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The post iStock Promo Codes 2021 appeared first on Vectips.

Tutorial Details: How to Create a Simple Shape Composition Design

• Program: Adobe Illustrator CS6
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Topics Covered: Design Theory, Shape Building, Compositional Skills
• Estimated Completion Time: 30 Minutes

Final Image: Simple Shape Composition Design

Step 1

Let’s start with some very basic shapes! Using the Ellipse Tool, draw a circle. Overlap it with a rectangle drawn with the Rectangle Tool. Select both and hit Minus Front in the Pathfinder panel. Repeat with smaller shapes to form each layer of the watermelon. For the seeds, draw a circle and pull the topmost anchor point upward with the Direct Selection Tool. Convert the anchor point to a sharp point and place three of them on the watermelon piece.

Step 2

Other objects in your motif may include leaves, oranges, and lemons (as this is what my composition includes). For a simple leaf, draw a square and pull two of it’s corners (they should be diagonal from each other) inward to round the corners off. Don’t pull the corners all the way to the center since you want the shape to be fat versus thin.

For an orange, draw a couple half circles like you did for the watermelon. Use line segments to create four sections in the design. Add a seed to each of the segments.

Step 3

Lemons are simply larger leaves with a half circle and big seeds showing. Watermelon and orange slices are simply a quarter circle designs. Each leaf should have a line bisecting them.

Step 4

Fill in each shape. for the leaves and orange slices, you’ll need to Divide the object’s sections and apply a flat color to each. Keep your color palette to eight or so. A limited palette is best for a design like this; at least to start. You can create fantastic complex compositions and color palettes with each successive design.

Step 5

Use the Line Grid Tool to create a simple line grid on your Artboard. You’ll want to make sure each cell is a perfect square, so hold Shift when you draw the grid. Lock the grid in your Layers panel. Begin to place design elements inside the grid.

Step 6

Vary the size and orientation of your elements around the grid. Make sure each object takes up one cell or more in even denominations. For smaller objects for for one half or one quarter of the cell, making sure to add in multiple pieces. You want to really hammer home the idea of this being a modular design.

Step 7

Vary element types. Try to keep like objects from touching and blending into each other. The same goes for the orientation of each object. You don’t want everything to face the same direction. Do your best to keep elements random in their placement.

Conclusion: Simple Shape Composition Design

When you’re finished with your design, delete the grid from your layers panel. You’ll now have a perfect composition, ready for print and web media alike! Share your results in the comment section below and don’t forget to share this tutorial on social media.

Author: Mary Winkler

Mary works under the brand Acrylicana® and has illustrated and designed for companies like Disney, Jakks Pacific, Jada Toys, Envato, and more. Check out Acrylicana.com for artwork, tutorials, and more. Follow Acrylicana on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

The post How to Create a Simple Shape Fruit Vector Design appeared first on Vectips.

Tutorial Details: Illustrate an Office Vector in 15 Minutes!

• Program: Adobe Illustrator CS6 – CC
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Topics Covered: Design Theory, Shape Building, Compositional Skills
• Estimated Completion Time: 15 Minutes

Final Image: Line Icon Office Scene

Step 1

Let’s start with a simple desk for your office vector. Using only the Rectangle Tool (M), draw three narrow rectangles to build a table. Add two rectangles for draws on the right side and a long, narrow rectangle under the desk for a panel. Little rounded rectangles make good handles on each panel.

Step 2

Add a computer monitor on top of the desk with one large rectangle for the screen itself. Two smaller rectangles stacked on top of each other form the monitor stand. Add a smaller rectangle on the monitor to define the bevel and you can also add a little rectangle or rounded rectangle on the desk for a book, mouse, or even a coffee cup. Group (Control-G) everything together.

Step 3

Bookcases are simple another set of rectangles! Draw a large rectangle for the entire piece of furniture. Then, add four identical rectangles, spaced evenly, for the shelves themselves. Fill in each shelf with small rectangles. Make things easy for yourself and use the same size for each book. Stack or lean “books” together to fill up space.

