Blog Archives

INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Pumpkin Patch

10/29/2018

Create a pumpkin patch with simple shapes. With a few changes to the fill and strokes and some color background you can make them your own. Go create!
If you want to create a Very Spooky Scene, try this build here.

Start with an oval. Fill with a heavy stroke.

Duplicate the oval using the OPTION + CLICK and DRAG.

Use COMMAND + D to duplicate the ovals until you have five.

Select the left two shapes, choose Object>Arrange> Send to Back. Then Select the left most object and send it to the back.

Create the stem using the Spiral Tool. Click the Spiral tool on the document and choose 4 Segments from the Spiral Dialog box.

Add an arc with hot dog ends (rounded end caps in the Stroke Panel).

To give the ribs a cast shadow look, copy one of the ovals, remove the stroke and fill with a lighter or darker color. Copy this shape.

Select and oval and click on the Draw Inside button at the bottom of the Tool Bar.

Paste the oval into the selected shape. Move the oval to give it an offset look. Click on the Draw Normal Button. Repeat this process for each oval.

Add a highlight noodle by using the arc tool White stroke with an opacity of 39% to give is transparency.

Nice job!

To create this look of a sticker, select all the ovals.

With the ovals selected, choose Edit> Edit Colors> Recolor Artwork. In the Recolor artwork Panel, double-click on the color of the stroke and set it to white (or what ever color you want to change) and click OK.

With a white outline, you can add color to the background.

Choose a color and make it look like a sticker.

To remove all the strokes, select the ovals, click on the NO color in the stroke panel and they will be set to none.

Try different backgrounds.

To create a cut sticker look, add a stroke around the entire shape in these next steps…

Duplicate the entire pumpkin. Select all the shapes and select Object>Expand.

Expanding the shapes will convert all the stokes to a fill to be able to unite all the shapes together.

With all the shapes selected, chose the Unite Mode in the Pathfinder Panel. This will join all the shapes together.

Add a darker fill and a hefty stroke.

Place the stroked shape behind the pumpkin artwork.

Happy creating!

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INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Telescope

10/22/2018

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Creating this telescope looks a bit more of a challenge because of the round barrels but its really not that hard. And there are a few tricks tucked in here that make it that much easier to create!

Draw a circle. Filled with a color.

Make the circle 3/4 as wide by going into the Transform Panel, click the chain to UNLINK the values. In the Width section make the width 3/4 as wide. Simplest way to do this is Multiply the number by .75 in the field. The multiply symbol is *.

This will make the circle 3/4 as wide and not make the height change. Add a 12 PT border around the circle.

Draw a rectangle for the body. Make the height of the rectangle snap to the height of the circle. (I added a color 12 pt stroke to the circle to show how the rectangle will snap to the circle, the stroke will end up being white in the final.)

Copy the oval. Chose EDIT>Paste in Place. Select both the pasted oval and the rectangle. Use the Pathfinder MINUS FRONT mode to remove the oval from the rectangle.

Copy the oval again. Paste the oval on the opposite end of the rectangle. Remove the stroke from the pasted oval. Chose OBJECT> Arrange> Send To Back to send the oval behind he rectangle. Select both the oval and the rectangle and use the Pathfinder Unite (Add) mode to make them one shape.

This is the resulting shape.

Use the Perspective Free Transform Tool to take the left end of the rectangle and pull the ends together to give it perspective.

With the Free Transform Perspective Tool, pull the top corner down and both ends will taper the same.

Copy the barrel, make it half the size, a darker color and send it to the back behind the larger barrel.

COPY the large and small barrel and PASTE them off to the side for now, we will use them later.

Using the Direct Selection Tool, select the left point of the main barrel, copy and paste the selected shape.

The pasted shape will be just the half oval of the end of the barrel. Add a heavier, darker stroke to this and round (hot dog) the ends in the Stroke Panel.

Place the rounded half oval over the left end of the main barrel. It will need to be slightly larger than the barrel.

To make the half oval larger, use the Transform Panel, click the LINK icon to size it up proportionally. Place your cursor in the Width field and simply use you UP ARROW to increase the size until it fits around the barrel perfectly.

Copy the half oval, flip it and send it behind the barrel to make it look like a ring around the barrel.
The NEW Transform Panel in the most current version of Illustrator now has FLIP buttons!

Using the Direct Selection Tool, select the left point of the smaller barrel, copy and paste the selected shape. Make the stroke heavier.

Copy the half oval, flip it and send it behind the barrel to make it look like a ring around the barrel.

Repeat the process to create a white oval in the middle, a darker oval near the right side of the barrel. Size the rings UP with a heavier stroke weight as they get closer to the right end to give the feeling of perspective.

Select the blue oval at the end. Copy the shape. Change the oval fill to a gray. Select the Draw Inside Mode at the Bottom of the Tool Bar.

Paste in the copied blue oval, remove the white stroke, move the blue off to the left to give the offset look of a lens in a barrel. Click on the Draw Normal Mode.

Paste the copied oval again, make it smaller, change the fill to a lighter color and place them as highlights in the lens.

Use the star Tool to create a 4 pointed star. Click on the document with the Star Tool to call up the dialog box. Make the Radius 2 much smaller than Radius 1 to create long arms. Set the point to 4.

Create a series of lines. Set the stroke to a dark gray. Select all the lines, group them together. This is for the inside of the barrel of the lens.
Place the lines over the end of the barrel in the position you want them.

Open the Layers Panel. Windows>Layers. Find the section of the telescope that shows the CLIP GROUP. Click on the twirly on the left of the Clip Group Thumbnail to open up the other layers in the group.

