Create a Simple Drum Icon in Adobe Illustrator

In the following tutorial you will learn how to create a simple drum icon in Adobe Illustrator.

Final Image

As always, this is the final image that we’ll be creating:

Tutorial Details

Program: Adobe Illustrator CC
Estimated Completion Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: Beginner-Intermediate

Step 1

Hit Control + 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. Try not to get discouraged by all that grid, it will ease your work and keep in mind that you can easily enable or disable it using the Control + " keyboard shortcut.

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

Focus on your Toolbar, remove the color from the stroke then select the fill and set its color to R=245 G=232 B=208.

Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and simply click on your artboard to open the Rectangle window. Enter 610 in the Width and Height boxes then click the OK button.

Next, you need to center your new shape, so open the Align panel (Window > Align). Set the aligning to Artboard (open the fly out menu and go to Show Options if you can’t see the Align To section as shown in the following image), make sure that your shape is selected then simply click the Horizontal Align Center and Vertical Align Center buttons. In the end your square should cover the entire artboard as shown in the following image.

Step 3

Switch to the Ellipse Tool (L), replace the existing fill color with R=230 G=233 B=216 and create a 140px circle.

Step 4

Make sure that your circle stays selected and focus on the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance). Select the existing fill and go to Effect > Stylize > Inner Glow. Enter the properties shown in the following image, click OK and go to Effect > Stylize > Outer Glow. Enter the attributes shown below and click OK.

Step 5

Make sure that your circle stays selected and keep focusing on the Appearance panel. Select the stroke, set the color to black (R=0 G=0 B=0) and simply click on that "Stroke" piece of text to open the Stroke fly-out panel.

Set the Weight to 1px then check the Round Cap and the Align Stroke to Inside buttons. Return to the Appearance panel and simply click on that "Opacity" piece of text that stands for your stroke to open the Transparency fly-out panel. Lower the Opacity to 40% and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light.

Step 6

Make sure that your circle stays selected and keep focusing on the Appearance panel. Select the existing stroke and simply duplicate it using the Duplicate Selected Item button (indicated by the blue circle in the following image). Select the newly added stroke, lower its Opacity to 20% and increase the Weight to 3px.

Step 7

Make sure that your circle is still selected, focus on the Appearance panel, select the 3px stroke and duplicate using that same Duplicate Selected Item button.

Select the newly added stroke, lower its Opacity to 10% and increase the Weight to 6px.

Step 8

Make sure that your circle stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel and add a new stroke using the Add New Stroke button (indicated by the blue circle in the following image). Select your new stroke, drag it below the fill and open the Stroke fly-out panel. Check the Align Stroke to Outside button, set the Weight to 8px and open the Gradient panel (Window > Gradient). Make sure that the stroke added in this step is still selected and simply click on the gradient thumbnail to add the default black to white linear gradient.

Keep focusing on your Gradient panel, set the Angle to 90 degrees then move to the gradient colors. Select the right slider and set the color to R=136 G=138 B=137 then select the left slider and set the color to R=95 G=110 B=113.

Step 9

Make sure that your circle stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel, select the stroke added in the previous step and duplicate it using that same Duplicate Selected Item button. Make sure that your newly added stroke stays selected and open the Stroke fly-out panel. Set the Weight to 14px then check the Round Cap button and the Dashed Line box.

Keep focusing on the Stroke fly-out panel, check the button that Align dashes to corners… then enter 0px in he first dash box and 57px in the first gap box.

Return to the Appearance panel, make sure that the stroke added in this step is still selected and go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Enter a 6px Offset and click OK. In the end things should look like in the following image.

Step 10

Make sure that your circle stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel and add a new stroke using that same Add New Stroke button. Select this new stroke, drag it below the fill, add the linear gradient shown in the following image then open the Stroke fly-out panel. Check the Align Stroke to Outside button and set the Weight to 7px.

Step 11

Make sure that your circle stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel, select the stroke added in the previous step and duplicate it using that same Duplicate Selected Item button. Make sure that your newly added stroke stays selected and open the Stroke fly-out panel. Set the Weight to 12px then check the Round Cap button and the Dashed Line box.