Step 4

Offices need windows (unless you want to work in a cave). Draw a horizontal rectangle to create the window pane. Add two squares for each window. Use the Line Segment Tool (/) to draw horizontal lines in each square to define the window shades. Then, add a couple small lines and circles (drawn with the Ellipse Tool (L)) for the strings on the shades. Group everything together.

Step 5

How about a potted plant for your office? Draw three rectangles and arrange them as you see below. Using Live Corners, pull the top edge of the top two rectangle inward to round them out. Repeat with the bottom edge of the bottom rectangle. Add two horizontal rectangles to the top and bottom edge of the pot to complete your cactus group.

Step 6

Arrange your office furniture. Make sure items that are on the floor are aligned to their bottom edges and items that are tall or on the wall (like the window) align to their top edges. Create as many little office or furniture scenes as you’d like with rectangles and circles!

Conclusion

Finally, fill in each object with your color of choice and marvel at your tiny line icon office. Share with us in the comment section below!

Author: Mary Winkler

Mary works under the brand Acrylicana® and has illustrated and designed for companies like Disney, Jakks Pacific, Jada Toys, Envato, and more. Check out Acrylicana.com for artwork, tutorials, and more. Follow Acrylicana on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

The post Build a Trendy Line Icon Office Vector Scene in 15 Minutes! appeared first on Vectips.

Follow this tutorial to create a trendy flat teacup logotype in Adobe Illustrator! We’ll be using and modifying basic geometric shapes, working with Align panel, Pathfinder functions and learning simple yet very useful tips and tricks. Let’s get started!

Tutorial details:

• Program: Adobe Illustrator CC
• Difficulty: Beginner
• Topics Covered: Logotype Design, Shape Building, Compositional Skills
• Estimated Completion Time: 20 Minutes

Final Image: Flat Teacup Logotype

Step 1

Let’s start shaping our cup from the circle. Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to make a 275×275 px shape.

Take the Eraser Tool (Shift-E), hold Alt and erase the top half of the circle. Do the same for the bottom of the shape, erasing a small part to make the bottom of the cup flat.

Extend the shape up a bit to make the cup taller.

Step 2

Take the Rounded Rectangle Tool and make a thin stripe of 175×20 px size for the saucer. Use the Eraser Tool (Shift-E) to delete the top part of the saucer and attach it to the cup.

Make the saucer a bit darker to make the shapes clearly visible.

Step 3

Let’s add a handle to our cup. Make a 130×80 px shape using the Rectangle Tool (M). Select both the cup and the rectangle and click the cup once again to make it a Key Object (you will see a thick selection). Head to the Align panel and click Vertical Align Top to align both shapes to the top of the cup.

Now we can use the Direct Selection Tool (A) and the Live Corners feature to make the handle rounded by pulling the circle markers.

Step 4

Select the handle and go to Object > Path > Offset Path, setting the Offset value to -20 px in order to create a smaller shape inside.

Select both shapes and use the Minus Front function of the Pathfinder to cut out the inner shape.

Finally, place the handle behind the cup by using the Shift-Control-[ keys combination.

Step 5

Let’s add a trendy semi-transparent shadow to our flat cup. Select all the elements of the cup and duplicate them (Control-C > Control-F). Keeping the copies selected, Unite them in the Pathfinder into one single shape.

Use the Eraser Tool (Shift-E) while holding Alt to delete the left half of the merged shape. Switch the Blending Mode of the remaining shape into Multiply in the Transparency panel and adjust the color, darkening the right part of the cup.

Step 6

Now let’s make a stylized steam rising from our hot cup. Use the Line Segment Tool (\) and hold Shift to make three vertical lines. Head to the Stroke panel and set the Weight to 6 pt, Cap and Corner to middle positions, this way making the tips of the lines rounded.

