In this tutorial I will show you how to create your own alarm clock in the shape of a house in Adobe Illustrator. We’ll be using the Rectangle Tool, Ellipse Tool, the Transform options and gradients. So let’s begin…
Step 1
Open a New document with size 600 by 600px. Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a rectangle in the upper part in the center of the document with size W:495px H:316px. See the picture below.
Step 2
As the shape from the previous step is selected, use the Direct Selection tool (A) to select the upper two points of the rectangle and go to Object > Path > Average. Click to put a check mark on Both and click OK.
Your end result will create a triangle.
Step 3
As the shape from previous step is selected go to Object > Path > Offset Path. Set the Offset to -5px, click OK and move the new shape under the original by going to Object > Arrange > Send Backward and make it invisible. We’ll need this shape in the following steps.
Step 4
Select the original shape and apply Stroke Weight 30px and Align Stroke to Inside.
After that go to Object > Expand Appearance.
Step 5
Take the Add Anchor Point Tool (+), add four points to the shape in position as shown.
Then delete the middle two points as shown and close the shape’s path with the Pen Tool (P).
After all the steps we did so far you will notice one part in the upper end of the shape that shouldn’t be there. In order to remove it select the shape, open the Pathfinder panel, click on Divide and delete this unnecessary part as shown below.
You should be left with the below.
Step 6
Now click on the eye of the shape from Step 3 to make it visible again.
Then take the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a rectangle in position and size as shown in the picture below.
Step 7
Select the shape from Step 3 and the rectangle you created in the previous step. Open the Pathfinder panel, click on Add to Shape Area.
Fill the new shape with a linear gradient colors black to R:35 G:33 B:45 and set the angle to -90 degrees.
Step 8
Select the rooftop of the house from Step 5 and fill it with the same gradient you used for filling the shape in the previous step. In order to do this select the shape, take the Eyedropper Tool (I) and click on the gradient from the previous step.
Step 9
Copy the rooftop and paste it under the original then take the Direct Selection Tool (A), delete the key points as shown in the picture below.
Turn off the Fill color and apply Stroke with Weight: 11px, black color and Profile: Width Profile 3.
Apply Gaussian Blur as well with Radius: 10px and change the Blending Mode from Normal to Multiply.
Step 10
Duplicate the shape from Step 7 and place the copy over the shape that you applied Gaussian Blur to in Step 7. Then select the copy and the shape from the previous step and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make. This is how we are going to hide the lower part of the shape that shouldn’t be visible after applying Gaussian Blur.
Step 11
Duplicate once again the rooftop, delete the outer key points as shown.
Then turn off the Fill color and apply Stroke with Weight: 1px, R:109 G:110 B:113 color and Profile: Width Profile 3.
Step 12
Again duplicate the rooftop and with the Direct Selection Tool (A) delete the key points as shown in the picture below.
Then turn off the Fill color and apply Stroke with Weight: 5px, R:161 G:161 B:161 color and Profile: Width Profile 3.
Send the shape behind all others (Object > Arrange > Send to Back).
Step 13
Using the Ellipse Tool (L), create a circle with size W:230 H:230px. Fill it with black and place it in position as shown in the picture below:
Step 14
As the circle is selected go to Object > Path > Offset Path. Set the Offset to -2px and click OK.
Fill the new shape with linear gradient colors R:204 G:213 B:22 to white and set the Angle to -45 degrees.
Step 15
As the new shape that you filled with Linear gradient in the previous step is selected again go to Object > Path > Offset Path. Set the Offset to -4px, click OK.
Fill it with a linear gradient as shown below.
Step 16
As the shape from the previous step is selected go to Object > Path > Offset Path. Set the Offset to -2px, click OK.
Change the gradient colors as shown below.
Step 17
As the new shape that appeared after applying Offset is still selected again go to Object > Path > Offset Path. Set the Offset to -5px, click OK, slide the shape 4px up.
Fill it with a linear gradient as shown in the picture below.
