To help inspire you for your future logo projects we have compiled a collection of eighty stunning typographic logos. The logos are categorized into colors with some brief explanations on color meanings in logos. We want to know what your favorite logos are, so let us know in the comments section at the bottom of this post!

White

White is one of the most commonly used colors in typographic logo designs. It is known as the universal color of peace and represents purity, simplicity, sterility and refinement, making it perfect for professional, corporate images. The color mixes well with every other color, and tends to bring out the true power of brighter colors that surround it.

Codespeaks

Kayako

All Night Breakz

Spry

Moodboard

SPEK-R

DJ Coyote

Fence

Bckspace

Muse7

Lazy

Zoodos

Jus

Upside Down Productions

Mogul

Act

Logotomy

Black

Black is one of most commonly used colors in logo design, it is a very powerful, elegant and bold color. Using black in logos creates a sophistic look, again making it a superb choice for professional services.

Jill

Indulge

Brand

Fuel

Flat Land

Zip Apparel

Invizio

Ramin

Knoll

Collage

Liam

365 Design

Geek

Foot

Drum’n'Bass Light

Blue

Blue is usually the color that is linked with water, and can be seen being used in various water-based company logos below. Other than the obvious connection between the color blue and water, there are other reasons blue is a common color in corporate image design, such as how it helps to inspire trust and faith between the customer and company.

Undersea Productions

Aquaris

Koulak

Urban Groove

Aqua

Optim Optics

Green

The color green is often used in environmental-related companies (such as those in the construction or gardening industry) because of it’s association with nature. However this isn’t the only reason green is used in logo design – it is also a very calming color that signifies health and freshness.

Pond

Fake Logos

Ecodream

Bloom

Vessel

Yellow

Yellow is the hardest color for our eyes to adjust to, and therefore is usually only used in very minimal amounts, especially in corporate images. It’s a positive color and works very well with dark greys and black.

Wonderlist.ca

Down Town

Peter Costello

CinkiLinki

DJ Loop

Cobreo

Orange

Orange is a funky color that represents enthusiasm, flamboyance, and plenty of energy. It’s brightness captures attention easily (especially) in company logos mainly due to it’s lack of use when compared to other colors.

Mink

Disco

Burn Unit

4C4

Soda

Pink

Pink is typically associated with femininity, and is therefore commonly used in logos related to cosmetic products and health care. Different shades of pink however can induce different things. For example, the elegant pink used in the ‘Butterfly’ logo induces softness and innocence, whereas the bright pink used in ‘theBLOC’ logo suggests excitement (both below).

EB

Butterfly

Crop

theBLOC

Gulp

Red

Red is a color that is quite commonly used in corporate images as it can mean many different things: passion, anger, strength and vitality. It’s a color that can easily draw attention to its passers by, and therefore works well in logos.

Minimum

London London

Lowriders

Sleep Eyes Filmworks

AUGE

Mi Shutterbug

Brown

This color is getting ever more popular in logos. It is typically used in identities related to construction and development due to it being a very natural earth color suggesting earthiness, woodiness and richness. In recent years, it has seen a huge increase being used in coffee shop and restaurant logos, again for obvious reasons.

Sticky

Jupiter

Catfly

Kanga

Bona Chocolate

Violeto Flowers

Cocoa

Figure 9

3 or more colors

Using a varied color scheme in your logo design can work, as can be seen in the excellent identities below. Each different color induces different feelings, and can easily attract customers’ attention if used in the correct compositions.

Bright Studios

BAMA

Art Hotel Norway

Mike

101 Princess St.

David

Final Image Preview

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

Tutorial Details

• Program: Adobe Illustrator CS 3
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Estimated Completion Time: 60 minutes

Step 1

Let’s open a new document in Illustrator (File > New).

Step 2

We start with the construction of the ideal female proportions of the head in full face. Create two guides, horizontal and vertical that cross in the center of our document.

Take the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a circle centered at the intersection of the guides, move the cursor to the mid point of intersection and extend the circle, while holding down Alt + Shift to constrain. Set it to no fill with a s black, 1 pixel stroke. The diameter of the circle will be equal to the width of the head. To simplify the calculations, I used a circle 250 pixels by 250 pixels.

Step 3

In the left and right points of intersection with a horizontal guide, create lines by using the Pen Tool (P), while holding Shift.

Step 4

Let’s split this into five sections. Select both lines and go to Object > Blend, apply the setting you see below.

Step 5

The diameter received five parts. Each part is equal to the width of one eye. We’ll be placing the eyes under are 2 and 4.

Step 6

Create a new line by using the Pen Tool (P) at the bottom point of the intersection with the vertical guide (point A).

Step 7

Select the bottom line, go to Object > Transform > Move… at a distance equal to the width of the eye (50 pixels) and press Copy. Now press Command + D. Point A will be the tip of the nose.

Now press Command + D. Point A will be the tip of the nose.

Step 8

Now divide segment A/B in half and get point D. Select line A and B, and create a Blend.

Step 9

Create a circle of radius D/C by using the Ellipse Toll (L). The center of a circle is at point D. Point C is the lower boundary of the chin, point D is the upper boundary of the mouth, and point B is the lower boundary of the mouth.

Step 10

Create a tangent of the circle to the right and left, using the guides. Place the guides and rotate, using the Rotate Tool (R).

Step 11

We connect the circles of lines E and F on the guide. Connecting lines E and F at the points of contact with the larger circle line G. Line G is the upper limit of the eye.

Step 12

Create a line for the cheeks. Create a circle with center at a point E, radius at point G and the circle with center at F radius at G.

Step 13

Cut the circle with scissors and remove the unnecessary parts.

Step 14

Create two vertical lines at points E and F by using the Pen Tool (P). These lines are the lateral limits of the head.

Step 15

Cut along those lines using the Scissors Tool (C) and remove unnecessary parts of the template.

Step 16

We connect the outer contour of the face. Select the nearby anchor points and go to Object > Path > Average and apply Both. Then apply Object > Path > Join.

Thus, we close all the paths. The darker area indicates the deepening of a cheek bone.

Step 17

We lower the vertical line down to where the eye will be located. Rename the layer in the “template” and lock it.

Step 18

Now create a new “eye” layer at the top. We will start to create eyes. Eyes are probably the most important part of the human face, “eyes are a mirror to the soul.” Create an ellipse by using the Ellipse Tool (L). Select the right and left anchor point and convert the points to corners.

Step 19

Now raise the outer corner by turning the eye counterclockwise.

Step 20

Select the eye and add anchor points. Making the internal part of the eye slightly concave by using the Direct Selection Tool (A). Convert he extreme left anchor point to Smooth.

Step 21

Now we’ll build the lashes. Take the Pen Tool (P) and create the shape of the lashes. Also, create a line to emphasize the thickness of the lower eyelid.

Step 22

Create two ellipses: the pupil and iris.

Step 23

Copy and paste in front the contour of the eye, select the iris, pupil and contour of the eye, before making the clipping mask.

Step 24

Now we’ll make an art brush. First create an ellipse, then convert the right and left anchor point to a corner. Drag the shape to the Brushes palette. Drawing the fold of skin, parallel to the boundary of the upper eyelid using the Pen Tool (P). Now apply the new brush.

Step 25

Select all the objects the of the eye and group them (Command + G). Now go to Object > Transform > Reflect, choose Vertical and press Copy. Place the eyes in the right places of the template.

