Vectordiary

Premium Tutorial: Digital Watch

Nikola Adzic — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:53:09 +0000

This Adobe Illustrator tutorial will teach you how to draw a vector digital watch from scratch. It covers step by step on drawing the clock face, plastic watch strap, digital numbers and and glow in the dark effect. I will show you some simple and quick drawing techniques to achieve this final result. It will be an exciting tutorial for anyone who wants to master on drawing realistic objects in Illustrator.

Difficulty: Basic-Intermediate tutorial
Requirements: Illustrator 10, CS, CS2, CS3 and CS4

What will you get?

Instant download of PDF e-book (58 steps)
Detailed step by step tutorial
Learn to draw a vector digital watch from scratch
Comes with Ai file for easy reference

Preview Screenshots

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Free Web Banner Vector Art Pack

Tony Soh — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:52:01 +0000

WOW Vectors is giving away this exclusive royalty-free vector art pack for a LIMITED TIME. This vector art pack contains 15 awesome web banners and scrolls. Download this vector art pack now.

Illustrator Tip #19: Funky Cartoon Mascots Design

BloomWeb — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:00:25 +0000

This is a very quick tutorial that will teach you how to draw funky music themed cartoon mascots. You can use it to tile it up to create a nice wallpaper or for book cover.

Drawing the Characters

1. Open up a new file, using the color #FF0364 draw a body shape like this. Select the circle tool and draw two circles to make an eye shape.

2. Select the pen tool, make the Fill color none and the stroke color black. Draw a Smiley face. With the fill color white and stroke color none draw a set of fangs. With the color #f25a89 select the rectangle tool and draw a cross shape, with the 2 shapes selected go to Path Finder and click Exclude.

3. Create a new layer for the next character. Copy and pasted the body shape from the previous character and make the color #c1e81b. Draw some eyes with the circle tool and a mouth with the Pen tool. With the again pen tool draw a guitar shape with the color #98b422.

4. With the fill color none and stroke color #b6ca61 draw some guitar strings with the pen tool.

5. Create a new layer for the next character and copy and paste the body, change the color to #0fc8f4. With the circle tool draw some eyes, with the pen tool draw a mouth. Using the rectangular tool draw some keys using the colors #04c3d8 and #f9faf9.

6. Now to create the singer! Create a new layer, copy and paste the body and make the color #ffd112. Using the color #f5b400 create a circle for the right side of the face. With the circle tool draw some eyes, then draw a mouth shape, tooth, and tongue with the pen tool. With the fill color none and stroke color a dark grey draw some eyebrows.

Creating the Pattern

7. Selecting each character place them into an arrangement like this.

8. Select one of the rows and duplicate the characters. Change each of the body character’s color to #161616 and other colors to a light grey like this.

Illustrator Tutorial: Vector Darts on Bullseye

Ordog Zoltan — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:42:48 +0000

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to make an attractive darts illustration in Adobe Illustrator. You will learn how to draw basic shapes, modify them and apply gradients to crate the vector darts. Apply this technique to your marketing and advertising materials to illustrate precision and concepts.

Drawing the Vector Dart

1. Open a new document, and select a 800×600px workspace. Select the Rectangle tool (M), and create a rectangle with this size: width: 15px, height: 72px. Apply Effect > Stylize > Round Corners and set Radius to 8px. Click OK, and fill it with black.

2. Create a circle with the Ellipse tool (L) with size 25×25px. Fill it with Radial Gradient with colors from white to black, and set its center to left up (G).

3. Position the circle behind of the rectangle (Select the circle and press Shift+Ctrl+[ ). Duplicate the circle (Ctrl+C > Ctrl + F) and move it down with the arrow keys. Create a rectangle with size 25x50px. Select all objects (Ctrl + A), and align them to center horizontally.

4. Select the new rectangle, go to Object > Envelope Distort > Make it with Warp and set Bend to 37%. Style: Inflate.

5. While the rectangle still selected go to Object > Expand, click OK.

7. Position the rectangle behind the other objects ( Shift+Ctrl+[ ). Duplicate the circle (Ctrl+C > Ctrl + F), resize it to 30px and move it down with the arrow keys. Create a rectangle with size 30x60px. Merge the rectangle and the second circle together (Windows > Pathfinder panel). After this, press Expand.

