In this tutorial we will create a complete shop with all the details, in addition to some shrubs and a street with its lampposts, using the most basic shapes and tools of Adobe Illustrator.
Find more inspiration for your vector illustrations over on GraphicRiver.
1. How to Create a New Document
Press Control-N to make a New Document. Set the Units to Pixels, and enter 800 x 600 for the width and height of the document. Then in the Advanced options, select RGB, Screen (72 ppi), and make sure to uncheck the Align New Objects to Pixel Grid box before clicking OK.
Go to the Preferences (Control-K) and enter 1 px for the Keyboard increment. Press OK.
You can activate the Info panel (Window > Info) in order to have a preview of the size and position of your shapes. Remember to set the measuring unit to Pixels from Edit > Preferences > Units. This will greatly increase the speed of your work.
2. How to Create a Road
We'll start with the road and the sidewalk of our shop.
Start by creating an 800 x 120 px rectangle using the Rectangle Tool (M). Use #706B79 as the fill color.
Now create the sidewalk using one 704 x 10 px rectangle (#A8A5AA) and one 704 x 6 px rectangle (#706B79).
3. How to Create a Store
Now for the most time-consuming step, the store.
Step 1
Start by creating the shop floor. Create a 314 x 7 px rectangle (#9D9588) with the Rectangle Tool (M).
Then create a column using a 36 x 256 px rectangle (#E9E7DC) and add details with two 22 x 53 px rectangles (#F9F6E6) and a 22 x 125 px rectangle (#F9F6E6). Set Inverted Round corners with a 5 px radius from the Transform panel.
Step 2
Now duplicate the internal forms of the column twice (Control-C followed by Control-F) and move them 2 px downwards with the keyboard’s arrow keys. Apply Minus Front from the Pathfinder panel to every copy.
Change the fill color to #D6D4C3. Group the column together (Control-G) and duplicate it (Control-C > Control-F) at the other end.
Step 3
Let’s create the door using a 90 x 180 px rectangle (#EAAB61). Then add another 62 x 34 px rectangle (#DB9747) and create a shadow by duplicating twice (Control-C followed by Control-F). Move the last copy 4 px downwards and 4 px to the right.
Set Minus Front from the Pathfinder panel.
Step 4
Create the door’s window using a 62 x 112 px rectangle (#78C4ED). Now add a 5 x 112 px rectangle (#64ABD5) to act as a shadow.
Now create a pair of rectangles (#FFFFFF) and rotate them 45º with the Rotate Tool (R). Set a 30% Opacity in the top bar and with the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M) remove the remaining forms.
Step 5
Now, create a sign using a 30 x 20 px rectangle (#FFFFFF). Add two 2 x 18 px rectangles (#EAAB61), rotate them until they have a 45º angle using the Rotate Tool (R), and place them under the sign (right click > Arrange > Send Backward).
Then create a 6 x 6 px ellipse (#FFFFFF) using the Ellipse Tool (L). Draw two rectangles (#F7DDC0) on the sign.
Group the sign (Control-G) and duplicate it (Control-C > Control-F). Use #64ABD5 as fill color for the copy, move it 2 px downwards and to the right, and then send it behind the sign (Control-[).
Step 6
Now create the handle using a 7 x 7 px ellipse (#BB7B33).
Now add a 224 x 27 px rectangle (#EAAB61) for the wall of the store and a 224 x 153 px rectangle (#78C4ED) for the window.
Duplicate the rectangle of the wall twice (Control-C followed by Control-F), and move the second copy 3 px downwards and 3 px to the right. Set Minus Front from the Pathfinder panel. Change the fill color to #DB9747.
Step 7
Create some setoffs in the wall with a 3 x 16 px rectangle and a 61 x 3 px rectangle (#DB9747), grouping them together (Control-G) to form an inverted L. Then duplicate it twice (Control-C > Control-F).
Step 8
We will create some details in the window. Take the Pen Tool (P) and draw the top of a bar using the fill color #6BAFE2.
Then draw the seat’s shadows and some glasses on the table using the fill color #5789C3. Round the seats’ corners using Live Corners with the Direct Selection Tool (A).
Step 9
Now create the lamps using one 2 x 44 px rectangle (#5789C3) and one 22 x 12 px rectangle (#5789C3). Move the upper nodes of the last rectangle inwards by 4 px with the Direct Selection Tool (A).
Add an 8 x 8 px ellipse (#5789C3) under the hood of the lamp and group everything together (Control-G). Duplicate it (Control-C > Control-F) and place them far from each other.