Step 18
Using the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a circle with size W:5,5px H:5,5px. Fill it with black and place it in the upper part in the center of the shape from the previous step as shown in the picture below:
Step 19
Duplicate the circle, move the copy in the lower part in the middle then select both shapes.
Go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Do the settings as shown below:
This will give you circles for each hour on the clock face.
Step 20
Duplicate the new group of shapes that appeared after applying Transform. Open the group and you will see two shapes there which you will need to make smaller size. To do this select one of them, decrease its size to 2-2px then do the same thing for the other one.
Step 21
Now select the group with the shapes you reduced the size to. Open the Appearance panel, click on the Transform effect.
Change the settings as shown in the picture below.
Click OK.
So far this is how it should look like:
Step 22
Now add the clock numbers. The font I used for them is called "Pieces of Eight" with size 35px. You can use any font you and font size want.
Step 23
Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a rectangle with size W:5px H:87px with a dark color and rounded corners Radius: 4px.
Go to Object > Expand Appearance.
Step 24
Take the Ellipse tool (L), create a circle with size W:26px H:26px which will be the lower part of the clock hand. Fill the circle with the same color you used to fill the clock hand, place it in the lower part of the clock hand as shown.
Now select the clock hand and the circle you just created, open the Pathfinder panel and click on Unite.
Step 25
With the Line Segment Tool (\) add the shape in the upper part of the clock hand as shown below. Apply Stroke color with Weight: 2px and Profile: Width Profile 1 and grey color.
Step 26
Duplicate the shape from the previous step, change the Stroke color to black and reduce the Weight to 1px.
Step 27
Repeat this action to make the clock’s second and hour hands.
Select all the clock hands and Group them (Object > Group).
Step 28
Duplicate once the clock hands group and place it under the original. As the copy is selected open the Pathfinder panel and click on Unite. Apply Gaussian Blur and Radius: 2px. Rotate a little bit to the left the shape which will be the clock hands’ shadow, change the Blending Mode from Normal to Multiply and reduce the Opacity to 30%.
Step 29
Duplicate the first circle you created and filled with black and place it over all other shapes.
Then fill it with a linear gradient as shown in the picture below, change the Blending Mode to Screen and the Opacity to 50%.
Step 30
Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a rectangle in the base of the house.
Step 31
Add another rectangle over the previous one with black color as shown below and group both shapes (Object > Group).
Step 32
Now select the new group and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Do the settings as shown below:
This will create three additional shapes.
Step 33
As the group of shapes is still selected again go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform and do the settings as shown below.
Apply Drop Shadow with values: X Offset: 3px, Y Offset:-3px, Blur:3px, Mode: Overlay.
Step 34
Make invisible the shapes from the previous step by clicking on the eye in the path. Then create a rectangle in the base of the house with black color and position as shown in the picture below. Apply Gaussian Blur, set Radius to 20px and click Ok.
Now duplicate the base and place it over the new rectangle you created.
Then select the copy and the rectangle and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make.
Step 35
Now make visible the shapes which are the base’s bricks then send the shape from the previous step behind the bricks (Object > Arrange > Send backward).
Step 36
Duplicate again the base and place it over the bricks. Move the copy a few pixels down then select the copy and the bricks and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make.
Step 37
Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a rectangle with size W:60px H:190p.
Go to Effect > 3D > Extrude & Bevel and do the settings as shown in the picture below.
After that go to Object > Expand Appearance.
Step 38
With the Direct Selection tool (A), click on the first shape of the chimney and change the color to R:2 G:2 B:7.
Then click on the left shape of the chimney and fill with R:89 G:81 B:88 color.
Click on the bottom shape of the chimney and fill it with R:161 G:161 B:161 color.
Place the chimney in position as shown below.
Now send it behind all other shapes (Object> Arrange> Send to Back).
Step 39
Finally add shadow to the rooftop inside the chimney. With the Pen Tool (P) and Pathfinder panel fill the shape with a linear gradient colors black to dark grey. Apply Gaussian Blur, set the Radius to 14px and change the Blending Mode from Normal to Multiply.
Conclusion
And with that we are ready. Here is the final result.