Go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Zig Zag. From here, set the Size to 5 px, Ridges per Segment to 3 and Points to Smooth, creating wavy flowing lines.

Step 7

Let’s make a simple green leaf for our tea. Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to make a 90×90 px circle. Select its top anchor point with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and Convert selected anchor point to corner from the control panel on top.

Drag the point up a bit, making the leaf bigger and use the Line Segment Tool (\) to draw a vertical line across the leaf for the midrib.

Step 8

Add a few veins to the leaf. Select the veins, double-click the Reflect Tool (O) and select the Vertical Axis. Click Copy to flip the shape horizontally and attach the veins to the opposite side of the midrib.

Step 9

Make another leaf of darker color and place both elements behind the cup, making them fit the composition.

Step 10

Let’s finish up with our logo by adding some text to make the overall composition look balanced and completed.

Use the Artboard Tool (Shift-O) to make your canvas square, setting its size to 600×600 px. Place the cup in the center of the Artboard and add some text to your liking with the help of the Type Tool (T). I’m using free fonts like Source Sans Pro and Euphoria Script.

Congratulations! Our Teacup Flat Logotype is Finished!

We’ve did a great job and created a trendy flat-style logotype. We can make it look even more completed if we add a dark background of deep brown color. Go ahead and feel free to add any minor details and elements to your liking, for example, a gentle highlight above the cup.

Have fun and don’t forget to share your results!

Author: Yulia Sokolova

Yulia Sokolova (Yuzach) is an illustrator and designer working with such companies as Envato, Disney, Ask.fm and many others. She creates whimsy patterns, characters, app stickers and trendy icons and shares her knowledge and techniques in tutorials. To learn more, visit her Behance. Follow Yulia on Facebook, Twitter and Dribbble!

The post Design a Flat Teacup Logotype in Adobe Illustrator appeared first on Vectips.

In this tutorial we will be creating a cute smiling heart with floral decorations, that can be easily turned into a postcard by adding text to the composition. We’ll be using basic shapes and tools for creating the smiling heart itself and adding details. Let’s get started!

Tutorial Details

• Program: Adobe Illustrator CS6 – CC
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Topics Covered: Shape Building, Stroke Panel, Direct Selection Tool, Curvature Tool
• Estimated Completion Time: 15 minutes

Final Image: Smiling Heart

Step 1

Take the Rectangle Tool (M) and let’s start shaping the heart! Hold down Shift and make a 245 x 245 px square with black Stroke and no Fill. Use the Selection Tool (V) to rotate the square 45 degrees.

Step 2

Now take the Direct Selection Tool (A), click the top anchor point and press Delete (Backspace on Mac) to remove the top part of the square. Now we have only the V-shape left.

Open the Stroke panel (Window > Stroke) and set the Cap to Round cap, Corner to Milter Join. Set the Weight to 100 pt for now to check out how it looks.

Step 3

Let’s increase the Weight parameter up to 230 px to make it look like an actual heart-shape.

Go to Object > Expand > Expand Stroke and click OK to turn the stroke into an object.

Select the bottom anchor point with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and pull it up a bit to shrink the heart.

Step 4

Let’s make the bottom part a bit rounded. Keeping the bottom anchor point selected with the Direct Selection Tool (A) pull the Live Corner marker up, rounding the corner. You can also set the Corner value manually from the control panel on top. Let’s set it to 25 px.

Let’s change the Fill color to pink in the Color panel.

Step 5

Take the Ellipse Tool (L) and let’s create the eye. Hold down Shift and make a 75 x 75 px circle with brown Stroke and no Fill.

Set the Stroke Weight to 15 pt, Cap to Round Cap.

Select the bottom anchor point with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and delete it. Now we have the upper half of the circle, looking like a closed eye.

Step 6

Select the created eye with the Selection Tool (V), hold down Alt-Shift and drag to the opposite side of the heart, creating a copy. Now we have two eyes. Let’s Group (Control-G) them.

