt Stylize &gt Feather to bring up the Feather dialog. In the Feather dialog change the Feather Radius to 100 px. Next, change the Opacity to 35% within the Transparency Panel.

Step 15

Create another ellipse at 175 px by 175 px and fill it with a yellow color. Next, place it behind the wand, and center the ellipse with the tip of the wand. Feather this ellipse like the last, but change the Feather Radius to 50 px.

Step 16

Create five to seven more ellipse, as in the previous step, though use varying colors and place them around the top of the wand.

Step 17

Select the longer wand shape and Copy (Command + C) and Paste in Front (Command + F). Change the fill to a yellow color with no stroke.

Step 18

With the Selection Tool (V), grab the right center anchor and expand right. Then select the left center anchor and expand left.

Step 19

With the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the bottom right anchor (just before the paths starts curving) and drag it in close to the original shape of the wand. Do the same with the left anchor.

Step 20

Give the edited shape a 25 px feather and place it behind the wand.

Step 21

It’s looking pretty good, but let’s create some little sprites to dress it up. Start by creating a 40 px by 40 px ellipse and fill it with white and no stroke.

Step 22

Go to Effect &gt Distort & Transform &gt Pucker & Bloat to bring up the Pucker and Bloat dialog, then change the option to -90. Next, go to Object &gt Expand Appearance. Once the ellipse is expanded, Feather the sprite at 1 px.

Step 23

Create a 35 px by 35 px ellipse over the center of the sprite and fill it with white with no stroke. Feather the ellipse at 7 px and rotate both the ellipse and sprite at 45 degrees.

Step 24

Place the new sprite element over all other artwork close to the tip of the wand.

Step 25

Copy (Command + C) and Paste (Command + V ) the sprite around the icon, making sure you change the size and Opacity of the different copies.

Final Image

Finished! Below is the completed image.

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  Make an Aurora Borealis Design in Illustrator

  To recreate the light patterns of the Aurora Borealis you’d probably turn to Photoshop’s filters and effects. Use Illustrator however, and you’ll not only achieve a stunning end result, but you’ll also benefit from the flexibility of working with vectors. This is an intermediate level tutorial rewarding you with an attractive desktop wallpaper for your efforts!

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  Create an Attractive Arctic Landscape Environment in Illustrator

  Establish a foundation on which to build more advanced Adobe Illustrator skills by completing this tutorial. We’ll cover how to use shapes and gradients to achieve a simple vector landscape environment with a frozen feel.

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  Creating an Environmentally Friendly Green Type Treatment

  With oil prices the way they are today, everybody is thinking Green. I have done many projects recently that require a Green style applied to the design. In the following Illustrator tutorial, I’ll teach you how to create a Green type treatment. It works great for logos and other design elements.

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  Make a Fairy-Tale Inspired Magical Hand Shaped Vine

  In this tutorial, we’ll show the intermediate to advanced Adobe Illustrator artist how to make a fairy-tale inspired magical vine that is shaped like a hand. You should have a basic understanding of Adobe Illustrator tools before you begin this tutorial.

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  Craft a Dramatic Vector Landscape Environment

  This tutorial will show the intermediate Adobe Illustrator artist how to make a dramatic landscape environment. You should have a basic understanding of Adobe Illustrator tools before you begin this tutorial, as the tutorial moves at a rapid pace.

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  Learn How to Create Realistic Vector Fire

  For this tutorial, I wanted to do something simpler then my previous tutorials. This is not just a beginners tutorial though. This tutorial shows the simplicity and power that Illustrator possesses. In turn, this tutorial’s techniques can be applied to many other elements other than fire.

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  Create a Watercolor Vector Flower Illustration

  Illustrator is great for creating sharp flawless lines and elements, but sometimes you want to create an illustration with some texture and depth. Watercolor paintings have great textures and depth, but when coupled with Illustrator it seems counterproductive to what the program was built for. You might think “Why not just do this in Photoshop?” Then you will miss out on all the wonderful things vectors have to offer, like scalability.

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  Create a Cool Water Ripple Effect in Illustrator

  We’ll be using Adobe Illustrator to create this tutorial. A water ripple effect can easily be achieved using a radial gradient. Besides this, I will be showing you how to create realistic water droplets using the gradient mesh tool.

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  40 Stunning Vector Landscape Illustrations

  As with traditional art forms, landscapes are also a popular focus in the digital world if vector art. This collection of 40 stunning vector landscapes showcases a range of illustrated scenery from talented artists and illustrators from around the web.

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  How to Create a Juicy RSS Feed Icon

  Let’s learn how to make a unique RSS feed icon. This tutorial requires a familiarity with Adobe Illustrator’s basic tools as we’ll use the gradient mesh tool and make light use of Illustrators mapping feature.

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  Illustrate a Pair of Sweet Gradient Mesh Cherries

  In this tutorial, we’ll explain how to create a pair of cherries solely with the Gradient Mesh tool. If you’re not familiar with the Gradient Mesh tool, then this is a great tutorial to learn how to start using it. You can create artwork with a semi-realistic to very realistic look with that tool. It can take effort to master, but it’s worth your time.

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