Let's create a retro living room scene in Adobe Illustrator, using simple shapes and Warp Effect tool. We will use only four colors (five if you include the background).
1. Create a Floor Lamp
Step 1
Create a New document, and make a swatch of the colors we're going to use to create the living room elements. These colors are orange (R=226, G=121, B=43), light brown (R=224, G=198, B=143), blue (R=0, G=172, B=157), gray (R=113, G=95, B=84), and dark brown for the background (R=71, G=44, B=31).
Step 2
Take the Eyedropper Tool (I) and click on the light brown color in the swatch. Then hit the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle. Go to Effect > Warp > Bulge.
In Warp Options, you will see that the Style is set to Bulge. Set it to the Vertical option, and set the Bend to -15%. In the Distortion section, the Horizontal option should be set to 0% and Vertical to 30%.
Step 3
Create a blue long rectangle under the lampshade.
Step 4
Create a blue rectangle. Make sure that this shape stays selected and go to Effect > Warp > Bulge. In the options window, set the bulge type to Vertical, then set the Bend to 15%, Horizontal Distortion to 0% and Vertical Distortion to 40%.
Step 5
Arrange the shapes you've just made to create a floor lamp.
Step 6
Set the Stroke to grey and the Fill to null. Then select the Line Segment Tool (\), draw a long line and place it as shown in the image below. Add a little gray ellipse to finish off the pull cord.
Step 7
Create a rectangle 600px by 300px using the Rectangle Tool (M) and fill it with our background color.
2. Create an Armchair
Step 1
Draw a blue rectangle. Go to Effect > Warp > Arch. Set the Arch type to Vertical, Bend to -30%, Distortion Horizontal to 0% and Vertical to 30%.
Step 2
Make sure that the resulting shape is selected and simultaneously press two keys: Shift and Alt. Now move this shape to the right. Concentrate on the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance and click on the Warp > Arch. Keeping all options the same, change the Bend by moving the slider to the right to make it 30% (instead of -30%).
Step 3
Draw a blue rectangle between the armchair legs.
Step 4
Draw an orange rectangle, and go to Effect > Stylize > Round Corners. Set the Radius to 10px. This creates rounded corners for your rectangle (see figure 1, below). Next, go to Effect > Warp > Arc. Set the Arc style to Horizontal. In the Vertical Distortion section, move the slider to 30 % (see figure 2, below).
Step 5
Create an orange rectangle, and open up Effect > Warp > Arc Upper. Set the arc upper style to Horizontal, and the Bend to 30%. All other options should be set to 0%.
Step 6
Place all the armchair parts together. Select the seat (created in Step 5), make a copy, and paste it in back (Control-C, Control-B). Change the color of the seat copy to light brown and using the arrows on your keyboard, move this part up to create the seat outline.
Step 7
Place the armchair in the scene.
3. Create a Coffee Table
Step 1
Create a long orange rectangle for the surface of the table. Go to Effect > Stylize > Round Corners and in the pop up window, set the radius to 10px.
Step 2
Create a blue rectangle. Then go to Effect > Warp > Bulge. Use the following settings in the dialog window: bulge style set to Vertical, Bend to -55%, and the Vertical Distortion to 100%. This is the lower part of the table leg.
Step 3
Create three blue circles in a line.
Step 4
Place all the parts together and there we have our table.
Step 5
Put the table near the armchair.
4. Create a Quick Vase with Tulips
Step 1
Now to create a vase. Make a light brown rectangle using the Rectangle Tool (M). Let's try a new effect: Warp Effect > Fish. Set the style to Vertical, Bend to -20%, and Vertical Distortion to 30%.
Step 2
Use the Line Segment Tool (\) and set the Stroke to gray. Draw three stems for the flowers. Send them to the back so they sit behind the vase, by selecting the stems, right-clicking the mouse, and choosing Arrange > Send Backward from the options.
Step 3
Now we're going to create the tulips. Take our orange color for the fill and make it a bit lighter. Using the Ellipse Tool (L), draw an oval. Copy this oval and paste it to the back (Control-C, Control-B). Move the new copy to the left and incline it to the left. Make sure that the new copy stays selected and right-click with your mouse. Press Transform > Reflect, select the Vertical axis of reflection and press copy. Move the third copy to the right.