Use the same technique to create the smiling heart’s mouth, placing it in the center of the heart.

Let’s make sure that everything is perfectly centered. Select all the shapes we have and click Horizontal Align Center in the control panel on top. This way we align everything to the centre of the Artboard.

Step 7

Let’s make the sides of the smiling heart more bulged and rounded. Take the Curvature Tool (Shift-`). Select and drag the left side of the heart down, making it more curved. Repeat the same for the opposite side.

Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to adjust the shape if needed by moving the anchor points or their handles.

Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to create two little spots for the blush on the smiling heart’s cheeks.

Step 8

Let’s add some highlights on top of the heart. Use the Pen Tool (P) to create a straight line and then switch to the Curvature Tool (Shift-`) to bend it. Set the Stroke color to light-pink and increase its Weight to 25 pt in the Stroke panel.

Step 9

Now we’ll add some flowers. Find the Polygon Tool in the Tools panel. It is located in the same drop-down menu as the Rectangle Tool (M). Click the Polygon Tool icon twice and set the number of Sides to 6 in the pop-up window.

Create a 100 x 85 px hexagon.

Step 10

Keeping the shape selected, go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Pucker & Bloat.

Move the slider to 50% (Bloat) and click OK.

Go to Object > Expand Appearance to apply the effect, turning the hexagon into a flower.

Step 11

Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to create a 35 x 35 px light-pink circle for the center of the flower.

Use the Align option in the control panel on top to center both shapes and then Group (Control-G) both elements of the flower.

Step 12

Place the flower on top of the smiling heart.

Create multiple copies (Control-C > Control-V), changing the size and color of the petals. Arrange the flowers, creating a balanced composition.

Congratulations! The Smiling Heart Card is Finished!

Great work, guys! Now we can finish up by adding a 600 x 600 px light-yellow square for the background and speckling some white circles around the heart to fill in blank spaces.

Add any text in the bottom by using the Type Tool (T) – and there you have it! A romantic card with a loving heart is ready to be sent.

Have fun!

Author: Yulia Sokolova
2D/3D artist and tutorial instructor, focusing on character creation, icons, lettering design, and illustrations.

The post How to Draw a Smiling Heart for St. Valentine’s Day in Adobe Illustrator appeared first on Vectips.

Hey, welcome back to another icon tutorial, in which we’re going to explore how to create a messaging app icon in Figma, using nothing more than a couple of basic geometric shapes, that we’re going to adjust here and there.

Tutorial Details: Messaging App Icon

• Program: Figma
• Difficulty: Beginner
• Topics Covered: Compositional Construction, Shape Alignment, Shape Adjustment
• Estimated Completion Time: 16 Minutes

Final Image: Messaging App Icon

Step 1

As with every new project, we’re going to kick things off by creating a new Draft, and then setting up a 64 x 64 px frame using the Frame tool (F), naming both the draft and frame in order to have a clear, steady workflow.

Step 2

Start working on the actual icon by creating the main shape for the background, using a 56 x 56 px square, which we will color using black (#000000), and then position to the center of the frame using the Align horizontal centers (Alt-H) and Align vertical centers (Alt-V) options.

Step 3

Adjust the shape that we’ve just created by setting its Corner radius value to 20 px from within the Design panel.

Step 4

Create the main shape for the chat bubble using a 30 x 24 px rectangle (#FFFFFF) with a 2 px thick Stroke (#000000) set to the inside, which we will position as seen in the reference image.

Step 5

Adjust the shape that we’ve just created, by first hitting Enter in order to go into vector edit mode, and then adding a new anchor point to the center of its path’s bottom edge by simply clicking on it, which we will then select and re-position at a distance of 10 px from the bottom-left anchor.

Quick tip: you can always measure the distance found between two different anchors by selecting the one that you want to re-position, and then while holding down the Alt key simply hover the anchor that you want to use as a reference point.