Keep focusing on the Stroke fly-out panel, check the button that Align dashes to corners… then enter 0px in he first dash box and 57px in the first gap box. Return to the Appearance panel, make sure that the stroke added in this step is still selected and go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Enter a 6px Offset and click OK. In the end things should look like in the following image.

Step 12

Make sure that your circle stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel and add a new stroke using that same Add New Stroke button. Select this new stroke, drag it below the fill, set the color to R=146 G=148 B=147 then open the Stroke fly-out panel. Set the Weight to 10px then check the Round Cap button and the Dashed Line box. Keep focusing on the Stroke fly-out panel, check the button that Align dashes to corners… then enter 0px in he first dash box and 57px in the first gap box.

Step 13

Step 14

Return to the Appearance panel. Make sure that your stroke is still selected and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the properties shown in the following image and click OK.

Step 15

Step 16

Keep focusing on the Stroke fly-out panel, check the button that Align dashes to corners… then enter 0px in he first dash box and 57px in the first gap box.

Return to the Appearance panel, make sure that the stroke added in this step is still selected and go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Enter a 6px Offset, click OK and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the properties shown in the following image and click OK. In the end things should look like in the following image.

Step 17

Reselect your circle, focus on the Appearance panel, make sure that the entire path is selected (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 top, left window (in the following image), click OK then add the other five Drop Shadow effects shown in the following image.

Step 18

Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 5 x 160px shape and set the fill color to R=224 G=191 B=145. Make sure that this new rectangle is selected and go to Object > Path > Add Anchor Points.

Step 19

Focus on the top side of your thin rectangle, pick the Delete Anchor Point Tool (-) and simply remove the anchor point highlighted by the blue circle in the first image.

Keep focusing on the top side of your shape and switch to the Direct Selection Tool (A). Select the left anchor point and drag it 1px to the right then select the right anchor point and drag it 1px to the left. In the end things should look like in the second image.

Reselect the Delete Anchor Point Tool (-), focus on the bottom side of this shape and simply remove the anchor point highlighted by the blue circle in the third image.

Keep focusing on the bottom side of your shape, switch back to the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the two anchor points, focus on the control panel and simply enter 2px in that Corners box. In the end things should look like in the fourth image.

Step 20

Reselect the shape made in the previous step and focus on the Appearance panel. Select the fill and replace the existing color with the linear gradient shown in the following image. Keep in mind that the white numbers from the Gradient image stand for Location percentage and that you can easily add new gradient sliders simply by clicking on the gradient bar.

Once you’re done with the gradient, return to the Appearance panel and add a 1px, black stroke for your shape. Lower its Opacity to 30%, change the Blending Mode to Soft Light and make sure that the you check the Align Stroke to Inside button from the Stroke fly-out panel.

Step 21

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.

Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 5px square, set the fill color to R=224 G=191 B=145 and place it as shown in the first image.

Focus on the top side of this new shape and switch to the Direct Selection Tool (A). Select the left anchor point and drag it 1px to the right then select the right anchor point and drag it 1px to the left. This should turn your square into a little trapezoid.

Make sure that the Direct Selection Tool (A) is still selected and focus on the top side of this shape. Select both anchor points, focus on the control panel and simply enter 1.5px in that Corners box.

Return to your trapezoid, select the bottom anchor points, focus on the control panel and simply enter 1px in that Corners box. In the end things should look like in the third image.

Step 22

Reselect the shape made in the previous step and focus on the Appearance panel. Replace the existing fill color with R=244 G=211 B=165 then add a 1px, black stroke. Select the stroke, lower its Opacity to 30%, change the Blending Mode to Soft Light and make sure that you check the Align Stroke to Inside button from the Stroke fly-out panel. Reselect both shapes that make up the drum stick and simply hit Control + G to Group them.

Step 23

Make sure that your group stays selected, place it roughly as shown in the following image then focus on the Appearance panel and add a new stroke using that same Add New Stroke button. Select it, set the color to R=196 G=154 B=108 and the Weight to 1px.

Go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Enter a 0.5px Offset, click OK then go to Effect > Pathfinder > Add.

Return to the Appearance panel, make sure that the entire group is selected and add the five Drop Shadow effects shown in the following image.

Step 24

Duplicate your group (Control + C > Control + F), select the copy and place it as shown in the following 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.