INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Spring Watering Can

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.

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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!