Step 10
Add reflections on the window, drawing three rectangles with the Rectangle Tool (M). Use #FFFFFF as the fill color and set a 30% Opacity in the top bar.
Rotate the rectangles 45° and use the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M) to remove the rest of the form of the window.
Step 11
Now add the window divisions using one 7 x 180 px rectangle, one 217 x 7 px rectangle, and one 7 x 146 px rectangle. Use #F9F6E6 as the fill color.
Then add two 4 x 146 px rectangles (#64ABD5) and place them under the reflections (Control-[) as shown in the image below.
Step 12
In this step we will create the blind. To do this, create a 24.15 x 74 px rectangle (#EAAB61) and round its lower corners. Duplicate the rectangle (Control-C > Control-F) three times and alternate the use of the fill color #EDEEF0.
Step 13
Now draw a rectangle (#EAAB61) one-third away from the lower part of the blind and remove the remaining shape with the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M). Set the Blending Mode to Multiply and the Opacity to 35% using the Appearance panel.
Add a 314 x 4 px rectangle (#FFFDEF) in the fold of the blind, and from the Appearance panel set the Blending Mode to Soft Light and the Opacity to 50%. Group everything together (Control-G) and duplicate it (Control-C > Control-F).
Step 14
Send the blind copy backwards (Control-[) and apply the fill color #000000. Set the Opacity to 10% in the top bar.
Move the copy downwards just once by pressing the Shift key.
Step 15
Add a lintel by creating a 314 x 34 px rectangle (#E9E1C4). Then create a 296 x 168 px rectangle (#D6D0B5) and set Inverted Round corners with a 4 px radius from the Transform panel.
Afterwards, duplicate it twice (Control-C followed by Control-F) and move the last copy 2 px downwards. Then apply Minus Front with the previous copy using the Pathfinder panel. Use #C2BCA4 as the fill color.
Step 16
Create a 314 x 35 px rectangle (#D6D0B5) over the lintel. Then create a 4 x 28 px rectangle (#C2BCA4) and round the lower corners.
Duplicate it and place it at the other end of the lintel. Select both rectangles and go to Object > Blend > Make to merge. Then establish a 40 step separation from Object > Blend > Blend Options.
Step 17
Make some shadows on the columns using two 36 x 4 px rectangles (#D6D4C3). Afterwards, add a 314 x 7 px rectangle (#C2BCA4) above the lintel, and set the Blending Mode to Multiply with a 40% Opacity using the Appearance panel.
Step 18
Let’s finish the roof, using a 405 x 27 px rectangle (#F9F6E6). Then, add one 351 x 14 px rectangle (#D6D0B5) and one 351 x 4 px rectangle (#C2BCA4). Finally, add a 360 x 7 px rectangle (#F9F6E6).
Step 19
Create some bushes with two 54 x 54 px ellipses and use #7FBB86 and #68A96A as the fill colors. Then, duplicate the bushes (Control-C > Control-F) and place the copy at the other end.
Be sure to place them behind the shop (Shift-Control-[).
4. How to Create a Lamppost
Step 1
In this step, we are going to create the lampposts on the street. To do this, use an 18 x 18 px rectangle (#7C7C7C) and move the upper nodes 2 px inwards with the Direct Selection Tool (A).
Then add a 7 x 194 px rectangle (#6B6B6B) and move the upper nodes 2 px inwards. Afterwards, draw a rectangle at the top and delete the rest with the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M).
Step 2
Now create a 26 x 3 px rectangle (#6B6B6B) over the post and a 36 x 3 px rectangle (#6B6B6B) above the last rectangle. Create a 3 x 26 px rectangle and place it in the middle, make a copy (#424242) and change its height to 4 px in the Transform panel.
Then take the Pen Tool (P) and draw a trapezoid for the lamp using the fill color #F2F2F2. Place it below the rectangle (Control-[).
Step 3
Create a 36 x 3 px rectangle (#6B6B6B) and place it in the middle of the lamp. Use the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M) to remove the ends with the shape of the lamp.
Now create a 26 x 26 px ellipse (#7C7C7C) and remove the lower node. Place it on the top of the lamp. Group the lamppost together (Control-G), duplicate it (Control-C > Control-F), and place it at the other end of the store.
Step 4
To finish, let’s create the sky. Create an 800 x 600 px rectangle (#80C3EA) and send it to the back of the canvas (Object > Arrange > Send to Back).
Perfect, You're Finished!
The result is commendable! Congratulations on reaching this point. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did and that you have learnt a lot. I'll be watching the comments!
