In today's tutorial we're going to explore the process of creating a flat illustration based on an in-the-moment composition. Using a step-by-step approach, we're going to gradually create the entire scene using some of Illustrator's most basic shapes and tools.
You can expand the entire illustration by heading over to GraphicRiver where you'll find a great selection of nature-inspired landscapes, all in vector format.
That being said, make sure you fill up that empty coffee mug, and let's get started!
1. How to Set Up a New Project File
Assuming you already have Illustrator up and running in the background, bring it up and let’s set up a New Document (File > New or Control-N) for our project using the following settings:
- Number of Artboards: 1
- Width: 800 px
- Height: 528 px
- Units:Pixels
And from the Advanced tab:
- Color Mode: RGB
- Raster Effects: Screen (72ppi)
- Preview Mode: Default
2. How to Set Up a Custom Grid
Even though today’s project is not an icon-based one, we’ll still want to create the illustration using a pixel-perfect workflow, so let’s set up a nice little grid so that we can have full control over our shapes.
Step 1
Go to the Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid submenu, and adjust the following settings:
- Gridline every: 1 px
- Subdivisions: 1
Quick tip: you can learn more about grids by reading this in-depth piece on How Illustrator’s Grid System Works.
Step 2
Once we’ve set up our custom grid, all we need to do in order to make sure our shapes look crisp is enable the Snap to Grid option found under the View menu (that’s if you're using an older version of Illustrator).
Now, if you’re new to
the whole “pixel-perfect workflow”, I strongly recommend you go through my How
to Create Pixel-Perfect Artwork tutorial, which will help you widen your
technical skills in no time.
3. How to Set Up the Layers
Once we’ve finished setting up our project file, it would be a good idea to structure our document using a few layers, since this way we can maintain a steady workflow by focusing on one section of the illustration at a time.
That being said, bring up the Layers panel, and create a total of five layers, which we will rename as follows:
- layer 1: background
- layer 2: clouds
- layer 3: texture
- layer 4: camera body
- layer 5: screen
Quick tip: I’ve colored all of my layers using the same green value, since it’s the easiest one to view when used to highlight your selected shapes (whether they’re closed or open paths).
4. How to Create the Background
Now that we’ve layered our document, we can start working on the project by creating the background, so make sure you position yourself on the first layer and let’s jump straight into it.
Step 1
Select the Rectangle Tool (M)
and use it to create an 800 x 528 px shape,
which we will color using #DBC8A9 and then position in the center of the
Artboard using the Align panel’s Horizontal and Vertical Align Center options.
Step 2
Grab the Pen Tool (P) and, using #A5877F as your Fill color, draw the back section of
the canyon by using the shape from the reference image as your main guide.
Step 3
Take a couple of moments
and gradually draw the rough detail lines using a 2 px thick Stroke with
the color set to #896B60, making sure to select (Select > Same > Stroke Color) and group them all together
afterwards using the Control-G
keyboard shortcut.
Step 4
Mask the lines that we’ve just created by making a copy (Control-C) of the underlying canyon, which we will paste in front (Control-F). Then, with both the canyon copy and the lines selected, simply right click > Make Clipping Mask. Once you’re done, select the lines and the canyon and group (Control-G) them together before moving on to the next step.
Step 5
With the Fill color set to #896B60, draw the
front section of the canyon, using the reference image as your main guide.
Step 6
As we did with the
back section, take a couple of moments and draw the detail lines using a couple
of 2 px thick Strokes with the color set to #A5877F. Once you’re done, group (Control-G) and then mask (right click > Make Clipping Mask)
them before moving on to the next step.
Step 7
Draw a few rocks
using #A5877F as your Fill color,
selecting and grouping (Control-G)
all of the front section’s composing shapes together, before doing the same for
the entire background afterwards.
Step 8
Once you’re done creating the background, lock its layer from within the Layers panel, and then move on up to the fourth one.
5. How to Create the Camera’s Body
Since we’re pretty much done working on the background, we can now move on to the fourth layer and shift our focus over to the camera, which we will gradually build one shape at a time.
Step 1
Create the body’s
main shape using a 480 x 248 px rectangle,
which we will color using #665953 and then center align to the underlying Artboard,
positioning it 128 px from
its bottom edge.
Step 2
Add the bottom
section using a 480 x 24 px rectangle
(#51453F), which we will position below the shape that we created in
the previous step.
Step 3
Add the horizontal
insertion segment using a 480 x 4 px rectangle
which we will color using #51453F and then position at a distance of 8 px from the previously created
shape’s top edge.
Step 4
Create the smaller
vertical insertion segments using two 4
x 8 px rectangles (#51453F), which we will position below the horizontal
one, at a distance of 64 px from its
outer edges.
Step 5
Add the top
horizontal detail lines using three 480
x 4 px rectangles (#51453F) vertically stacked 2 px from one another, which we will group (Control-G) and then center align to the larger body’s top edge.
Once you’re done, select and group (Control-G)
all of the current section’s composing shapes together before moving on to the
next step.
