Create a Barbecue Picnic Icon in Adobe Illustrator CS6 – Blancer.com Tutorials and projects

In this tutorial I’m going to show you how to make your own barbecue picnic icon using the Ellipse Tool (L), Rectangle Tool (M), Pen Tool (P) and gradients.

Step 1

Open a New document. With the Ellipse Tool (L), draw a circle with size W=364px H=364px and fill it with a dark color as shown below.

Step 2

Make two copies of the shape from the previous step with Command + C then Paste in Front with Command + F. Move the second copy 5px down then select both copies.

Open the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder), click on the Minus Front button.

Fill the new shape with R:41 G39 B:40 color and reduce the Opacity to 10%.

Step 3

Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to draw an ellipse with the dimensions W=36px H=306px and fill it with a Linear gradient colors from White with Opacity: 0% to Black with Opacity: 5%.

Apply Gaussian Blur (Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur) with Radius: 20px and position the ellipse as shown below.

Step 4

Using the Pen Tool (P), create a shape as shown below and fill it with a white to grey Radial gradient.

Step 5

Create two shapes either side of your white/grey gradient fill shape. Add a transparent white/grey radial gradient and then apply Gaussian Blur with a 5px Radius.

Change the Blending Mode from to Screen, reduce the Opacity to 20%.

Send the new shape behind the shape from the previous step (Object > Arrange > Send Backward).

Step 6

Using the Ellipse Tool (L), draw an ellipse with size W=66px H=97px and rotate it 45 degrees (Object > Transform > Rotate).

Then move it into position as shown below:

Step 7

Duplicate the original circle from the beginning and use Pathfinder > Intersect with the new ellipse.

Then fill the new shape with a silver Linear gradient.

Step 8

Duplicate your silver gradient filled shape. Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to select and then delete the middle key point on the outer curve.

Turn off the Fill color and apply Stroke: 2px with a White color and Profile: Width Profile 1.

Step 9

With the Ellipse tool (L), draw an ellipse over the silver filled shape and then fill it with black and then move it into position.

Step 10

Duplicate the black fill shape. Move the copy one pixel to the right with your arrow keys and then change the fill to grey. Then Group both shapes (Command + G).

Duplicate the shapes the group and then move it diagonally to the bottom right.

Step 11

Using the Ellipse Tool (L), create an ellipse with a black fill, size W=47px H=8px and then place it on top of the barbecue.

Step 12

Duplicate the original circle and then Pathfinder > Intersect it with the new ellipse.

Step 13

Using the Pen Tool (P) and the Rectangle Tool (M) we continue adding the remaining shapes of the handle.

Use Effects > Stylize > Round Corners with a 15px radius on a Rectangle (M) to give a rounded finish to the handle.

Step 14

With the Pen Tool (P), draw a shape for around the barbecue kettle rim and fill it with a Linear gradient. You are going to need three gradient sliders. For the first one from left to right apply Black color, for the second one – R:24 G:24 B:24 and for the third one – Black color.

Step 15

Duplicate the rim and place under the original with Command + B, move the copy a few pixels down and change the color to Black.

Step 16

Duplicate the rim again and then place on top of all the others. Delete the lower key points with the Direct Selection Tool (A).

Turn off the Fill color and apply Stroke: 3px with Black color and Profile: Width Profile 1.

Step 17

Duplicate the line you’ve created in the previous step and reduce the Weight to 1px. With Gradient on Stroke, apply a black to white to black linear gradient.

Step 18

With the Rectangle Tool (M), draw a rectangle with size W:31px H:147px and rounded corners Radius: 20px. This is going to be one of the legs.

Then use Object > Expand Appearance to remove Round Corners to get the complete shape.

Step 19

Fill the shape for the leg with a Linear gradient.

Step 20

Using the Rectangle Tool (M), draw a rectangle with size W=35px H=40px and Round Corners Radius: 15px.

Then go to Object > Expand Appearance, fill with a Radial gradient as shown below and place it in the lower part of the leg. Group both shapes together (Command + G).

Step 21

Now we are going to make reflection of the leg. To do this duplicate the leg’s group and rotate the copy and move it in the upper part of the original leg.

Step 22

Then apply Gaussian Blur with Radius: 10px and reduce the Opacity to 60%.

Step 23

With the Rectangle Tool (M), draw a rectangle over the leg that you applied Gaussian Blur to in the previous step. Fill the rectangle with a Linear gradient with colors light to Black.

Select the leg which is going to be the reflection and the rectangle you just created with the gradient, open the Transparency Panel and click on the Make Mask button.

Step 24

With the Ellipse Tool (L), draw a circle with size W=31px H=31px with a Black color and place it between the original leg and the reflection. Look at the picture below:

Step 25

Now we need to add two more legs. Duplicate the first leg you created. Change the gradient’s colors.

Then rotate it -35 degrees. Place it in position as shown below and send it behind all others (Object > Arrange > Send to Back).

Step 26

With the Ellipse Tool (L), draw an ellipse over the lower part of the leg.

Open the Pathfinder Panel and click on the Minus Front button.

Step 27

To create a shadow over the leg, use the Pen Tool (P) to make a shape over the leg.

Then select the copy and the new shape, open the Pathfinder Panel and click on the Intersect button.

Fill the new shape with black color, change the Blending Mode to Multiply and reduce the Opacity to 50%.

Step 28

Duplicate the angled leg and then use Object > Transform > Reflect to flip it Vertically and then move it into position on the other side of the kettle.