Blog Archives

INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Spring Watering Can

3/26/2018

Spring has sprung! The garden is starting to grow and flowers are popping up. Lets create a watering can icon watering a plant and see it grow.

Start the watering can with a rectangle, filled with a color, no stroke.

Add two rectangles, one top and one bottom to the can.

Add a rectangle for the spout, rotate it 45° to get the angle. Create a large circle for the handle.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the base of the spout and pull the points further apart to make the spout taper.
Add dark blue rectangles above the base and below the top to create a drop shadow effecgt.

For the shower head, create a rounded rectangle.

Draw a rectangle over the top of the shape and select both shapes.

Use the Pathfinder Minus Front command to remove the extra shape leaving the shower head. Place the head on the spout.

Select the spout and click on the Draw Inside Mode. Draw darker rectangles and place them at the neck and the base to give a shadow effect.

Click on the Draw Normal mode when complete.

Create ridges across the can with a dark rectangle base and a light rectangle top, this creates a highlight bump effect.

Select the handle, the choose Object>Path>Outline stroke to turn the handle into a shape.
Click on the Draw Inside Mode. Draw darker rectangles and place them at the top and the side to give a shadow effect.
Click on the Draw Normal mode when complete.

Draw a gray rectangle over 1/2 of the can.

Set the opacity to 35% and change the blend more to MULTIPLY.

This give a shadow effect over the side of the can.

To finish off the can, draw a rounded rectangle. Place this on the spout head. Darken the color to give it contrast.

Add white strokes with rounded ends (hotdog the ends). Add them for highlights on the can and head.

Create a patch of dirt with 2 lines and a circle.

Remove half the circle by using the Direct Selection Tool to select the top point and delete it.

Line up the circle ends with the lines.
This is in Outline Mode to see how to line up the ends of the circle and line more precisely.

Create 2 circles and overlap them. Use the Pathfinder Intersect Mode.

Intersect Mode will create a leaf.

Place the leaves on a line, rotate the leaves and fill them with a lighter color.

Use the Polar Grid Tool to create several concentric circles for the watering drops.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to remove 3/4 of the circles leaving just the 1/4 arc.

Select each line and click the Dashed Line box in the Stroke Panel to create long and short drops of water.

Mix up the lengths of the lines and dashes to create a random watering effect.

Put it all together and you have the iconic spring!

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INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Prickly Cactus Icon

3/18/2018

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Create a prickly cactus. This uses type on a path to create the prickly bits then a nice slip shadow on the internal shapes to finish it off.

Create a tall rectangle, heavy stroke, no fill.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the top two point and pull them in to widget the corners.

Select the shape and choose Object>Path>Offset path. Set the path to be a negative number to create a path inside the shape. Click the preview button to see the results. Click OK once the path is half way inside the shape.

This is the offset path results.

Copy the exterior path and rotate it 90°. Use the Direct Selection Tool to shorted then end.

Copy the path again and rotate it 90°. Select both shapes.

Use the Pathfinder Unite mode to create one shape from the two.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to shorten then end.

Select the shape and choose Object>Path>Offset path. The setting will be the same as the last shape.

Move the shapes into position.

Copy the arm and flip it using the Reflect Tool.

Select the 3 outer shapes. Use the Pathfinder Unite mode to create one shape from the two.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to bring then ends to meet the inner vertical shape.

Select all 3 vertical shapes. Use the Pathfinder Unite mode to create one shape from the two.

Fill both completed shapes.

Duplicate the outer shape. Select the Type on a Path Tool and click on the path, the fill and stroke will disappear.

Type along the path using a vertical slash - | - to create the spikes on the cactus.

Place the text on a path behind the shapes lined up with the outer shape.

Select the type on a path, choose Type>Create Outlines. Add a stroke to the vertical spikes in the same color to make the weight heavier.

Select the inner shape and copy it. Chose the Draw Inside mode at the bottom of the Tool Bar. Paste the copied shape into the shape.

Use the Right Arrow on the keyboard to shift the shape to the right. Set the opacity of the pasted shape to be 20%. Click on the Draw Normal mode.

Repeat the last step with the outside shape to create slip shadow. You are done!

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INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Paint roller with Texture

3/11/2018

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Create a paint roller with texture. The texture was created in Photoshop using some of the new spatter brushes included in the newest CC 2018 version. The spatter file was converted to a vector file using Image Trace in Illustrator. A slight shift in the color makes for a great look!

Start the roller with a rectangle. Select the Corner Widgets and pull them into the center to round the corners.

Create another rounded corner rectangle, add a stroke, no fill.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to remove the portion of the roller handle that is not needed.

Copy the handle and rotate the handle 180°. Remove the horizontal section and the lower corner.

Place the section in position and select both handle sections and join them together using the Object>Path>Join.

Add a rectangle for the handle.

To create the spatter, Photoshop was used to create a spatter pattern.

Save the file as a JPG, TIF or PSD file.

Open the spatter file in Illustrator and select the image. Open the Image Trace panel from the Window menu. Settings for the trace are shown, make sure the Ignore White button is checked.

Once the desired tracing effect is achieved, click the EXPAND button in the Control Bar to turn the image into vector shapes.

Select all the spatter and group them. Add a darker fill green fill than the pint roller.

Duplicate the roller then select the it and click the Draw Inside mode at the bottom of the Tool Bar.

Paste the texture into the roller. Click on the Draw Normal Mode. COPY this roller with spatter.

Click on the Draw Normal Mode. Select the roller and click the Draw Inside mode at the bottom of the Tool Bar. PASTE the roller with spatter into the roller head.

Create paint on the wall with a rectangle. Round the bottom edges using the corner widgets. Make the green fill lighter.

Click on the Draw Normal Mode. Select the shape and click the Draw Inside mode at the bottom of the Tool Bar. Copy and paste the texture into the paint area.

Copy the paint with texture. Select the shape and click the Draw Inside mode at the bottom of the Tool Bar. Copy and paste the paint with texture into the paint area. Click on the Draw Normal Mode.

To add a slip shadow to the handle. Duplicate the handle, make it lighter.

Click on the Draw Normal Mode. Select the handle and click the Draw Inside mode at the bottom of the Tool Bar. Paste the lighter shape into the shape.

And you have completed a paint roller with the look of wet paint texture.

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INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Paint Can Icon

3/5/2018

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Create a paint can with paint drips and a few highlights. Easy to create in just a few simple steps.

Start the can with a rectangle.

Create a thin rectangle for the top and bottom lip.

Use the Direct Selection tool to select and widget the corners in to round the ends.

Place the rounded shaped on the top and bottom of the can.

Create a line, add a stroke and round the ends. Use this for highlight and drips on the can.

Place the drips on the edge of the can. Add color to the drips.

Copy the body of the can. Select the can body, click the Draw Inside Mode at the bottom of the Tool Bar. Paste the shape, select a lighter color, position it within the shape. Click on the Draw Normal mode when done.

Add a rectangle for the label. Bring the paint drips to the front to have them come over the label.

Add a circle behind the can the same color of the paint to show some paint build-up on the edge.

Add a circle with a fill and a stroke for the handle attaching point.

Add a line with a darker stroke, round the ends and place it on the round pivot point.

Your paint can is done!

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Design Points n PixelS

INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Spring Watering Can

INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Prickly Cactus Icon

INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Paint roller with Texture

INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Paint Can Icon

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