Step 4
For convenience, Group the whole tulip (right-click > Group) and make three of them. Arrange your three tulips on the stems.
Step 5
Place the vase and flowers on the table.
5. Create a Chest of Drawers
Step 1
Create two orange rectangles as shown in the image below. Go to the Pathfinder panel and press the Exclude button.
Step 2
Draw another two rectangles, using a light brown color for the stroke. They are the shelves.
Step 3
Now for the chest of drawer legs. First create a blue rectangle, then take the Direct Selection Tool (A) and move two lower anchor points to the left. The lower anchor points should be closer to each other than the upper points are.
Step 4
Make two legs by using Vertical reflection.
Step 5
And put them all together.
Step 6
And, of course, put it in the scene.
6. Decorations for the Interior
Step 1
Create a decorative plate. Hit the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a light brown rectangle. Go to Effect > Warp > Bulge and set the bulge style to Vertical, Bend to 80%, Vertical Distortion to -35%, and then press OK.
Step 2
Create a fruit vase. Make a T-shape figure by using two gray rectangles. Again we will use the Warp Effect. For the upper rectangle, set the Style to Bulge, bulge type to Vertical, Bend to 60%, and Vertical Distortion to -100%. For the lower shape use a Bulge Style set to Vertical, Bend to -20%, and Vertical Distortion set to 50%.
Step 3
Create a flower pot. Starting with a green rectangle, use another Warp Effect with the following settings: Style set to Bulge, Vertical Bend to 40%, and Vertical Distortion to -40%. You can tweak these shapes for all of these decorations, to suit your taste.
Step 4
Let's create a basic plant. Here we will use the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C). First, select the Ellipse Tool (L) and create three long ovals. Then take the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C) and click on the top and bottom anchor points of every oval.
Step 5
And of course, let's use the Warp Effect again, but just for the side shapes—don't touch the middle one. Set the left one to: Style: Rise, Vertical Bend: -40%. And the right one: Style: Rise, Vertical Bend: 40%. That's it.
Step 6
Place the leaves in the flower pot.
Step 7
Make a clock, starting with two rectangles. First a blue rectangle, then a smaller light brown on. Make their corners rounded using Effect > Stylize > Round Corners with the Radius set to 5px. After that we need to adjust the Warp options: Style set to Arc, Vertical Bend set to 0%, and Vertical Distortion set to 20%. Apply these same options for both rectangles.
Step 8
Put gray marks for the hours twelve, three, six, and nine.
Step 9
Create hands for a clock. Start with a circle for the center and add two pointed ovals, using the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C) (now you know how to do it). Place the hands on the clock face.
7. Position Your Drawers and Decorations
Now our interior should look like this:
8. Create Simple Bookshelves and a Cactus
Step 1
First let's create our bookshelves. Simply create rectangles in different sizes, inclines and colors.
Step 2
Now for a cactus on the bookshelf. Create three gray ovals in different sizes and shades, using the Ellipse Tool (L). Add an orange rectangle using the Rectangle Tool (M).
For the first oval (from left to right) use these Warp options: set the Warp Style to Bulge (Horizontal), Bend to 100%, Horizontal Distortion to -15%, and Vertical Distortion to -60%. For the second oval: set the Warp Style to Bulge (Horizontal), Bend to 100%, Horizontal Distortion to 0%, and Vertical Distortion to -60%. And for the third rectangle: set the Warp Style to Bulge (Horizontal), Bend to 100%, Horizontal Distortion to 15%, and Vertical Distortion to -60%.
For the flower pot use another Bulge Warp. Set the bulge style to Vertical, Bend to 40%, Horizontal Distortion to 0%, and Vertical Distortion to -40%.
Step 3
Add needles. Remove the fill color and use black strokes. Go to the Stroke panel and choose 0.25pt Weight, and select the Round Cap button. Now take the Pencil Tool (N) and draw the needles of the cactus.
Step 4
Place the cactus on the bookshelf.
Step 5
And hang the bookshelves on the wall. That's it!
Awesome Work, You're Now Done!
Congratulations! You've done a great job, and you've got your very own illustrated living room! Hope it was fun for you.