Step 6

Continue adjusting the shape, by selecting its bottom-left anchor, and then pushing it to the bottom by a distance of 8 px.

Step 7

Set the Corner Radius of the top-left, top-right and bottom-right anchors to 6 px from within the Design panel’s Vector section.

Step 8

Finish adjusting the shape by setting the Radius of its bottom-left anchor to 3 px, and its inner one to 2 px. Take your time, and once you’re done exit vector edit mode by pressing either Done or Enter.

Step 9

Add the eyes using two 4 x 4 px circles, which we will color using black (#000000) and then horizontally distance at 4 px from one another, grouping (Control-G) and then positioning them onto the chat bubble as seen in the reference image.

Step 10

Create the mouth using a 12 x 6 px rectangle, which we will color using black (#000000), and then position just below the eyes, at a distance of 2 px.

Step 11

Finish off the icon, and with it the project itself by enabling the Independent corners option, and then setting the Radius of its top corners to 2 px, and its bottom ones to 4 px. Take your time, and once you’re done don’t forget to select and group all of the icon’s composing shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Great Job!

As always, I hope you had fun working on the project, and managed to learn something new and useful during the process. That being said, we’re going to continue our Figma series with new projects, so stick around if you want to learn more!

The post How to Create a Messaging App Icon in Figma appeared first on Vectips.

Welcome back to another Figma based tutorial, in which we’re going to take a quick look behind the process of creating a phone widget app icon, using nothing more than a couple of basic geometric shapes. So, assuming you already have the software up and running let’s jump straight into it!

Tutorial Details: Phone Widget App Icon

• Program: Figma
• Difficulty: Beginner
• Topics Covered: Compositional Construction, Shape Alignment, Shape Adjustment
• Estimated Completion Time: 12 Minutes

Final Image: Phone Widget App Icon

Step 1

As with every new project, we’re going to kick things off by creating a new Draft, and then setting up a 64 x 64 px frame using the Frame tool (F), naming both the draft and frame in order to have a clear, steady workflow.

Step 2

Start working on the actual icon by creating the main shape for the background, using a 56 x 56 px square, which we will color using black (#000000), and then position to the center of the frame, making sure to adjust its Corner radius to 20 px afterwards from within the Design panel.

Step 3

Add the main shape for the phone screen using a 24 x 40 px rectangle (#FFFFFF) with a 4 px Corner radius, which we will position to the center of the background.

Step 4

Create the little notch using a 12 x 2 px rectangle (#000000), which we will adjust by first enabling the Independent corners option from within the right panel, and then setting its bottom corners to 2 px. Once you have the adjusted shape, make sure you center-align it to the screen’s top edge.

Step 5

Start adding the widget shapes, by adding the first one using a 12 x 14 px rectangle (#FFCC3E) with a 1 px Corner radius, which we will position onto the screen as seen in the reference image.

Step 6

Create the smaller widgets using two 6 x 6 px squares (#FFCC3E) with a 1 px Corner radius, which we will then position onto the previous shape’s right side making sure to maintain a 2 px gap in between them.

Step 7

Add the final widget using a 20 x 10 px rectangle (#FFCC3E) with a 1 px Corner radius, which we will position as seen in the reference image.

Step 8

Finish off the icon, and with it the project itself, by adding the gesture button using a 12 x 2 px rectangle (#000000) with a 1 px Corner radius, which we will center align to the screen’s bottom edge, positioning it at a distance of just 2 px. Take your time, and once you’re done, don’t forget to select and group all of the icon’s composing shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Awesome work!

As always, I hope you had fun working on the project, and managed to learn something new and useful during the process. That being said, we’re going to continue our Figma series with new projects, so stick around if you want to develop those icon building skills!

The post How to Create a Phone Widget App Icon in Figma appeared first on Vectips.

In this tutorial we’ll be making a nautical scene with underwater elements. We’ll be using basic geometric shapes as well as creating our own brushes and doing some freehand drawing to create a unique ocean design. Let’s get started!

