Cubist construction

Here is how to take an image and create a cubist construction. Using the line tool and the Pathfinder Divide mode you can easily create a cubist icon or illustration.

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Start with a photograph to trace. Place the image in Illustrator. File > Place. Select the image and lock it. Object > Lock > Selection

Using the Pen tool, loosely trace the image with straight lines, no need to draw the curves. Unlock the image and delete it. 

In Outline Mode, (View > Outline) add lines to the outline using the Line tool. Draw from any point on the outline to another point. Repeat this process to creates crossing lines.

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Lines can be drawn from edge to edge or from cross over points in the shape to edge points. 

Switch to Preview Mode. View > Preview. Select all the lines, but not the outline. (Lines are shown in red for clarity.) Cut the lines. Edit >Cut.

Select the outline and choose the Draw Inside Mode at the bottom of the toolbar. 

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Paste the lines into the shape. Click on the Draw Normal Mode. 

Select the outline and the lines and choose the Divide Pathfinder Mode in the pathfinder panel. 

The fill and stroke colors will disappear, leaving just the paths. Ungroup all the shapes. 

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Select all the shapes and fill them with a gradient.

Select single shapes and choose the flip gradient button to reverse the gradient.

Reversing the gradient in some shapes breaks up the image. 

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To change the color of the gradient overall, select all the shapes and choose Edit > Edit Colors >Adjust Color Balance. 

Set the Color Mode to RGB, click the Preview button and change the sliders. Adjust the sliders to change the colors. 

To divide the shapes further, you can draw lines over the existing shapes and select the shapes and line Divide the shapes using the Pathfinder panel. 

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Ungroup the shapes. Change the color or the gradient direction in the newly created shapes. 

To create an object with solid colors, select all the shapes and fill it with a color. 

Select each shape individually and fill shapes with lighter and darker shapes to add depth and dimension.