Step 26

Now we’ll make a new “mouth” Create a form for the upper and lower lips by using the Pen Tool (P). Place the lips in the correct places of the template.

Step 27

Now let’s make a new “nose” layer. We denote the minimum number of lines to the nose. The tip of the nose should be located at the intersection of the straight lines shown below.

Create an ellipse, drag it into the Brushes palette to make a new art brush. Select the nostrils and apply the new brush.

Step 28

Take the Pen Tool (P) and create a curve in the form of an eyebrow. Create a new art brush and apply it to the curve.

Step 29

Now we’ll create a new “ear” layer. Take the Pen Tool (P) and create the shape of the ear and skin folds. Select all the objects of the ear and group them (Command + G).

Now go to Object > Transform > Reflect, select Vertical and press Copy. Place the ears in the correct areas of the “template.” The height of the ear is the height of the upper eyelid to the tip of the nose.

Step 30

Now we’ll make the “face” layer. Copy the path from the template and paste it in this layer.

Step 31

Let’s create the hair next. First make two new layers: “hair front” and “hair back.” Place the layer “hair front” above all the layers, and place the layer “hair back” below all the layers. Now take the Pen Tool (P) and create a shapes for the hairstyle.

Step 32

Now we’ll create a new “neck” layer. Use the Pen Tool (P) and create a shape of the neck.

Step 33

Now we’ll be getting into more subtle work on the portrait. Go to the “eye” layer. Fill the iris with a radial gradient that goes from white to green (C=57, M=26, Y=60, and K=10).

Step 34

Now we’ll decide where to place the source of light. I placed the light source right in the center. Location of the light source determines where we will have flashing in her eyes, and in the future it will determine the location of the shadows on the face. Create glare in the eye by making an ellipse, fill it with white, and give it no stroke.

Now take the Pen Tool (P) and create a shadow on the upper eyelid. In the Transparency palette, change the blending mode to Darken, Opacity to 100%. Now fill the eyeball with a radial gradient that from white to light pink (C=7, M=12, Y=9, and K=0). Take the Pen Tool (P) and emphasize lashes.

Step 35

Now we’ll make the corner of the eye. Create a shape and place it under a clipping mask as shown. Create a white ellipse that will act as a highlight in the corner of the eye.

Step 36

Now create the other eye corner for the left eye. Pick a place on the right.

Step 37

Go to the “mouth” layer. Fill the lips with a linear gradient from pink (C=27, M=100, Y=100, and K=26) to red (C=27, M=73, Y=76, and K=16).

Step 38

Create a series of white ellipses to use as highlights on the lips.

Step 39

Go to the “face” layer and fill it with a skin tone color (C=2, M=11, Y=21, and K=0). Now use the Pen Tool (P) to create a form of shadows on the face. Fill in the shadow color (C=5, M=18, Y=38, and K=0).

Step 40

Similarly, shade the neck.

Step 41

Use the Pen Tool (P) to create a shadow for the hair. In the Transparency palette change the blending mode to Darken.

Step 42

Let’s turn to the “hair” layer. Use the Pen Tool (P) and create the strands of hair.

Conclusion

Some designers have difficulty creating a portrait, as you can see there is nothing overly complicated in the process used here. I hope you get pleasure from this lesson. Dear friends, write a comment if you are interested in the continuation of this theme, as we could cover more portrait types and creating human figures in future tutorials. Good Luck!

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How to Enter

To be eligible to win, all you need to do is leave a comment. Make sure to include your correct email address with your comment so that we can contact you. This giveaway is open worldwide, but make sure to get your comment in before midnight this Wednesday, February 10th, 2010, Eastern Standard Time. We’ll be announcing the winner next week.

Please note: Envato staff and people who have written more than two tutorials/articles for a Tuts+ site are not eligible to enter.

The Prize

“Box: The Evolution of Character Design (Hardcover), by Wang Shooqiang.

Description

Box collects various exciting cutting edge elements of the graphic world of character toy and print design by presenting work from 71 artists in different fields around the globe in an impressive compendium of innovation eye candy and inspiration. Although from disparate backgrounds all the work shares a prominent largely figurative style and impressive visual impact and appeal. Divided into seven chapters representing comics graffiti hand-drawn illustration ingenious product computer graphics short film and miscellaneous illustration each chapter explores where graphic designers find inspiration where their visions merge and what they can learn from each other. With 14 interviews with the artists describing their style philosophy and approach to their craft. Packaged as a design object box comes in a yellow zippered and embossed clamshell box.

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Matt has numerous successful projects, like popular Threadless t-shirt designs and his “Typoquotes” series. Matt’s work is driven by his prodigious daily sketches, which he then colorizes digitally, usually as vector art in Adobe Illustrator. You can learn more about his process in his well-documented Vectortuts+ tutorial “Creating Imaginative Typography with Adobe Illustrator.”

In this interview, he talks about taking the time to develop his style, and how this transitioned into client/commision work and exciting projects. He’s a great believer in letting things happen and allowing his work to dictate its own evolution.

1. Hello Matt, please tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from, what formal training do you have, and how did you got started in illustration?

Hi there! I’m Matt Lyon, commonly or also known as C86, and I’m a UK artist living in London. I studied at the Slade School of Fine Art at University College London before moving into education, teaching Graphic Design to 16-18 year-olds.

It was around this time that my personal work became inspired by the exciting contemporary illustration that was evolving during the late 90s and the start of the new millennium. I soon began to increasingly use digital media, the likes of Photoshop and illustrator, to develop my work and have never since looked back!

2. Are you a full time illustrator? What type of client work do usually take on and what percentage of your income comes from self directed projects? What was the pivotal moment you felt you’d made it as an illustrator?

I’ve been a full-time illustrator for the past 14 months, having made the scary decision to quit the security of teaching and move to London. I prepared for the move towards freelance for a few years, saving money to help with the transition etc. The focus of my new career has always been to stay true and committed to my own work, ideas and style, so for the first year I spent most of my time developing personal projects whilst honing my skills, getting used to the disciplines of working on my own and for myself.

During this time I mostly lived off my savings though really enjoyed the freedom of finally doing something that I truly love. At the end of last year I started getting requests for client/commission work, fulfilling my desire to create things for others without any compromise of style or content. Nowadays there seems to be more opportunity for individuality in graphic arts, to be asked to create work that is still very much your own. The various disciplines and boundaries of visual arts, from painting, printmaking, photography, film, graphics, etc are increasingly blurring and combining. It’s a very exciting time to be working as an artist.

As for a moment when I felt I’d made it, I think there are various stages when this happens and continue to do so. My earliest pride or satisfaction came from my first published piece or t-shirt design. But then I look forward to those that are to come, whatever they may be… a one-man show… a self-published book… who knows?! To be honest, I don’t ever want to feel that I’ve made it through fear that I’ll become complacent. I always want to feel that I’ve got far to go, with still much to learn, develop and experience.

3. Could you tell us about the evolution of your illustration style? What phases have you gone through and at what point did everything really come together, and your work started to feel distinct?

I’m a great believer in letting things happen, letting the work dictate its own evolution. The initial t-shirt designs I created for Threadless under the name C86 were of a distinct style that I’d been playing with for a short while. At the time, this was inspired by a kind of retro folk art, children’s illustration style, but not really anything that I can specifically put my finger on.