Tutorial Details

• Program: Adobe Illustrator CS6 – CC
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Topics Covered: Shape Building, Paintbrush Tool, Blob Brush Tool, Pencil Tool
• Estimated Completion Time: 20 minutes

Final Image: Ocean Design

Step 1

Let’s start with the first element of our ocean design- a seaweed leaf. First of all, let’s adjust the settings of the Pencil Tool (N) that we’ll be using to draw the leaf. Double-click the tool icon in the Tools panel and set the Fidelity slider to about 50%. If you want your lines to be smoother, then move the slider more to the Smooth side. You can see my settings of the Pencil Tool (N) in the image below.

Now draw the desired shape of your leaf. Don’t make it symmetrical, try to make it look more organic. Find some photos of seaweed or tropical leaves if you need visual references.

Step 2

Now we’ll add some details. This time we’ll be using the Blob Brush Tool (Shift-B), so let’s adjust it’s settings as well by double-clicking it’s icon in the Tools panel. Set the Fidelity slider closer to Smooth and set the brush Size to about 2 pt to make thin lines. 

Make a stroke to draw a midriff in the middle of the leaf and add some veins as well. Finish up with the leaf by adding small strokes around it.

Step 3

Use the Pencil Tool (N) and the Blob Brush Tool (Shift-B) to draw another leaf next to the fist one. Notice how I’m making the silhouette of the second leaf fit the curved edge of the first leaf. Try to make your elements fit each other as well and fill the empty spaces of the canvas with matching shapes.

Step 4

Let’s create a simple starfish from a basic shape. Find the Star Tool in the Tools panel (in the same menu as the Rectangle Tool (M)) and double-click the Star Tool icon to set the number of Points to 5. 

Draw a star. You can hold down the Control key while creating the shape to set the length of the beams.

Select the star and switch to the Direct Selection Tool (A). Drag the circle marker of the Live Corners closer to the center to make the corners slightly rounded.

Let’s break the symmetry by varying the length of the star beams. Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to select the anchor points and drag the beams to make them longer or shorter.

Finally, let’s make the beams look more organic by making them more arched. Use the Curvature Tool (Shift-`) to click and bend the edges.

Step 5

Keep making the beams arched with the Curvature Tool (Shift-`). If some parts of the lines look broken, fix the anchor points by clicking the Convert selected anchor points to smooth in the control panel on top.

Decorate the starfish with circles of different sizes using the Ellipse Tool (L) while holding down the Shift key.

Step 6

Now let’s depict a jellyfish. Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to make a 65 x 55 px light-blue ellipse. Select its bottom anchor point with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and move it up to make the shape squashed from the bottom. 

Use the Pencil Tool (N) to draw a wavy skirt under the shape. Select the created shape and press Shift-Control-[ to Send to Back, beneath the body of the jellyfish. 

Step 7

Continue using the Pencil Tool (N) to draw the tentacles. Vary the length of the shapes, make them curved and flowing. 

I’ve created a large circle on the canvas to keep all the elements inside of it and to make them fit the overall circular shape. This is why I’m making the tentacles of the jellyfish arched and bent to the side. 

Step 8

This is how the whole ocean design composition looks like at this step. I’ve started filling the opposite side with seaweed, making the leaf fit the circular edge. 

Step 9

Use the Pencil Tool (N) to draw a stylized coral. Start with the bottom shape by drawing an arched piece and then just keep adding separate «twigs» from big to small. When you’re happy with the overall shape, you can merge everything together by selecting the elements and using Unite in the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder).

Step 10

Let’s create our custom Paintbrush to draw another piece of seaweed. Start by making a 30 x 11 px ellipse and drag and drop it to the Brushes panel (Window > Brushes). Select Art Brush in the pop-up New Brush window and click OK.

Leave all the settings in the Art Brush Options as default. You can always adjust them later if needed by double-clicking your newly created brush in the Brushes panel.