Step 6
Create the side strap
rings using two 24 x 28 px rectangles (#51453F) which we will individually adjust by setting the Radius of their outer corners to 14 px from within the Transformpanel’s Rectangle Properties.
Once you’re done, position the resulting shape as seen in the reference image.
Step 7
Add the little holes by creating and positioning a 12 x 12 pxcircle (highlighted with red) at a distance of 4 px from the shapes’ inner edges, which we will then cut out using Pathfinder’s Minus Front Shape Mode.
Step 8
Start adding details to
the camera by creating the left grip section using a 56 x 136 px rectangle (#826F67), which we will adjust by setting
the Radius of its right corners to 24 px from within the Transform panel’s Rectangle Properties. Once you’re done,
position the resulting shape on the left side of the larger body, at a
distance of 12 px from the left
strap ring.
Step 9
Add the textured grip
using three columns of 8 x 8 px circles
(#51453F) horizontally and vertically spaced 4 px from one another, which we will position as seen in the
reference image, making sure to select and group (Control-G) them all together afterwards. Once you’re done, select
and group both the dimples and the shape from underneath together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
Step 10
Add the right-sided grip using a copy (Control-C > Control-F) of the dimples which we will vertically reflect (right click > Transform > Reflect > Vertical) and then position on the opposite side of the camera’s body, making sure to maintain the same 8 px distance from its right edge.
Step 11
Start gradually adding
the different control buttons by creating a 20 x 20 px circle, which we will color using #51453F and then
position as seen in the reference image.
Step 12
Create the power
indicator light using an 8 x 8 px circle,
which we will color using #91C153 and then bottom align to the previously
created shape, positioning it at a distance of 60 px from its left side.
Step 13
Add the main shapes for
the d-pad button using a 64 x 64 px circle
(#51453F), on top of which we'll add another 28 x 28 px (#665953) one, followed by an even smaller 12 x 12 px one (#51453F), which we will
position at a distance of 56 px from
the larger body’s right edge and 36 px from
its bottom insertion segment.
Step 14
Add the little arrows
using four 8 x 8 px squares (#665953), which we will adjust by adding a new anchor point to the center of their outer
edges using the Add Anchor Point Tool
(+), removing the side ones using the Delete
Anchor Point Tool (-).
Once you’re done, position the resulting shapes around the middle circle, at a distance of just 4 px, making sure to select and group (Control-G) all of the button’s composing shapes together before moving on to the next step.
Step 15
Create the record
button using a 20 x 20 px circle (#C47053), in the center of which we will add a smaller 12 x 12 px one (#51453F), grouping (Control-G) and then positioning the two at a distance of 104 px from the larger body’s right
edge and 16 px from the d-pad’s top
edge.
Step 16
Add the remaining
circular buttons using two 20 x 20 px circles,
which we will color using #51453F and then position as seen in the reference
image.
Step 17
Create the horizontal
scroll wheel using a 72 x 24 px rectangle
(#51453F), on top of which we will add a narrower 56 x 8 px one (#826F67), followed by seven 4 x 8 px vertical rectangles (#51453F) positioned 4 px from one another.
Select and group (Control-G) all of the wheel’s composing shapes together, positioning them at a distance of 12 px from the body’s top edge and 32 px from its right one. Once you’re done, select and group (Control-G) all of the current section’s composing shapes before moving on to the next one.
Step 18
Start working on the
upper section of the camera by creating a 480
x 24 px rectangle (#826F67) followed by a narrower 264 x 24 px one (#826F67) aligned to its left edge, which we will
group (Control-G) and then position
on top of the camera’s larger body.
Step 19
Start working on the
viewfinder by creating a 64 x 32 px rectangle
(#51453F), on top of which we will add a smaller 48 x 16 px one (#665953), followed by two 4 x 16 px rectangles (#51453F) on the sides, which we will group (Control-G) and then position as seen in
the reference image.
Step 20
Add the reflections
using an 8 x 8 px square (#FFFFFF)
positioned 8 px from a 16 x 8 px rectangle (#FFFFFF), which we
will adjust by selecting and pushing their bottom anchor points to the left
side by 8 px (right click > Transform > Move >
Horizontal > -8 px).
Lower the resulting shapes’ Opacity to 20%, grouping (Control-G) and then center aligning them to the underlying viewfinder, making sure to select and group (Control-G) all of its composing shapes together as well.
Step 21
Create the mode dial
using an 80 x 24 px rectangle (#665953),
on top of which we will add a group of ten 4
x 24 px rectangles (#51453F) horizontally spaced 4 px from one another. Select and group (Control-G) all of the dial’s composing shapes, positioning them as seen in
the reference image.
Step 22
Add the shutter
button using a 64 x 16 px rectangle
(#665953), on top of which we will add a 64
x 4 px horizontal divider line (#51453F), followed by a 48 x 8 px rectangle (#51453F). Once
you’re done, group (Control-G) and
position the shapes on the right side of the dial, at a distance of just 16 px.
Step 23
Finish off the
current section of the camera’s body by adding the dummy brand text lines and the dial
indicator state using three 8 px
tall rectangles (#51453F), which we will adjust and position as seen in the
reference image. Once you’re done, select and group (Control-G) all of the camera’s composing shapes before moving on to
the next section.