8. Duplicate the modified rectangle (2), and place the copy behind the original (Ctrl + C, Ctrl + B). Select the merged object (1) and the rectangle (2), while holding Shift key and press Intersect while holding the Alt key (Pathfinder panel). After that you can see the copy of the second rectangle .

9. Select the new object, duplicate it (Ctrl + C, Ctrl + B), and move it down by pressing Down key once or twice. Repeat this 3 times. Now let's color it! You can use whatever gradient you like. Below is what I have done for the gold gradient.

10. The second and the fourth object has the same color, but I moved the sliders a little bit to the left. Now you can draw the head of the dart. Create a rectangle, fill it with Linear Gradient with colors from white to black. Rotate the gradient with 90° on the Gradient panel (Windows > Gradient). Go to Object > Envelope Tool > Make with Warp and set Bend to 4%. Style: Arc. Send the rectangle to back ( Shift+Ctrl+[ ).

Drawing the Dart's Wings

11. Draw a hexagonal polygon. Rotate with 30° (Object > Transform > Rotate), and shrink it. Apply Effect > Stylize > Round Corners and set Radius to 8px. We need to split this polygon in two, so create a rectangle, and place it to the 50%. Press Subtract on the Pathfinder panel while pressing the Alt key. Go to Object > Transform > Reflect. Select Vertical axis and press Copy. Move this new wing to his place.

12. Let's proceed to create the perspective effect. This can be done as follow: select one wing, then select the Free Transform tool (E). A frame will surround the selected wing, the frame has four handles in the sides & four others in the corners, start dragging one of the corners handles. To distort the shape from the corner you’re dragging from, hold "Ctrl" on your keyboard & continue dragging. Do this on the other wing also, to get the perspective effect.

13. Select the two wings, the go to Object > Transform > Reflect. Check the vertical axis, and press Copy. Move the two new wings to their place, pressing the arrow keys, and do the same trick, as you did before. After you have the perspective effect on the two new wings, select the left wing and position behind the other wing (Ctrl + Shift + [ ).

14. Select the axe of the arc, duplicate it (Ctrl + C, Ctrl + F), and place it on the top (Ctrl + Shift + ] ). Resize it. You can resize it symmetrically, holding the Alt + Shift keys.

15. Select one of the wings, and fill it with a gradient color. Reposition the gradient to be as realistic as possible (G). Fill the other wings too. You can copy the color from the first wing if you select the wing you want to fill, press the I key, and click the first wing, you filled. Color the axe too, with a simple white to black gradient or you can play with the possibilities. Here you can see the settings I’ve used: Light blue: C65 M15 Y0 K0, Dark blue: C100 M25 Y30 K10.

16. Duplicate the right upper wing and flip it to create the shadow effect. Fill it with Linear Gradient with colors from white to black. Intersect with the left wing (Pathfinder panel) and add an opacity of 50%. Set the Blending mode to Multiply. Select and duplicate the two wings from the front (Ctrl + C, Ctrl + B) and fill them with a light color (In this case light blue).

17. Select all object (Ctrl + A), and group them together(Ctrl + G).

18. Go to Object > Transform > Rotate. Rotate the dart with 30°. Duplicate the group (Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V), and apply a merge while holding down the Alt key. Now you have the shadow.

19. Rotate the shadow with 90°, and align to the head of the dart. You can distort the shadow as you want, to have the needed effect. Fill the shadow with a white to black gradient, and set the Blending mode to Multiply (Transparency panel).

Drawing the Dartboard

20. Will will proceed to create concentric circles. First create the circle from center, and duplicate it (Ctrl + C, Ctrl + B), then resize it. Repeat these steps until you have the dartboard.

21. Now place the dart on the center of the dartboard, and duplicate it, if you want. Thats all, you’re done!

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30 Inspiring Children Illustrations

Tony Soh — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:00:58 +0000

Step into the world of imaginative children fantasies with this children illustrations showcase. Be amazed by the various techniques children illustrators applied to their work. Study the colorful rainbow of colors used to create the imaginary word. You will definitely be inspired with the creative works.