Now we have a new Paintbrush! Let’s try it out!

Step 11

Take the Paintbrush Tool (B) and draw a wavy stem in the center of our composition. Vary the Stroke width to make it look thick enough. You can set this value either in the control panel on top or in the Stroke panel (Window > Stroke). I set it to 0,5 pt for the stem and to 0,25 pt for the leaves.

I also used some photo references of the fern plant to replicate the shape of the leaves for my seaweed. 

Step 12

Our ocean design composition is almost finished but we still have some empty spots here and there. Let’s fill them with small elements!

Use the Pencil Tool (N) and the Blob Brush Tool (Shift-B) to draw some underwater plants that look like flowers. And create a couple more star fish with the help of the Pencil Tool (N) and the Ellipse Tool (L). Add any other elements to your taste if you have more empty spots on the canvas.

Step 13

Place the newly created elements inside the circle and fill other empty areas with smaller things like strokes, spots or bubbles. This will make the ocean design composition look balanced and detailed.

Congratulations! Our Underwater Ocean Design is Finished!

Great work! The ocean design is ready! You can make more circular compositions using similar techniques and create prints for t-shirts, mugs or various apparel.

I hope you’ve enjoyed following this tutorial and learned some new tips and tricks that will be useful for your future projects!

Happy designing! 

Author: Yulia Sokolova

2D/3D artist and tutorial instructor, focusing on character creation, icons, lettering design, and illustrations.

The post Create a Stylized Ocean Design in Adobe Illustrator appeared first on Vectips.

In today’s tutorial, we’re going to take a quick look behind the process of creating a security icon, and see how we can take some simple shapes and turn them into a finished usable product. So, assuming you already have Figma running in the background, let’s jump straight into it!

Tutorial Details: Security Icon

• Program: Figma
• Difficulty: Beginner
• Topics Covered: Compositional Construction, Shape Alignment, Shape Adjustment
• Estimated Completion Time: 10 Minutes

Final Image: Security Icon

Step 1

As with every new project, we’re going to kick things off by creating a new Draft, and then setting up a 64 x 64 px frame using the Frame tool (F), naming both the draft and frame in order to have a clear, steady workflow.

Step 2

Start working on the actual icon by creating the main shape for the background, using a 56 x 56 px circle, which we will color using black (#000000), and then position to the center of the frame using the Align horizontal centers (Alt-H) and Align vertical centers (Alt-V) options.

Step 3

We’re going to turn the circle that we’ve just created into a squircle, by first hitting Enter in order to go into vector edit mode, and then individually select its top and bottom anchor points, and reposition their handle’s end points so that you have a distance of 6 px between them and the outer edges of the shape. Take your time, and once you’re done hit Enter again in order to exit vector edit mode.

Quick tip: as you can see, if you zoom in close enough, you’ll be able to take advantage of Figma’s pixel grid, which allows you to make fine adjustments as the ones above.

Step 4

As soon as we have our squircle, we can create the main shape for the shield using a 24 x 20 px rectangle which we will color using white (#FFFFFF), and then horizontally align to the frame (Alt-H), positioning it at a distance of 15 px from the background’s top anchor.

Step 5

Adjust the shape that we’ve just created by setting the Corner Radius of its top corners to 2 px and its bottom ones to 4 px by first clicking on the Independent corners option from within the right panel, and then entering the specified values.

Step 6

Continue adjusting the shape by going into vector edit mode again using the Enter key, and then clicking on its top path in order to add a new anchor point, which we will then push to the top by a distance of 2 px using the directional arrow keys.

Step 7

Control-left click on the newly created anchor to give a set of handles, and then adjust them position, by dragging and positioning their handles at a distance of 4 px from the shape’s sides.

Step 8

Add a new anchor point to the resulting shape’s bottom edge, using the exact some method, making sure to push it to the bottom afterwards by a distance of 8 px.