Take the grouped set of lines in the layer panel and drag them down INTO the clip group. This is the way to get them INSIDE the barrel. Position them where they look good in the barrel.

To Add the tapered highlights to the barrel tings, copy a half oval and paste it.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the top point and delete it, leaving just a 1/4 arc.

Make the stroke darker, make it half the weight. Use the Width Shape Tool to select the end and pull the width shape tool into the line to make the end taper to a point.

Place the highlights on the ring.

Repeat the process for the remaining rings. I also added a circle on the ends of the highlights just for fun.

Select the small barrel, click on the Draw Inside Mode at the bottom of the Tool Bar.

Draw a darker rectangle and rotate the shape so the edge follows the line of the barrel. Click back onto the Draw Normal Mode.

Select the large barrel, click on the Draw Inside Mode at the bottom of the Tool Bar. Repeat the process of the small barrel with the large barrel. Add rectangles that are progressively darker to give the impression of a shadow going around the barrels. Click back onto the Draw Normal Mode when done.

With the small and large barrels you copied and pasted earlier in the build, take the barrel and chose Object>Path>Offset Path.

Set the path Offset to -10. Click OK.

This will create a smaller path inside the original shape. Delete the original shape, leaving the smaller offset shape.

Swap the fill with the stroke so you end up with just a path, no fill

Use the Direct Selection Tool to remove the upper left point, The remaining shape will be the lower right angle and lines.

Add a heavier stroke to the line. Use the Width Shape Tool to taper the top end of the line. Place the highlight creation on the barrel. This is how you create a rounded highlight!

Copy the highlight you just built. Make it lighter. Flip it. Use the Direct Selection Tool to make the line length longer or shorter by selecting the end point.

Add the highlights to the barrels, add a few circles to the ends of the highlights as well. You are done. Nice Job!

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INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Active Imagination

10/15/2018

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Here are Adobe MAX 2018 in LA where it is all about creativity I created a quick icon for unlocking your creativity. This active imagination icon is easy and there are a few illusions here to make it look like the loops are in front and some behind as the creativity swirls around.

Start with an oval. Add a stroke and no fill.

Rotate the oval to create another oval by putting in 60° and hold OPTION when you click RETURN to duplicate and rotate the oval.

This creates and rotates the oval.

Repeat the duplicate and rotate to get a 3rd oval.

Add circles along the lines. Fill the circle with a color and add a WHITE STROKE to create the space between the lines and the dots.

To create the lines that look like one is behind or in back. Select the section of the path with the Direct Selection Tool.

CUT the section of the line.

Then chose Edit>Paste In Place to put the line section back in the exact same location. With the Appearance Panel, add a stroke under the existing stroke, make the under stroke WHITE and twice the stroke width as the top stroke.

This gives the section the look of being behind the ovals, adding dimension.

Add the head inside the nucleus. You can find the steps here on how to create the head.

Create the lock inside the head with a circle and a triangle.

Change the colors if the atoms if you want.

For Adobe MAX I used the CC app icons to add those into the Creative MIx.

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INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Brilliant Idea/Smart Thinker

10/7/2018

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Smart thinkers have brilliant ideas. So how do you make an icon for that? Just like this. Light bulb, gear, smart thinker.

Start with a circle.

Add a square and center it on the circle at the base.

Select both shapes and use the Pathfinder Unite mode to create on shape.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the two points at the intersection of the circle and square.

Pull the corner widgets out to round out the bulb edges to give it a curve of a light bulb.

Add lines with round end caps at the base.

Draw a triangle using the polygon tool.

Select the bulb and the triangle. Use the Pathfinder Unite mode to create one shape.

Select the bulb/head and click on the Draw Inside Mode at the bottom of the Tool Bar. Draw a rectangle, fill it with a color. Click on the Draw Normal mode when done.

Draw a star. 8 points.

Select the star with the Direct Selection Tool and pull the corners in but not all the way (if they turn red, that is the max amount and too far).

OPTION + CLICK on a Corner Widget to change the corners to flat to create a gear.

Add the gear to the head.

Add a circle inside the gear.

Draw a line above the head, centered on the circle. Round the ends of the lines.

Select the Width Shape Tool to pull the top of the line wider.

Select the line, then choose the Rotate Tool, OPTION + CLICK in the center of the head, that will open the Rotate Dialog box.

In the Angle field, type in 360/12. This will give you 12 lines in a 360° circle. Click COPY.

It will create a copy of the line and rotate it 30°.

Use COMMAND + D to duplicate the rotate around to create a full circle of lines.

Delete the extra lines and add a bright color!

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INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Pencil Doodle

10/1/2018

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School is back and perfect time to create a pencil and do some drawing.

Start with a narrow rectangle.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select one end and pull the corner widgets in to round the end.

Duplicate the rounded rectangle 3 times. Set the fill color to be slightly lighter each step.

Draw a triangle, place it behind the body and fill it with a woody color.

Create a rectangle for the base of the pencil.

Add another rectangle, rounded 2 of the ends using the corner widgets. Make it pink for the eraser.

Create a circle, filled with black for the tip of the pencil.

Select the triangle, click on the Draw Inside Mode at the bottom of the Tool Bar.

CUT the black circle, then PASTE it into the triangle, move it into position. CLick on the Draw Normal button.

Add dots to the metal end of the pencil. Add a highlight line to show a reflection.

For the doodle lines, create a rectangle.

Use the Direction Tool to select and then delete one end of the rectangle.

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the opposite end and pull the Corner Widgets in to round the end.

Use the Direction Selection Tool to select and open end and make line shorter or longer. Duplicate and flip the shapes to create random squiggles.

Place the doodle lines in line with the pencil tip. Quick and easy pencil with a doodle line.

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