6. How to Create the Tripod Head
As soon as we’ve finished working on the camera’s body, we can move a few pixels towards the bottom, where we will quickly create the visible section of the tripod.
Step 1
Start by creating the
mounting plate using a 240 x 28 px rectangle
(#665953) stacked on top of a narrower 160
x 28 px one (#51453F), which we will group (Control-G) and position in the center of the camera’s bottom edge.
Step 2
Add the locking
segment using a 36 x 16 px rectangle,
which we will color using #51453F and then position on the right side of the
wider shape that we’ve just created.
Step 3
Create the vertical
section of the tripod using a 48 x 48 pxsquare, which we will color using #665953 and then center align to the
underlying Artboard’s bottom edge.
Step 4
Add the ball head
segment using a 72 x 40 px rectangle
(#51453F), which we will adjust by setting the Radius of its top corners to 36
px from within the Transform panel’s
Rectangle Properties, positioning
the resulting shape in the center of the Artboard’s bottom edge.
Step 5
Finish off the tripod
by adding the little dummy text lines using two 8 px tall rectangles (#51453F), which we will adjust and position as
seen in the reference image. Once you’re done, select and group all of the
current section’s composing shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut, doing the same for it and the entire
camera afterwards.
7. How to Create the Clouds
Once we’ve added the tripod section, we can lock the current layer and move on to the second one, where we will add the clouds.
Step 1
Select the Pen Tool (P) and draw a couple of 2 px thick horizontal Stroke lines with the color set to #FFF2E9,
using the reference image as your main guide.
Step 2
Focus on the left
section of the composition, and add a fluffy cloud using a 64 x 24 px ellipse (#FFF2E9), on the right side of which we will
add a 64 x 64 px circle (#FFF2E9),
which we will adjust by individually selecting and removing their bottom
halves. Once you’re done, group (Control-G)
and position the resulting shapes above one of the stroke lines, at a distance
of 4 px.
Step 3
Follow a similar process
and add another round cloud group to the upper section of the composition,
using a smaller 48 x 48 px circle (#FFF2E9),
followed by a 48 x 24 px ellipse (#FFF2E9).
Take your time, and once you’re done, lock the current layer before moving on
to the next section.
8. How to Create the Camera’s Screen
As soon as we have the clouds in place, we can move over to the fifth layer, where we will create the live preview of what the camera is capturing.
Step 1
Create the actual screen
using a 280 x 196 px rectangle (#51453F),
on top of which we will add a slightly smaller 264 x 180 px one (#FCCE72), grouping (Control-G) and then positioning the two at a distance of 64 px from the camera body’s left edge
and 12 px from its bottom insertion.
Step 2
We can now start adding
some of the details that are blocked by the camera itself, starting with the little sun, which we will create using a 64 x 64 px circle. Color it using #EF995E, and then
position it 28 px from
the center of the yellow rectangle’s bottom edge.
Step 3
Next, select the Pen Tool (P) and draw the visible
section of the canyon using #D87350 as your Fill color. Take your time, and once you’re done, move on to the
next step.
Quick tip: for this step we could have used an adjusted copy of the canyon that we created for the background section, but by drawing it from the ground up, we can adjust the camera’s perspective, giving it more personality.
Step 4
Take a couple of moments
and draw the little detail lines using a 2 px thick Stroke with
the color set to #B25B44, making sure to group (Control-G) and mask (right
click > Make Clipping Mask) them afterwards using a copy (Control-C > Control-F) of the underlying
rectangle. Once you’re done, select both the canyon and the resulting lines and
group (Control-G) those together as
well.
Step 5
Draw the vertical rock
column using #D87350 as your Fill color,
adding a couple of 2 px thick Stroke lines (#D87350) as we did with
the previous section. Once you’re done, make sure you group (Control-G) and then position the two
underneath (right click > Arrange> Send Backward) the canyon, as seen in the reference image.
Step 6
Finish off the preview image by adding the little clouds following the same process used a few moments ago, using smaller shapes for the round sections. Take your time, and once you’re done, select and group all its composing shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.
9. How to Add the Texture
We are now down to the last part of our illustration, where we will add a subtle texture over the background in order to make the live preview pop. So make sure you’re on the right layer (that would be the third one) and let’s wrap things up.
Step 1
Create the main shape
for the texture using an 800 x 528 px rectangle,
which we will color using #51453F and then center align to the underlyingArtboard.
Step 2
With the shape selected, go to Effect > Photoshop Effects > Texture > Grain and adjust its Intensity to 40 and the Contrast to 50, making sure to set the GrainType to Stippled.
Step 3
Finish off the illustration, and with it the project itself, by setting the resulting texture’s Blending Mode to Overlay, making sure to lower its Opacity to just 8%.
Great Job!
There you have it, fellow nature lovers: a nice and easy tutorial on how to create your very own canyon illustration using nothing more than some simple shapes and strokes.
As always, I hope you’ve managed to follow each and every step, and if you’ve encountered any problems, feel free to post your questions within the comments area and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
