In the following tutorial you will learn how to create a simple shopping basket icon in Adobe Illustrator.
We’ll start with the basics of pixel perfect vector shapes building technique. Using a neat script, several effects and some simple Pathfinder options you will learn how to create the main shapes. Moving on, taking full advantage of the Appearance panel and using basic blending techniques you will add the colors for your little icon. Finally, using the Drop Shadow and the Gaussian Blur effects you will add some subtle shading.
Final Image
As always, this is the final image that we’ll be creating:
Tutorial Details
- Program: Adobe Illustrator CS5
- Estimated Completion Time: 45 minutes
- Difficulty: Beginner-Intermediate
Resources
Step 1
Hit CTRL + N to create a new document. Select Pixels from the Units drop-down menu, enter 600 in the width and height boxes then click on the Advanced button. Select RGB, Screen (72ppi) and make sure that the Align New Objects to Pixel Grid box is unchecked before you click OK.
Enable the Grid (View > Show Grid) and the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). For starters you will need a grid every 5px, so simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides > Grid, enter 5 in the Gridline every box and 1 in the Subdivisions box.
You should also open the Info panel (Window > Info) for a live preview with the size and position of your shapes. Do not forget to set the unit of measurement to pixels from Edit > Preferences > Units > General. All these options will significantly increase your work speed.
Step 2
Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and focus on your Toolbar. Remove the color from the stroke then select the fill and set its color to R=240 G=117 B=53. Move to your Artboard and simply create a 55 x 30px rectangle, the Snap to Grid should ease your work.
Switch to the Direct Selection Tool (A) and focus on the bottom side of your orange rectangle. Select the left anchor point and drag it 5px to the right then select the right anchor point and drag it 5px to the left.
Step 3
For this step you’ll need the Round Any Corner script. Save it to your hard drive, return to Illustrator and make sure that the Direct Selection Tool (A) is active . Select the two anchor points highlighted in the first image and go to File > Scripts > Other Script. Open the Round Any Corner Script, enter a 5px radius and click OK. In the end your shape should look like that in the second image.
Step 4
Disable the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid) then go to Edit > Preferences > General and make sure that the Keyboard Increment is set at 1px.
Select your orange shape and make two copies in front (CTRL + C > CTRL + F > CTRL + F). Select the top copy and simply hit the down arrow from your keyboard to move it 1px down.
Reselect both copies made in this step, open the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder) and click the Minus Front button. Make sure that the resulting shape stays selected, set the fill color to black then open the Transparency panel (Window > Transparency). Simply lower the Opacity to 35% and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light.
Step 5
Make sure that your orange shape is selected and make two copies in front (CTRL + C > CTRL + F > CTRL + F).
Select the top copy and move it 2px down using the down arrow from your keyboard.
Reselect both copies and click the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Make sure that the resulting shape stays selected, set the fill color to black, lower its Opacity to 25% and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light.
Step 6
Make sure that your orange shape is selected and make two copies in front (CTRL + C > CTRL + F > CTRL + F).
Select the top copy and move it 2px up using the up arrow from your keyboard.
Reselect both copies and click the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Make sure that the resulting shape stays selected, set the fill color to black, lower its Opacity to 15% and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light.
Step 7
Enable the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). For this step you will need a grid every 1px, so go to Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid and enter 1 in the Gridline every box. Set the fill color to R=195 G=49 B=6
Pick the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 43 x 20px shape and place it as shown in the following image.
Switch to the Direct Selection Tool (A) and focus on the bottom side of this new rectangle. Select the left anchor point and drag it 3px to the right then select the right anchor point and drag it 3px to the left.
Reselect the shape made in this step along with the the other orange shape and click the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Make sure that the resulting shape is selected and simply hit Shift + CTRL + [ to send it to back.
Step 8
Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 1 x 20px shape, set the fill color to R=195 G=49 B=6 and place it as shown in the first image.
