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INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Rabbit in a Hat

2/24/2019

So simple, so magical and so much fun. This rabbit in a hat is a trick you can do in illustrator with these simple steps.

Start the hat with an oval.

Duplicate the oval and make it smaller and a darker fill.

Duplicate the inside oval and make it the same color as the outer part of the hat.

Duplicate the oval so there are two.

Draw a rectangle between the two ovals, making sure the corners of the rectangle touch the ends of the ovals.

Use the Shape Builder Tool to add the the bottom oval and the rectangle together. Use the OPTION key with the Shape Builder Tool to delete the top half of the oval. Copy the final shape and create 2 copies. One for the next step, one for later.

Select the shape and click the Draw Inside Mode at the bottom of the Tool Bar. Paste the shape inside and fill it with a different color. Move the shape up towards the top of the shape. Click on the Draw Normal Mode.

Place the shape under the hat rim.

To create the rabbit, draw a circle.

Draw a line with rounded (hot dogged) ends.

Use the Width Shape Tool to widen the top of the line for the ear.

Choose Object>Expand Appearance to convert the stroke to a shape.

Use the Offset Path to create a smaller shape inside the ear, fill it with pink.

Duplicate the ears and place them on the head.

Use circles for eyes and draw a triangle and use the Corner Widget to rounded corners of the nose. Group all the shapes together.

Select the shape you created 2 copies of, no fill, no stroke.

Place the shape at the top of the hat, then click the Draw Inside. CUT the rabbit head and paste it inside the shape. Click on the Draw Normal mode.

Now the rabbit is peeking out of the hat.

Add a few circles to create magic above the rabbit.

Create a spiral and add a stroke the same color as the inner ears.

Create a dotted line along the spiral by clicking on the Stroke Panel, click on the Dashed Line, set the Cap end to rounded (or you won't get dots) the set the dash length to ZERO and the gap to 12.

Place the spiral under the hat and scale it to fit. The magic is done.

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INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Waffle with Syrup

2/18/2019

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Create this tasty waffle with delicious drips of syrup.

Create a grid by using the Grid Tool in the Line drawing section of the Tool Bar. White drawing us the up/down arrows to add/remove rows and the left/right arrows to add/remove columns.

Apply a color to the strokes of the grid.

Draw a rectangle for the interior of the waffle.

Draw two lines, rotated at 45° and place then so they are centered on the squares and the lines run to the corners. Select the lines and the square and use the Divide function in the Pathfinder. Ungroup the results.

Draw another square on top of the first square

Select each section of the first square and apply colors in varying shades to give the appearance of a bevel. Fill the center with the lightest color.

Select all the shapes and move them behind the grid.

Select the grid and choose Object>Path>Outline Stroke. Select all grid and use the Pathfinder Unite mode to make the grid one shape.

Apply a gradient to the outlined grid structure.

Apply a slight gradient to the inside squares of the waffle

Group the inside section together.

Duplicate the interior shapes behind the grid to complete the waffle look.

For the syrup, create a rectangle them duplicate it several times with no space between the shapes.

Stagger the length of the lines.

Use the Pathfinder Unite mode to make all the shapes on shape.

Select all the lowest sections with the Direct Selection Tool and pull in the corner widgets.

Select all the inside sections with the Direct Selection Tool and pull in the corner widgets.

Select the shape and choose Object>Path>Offset Path. Set the path to be inside the first. Path. Repeat this with the second path and you will have 3 paths total.

Set each path with a slightly darker fill. Select all 3 paths.

Choose Object>Blend>Blend Options and choose Specified Steps and set the value to 25. Then choose Object>Blend>Make to blend the 3 shapes together.

Set the newly blended shapes to Multiply in the Opacity panel.

For the highlight, create a rectangle and Corner Widget one end.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to remove half of the lines. Set the strroke color to while and the opacity of the line to 50%.

Apply the highlights to the syrup dripping over the waffle. Tasty!

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INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Paper Airplane Love Note

2/11/2019

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Create a paper airplane and send it with love. If you have never made a heart this way, it is super cool and easy as well.

To start the airplane, used the Polygon Tool to make a triangle.

Pull the tip of the triangle taller. Copy the shape.

Paste the shape, make it smaller and lighter color. Flip it upside down and center it at the bottom edge of the first triangle

Select both shapes and rotate them 75°, then reduce the height vertically by pulling the pull handles of the bounding box to squish the shape, giving it the perspective.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the tip of the small triangle and move it pointing down.