A year or so before moving to London this work was creating its own momentum, and at the same time it began to encompass elements of pattern and a move towards more abstraction. Being able to work full time over the past 12 months or so has been so rewarding to how my themes and styles have begun to work together, and my use and experimentation of color has also certainly improved over this time.

Ultimately, I’m only aware when looking back of how certain ideas, styles, shapes and patterns have defined my work over a period of time. I don’t think that anyone discovers overnight a style of working – to me, such a creative eureka moment is a myth. Individuality and a distinctive style come with time and hard work.

4. What influences does folk art have on your work? Are there any other art types, or subjects, that have had a dramatic impact on your approach to illustration?

There are too many people riding the coattails of others in terms of following fashion and/or aping styles. At times I feel saddened by a lack of context or inspiration in the work of some graphic artists/designers.

There are two traps working in this field that I try and avoid at all costs: working to please current fashions and looking at too much work by my peers. Either of these can prove detrimental and damaging to my own development and direction of work.

The latter of these traps seems so prevalent in illustration and design – a constant recycling of the same ideas and styles through not looking elsewhere for inspiration. I love to visit The British Museum in London knowing that each time there is a wealth of things I can see, from all countries and ages, that could inspire my work in a number of directions.

Certain aspects of Folk Art have recently become very popular in illustration, especially those of Native Americans in the US. Ever since university I’ve been drawn towards British folklore and more recently that of Eastern Europe, and in turn the traditions of the art and culture.

5. I’ve noticed you quoting and referencing Paul Klee, one of my favorite illustrators. Could you tell us what influence his work and writing has had on you? Are there any other historically significant artists that have had an impact?

Paul Klee is certainly a favorite of mine! I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve quoted ‘taking a line for a walk’ when discussing my approach to drawing. I think I was first introduced to his work at school, though it wasn’t until I was older and at university that I became more fascinated by his work and theories.

I read his book ‘Pedagogical Sketchbook’ at the same time as Kandinsky’s ‘Point and Line to Plane,’ both of which helped me think more about drawing and approaches to image-making. A few years later I remember visiting a small exhibition of Klee’s watercolors and was immediately knocked sideways by how beautiful they were. Many of them were tiny paintings with colors that were so jewel-like, unlike anything I’d seen in reproduction. His color and line work is very inspiring, with an influence that echoed through the 1950s and onwards to the present day.

Another, perhaps more subtle, inspiration of mine that has strong connections to Folk Art is that of Outsider Art. Another favorite artist of mine is Jean Dubuffet, and his embrace of Outsider Art and subsequent approach to working has on a number of times proved enlightening. It’s a manifesto of following one’s passions and giving freedom to the process, allowing the art to grow… I really warm to these ideas.

6. What subject matter has captured your imagination? Has this changed over time? What are you currently passionate about?

While studying Fine Art, my subject matter was always introspective, in a way that I suppose was trying to pinpoint what made me tick. Back then I remember creating work drawing mythological buildings, sacred spaces and dwellings.

It’s funny because only the other day I thought back further and recalled my favorite pastime as a child – playing with Lego and endlessly creating buildings and houses. This connection and subject matter still continues to fill my work. I don’t know what the fascination is, but my series of house illustrations is now forming quite a collection.

Aside from this, I’m still exploring the depiction of more abstract spaces, some quite geometric and pattern-based, others filled with contradictory perspective or space. And last year I started creating illustrative typography in my series of ‘Typoquotes.’ I think I’ve only scratched the surface of where this will lead me, which is exciting for the foreseeable future.

Most recently, over Christmas I started a new drawing to try something new, something focused more closely towards character design. I finished it the other day – my own visual bestiary entitled the ‘Book of Beasts,’ and I was really pleased with the potential of where this might lead over the course of the year.

7. Does your art process usually involve vector art? Or is that just a portion of your work? Could you tell us about your typical workflow and where vectors fit in?

Vector art has increasingly formed a part of my work process, at least over the past couple of years. I’ve worked with Photoshop for a long while and am very comfortable with the process, but I taught myself the use of Illustrator a lot later when I thought it could benefit the development of some of my ideas.

I use a quite specific vector process in my work, and I’m learning more and more about the software all the time. The pleasure of working with Adobe CS4 is that both Photoshop and Illustrator work so well together. For example, I will commonly create artwork in Illustrator and then use Photoshop for creative editing of things such as composition/layout, color, texture, etc.

8. What role does sketching play in your artwork? Could you tell us about your daily 365 sketching project in 2009 and what you learned from that project? What’s your plan for sketching this year?

All of my work is generated from drawing. My sketchbooks are the raw idea engines, the place where the art forges its own direction and themes. Inspired by Klee and Dubuffet, my approach is to freedraw: I work directly with pen on paper with no underdrawing. This has improved the confidence of my line work and concentration, and I like the challenge of ongoing decision-making to deal with any errors that occur.

The freedom of working like this has made me less precious about drawing – if it goes wrong, so what? Last year’s 365 drawing project was initiated as a daily discipline to keep my ideas flowing whilst improving my skills and letting things happen. Pretty much all of my artwork from last year was created from these drawings, so that in itself is testament to how important it was to me.

The project also acted as fantastic opportunity to witness the evolution of themes and interests throughout the year, a whole body of drawings reflecting my competence (or at times lack of) throughout the passing days.

After a year of drawing every day, I’ve become so used to the routine and its importance to me that I’m continuing the project into a second year. This time though I’m treating it slightly differently in that the drawings are being created out of the sketchbook with the intention for them to be sold. As before, I look forward to seeing how this will developed over time.

9. What’s been your most challenging project so far in your career? What was challenging about it? And how did you overcome those challenges?

A couple of things spring to mind that have turned out quite challenging. The first came about last summer when I was asked to spend a day drawing live at an event for Red Bull. I was asked to freedraw on a couple of Red Bull drinks fridges, which in itself was fun.

The challenge came in the form of an endless supply of rum and coke from the bar next to me. It seemed rude to refuse, and along with everyone else, by the afternoon I was feeling slightly drunk. I just managed to finish my drawing by the end of the day, having earlier had to deal with some unexpected extra scribbles that someone added to my design.

Other challenging projects usually involve unprepared clients that offer vague work briefs and then keep returning to ask for changes or alternative outcomes. These are challenging in terms of frustration and the need to keep calm, and thankfully I haven’t experienced too many of these. It’s all a learning curve – each challenge offers more experience of how to deal with similar circumstances in the future.

10. You have quite a few popular T-shirts over at Threadless? Do you plan to create more T’s this year? What is it about illustrating for T-shirts that you enjoy most? Could you tell us a bit about the process and constraints?

I love creating t-shirt designs because there’s so much freedom to do what you want. Last year, the designs that I created for Threadless were born out of existing artwork that once completed, I thought would work well on a tee. I never tire of the buzz of ‘wearable art’ and the idea that someone somewhere has bought and is wearing one of my designs.

Having worked with Threadless for a good few years it’s interesting to see how the process and competition has changed. When I started there were constraints of having to work at a certain size with a maximum of 4-5 colors, whereas nowadays designs can be oversized with as many colors as needed.

Threadless has inspired and launched the work of many great designers, many of which formed a group that I’m a part of called ‘Black Rock Collective.’ Just yesterday I finished working on my first tee design for Nike, which I’m really excited about, and I’m sure that I’ll be designing plenty more for others this year.

