INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - OPEN BOOK

Create an open book with this tutorial. Simple shapes, add some curves to them and then some shading, this creates a simple, yet effect book.

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Start with a rectangle, fill it with a color. No stroke.

Using the Curvature Tool (next to the Pen Tool in the Tool Bar), click on the upper middle of the rectangle and pull up. This will add a point and curve it as you pull up. 

Repeat the same process with the curvature tool on the bottom of the rectangle to mimic the top curve.

Duplicate the shape and place it to the side of the other shape.

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Fill the shapes with a darker color. This will be the back set of pages, and the colors will get lighter as they stack on each other.

Duplicate the set of shapes, add a lighter color fill. With the Direct Selection Tool, select the two left points on the left shape, and move them up using your UP arrow key. Repeat the process on the other shape, moving the right points up the same amount.

This will give you pages that have less of a curve than the original curve.

Place then new shapes over the previous shapes and the book begins to take shape.

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Repeat the duplicate, color change and move-point process a 3rd time to create a third set of pages, making the top color lighter than the bottom 2 colors.

Select the bottom 2 shapes and add a stroke to the INSIDE of the shape, that way it doesn't extend beyond the edge of the shape.
Go to your Stroke Panel and choose the Align Stroke to Inside button.

Select the right 3 shapes with the Select Tool.

Under the Edit Menu, choose Edit Colors>Adjust Color balance. Click on the Convert button and Preview button, then adjust the color to change the color of the selected shapes.

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Copy the left page, reduce it in size the place it on the right page to create an picture box. DO the same with the right page, scale it down and move it to the left page to create another picture box.

Add a stroke around the "pictures" to create contrast.

Change the width of the pages to give it more depth and the appearance that the pages are turning.