Make sure that this thin rectangle stays selected and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the properties shown in the following image, click OK
Go to Object > Expand Appearance. Make sure that the resulting group of shapes is selected and simply send it to back (Shift + CTRL + [ ).
Step 9
Reselect the group of shapes made in the previous step along with the orange shape and click the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel. Make sure that the resulting shape stays selected.
Open the Gradient panel (Window > Gradient) and simply click on the gradient thumbnail. This will replace that orange used for the fill with the default black to white linear gradient.
Keep focusing on the Gradient panel and set the Angle to 90 degrees.
Next, select the left gradient slider and set the color to R=195 G=49 B=6 then select the right gradient slider and set the color to R=225 G=78 B=35.
Focus on the gradient bar and simply click on it to add third gradient sliders. Select this new slider, set the color to R=215 G=68 B=26 then focus on the Location box and set it to 15%. Keep in mind that the white numbers from the Gradient image stand for Location percentage.
Step 10
Disable the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). Make sure that the shapes filled with the linear gradient is selected and make two copies in front (CTRL + C > CTRL + F > CTRL + F).
Select the top copy and move it 1px up using the up arrow key on your keyboard.
Reselect both copies and click the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel.
Make sure that the resulting group of shapes is selected, turn it into a compound path (CTRL + 8 or Object > Compound Path > Make) and set the fill color to black. Bring this black compound path to front (Shift + CTRL + ] ), lower its Opacity to 25% and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light.
Step 11
Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 1 x 20px shape, set the fill color to R=195 G=49 B=6 and place it as shown in the first image.
Make sure that this thin rectangle stays selected and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the properties shown in the following image, click OK then hit Shift + CTRL + [ .
Step 12
Select all the shapes made so far and Group them (CTRL + G).
Move to the Layers panel, double click on this newly created group and name it "body".
Step 13
Return to “gridline every 5px “, so simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid and enter 5 in the Gridline every box.
Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 65 x 5px shape and place it as shown in the following image.
Fill this new rectangle with the linear gradient shown below and go to Effect > Stylize > Rounded Corners. Enter a 2.5px radius, click OK and go to Object > Expand Appearance.
Step 14
Disable the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). Make sure that your rounded rectangle is selected and make two copies in front (CTRL + C > CTRL + F > CTRL + F).
Select the top copy and move it 1px up using the up arrow key on your keyboard.
Reselect both copies and click the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel.
Make sure that the resulting shape stays selected, set the fill color to black, lower its Opacity to 20% and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light.
Step 15
Make sure that your rounded rectangle is selected and make two copies in front (CTRL + C > CTRL + F > CTRL + F).
Select the top copy and move it 1px down using the down arrow from your keyboard.
Reselect both copies and click the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel.
Make sure that the resulting shape stays selected, set the fill color to black, lower its Opacity to 30% and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light.
Step 16
Make sure that your rounded rectangle is selected and make a copy in front (CTRL + C > CTRL + F).
Select it, move it 1px down then duplicate it (CTRL + C > CTRL + F).
Select this new copy and move it 1px down.
Reselect both copies made in this step and click the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel.
Make sure that the resulting shape is selected and replace the linear gradient used for the fill with a flat white.
Step 17
Make sure that your rounded rectangle is selected and make a copy in front (CTRL + C > CTRL + F).
Select it along with the thin, white shape and click the Intersect button from the Pathfinder panel.
Select the resulting shape, lower its Opacity to 50% and change the Blending Mode to Overlay.
Step 18
Reselect the four shapes highlighted in the following image and Group them (CTRL + G).
Move to the Layers panel, double click on this new group and simply name it "top".
Step 19
Enable the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid).
Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 25 x 3px shape, set the fill color to R=195 G=49 B=6 and place it as shown in the first image.
Make sure that this new rectangle stays selected and go to Effect > Stylize > Rounded Corners. Enter a 1.5px radius, click OK
Go to Effect > 3D > Rotate. Enter the properties shown in the following image and click OK.
Step 20
Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a second 25 x 3px shape, set the fill color to R=195 G=49 B=6 and place it as shown in the first image.
