Create a Notes Icon in Adobe Illustrator

In the following tutorial you will learn how to create a simple notes icon in Adobe Illustrator using only one shape.

For starters your will learn how to setup a simple grid and how to create the main shape using several tools and effects along with some basic vector shape building techniques. Moving on, you will learn how to take full advantage of the Appearance panel and how to add subtle shading, highlights and textures for your shape. Finally, you will learn how to create an editable, scribbled piece of text.

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). 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

Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and focus on your Toolbar. Remove the color from the stroke and then select the fill and set its color to R=238 G=230 B=209.

Move to your artboard and create a 170 x 165px rectangle. Make sure that this shape stays selected and go to Effect > Stylize > Rounded Corners. Enter a 10 px Radius and then click the OK button.

Step 3

Make sure that your rectangle is still selected and go to Object > Expand Appearance. Return to your Toolbar and replace the existing fill color with R=39 G=170 B=225.

Pick the Ellipse Tool (L), create four, 10 px circles and place them exactly as shown in the second image.

Step 4

Reselect all the shapes made so far, open the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder) and click the Minus Front button. In the end your shape should look like in the second image.

Move to the Layers panel (Window > Layers), open the existing layer, double click on your shape and rename it "main".

Step 5

Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 610px square, send it to back using the Shift + Control + [ keyboard shortcut, make sure that it covers your entire artobard and then focus on the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance).

Select the fill and replace the existing color with R=101 G=182 B=225. Using the Add New Fill button, add a second fill for your shape, select it and add the radial gradient shown below. Keep in mind that the yellow zero from the Gradient image stands for Opacity percentage and use the Gradient Tool (G) to stretch your gradient as shown in the following image.

Move to the Layers panel, rename the shape made in this step to "bg" and then lock it.

Step 6

Disable the Grid (Control – ‘) and the Snap to Grid (Shift-Control – ‘). Make sure that your "main" shape stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel and add a second fill using that same Add New Fill button.

Select this new fill, replace the existing color with R=197 G=218 B=229 and then go to Effect > Convert to Shape > Rectangle. Enter the attributes shown below, click OK

Go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the properties shown in the following image and then click the OK button.

Step 7

Make sure that your "main" shape is still selected and keep focusing on the Appearance panel. Reselect that blue fill and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the attributes shown in the following image and then click the OK button.

Step 8

Make sure that your "main" shape stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel and add a third fill using that same Add New Fill button.

Select this new fill, replace the existing color with R=241 G=208 B=205 and then go to Effect > Convert to Shape > Rectangle. Enter the attributes shown below, click OK

Go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the properties shown in the following image and then click the OK button.

Step 9

Make sure that your "main" shape is still selected and keep focusing on the Appearance panel. Reselect that pink fill and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the attributes shown in the following image and then click the OK button.

Step 10

Make sure that your "main" shape stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel and add a fourth fill using that same Add New Fill button. Select this new fill, replace the existing color with the linear gradient shown in the following image and remember that the yellow numbers from the Gradient image stand for Opacity percentage while the white ones stand for Location percentage.

Return to the Appearance panel, click the "Opacity" piece of text that stands for this new fill to open the Transparency fly-out panel and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light.

Step 11

Make sure that your "main" shape stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel and add a fifth fill using that same Add New Fill button. Select this new fill, replace the existing color with a simple black (R=0 G=0 B=0), lower its Opacity to 50%, change the Blending Mode to Soft Light

Go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Enter a -1 px Offset, click OK and then go to Effect > Sketch > Note Paper. Enter the attributes shown in the following image and then click the OK button.

Step 12

Make sure that your "main" shape stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel, add a new fill and drag it in the bottom of the panel. Select this new fill, replace the existing color with R=248 G=240 B=219