11. I’ve noticed you have quite a variety of items available for sale on your store: from prints, to custom kicks, and more? What are your plans for expanding this in 2010?

All of the items listed on my site that are currently for sale are only available from third-party stockists, such as Threadless, Infectious, Inprnt, Society6, etc. One of my plans for this year is to start up my own shop selling things directly from source. As mentioned earlier, these will hopefully include drawings from this year’s 365 project, signed prints, and anything else that comes along.

12. To what extent does illustrating feel like play, and when does it feel like work? What do you do to keep things fun?

Ever since working freelance I find it difficult differentiating between work and play. Art has always been my passion, so the opportunity to pursue it full time makes me feel very lucky. The creative side of making and designing new work is often a pleasure, and the only things that feel like work are those that need attending to that support or promote this, such as admin duties, staying organized, etc.

I feel like I’m enjoying a honeymoon period at the moment where most things feel fun because pretty much all that I do caters to my own terms and interests. I really hope that this continues, as it’ll confirm a career that I’ve always dreamt of, where work doesn’t feel like ‘work’ – it’s just what I do.

13. Thanks for the interview Matt. It’s great getting to know you and your work better. Any parting words?

Thank you too! I’ve enjoyed this opportunity to share a bit of what goes on in my world at present. All I’d like to say is onwards and upwards for 2010 and the new decade. Who knows what the future will bring, but I hope that it’s all good!

Matt Lyon on the Web

• C86 Portfolio
• C86 Flickr

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Final Image Preview

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

Tutorial Details

• Program: Adobe Illustrator CS4
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Estimated Completion Time: 1-2 hours

Step 1

Open a new document and grab the Pen Tool (P). Create a rectangle shape as shown below, and then fill it with a Linear Gradient. To do this, open the Gradient panel (Command + F9), select Type: Linear. For the first Stop Color Slider apply color R=49, G=57, and B=59. For the second one R=76, G=93, and B=103.

Step 2

Copy the shape you just created using Command + C followed by Command + B under it. Move the copy a few pixels upwards and change the Fill color to: R=153, G=153, and B=153.

Step 3

Now select the two shapes and go to Object > Blend > Blend Options. Now in the opening window, set Spacing to Specified, Steps to 10, and click OK. Then go to Object > Blend > Make and straight after that go to Object > Expand Appearance.

Step 4

Apply the same actions to the left half of the box. Fill it with the same Linear Gradient used in Step 1.

Step 5

Copy the last created shape using Command + C followed by Command + B, and move it a few pixels upwards using the arrow keys. Now change the Fill color to gray (R=153, G=153, and B=153). Select the two shapes and go to Object > Blend > Blend Options. In the newly opened window set Spacing to Specified Steps at 10, then click OK. Now go to Object > Blend > Make and straight after that apply Object > Expand Appearance.

Step 6

Repeat the same actions for the top and right side of the box.

Step 7

Now pick the Pen Tool (P) and create a shape like the one shown below. This will be the box’s bottom.

Step 8

Copy the shape, which will be the bottom using Command + C followed by Command + F. Pick the Add Anchor Point Tool (+), add one point in the top part of the copy, edit the keypoint as shown below, and fill with a Linear Gradient. To do this, open the Gradient panel (Command + F9), select the Type of Linear. You need three Stop color Sliders all together. From left to right select a white color, for the second one R=223, G=238, B=249 and for the third one R=207, G=219, and B=241.

Step 9

With the last created shape that we filled with a Linear Gradient is still selected, go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Apply the following settings: Mode of Multiply, Opacity at 75%, X Offset at 0, Y Offset at 0, Blur at 5px, and color of #718189.

Step 10

Pick the Pen Tool (P), create a rectangle shape in the position shown, and fill with a black color.

Step 11

Copy the last created shape using Command + C followed by Command + B under it. Change the Fill color to gray and move the copy a few pixels downwards.

Step 12

Now select the last two shapes and go to Object > Blend > Blend Options. Then in the open window set Spacing to Specified Steps at 10, and click OK. Now go to Object > Blend > Make (Alt + Command + B) and straight after that apply Object > Expand Appearance.

Step 13

Create the remaining sides and the box lid using the same process.

Step 14

Now using the Pen Tool (P), create a shape behind all the other shapes of the lid, then fill with a dark gray color.

Step 15

Copy the last shape of the lid using Command + C followed by Command + F and fill with a Radial Gradient.

Step 16

Let’s keep working with the Pen Tool (P). Create a shape in the position shown below and fill with a Linear Gradient.

Step 17

Create a shape over the right side of the lid and fill with a Linear Gradient as shown.

Step 18

Again, use the Pen Tool (P) to create a shape in position shown. Fill it with a black color and go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Now in the new window apply a Radius of 20px, then click OK. Also, reduce the Opacity to 25%.

Step 19

Create two lines using the Pen Tool (P) and apply a Stroke color of black. Now go to Window > Brush Libraries > Artistic > Artistic Ink. Select “Tapered Stroke” and decrease the Stroke color to 0,25pt. With the two lines still selected, go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur, then set the Radius to 5px, and click OK.

Step 20

Create a line in the top part of the lid with Stroke color set to white and weight at 0,10pt, then apply a Gaussian Blur of 3-4px.

Step 21

We continue by adding shadows and reflections. Create a line in the position shown below. Go to Window > Brush Libraries > Artistic > Artistic Ink, select “Tapered Stroke.” Now give it a Weight of 0,50%, set the color to white and apply a Gaussian Blur with a Radius of 10px.

Step 22

We are ready with the box. Now it’s the pen’s turn. Grab the Rectangle Tool and create the shapes of the pen as shown below.

Note: You can pull points with the Direct Selection Tool where needed to curve various corners. You may also need to convert points to Smooth in the top menu bar, after selecting them with the Direct Selection Tool. You may also prefer to use the Pen Tool in places or other shape tools.

Step 23

Now we need to fill the shapes with color. Let’s start with the top part of the pen and then work our way down, adding gradients. Have a look at the images below for reference here.

Step 24

Create a rectangle over the top part of the pen. Now fill it with a Linear Gradient with colors that go from blue to dark blue. Change the Blend Mode from Normal to Color Dodge, apply Gaussian Blur with a Radius of 2px, and reduce the Opacity to 35%.

Step 25

Create two lines with a Stroke color of white and Weight set to 1pt. In the top part of the pen apply a Gaussian Blur with a Radius of 9-10px, then reduce the Opacity to 50%.

Step 26

Now group all the shapes of the pen by selecting them and apply Object > Group.

Step 27

Now if you want, you can put the pen in the box. To do this, select all shapes of the pen and go to Object > Transform > Scale. In the new window set Scale to 55%, and click OK. This way you’ll decrease the pen’s size.

Step 28

Now put the pen over all shapes of the box and in position as shown.

Step 29

Pick the Rotate Tool (R), click on the very lowest point of the pen and rotate until you make sure it’s in the correct position.

Step 30

Create a rectangle shape using the Pen Tool (P). Now move in under the shapes of the pen and fill with black.

Step 31

Copy the shape you created earlier using Command + C followed by Command +B. Now send it under all shapes of the pen, apply Gaussian Blur at 10px, and decrease the Opacity to 50%.

