INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Slice of Pumpkin Pie

If you have ever made a pie chart the easy way in Illustrator, it is just a few steps away from making an entire pie; right down to the ridges in the crust and the whip cream on the slice of pie. Enjoy!

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Start with a circle, fill and no stroke. 

Click on the handle on the right side of the circle and move it up and around the circle to create a pie section. 

In the Transform Panel, the flip pie button will flip the shape from the pie shape to the pie piece. Hold OPTION + CLICK on the flip to copy it as it flips. 

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This will result in the two parts of the pie being a complete whole 

Ungroup the shapes to move them individually. 

Select both shapes and use the bottom handle of the transform to squish the shapes vertically. 

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Duplicate the shape. On the duplicate shape, use the Direct Selection Tool to select and remove the 3 points shown.

This will leave the lower half of the pie shape. 

Remove the fill and add a darker stroke.

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Draw a vertical line on the right side at the end of the half oval. 

Duplicate the line and move it to the other side of the half oval. Duplicate the line yet again and set it aside for a few steps from now. 

Select all the line and use COMMAND + J twice to join all the lines together and close the shape. 

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Swap the fill for the stroke.

Select the Free Transform tool, perspective tool. 

Use the perspective tool to pinch the lower section of the oval closer together.

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Place the shape behind the pie section. 

Move the vertical line that was duplicated next to the slice to use it as a marker. Draw a rectangle the size of the pie size and the height of the line. Delete the line when done. 

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the lower right of the rectangle and move it to the left to match the angle of the pie base. 

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Duplicate the rectangle of the pie shape. Remove the fill and add a heavy stroke. 

Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the upper left of the rectangle and delete the lines leaving the "crust" of the pie shape.

Move the crust in position on the pie piece. 

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Duplicate the pie piece, move it over the section of the pie.

Send the pie piece to the back and line it up with the right edge of the pie. 

Duplicate the top shape of the pie. Remove the fill and add a heavy stroke. Use the Direct Selection Tool to remove the center point of the pie shape

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Round the ends (hot dog the ends) of the resulting open oval in the Stroke Panel. 

​Apply a Zig Zag effect from the Effects Menu. Set the points to be smooth, small size, set the radio button to absolute. 

This will give he effect of a rippled pie crust. Adjust the size and ridges-per-segment as necessary to get the right look.

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Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the edge of the pie shape. Copy and paste the curved edge. Remove the fill, add the stroke to match the color and weight of the pie.

Apply the same Zig Zag effect, to make it match the pie, reduce the number of ridges-per-segment. 

Move the pie crust edge to the pie piece. 

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To create the whip cream, create an oval, white fill and light colored stroke. 

Duplicate the oval half way on itself and reduce the size.

Repeat this process and until you have 4 ovals staked.

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Use the Direct Selection Tool to click on the upper point on the oval and move the point up. 

Click on the Convert Anchor Point in the Control Bar or the Properties Panel to convert the smooth point to a corner point. 

Select all the oval and duplicate the set. 

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Select one set and use the Pathfinder Unite tool to make it one shape. 

On the copied version, use the Direct Selection Tool to select and copy the portions of the ovals shown. 

Paste the shapes and hot dog the ends and place them on the other shape. Group the shape and the lines together. 

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Place the whip cream on the pie piece. 

Select the top piece of the pie, use the Object>Path>Offset Path to make a smaller version of the pie top for the highlight. 

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Use the Direct Selection Tool to remove most of the offset shape and make the remaining arc white, set the opacity to 50%. Add a highlight to the pie piece as well. 

To create a plate, make an oval with a light fill, heavy stroke. Make a larger oval on top and move them to overlap.

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Place the pie slice on the plate and enjoy! That is one nice piece of pie.