INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - Telescope

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!

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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!

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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!

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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!