Conclusion

In the end you can add shadow on the box and a background – anything you wish.

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This Tutorial is Filled with Creative Techniques

Soar high when you follow this step-by-step tutorial for creating a fun vector airplane landscape. Learn to create opacity paths that show flight direction and other above the earth effects. Pull a chair and get ready, this tutorial skews toward the advanced end of "intermediate."

Tutorial Details

• Program: Adobe Illustrator CS4
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Estimated Completion Time: 2.5 hours

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This is a Detailed and Professional Tutorial

Plus members can Log in and Download! Otherwise, Join Now! Below are sample images, which show some of the development of this tutorial.

Vector Plus Membership

As you know, we run a premium membership system here called Plus that costs $9 a month (or $22 for 3 months!) which gives members access to the Source files for tutorials as well as periodic extra tutorials, like this one! If you’re a Plus 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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Final Image Preview

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

Tutorial Details

• Program: Adobe Illustrator CS3
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Estimated Completion Time: 1 Hour

Step 1

Let’s start by opening Adobe Illustrator and creating a new document (Command + N) at 800 px by 800 px. Now create a bench with three rectangle using the Rectangle Tool (M). Rename the layer to “Bench.” Set the fill color to a dull brown (C=47, M=45, Y=49, and K=9) , without a stroke.

Step 2

Now create the legs of the bench. Duplicate the vertical rectangle, reduce its height and go to Object > Transform > Shear… Apply the settings you see below.

Step 3

Create the second leg of the bench go to Object > Transform > Reflect… and press Copy.

Step 4

After placing the legs in the correct places, select all objects and click on the Add button in the palette Pathfinder. Then press Expand.

Step 5

Take the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a rectangle to make the board. Set its fill color to C=25, M=38, Y=46, and K1 and set its stroke to none.

Step 6

Now we’ll ad an edge to the bench board. Create two rectangles the same length as the board. Fill the first with C=16, M=25, Y=29, and K=0, then fill the second with C=31, M=44, Y=54, and K=4. Align them on the board using the Align tools as needed.

Step 7

Select all the objects of the board and group them (Command + G). Move the board down while holding Alt + Shift.

Step 8

Also create a bench seat using the same methods. The bench is now ready. As you can see, the bench is very simple to make.

Step 9

Now let’s start building the character. Create a new layer and name it “girl.” Create the head. Take the Ellipse Tool (L) and make an ellipse (color C=0, M=13, Y=32, and K=0) without stroke.

Step 10

Take the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a shape of an eye. Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) for the deformation of the ellipse.

Step 11

Create the three ellipses for the inner eye parts: the pupil, iris and highlight.

Step 12

Create an eyelash shape using the Pen Tool (P) as shown below.

Step 13

Copy the shape of the eye and paste it above all the sub layers. Select this shape and the eyelashes in the layers palette. Push the Subtract button in the Pathfinder palette. Then press Expand.

Step 14

Let’s create the left eye. Select all the elements of the right eye and go to Object > Transform > Reflect … and press Copy. Change the position of a highlight and situate the eyes as shown.

Step 15

Now we’ll create the nose. Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to create a nose. Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) for the deformation of the ellipse.

Step 16

Fill the nose with a radial gradient. Set the gradient to a skin color (C =1, M=10, Y=19, and K=0) and a lighter skin color (C=0, M=33, Y=49, and K=0). Now create two ellipses to indicate nostrils.

Step 17

The head is turned slightly to the left side. Therefore, slightly reduce the horizontal position of the left eye and also move the nose slightly to the left. Now let’s create the lips. Create an ellipse, add anchor points and deform them using the Direct Selection Tool (A).

Step 18

Create a hole of the mouth and glares on her lips using the Pen Tool (P). I used these colors: hole area is a dark red (C=1, M=88, Y=68, and K=0), the highlights are pink (C=0, M=43, Y=23, and K=0) and light pink (C=2, M=15, Y=9, and K=0).

Step 19

Create ruddy cheeks. Create three ellipses and fill them with a solid peach color (C=0, M=33, Y=49, and K=0), as shown below.

Step 20

Select the ellipses and go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur … apply the settings you see below.

Step 21

Create a new ellipse, then convert the left and right anchor points to corners. Drag the shape into the Brushes box and create a New Art Brush. Create the shape of the eyebrows by using the Pen Tool (P) and apply a new art brush.

Step 22

Create a shape of hair by using the Pen Tool (P). Now fill it with solid maroon color (C=28, M=98, Y=90, and K=30).

Step 23

Now create highlights on her hair. Create the highlight shapes using the Pen Tool (P). Fill it with an orange-red color (C=22, M=84, Y=100, and K=13.)

Step 24

Make a copy of shape of hair, paste it in front (Command + F), and by selecting the copy and the highlight, click on Intersect in the Pathfinder box. Then press Expand. Use this technique on all the highlights.

Step 25

Group all the elements of the the head (Command + G). Now turn her head slightly.

Step 26

Create the shape of the neck and shadows on it with the Pen Tool (P). The shadow is a dark peach color (C=0, M=42, Y=58, and K=0). We use the same technique as in Steps 22 and 23 for the highlights on her hair.

Step 27

Now create a dress shape by using the Pen Tool (P).

Step 28

Let’s create a pattern for her dress. Create a rectangle with a yellow color. Create an ellipse and deform it by using the Direct Selection Tool (A). Go to Effect > Distort & Transforms > Transform, and use the settings you see below. Now apply Object > Expand Appearance.

Step 29

In the center of the shape create a circle, select all the elements of the flower and press Add from the pathfinder box, then Expand.

Step 30

Place the flower on top of a yellow rectangle. Now scale, duplicate, and rotate copies. Drag the pattern into the palette Swatches and apply it to the dress.

Step 31

Create a collar by using the Pen Tool (P).

Step 32

Now we’ll create legs and arms for our character. Make a New Art Brush with the shape shown below. Draw arms and leg paths using the Pen Tool (P) and apply the new art brush. Select the arms and legs and apply Object > Expand Appearance.

Step 33

Create the left and right hand using Pen Tool (P).

Step 34

Take the Ellipse Tool (L) and create fingernails. Now create a shadow on the hands and feet as in Steps 22 and 23. Select all the shadows and go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur, and apply with a 5 pixel Radius.

Step 35

Now we’ll make the sneakers. Create an ellipse shape. Add the anchor points and deform them using Direct Selection Tool (A).

Step 36

Add details.

Also, be sure to duplicate a sneaker and dress for the second foot.

Step 37

Create a stick for our character to blow bubbles with. Use the Pen Tool and the Ellipse Tool (L) for this.

Step 38

Now we’ll make some stylized bubbles. Create some ellipses and fill them with a linear gradient, fell free to get creative and experiment here.

Now cut a hole in the bubble. Copy and paste in front the black ellipse (Command + C then Command + F). Now select the black ellipse, and one of the gradient ellipses and apply Subtract from the Pathfinder palette.

Use the same technique to make the second black ellipse and the second gradient ellipse.

Add a few ellipses filled with a linear gradient.

Create many different bubbles to get a nice effect. Place the bubbles in a new layer.

Step 39

Below the “bubbles” layer create a new layer called “Template.” Create a heart shape on this layer, then lock the layer.