Make sure that this new rectangle stays selected and go to Effect > Stylize > Rounded Corners. Enter a 1.5px radius, click OK
Go to Effect > 3D > Rotate. Enter the properties shown in the following image and click OK.
Step 21
Reselect the two rectangles highlighted in the first image and Group them (CTRL + G).
Send this new group to back (Shift + CTRL + [ ) then move to the Layers panel and name it "handles".
Step 22
Switch to “gridline every 1px“, so go to Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid and enter 1 in the Gridline every box.
Using the Ellipse Tool (L), create a 43 x 2px shape,set the fill color to black and place it as shown in the first image.
Make sure that this squeezed circle stays selected, send it to back (Shift + CTRL + [ ) and focus on the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance).
Select the existing fill, lower its Opacity to 20% and go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Enter a 1px radius and click OK.
Return to the Appearance panel and add a second fill for your shape using the Add New Fill button (indicated by the little, blue arrow in the following image). Select this new fill, make sure that the color is set to black then lower the Opacity to 10%.
Step 23
Using the Ellipse Tool (L), create a 70 x 8px shape, set the fill color to black and place it as shown in the first image.
Make sure that this squeezed circle stays selected, send it to back (Shift + CTRL + [ ) and focus on the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance).
Select the existing fill, lower its Opacity to 25% and go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Enter a 10px radius and click OK.
Return to the Appearance panel and add a second fill for your shape using that same Add New Fill button. Select it, make sure that the color is set to black then lower the Opacity to 2%.
Step 24
Reselect the two shapes highlighted in the following image and Group them (CTRL + G).
Move to the Layers panel and name this new group "shadow".
Step 25
Using the Ellipse Tool (L), create a 20px circle, fill it with the linear gradient shown below and place it as shown in the following image.
Step 26
Make sure that your green circle stays selected and focus on the Appearance panel. Add a second fill and drag it below the existing fill.
Make sure that this new fill is selected and go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Enter a 1px offset and click OK.
Return to the Appearance panel, select the entire path (simply click on the "Path" piece of text from the top of the Appearance panel) and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the properties shown in the left window (in the following image) and click OK
Go again to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the properties shown in the middle window (in the following image), click OK
Go one more time to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the properties shown in the right window (in the following image) and click OK.
Step 27
Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 4 x 12 px shape, set the fill color to R=61 G=118 B=0 and place it as shown in the first image.
Make sure that this green rectangle is selected and go to Object > Transform > Rotate. Enter a 90 degrees angle and click the Copy button.
Select both rectangles made in this step and click the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel.
Make sure that the resulting shape stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel and add a second fill. Select it, set the color to white, change the Blending Mode to Soft Light
Go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Enter a -1.5px offset and click OK.
Return to the Appearance panel, select the entire path and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the properties shown in the following image and click OK.
Step 28
Reselect both green shapes and Group them (CTRL + G).
Move to the Layers panel and name this new group "icon".
Select all the shapes created so far and duplicate them (CTRL + C > CTRL + F).
Make sure that only the copies are selected and simply drag them to the right as shown in the second image.
Step 29
Focus on your right shopping cart, select the plus sign and simply hit the Delete key from your keyboard to remove it.
Select the green circle and focus on the Appearance panel. First, select the bottom fill and replace the existing linear gradient with the left one shown in the following image.
Return to the Appearance panel, select the top fill and replace the existing linear gradient with the right one show in the following image.
Step 30
Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 12 x 4px shape, set the fill color to R=135 G=0 B=0 and place it as shown in the first image.
Make sure that this red rectangle stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel and add a second fill. Select it, set the color to white, change the Blending Mode to Soft Light
Go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Enter a -1.5px offset and click OK.
Return to the Appearance panel, select the entire path and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the properties shown in the following image, click OK and you’re done. In the end things should look like in the third image.
And We’re Done!
Here is how it should look. I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial and can apply these techniques in your future projects.