Paste the small triangle again.

Move it into position using the Direct Selection Tool so that the point matches the point of the body and the base points match the small bottom triangle points. Select both light red triangles and choose the Pathfinder Mode Unite to make them one shape.

Draw a rectangle with a lighter color. Send the shape to the back. Objet>Arrange>
Send to Back

Use the Direct Selection Tool to move the sides so they parallel the inner fold lines.

Draw a rectangle with a darker color and CUT the shape.

Click on the red triangle in the center, click on the Draw Inside Mode at the bottom go the tool bar. Paste the rectangle. Use the Direct Selection Tool to move the sides so they parallel the inner fold lines. Click on the Draw Normal mode when done.

For the heart, draw a square. .

Using the Curvature Tool, click on the top center line of the square and move it up to form a lump.

Repeat this on the side of the square matching the lump on the top.

Rotate the heart 45° to make it vertical.

Select the heart and remove the fill and add a stroke. In the stroke panel, set the stroke to a dashed line.

Apply the dashed line to the heart.

To draw the path, double click on the Pencil tool in the Tool Bar to open the preferences. The set the Fidelity to Smooth.

This will create a smooth line when you draw the path with the pencil.Add the same dashed stroke to the path.

Move the heart into position above the path. Using the Curvature Tool, click near the tip of the heart on the left and right path to create points. Select the bottom tip point with the Direct Selection Tool and remove the point which will remove the two line segments to the left and right up to the points you just created.

Repeat the process on the path just below the heart as well, removing a section of the path. With the Direct Selection tool, select the open end of the path shown and join them . Object>Path <Join or Command +J.

Repeat the select and join process on the other open line ends as shown to join the paths.

This is the result of the line join crossing over each other forming a loopy path.

Place the line in position with the paper air place and send it with love.

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INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Eggs and Sausage

2/4/2019

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Start the day off with some eggs and sausage icons. Great way to start the day learning some fun tips.

Start the egg off with several overlapping circles. Select all the shapes and use the Pathfinder Unite mode to create one shape.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select all the inner corners, the pull the Corner Widgets out slightly.

This will round the points out on the egg white.

Add a circle inside for the yolk.

Use the Arc Tool to draw arcs for the highlight noodles. Dark ones on the egg white, light ones on the egg yolk. Add a small circle at the end for flair.

Duplicate the white body of the egg. Remove the stroke. CUT the shape.

Select the white of the egg, fill it with a light gray. Click on the Draw Inside Mode at the bottom of the Tool Bar. Paste the previously CUT shape into the egg and position if offset as shown. Click on the Draw Normal Mode.

Create a rectangle to start the sausage.

Select the Corner Widgets and pull them into to maximum widgetness to round the ends.

Fill the sausage with a contrasting color to the stroke. Add triangles to the ends.

Duplicate the body of the sausage. Remove the stroke. CUT the shape. Select the main sausage body. Click on the Draw Inside Mode at the bottom of the Tool Bar. Paste the previously cut shape and position if offset as shown. Click on the Draw Normal Mode.

Copy the highlight noodles from the egg and use them here in the sausage. Select all the parts of the sausage and GROUP it all together. COMMAND + G or Object>Group.

Select the group and go to Effects> Warp>Arc.

Apply a horizontal Arc to the sausage to curve it.

If you apply an effect such as the Warp, and rotate the shape, it will appear to do crazy things. The warp is very specific to the original position of the shape, any change in the position and the Warp applies its Arc to the current position.

If you want to Edit the Arc Effect to change the arc direction, use the Appearance Panel to edit the arc and set the Horizontal Arc to be the opposite curve of the Arc.

You may notice that the shape will Arc but the blue outlines do not. This is why it is called an Effect. It just creates the EFFECT as if it is curved, but the outline is still the original shape.

If you want to rotate the shape, you will need to select the shape, chose Object>Expand Appearance to apply the effect permanently to the shape and you will no longer be able to edit the effect.
More about Expand and Expand Appearance here.

Add a plate to the mix. Create a circle behind the shapes.

Add a white circle behind the shapes with no stroke for the inner portion of the plate.

Serve it up hot, because this looks tasty.

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Design Points n PixelS

INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Rabbit in a Hat

INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Waffle with Syrup

INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Paper Airplane Love Note

INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Eggs and Sausage

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