Step 40

Duplicate, scale and place bubbles on top of the template – be creative with the placement and make this the focal point of the illustration. Delete the “Template” layer, after you’re finished adding bubbles.

Step 41

Create a new layer background layer named “BG.” Place it below all the other layers. Create a rectangle and fill it with a linear gradient. The colors should go from beige (C=1, M=10, Y=19, and K=10) to blue (C=34, M=0, Y=0, and K=0).

Step 42

Create a form of the tree using the Pen Tool (P). Fill the form with a solid brown (C=40, M=70, Y=100, and K=50).

Step 43

Now create a shadow on the tree as in Steps 22 and 23. Color the shade a dare brown (C=47, M=82, Y=80, and K=62).

Step 44

Create the shape of a leaf using the Pen Tool (P). Create a curve on a leaf, select the curve and the leaf, then press Divide from the Pathfinder palette. Ungroup and use a linear gradient to color it.

Step 45

Now we’ll make a shadow for the bench and character. Make a new layer called “Shadow.” Copy the girl and the bench, then paste them into this new layer.

Step 46

Press Add from pathfinder palette and Expand.

Step 47

Fill the shape with the color: C=16, M=20, Y=24, and K=0.

Step 48

Deform the shadow. Go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Free Distort, then apply Object > Expand Appearance.

Step 49

Create a shadow of a tree using the Pen Tool (P). Duplicate the shape and paste in front.

Step 50

To the top form apply a black to white linear gradient.

Step 51

Select both shapes and Make an Opacity Mask.

Adjust the gradient.

Conclusion

I hope this tutorial will give you and your sweetums pleasure this holiday. Dear designers, create lots of happy and fun pictures. Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Inspiration

Spread Love.

Vector illustration by Andy Gosling.

Very unique,creative and lovely graphics. The details and the colors are spectacular. Though the ground between the roots is somewhat sterile in contrast with all the leaves. The flat horizon is also a little strange. Rolling hills perhaps?

Love Birds.

Vector illustration by Edgeplus.

Fascinating birds. I love how their wings and bodies are hearts.

Love is in the air.

Vector illustration by Don Clark.

Excellent illustration for greeting cards and children’s books. Illustration makes me wonder how the artist got those lovely brush stroke textures. Some great little touches there, like the snake wrapped around the elephant trunk. This evokes philosophical reflections.

Love Wallpaper.

Vector illustration by Wallcoo.net.

The world through the window of the heart. Excellent wallpaper for your computer. The direction of movement is from right to the left (plane, birds) and is composed so the spectator sees it as a coming. Coming of Love.

Broken Love Type.

Vector illustration by Tom.

Interesting 3D composition. Good combination of colors. It turns out robots can love. In my opinion he is broken.

Sunset Love Song.

Vector illustration by toinjoints.

This is a musical message to his beloved girl. I love the small hearts and the little kitty; the style is so unique.

Bleeding Love.

Vector illustration by Yunart.

That’s rather sad. Love is cruel. The artist drew perfect hands and hair.

Love Wallpaper.

Vector illustration by mohammadamiri.

Funny character perfectly contrasts with the soft pink background. Interesting drawing technique and texture of the background. Good combination of rough and gentle.

A Simple Love Poem.

Drawing artwork by 2DCale.

Thoughts of the poet about love. What else can you think of on Valentine’s day? The artwork is done in warm colors; cute characters cause a smile. The sun’s rays and the background texture add warmth to the image.

Kittens in Love…. Sleeping.

Adobe Photoshop CS2, Wacom Graphire4 A5. Artwork by DarthEldarious.

They are in love and already have a little one. This is a beautiful composition, in the bottom cushion guess the outline of the heart. The main color is pink. What kind of love without the pink color? With a combination of green and pink, I would argue.

Love…

Vector illustration by MrEdgar.

The night is the time of lovers. Artwork uses a wonderful composition making use of bright moon against a dark foreground.

Love…

Vector illustration by thewiseninja.

Heart spreads love. Bubbles adds some contrast in the bottom of the composition.

Love.

Vector illustration by LeinDesign.

Excellent idea and execution. I like her doll-like expression and all the bright colors. However, where’s her neck?

Love.

Vector illustration by kaneda99.

In the flame of passions. Beautiful artwork, especially the nice color choices. What really impresses me is the details that indicate the gender. And the most beautiful part is the girl’s neck.

love by Internet.

Vector illustration by chocko.

A dark night, a humming computer, and only warm thoughts keep you up. Love by Internet. The cold blueness of the room contrasted by the warm connection of the heart combination of the computers.

Love is…

All is Vector! Gaussian Blur Effect… for blur. Adobe Illustrator CS3. Artwork by Madara13.

This piece represents very good use of the Gaussian blur filter. It creates a very smooth feeling throughout the image. I think that the transition in the hands from smooth- to sharp-edged is obscured too much by the density of the hair at that position.

Love or Confusion.

Vector illustration by AYIB.

Great abstract scene! Excellent choice of colors. Black hands create contrast in the center of the composition.

Endless love …

Vector illustration by SeaStyle.

Wonderful idea and execution.

Rabbit in Love.

Vector illustration by Zim-dez.

Just for fun! Is this the beginning of a great love story?

Valentine’s Heart.

Photoshop CS3. Artwork by Lilyas.

Beautiful design and colors! It’s absolutely delightful and colorful. I love this whimsical composition. Butterfly and heart create a sense of harmony.

Heart Refill.

Adobe Illustrator. Artwork by sourcow.

Artwork has a great concept and style. The hose thing looks real, but shinier than a real one could ever be.

Love…

This art is made with: Illustrator CS3 and Photoshop CS2. Artwork by Suyu-designs.

Very interesting text effect.

I think I love you.

Made in Paint shop pro X. Artwork by Smangii.

Simple and nice design is striking graceful lines.

GIRAFFES IN LOVE.

Vector illustration by cubecrazy2.

Romantic dinner for two! The artist has a unique view on things. Aren’t Giraffes absolutely wonderful?

Valentine.

Vector illustration by woobiee.

Nice wallpaper. Good contrast between all the elements. The lines on the top of the image create the effect of the flight of butterflies. It’s sweet/sad at the same time because of the empty swing and the tree.

VABRUARY.

Vector illustration by AYIB.

This artwork is dedicated to all peoples who celebrate Valentine’s day and all the people who don’t celebrate it. Artist hopes they love each other.

Of Hearts.

Vector illustration by missedyn.

The King and Queen of hearts are good symbols of Valentine’s Day.

A World With Love.

Vector illustration by StupidKhor.

Look how sweet the colors are! The artist used the rule of the Golden ratio.

Valentine in Venice.

Vector illustration by R1K.

Successful combination of colors.

Valentine Wallpaper.

Vector illustration by NeoZeroX.

Excellent Valentine’s day card. Hatching oblique lines create the severity of the image.

Happy Valentine Day.

Abstract vector illustration by Stellavagante.

Interesting concept, but the red text is a little lost against the background of red lips.

Valentine’s splash.

Abstract vector illustration by tonyx.

Great design. Excellent contrast and color matching.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Abstract vector illustration by Moniquiu.

The artist depicted a heart of glass. It emphasizes its fragility. The image looks hard because of the predominance of red color.

Happy Valentine’s.

Abstract vector illustration by vanburn.

In My Life. This art is made with: Illustrator CS3.

Artwork by SandraPascuini.