1. Fast Asleep

2. Dreaming Child

3. Tyrannosaurus Dexterous

4. Are you ready

5. At the Japanese Grocery Stores

6. Boy

7. When kids lie

8. Space Baby

9. Their World, Our Children

10. The long road

11. Kings and princes

12. Animal Baby

13. Rain Drop

14. Prehistoric party

15. Poem Illustration

16. Wake up

17. Detective

18. Running Wild

19. Tantrum

20. Entre Mares

21. Potty Training

22. Baby Monster

23. Cloud

24. Geometrichildren

25. Ouch

26. Stay in line

27. Travel Camp

28. Red Riding Hood

29. Norah’s Doll

30. One, Two, Three Little Pigs

Premium Tutorial: 3D Golden Text Effect

Andrei Marius — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:37:58 +0000

Learn how to create an 3d golden text effect in this premium tutorial. See how to create text using 3D extrude and the techniques to clean up the broken shapes. The final steps will teach you how to create glows and highlights for the 3D text. This will be a great tutorial for beginners to create professional 3D text effects in illustrator!

Difficulty: Basic-Intermediate tutorial
Requirements: Illustrator 10, CS, CS2, CS3 and CS4

What will you get?

Instant download of PDF e-book (30 steps)
Detailed step by step tutorial
Learn to create 3D text effect
Comes with Ai file for easy reference

Preview Screenshots

[The article is for Premium Members only. Login or sign up now to read the whole article.]

Illustrator Tutorial: Contemporary Wallpaper Art

Vinod Batus — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:31:24 +0000

Create a grafitti contemporary wallpaper art with splashes and motifs. This quick illustrator tutorial will show you how to draw florals and create ink splatters effects. Combine them all to create a stunning contemporary master piece

1. Create a new document. You may use any rectangular size you want. I’ve chosen A4 landscape so that I can print it out.

2. Create a new layer & name it as “background”. Draw a rectangle around the entire document fill the rectangle with C:1 M:0 Y:11 K:6 (#ECECD9).

3. Next I created a floral shape. Follow the steps below to see how I did it.

5. After you are done with creating the shape, go to Object > Flatten Transparency and click Ok. Select the shape and apply a gradient from light to dark pink (Magenta: 55 and Magenta: 100). Duplicate it as shown below. Name the Layers Floral 1 & 2.

6. If you have a high-resolution photoshop brush which is big in width, you can copy & paste it in Illustrator. Now trace the brush image, go to Object > Live Trace > Tracing Options select Detailed Illustration. Play around with threshold unless you get a satisfactory result, click Ok. Next fill it with C:0 M:63 Y:24 K:0 (#F37F93) and reduce the opacity to 20%.

7. We need to add a grunge splatter to the image. If you have a nice grunge vector you can use

that. Or, follow step 4 but this time use a splatter brush. Fill it with C:0 M:55 Y:15 K:0 (#F48FA6). Name the layer “Grunge Splatter”.

8. Go to Window >Symbols Libraries > Default Symbols > Print. Then drag “Rosette” symbol into the document. Scale it and place it as shown below. With the Rosette selected, go to Object > Flatten Transparency. Click Ok. Change the color to black and reduce the opacity to 40%.

9. Add a new layer. Create a big circle then apply a white to orange (C:0 M50 Y: 87 K:0) gradient set the opacity mode to screen. Now duplicate this circle to create a splatter like effect all over. You should have a white spatter effect.

10. Create some more similar splatter effect as shown in the image below. Fill the circled splatter with 100% yellow and set the opacity to soft light.

11. Now duplicate the layer “Grunge Splatter” and scale it by 80-90% and set the opacity to color burn. This would help in highlighting the cut-out image.

Go to Window > Symbols Libraries > Flowers now drag “Red Rose” symbol from the window to the document. Place it on left side, may be you would want to scale it a bit. Now with the symbol selected go the Object > Flatten Transparency and click Ok. Now with the object selected press D on your keyboard. Now go to stoke window and change the stoke to 0.5.

12. I found this beautiful photo on shutterstock which inspired me to create this wallpaper. Cut out the image in photoshop and place it in illustrator. Make sure you image is centered. Change the opacity to darken. Duplicate the layer & set the opacity to color dodge. Now your image should look something like that.

13. Create a shape as shown below.

14. Once done, fill the object with white background & give it a 1pt stoke. Duplicate the shape to match the below image. Place the object in a way that it covers the cut out image.

15. I downloaded a vector from http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/10/16/swirls-flowers-circles-a-free vector-graphics-set. I choose a nice curvy swirl from the vector and combined it with my earlier shape.

16. Finally, add a flower vector to the right of the girl to match with the rose vector on the left. Follow step 11. And, we’re done.