Step 9

Finish off the current shape by setting the Corner Radius for the bottom anchor to 4 px, hitting either Done or Enter in order to exit vector edit mode.

Step 10

Finish off the icon and with it the project itself, by grabbing the Pen (P) and then using it to draw the little checkmark, using a 4 px thick Stroke (#000000) with a Round Cap and Join following the reference image as your main guide. Take your time, and once you’re done, don’t forget to select and group all of the icon’s composing shapes using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Great Job!

As always, I hope you had fun working on the project, and managed to learn something new and useful during the process.

That being said, we’re going to continue our Figma series with new projects, so stick around since things are about to get interesting!

The post How to Create a Security Icon appeared first on Vectips.

Welcome back to another icon dedicated tutorial, in which we’re going to learn how to quickly create a computer settings icon inside of Figma, using nothing more than a couple of basic geometric shapes. So, assuming you already have the software up and running let’s jump straight into it!

Tutorial Details: Computer Settings Icon

• Program: Figma
• Difficulty: Beginner
• Topics Covered: Compositional Construction, Shape Alignment, Shape Adjustment
• Estimated Completion Time: 16 Minutes

Final Image: Computer Settings Icon

Step 1

As with every new project, we’re going to kick things off by creating a new Draft, and then setting up a 64 x 64 px frame using the Frame tool (F), naming both the draft and frame in order to have a clear, steady workflow.

Step 2

Start working on the actual icon by creating the main shape for the background, using a 56 x 56 px circle, which we will color using black (#000000), and then position to the center of the frame using the Align horizontal centers (Alt-H) and Align vertical centers (Alt-V) options.

Step 3

Turn the circle that we’ve just created into a squircle, by first hitting Enter in order to go into vector edit mode, and then individually select its top and bottomanchor points, and reposition their handle’s end points so that you have a distance of 6 px between them and the outer edges of the shape. Take your time, and once you’re done hit Enter again in order to exit vector edit mode.

Quick tip: as you can see, if you zoom in close enough, you’ll be able to take advantage of Figma’s pixel grid, which allows you to make fine adjustments as the ones above.

Step 4

As soon as we have our squircle, we can create the lower section of the monitor stand using a 20 x 2 px rectangle with a 1 px Corner Radius, which we will color using white (#FFFFFF) and then horizontally align to the frame (Alt-H), positioning it at a distance of 11 px from the background’s bottom anchor.

Step 5

Add the stand’s leg segment using an 8 x 4 px rectangle, which we will color using white (#FFFFFF) making sure to position it on top of the previous shape as seen in the reference image. Once you’re done, select and group both of the stand’s composing shapes and group them together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Step 6

Create the main shape for the screen using a 32 x 24 px rectangle (#FFFFFF) with a 4 px Corner Radius, which we will position at a distance of 4 px from the shapes that we’ve just grouped.

Step 7

Create the main shape for the bottom slider using a 16 x 2 px rectangle (#000000) with a 1 px Corner Radius, which we will position at a distance of 5 px from the screen’s bottom edge.

Step 8

Quickly add the knob using a 4 x 4 px square with a 1 px Corner Radius, which we will color using black (#000000), and then position at a distance of 2 px from the previous shape’s left edge, making sure to group them afterwards using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Step 9

Add the remaining sliders using two copies of the one that we’ve just finished working on, by simply holding down the Alt key and then dragging an instance at the time, making sure to position them at a distance of 2 px from one another.

Step 10

Finish off the computer settings icon, and with it the project itself by horizontally flipping the middle slider by either right clicking > Flip horizontal or by using the Shift-H keyboard shortcut. Once you’re done, don’t forget to select and group all of the icon’s composing shapes using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Awesome Work!

As always, I hope you had fun working on the project, and managed to learn something new and useful during the process.

That being said, we’re going to continue our Figma series with new projects, so stick around since things are about to get interesting!

The post How to Create a Computer Settings Icon appeared first on Vectips.