Great choice of colors! Combination of gray and red look chic.

Robot-Love.

Illustration by Rob Hunt.

Young Love.

Vector illustration by Clement de Bruin.

L_ _ V.

Illustration by Federico Montemurro.

Love is…

Illustration by Ana Fonseca.

Funny characters in the rays of the setting sun. Perfectly drawn oncoming wave.

Love the Pigeons.

Illustration by Andrew Nye.

Love is…

Vector illustration by Helen Kaur

Loving You Endlessly.

Using a combination of both Photoshop and Illustrator. Artwork by John van de Lest.

EternityLove.

Vector illustration by LJ-JUN.

Love is a blooming garden, giving you warmth and reassurance even when the path ahead looks too grey to walk alone. I like the complexity of the background and the way it really glows on the screen.

Jellyfish Love.

Vector illustration by Orangie818

For each illustration is its own story of love. The artist says: I haven’t seen my boyfriend in a month. I miss him terribly, which (as you might suspect) is the inspiration for this vector.

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Final Image Preview

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

Tutorial Details

• Program: Adobe Illustrator CS4
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Estimated Completion Time: 1 hour

Step 1

In order to create this simple illustration I started with a raw sketch. In fact my drawing is so simple that this step could easily be skipped. Open your scan in Illustrator and set it as a Template.

Step 2

Now we’ll outline the shapes of our teddy bear head. Create a new layer (you may use the shortcut Command + L). As you can see it is not a very faithful tracing of my initial sketch.

I decided not to use the Pen Tool. Instead I’ll use the Ellipse Tool (L) each time tweaking more or less my ellipse shapes with the Direct Selection Tool (A). To create the heart-shaped nose and the mouth part, use the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift + C). You can see some of the anchor points together with their handles in the image below.

Step 3

The colors that we are going to use come from the yummy Adobe Illustrator built-in swatches palette: Foods > Ice Cream.

Step 4

We’ll start with the main part of the head. For the moment put it above all the other shapes. To do that select it, Right-click and choose Arrange > Bring to Front (Shift + Command + Right Bracket key.)

Fill the shape with the lightest color (vanilla) from the Banana Split group (R=244, G=236, B=206), and set the stroke to none. With the Gradient Mesh Tool (U) first click in about the center point of the head, next add four more mesh points by clicking about the points marked in the image. You do not have to be very exact.

Step 5

Choose the Direct Selection Tool (A), then hold down the Shift key and select all the sixteen border mesh points. Now fill them with the Chocolate Chip brown color (R=73, G=54, B=31).

Next adjust the positions of the four mesh points little bit, as marked in the image below. Do this by dragging them towards the center of the circle so that the mesh inner shadow has a round shape.

Step 6

Select the head shape and send it to the very back (Shift + Command + Left Bracket key). Select the outer parts of the ears and the eyes and bring them to front (Shift + Command + Right Bracket key). With these parts, we’ll proceed similarly as we did in the two previous steps.

Fill the outer parts of the ears with the same color we used for the main head and set the stroke to none. Now use the Gradient Mesh Tool (U) to add the mesh points as in the previous step, while skipping the bottom one.

With the Direct Selection Tool select the nine border mesh points situated above the blue line marked in the image below. Now fill them with the Chocolate Chip brown (R=73, G=54, B=31). Drag the two top corner mesh points slightly towards the center, as we did in the previous step.

Repeat the same for the outer parts of the eyes. The only difference is the fill color. Choose the vanilla color from the Neapolitan group (R=255, G=241, B=228).

Step 7

Send the outer parts of the ears to back (Shift + Command + Left Bracket key). Select and bring the inner parts to front (Shift + Command + Right Bracket key).

Fill them with the yellow color from the Banana Split group (R=252, G=221, B=124), and give them no stroke. Click in the center with the Mesh Tool (U). Next fill the top (above the blue line) five border mesh points with the Chocolate Chip dark brown color (R=73 G=54 B=31).

Send the inner ears to back (Shift + Command + Left Bracket key). Then immediately bring them forward (Shift + Command + Right Bracket key).

Step 8

Now we’ll create the iris parts of the eyes. Bring them to front, then fill them with the brown color from the Neapolitan group (R=107, G=78, B=56), and give them no stroke. Next use the Gradient Mesh Tool (U) to add the mesh points, then adjust their positions as shown below.

Select the border mesh points situated above the blue line and set them to black. Next change the color of two more mesh points as shown. The colors we use are light vanilla (R=255, G=241, B=228) and pink (R=238, G=156, B=176) from the Neapolitan group. This way we add some lighting and color.

Next try recreate this effect with the second eye. I wanted my teddy bear to have a bit of asymmetry.

Step 9

Bring the heart-shaped nose to front and fill it with the Neapolitan pink color (R=238, G=156, B=176), then set the stroke to none. Switch to the Gradient Mesh Tool (U) and add the mesh points as in the image – starting in the center of the heart. You can follow my order of adding the mesh points, but it is not obligatory.

Now adjust their positions as in the image. Set the color of all the border points as Chocolate Chip brown (R=73, G=54, B=31) and the color of the blue-marked point as Neapolitan vanilla (R=255, G=241, B=228).

Step 10

Having locked and set the heart to invisible, we’ll now work on the “mouth” part. Make sure it is placed above the eyes and below the nose. Fill it with the yellow from the Banana Split group (R=252, G=221, B=124), and give it no stroke.

Add five mesh points starting from the one marked with the blue arrow below. Change the color of all border mesh points to the Chocolate Chip brown (R=73, G=54, B=31). Next drag the four points marked with the dark brown arrows towards the center.

Step 11

Set the fill color back to the Banana Split yellow (R=252, G=221, B=124) and stroke to none. Add two more mesh points as marked with the dark arrows in the image below. Next change the color of the point marked with the blue arrow to Chocolate Chip brown (R=73, G=54, B=31).

Step 12

Turn the heart-shaped nose visible, but keep it still locked (it should be above the mouth). Adjust the shape of the mesh lines so that the mouth part has a more natural look. Move the handles a bit using the Convert Anchor Point Tool in the Pen Tool palette (or use the shortcut Shift + C).

Step 13

Now we will create the cap. First create the simple shape of the cap. Copy it Command + C and paste it to the front Command + F, then lock it and set it as invisible (we will need it later).

Next create three triangles as shown, make sure that they all start in the peak point of the cap. Now select all, then go to the Pathfinder Panel and choose Divide. Ungroup your selection (Shift + Command + G) and delete the unwanted parts. Set the fill colors of the separate parts alternately to light vanilla (R=244, G=236, B=206) and light red (R=231, G=104, B=93) from the Banana Split group.

Step 14

Copy the middle red part (Command + C) and paste it to front (Command + F). Next add a mesh point as in the image below, set the color to Banana Split vanilla (R=244, G=236, B=206) and decrease the opacity a bit, I set it to 87%. Select all the stripes and group them (Command + G).

Step 15

Unlock and set visible the copy of the cap shape. Bring it to front (Shift+ Command + Right Bracket key), set the color to Chocolate Chip brown (R=73, G=54, B=31), set the stroke to none, the blending mode to Multiply, and decrease the Opacity to 63%.

Add the mesh points as shown, and manipulate points 1-3 slightly using the Direct Selection Tool (A). Change the color of the four mesh points (marked in the image with the blue circles) to white.

Step 16

Copy the mesh object created in the previous step (Command + C) and paste it to front (Command + F). Change the two remaining inner mesh points to white, as well as the top border mesh points on the right side of the cap. Increase the Opacity to 75%.

Group all the parts of the cup, Command + G.

Here is where we are at the moment.

Step 17

Now we will add some slight shadow coming from the base of the cap. Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to drag down one of the head mesh points a bit, as shown below. Also, adjust the handles as well.

Step 18

Now we’ll add a few freckles. Hold down Shift to create a square with the Rectangle Tool (M). The rectangle surrounds a single freckle. Fill it with the Banana Split yellow color (R=252, G=221, B=124), and give it no stroke.

Now use the Gradient Mesh Tool (U) to create the mesh grid as shown. Move the mesh points a bit using the Direct Selection Tool (A). Change the color of the center point to the Chocolate Chip brown color (R=73, G=54, B=31). Change the blending mode to Darken (this is just in case the square that surrounds the freckle intersects with the brown seam).

Step 19

Copy, rotate and scale as many freckles as you wish. I decided to put four of them, two as created in Step 18 and two a little bit less star-shaped.

Step 20

Create a new layer Command + L and place it below the “teddy bear” layer. Use the Rectangle Tool (M) to create the background rectangle at the size that you wish. Mine is 590 px wide by 675 px high, which corresponds to the span of the teddy bear that is 347 px wide by 480 px high.

Fill it with the Chocolate Chip brown color (R=73, G=54, B=31), and give it no stroke. Use the Gradient Mesh Tool (U) to add the mesh points as shown. Change the color of all the inner mesh points to the Neapolitan pink (R=238, G=156, B=176). Use the Direct Selection Tool to drag the four inner-corner mesh points a little bit toward the outer corners.

Align the bear and the background.

Step 21

To create the “Tutsy Bear” text I used the BoltonShadowedfont from Dafont. My font size is 72 pt. In the Character Panel, I switched the kerning to Optical and Tracking to 10. For the letters I use a dark brown color (R=56, G=41, B=26).

Conclusions

The main focus of this tutorial was to show you how you can easily add a retro feeling to your creations. I’ve chosen the gradient mesh as a tool to add the inner shadows so that my object remained fully scalable, i.e. so that no raster effects were used. Have fun and good luck applying these techniques in your own work!

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In this round up you will find some amazing tutorials, freebies, and inspirational articles from some of the best design blogs on the web. Take a moment to review top January’s top vector content from around the web.

Tutorial Wrap

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  Create a Cute Little Tiger in Illustrator

  Character illustration is one of the most fun tasks in Illustrator. There is something very satisfying about creating a character from scratch and watching it all come together as a complete illustration. This tutorial from Design Informer walks you through the process of illustrating a cute little tiger in Adobe Illustrator.

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  Cafe Style Coffee Art in Adobe Illustrator

  Coffee is probably one of the most popular drinks in the world. Needless to say the coffee cup has become one of the most recognizable icons on the planet. This tutorial from Tutorial9 demonstrates how to illustrate a café style cup of coffee using Adobe Illustrator and some of its 3D tools.

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  Create An Editable Metal Type Treatment

  Trying to figure out how to create metallic type is a task that just about every designer has struggled with at some point in their career. The problem is that metallic type isn’t as easy to create as it looks and to make matters worse, trying to create metallic items in Illustrator is even harder. This tutorial from Vectips demonstrates how to create stylistic editable text in Illustrator by making heavy use of the appearance panel in CS4.

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  How to Create a Cute Vector Bear T-Shirt Design

  Textile designers will tell you that they are often limited to just a few colors when they create their designs. Illustrator is well-suited for this type of work because it allows you to easily create vector illustrations and manipulate the colors to suit your needs. This tutorial from Spoon Graphics demonstrates how to create an adorable bear t-shirt design using simple shapes and colors.

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  Illustrator Tutorial: Vector Handphone

  As a designer, you may often be called upon to produce mockups of mobile phones or electronic devices for your designs. Sometimes you may be able to find illustrations of popular devices online, but more often than not you may have to do these yourself. This tutorial from Vector Diary demonstrates how to draw a mobile phone using simple shapes and gradients.

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  How to Create a Seamless Argyle Pattern in Illustrator

  It would be tough to walk through a department store without running into some familiar textile patterns. Argyle patterns are one of the most popular designs, especially when it comes to sweaters and socks. This video tutorial from Colorburned (Me) demonstrates how to create a seamless argyle pattern in Illustrator.

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(FREE!) Download Picks

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  Grungy Fleur De Lis Free Seamless Vector Pattern

  The Fleur de Lis is a classic vintage design element. They can be used in any number of ways, but one of my favorite uses is as a seamless pattern. This vector freebie from Pattern Head includes a grungy, distressed fleur de lis pattern that can be used to dress up your vintage designs.

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  Radial Pack – 50 Elements (Vectors & Brushes)

  Radial-based shapes are always fascinating elements to look at. They are also very useful as well. You can use them to spice up your composite illustrations or even as part of a pattern or background. This set of fifty radial elements from Media Militia can be downloaded and used in your designs for free.

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  Simple Ornament Patterns for Photoshop and Illustrator

  If you haven’t already noticed, I’m rather partial to seamless patterns. This set of simple ornament patterns for Illustrator and Photoshop from Pehaa will make a really nice addition to your design arsenal. Give it a download and try it out for yourself.

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  4 Fabric Inspired Vector Pattern Swatches for Illustrator

  I am always inspired by textile patterns. You’ll often find me staring at interesting fabrics while I walk through clothing shops. I created this set of four fabric inspired vector pattern swatches after walking through a quilting exhibit at a state fair. This set includes a vector houndstooth pattern, a basket weave, a mosaic, as well as a really nice rectangular pattern that you can use in your work.

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  11 Free Scaffolding Grunge Vectors & How-To

  There are a lot of ways to add grunge to your vector designs. One method is to find a nice image, run live trace, and use the leftover elements to punch out what you don’t need. This set of 11 scaffolding vectors from Fudge Graphics is perfect for creating grungy text and also includes a tutorial on how to use them.

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Vector Inspiration

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  25 Outstanding Character Illustrations

  Designing characters is a lot of fun but sometimes it can be difficult to come up with just the right idea. This inspirational article from DesignM.ag is packed with loads of inspiration to help grease your creative wheels.

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  Weekly Vector Inspiration #53

  Our friends at Vectips never cease to impress us with their amazing weekly showcase of inspirational vector art. In fact, it can be tough sometimes to pick out which one to display. This month we decided to choose post #53. Check it out; it’s definitely worth the time.

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  35 Fantastic Vector Illustrations That Tell A Story

  When we compose illustrations it is often our task to not only create a great looking illustration but to also tell a story. This roundup of 35 illustrations from Spyre Studios includes many fascinating examples of vector illustrations that tell a story.

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  Mind-Blowing Female Vexel Illustrations

  The word Vexel is a combination of the words vector and pixel and is a technique that artists use to create highly realistic raster images. This round up from Noupe includes several extraordinary female vexel illustrations.

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  Illustrations of the World’s Finest: Batman and Superman

  Superman and Batman are two of my favorite super heroes. This round up from our friends at Abduzeedo includes some fantastic illustrations of these iconic super heroes.

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