In the following steps you will learn how to create a pretty simple, green web badge in Adobe Illustrator. For starters you will learn how to use the Star Tool and how to create your own star shape. Next, using the Live Corners feature you will learn how to easily add roundness for some of those sharp points. Moving on you will learn how to add subtle shading and highlights using the Appearance panel, simple effects plus some basic blending and masking techniques. Finally, you will learn how to add a textured background and a simple piece of text.
1. Create a New Document and Set Up a Grid
Hit Control -N to create a new document. Select Pixels from the Units drop-down menu, enter 600 in the width and height boxes then click on the Advanced button. Select RGB, Screen (72ppi) and make sure that the Align New Objects to Pixel Grid box is unchecked before you click OK.
2. Create the Main Shape
Step 1
Pick the Star Tool and focus on your Toolbar. Remove the color from the stroke then select the fill and set its color at R=140 G=200 B=65. Move to your artboard, create a simple shape (don’t release the mouse button), hold the Shift and the Control buttons from your keyboard then simply drag from the inside to the outside (or vice versa) to increase (or decrease) the lengths of the spikes. Also, use the up arrow and down arrow buttons from your keyboard to increase/decrease the numbers of spikes. In the end your shape should have sixteen spikes and should look roughly as shown in the following image.
Next, you need to center this green shape, so open the Align panel (Window > Align). Set the aligning to Artboard (open the fly out menu and go to Show Options if you can’t see the Align To section as shown in the following image) then simply click the Horizontal Align Center and Vertical Align Center buttons. In the end things should look like in the following image.
Step 2
Using the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the eighth anchor point highlighted in the first image, focus on the control panel and simply click on the "Corners" piece of text to open the Corners fly-out panel. Check the Round and the Absolute buttons then simply enter 7.5 in the Radius box. In the end your shape should look like in the second image.
Step 3
Make sure that the Direct Selection Tool (A) is still active, select the eighth anchor point highlighted in the first image and re-open Corners fly-out panel. Make sure that the Round and the Absolute buttons are still selected then simply enter 3 in the Radius box. In the end your shape should look like in the second image. You can always return to these anchor points if you wish to increase/decrease the roundness or choose a different style for the Corner and the Rounding.
3. Add Shading and Highlights for Your Main Shape
Step 1
Make sure that your green shape stays selected, open the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance) and add a second fill using the Add New Fill button (pointed by the little, blue arrow in the following image). Select this new fill, set the color at R=55 G=180 B=75 and simply drag it below the existing fill.
Keep focusing on the Appearance panel, make sure that the fill added in this step is still selected and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Focus on the Rotate section, enter an 11 degrees angle and click OK. In the end things should look like in the following image.
Step 2
Reselect your green shape and make a copy in front (Control -C > Control -F). Select it and go to Object > Expand Appearance. Make sure that the resulting group of shapes stays selected, open the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder) and click the Unite button. Fill the resulting shape with white (R=255 G=255 B=255) then simply hit Shift-Control -[ to send it to back.
Step 3
Reselect your green shape, focus on the Appearance panel, select the top fill and go to Effect > Stylize > Outer Glow. Enter the properties shown in the following image and click OK.
Step 4
Make sure that your green shape stays selected and focus on the Appearance panel. Select the existing stroke, drag it between the two fills, set the color at black and the weight at 1pt. Make sure that this thin stroke stays selected, lower its Opacity to 15% and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light then open the Stroke panel (Window > Stroke) and check the Align Stroke to Outside button.
Step 5
Make sure that your green shape stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel, reselect that black stroke and duplicate it using the Duplicate Selected Item button (pointed by the little, blue arrow in the following image). Select this new stroke, increase the weight to 2pt and lower its Opacity to 10%.
Keep focusing on the Appearance panel, make sure that your 2pt stroke is still selected and duplicate it using that same Duplicate Selected Item button. Select this third stroke, increase the weight to 3pt and lower its Opacity to 5%.
Step 6
Focus on the Layers panel (Window > Layers), reselect your white shape, make a copy in front (Control-C > Control-F) and bring it to front (Shift-Control-] ). Select this copy along with the green shape, open the Transparency panel (Window > Transparency) and simply click the Make Mask button. In the end your masked shape should look like in the third image.
Step 7
Make sure that your masked shape stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel and add a new stroke using the Add New Stroke button (pointed by the little, blue arrow in the following image).
Select this new stroke, drag it in the top of the Appearance panel, set the color at black and the weight at 10pt, lower its Opacity to 10% and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light then go to the Stroke panel and check the Align Stroke to Inside button.
Step 8
Make sure that your masked shape stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel and add a new stroke using that same Add New Stroke button. Drag this new stroke in the top of the Appearance panel, set the color at white and the weight at 2pt, lower its Opacity to 30% and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light then go to the Stroke panel and check the Align Stroke to Inside button.
Step 9
Make sure that your masked shape stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel and add a new fill using that same Add New Fill button.
Select this new fill, drag it in the top of the Appearance panel, set the color at white, lower its Opacity to 10% and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light then go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Enter a -15px Offset and click OK.
Step 10
Make sure that your masked shape stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel and add a new fill using that same Add New Fill button. Select this new fill and drag it in the top of the Appearance panel. Lower its Opacity to 20% and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light then go to Effect > Convert to Shape > Ellipse. Enter the properties shown in the following image, click OK and return to the Appearance panel.
Make sure that this fresh fill stays selected, open the Gradient panel (Window > Gradient) and simply click on the gradient thumbnail to add the default black to white linear gradient.
Keep focusing on your Gradient panel, select Radial from the Type drop-down menu then move to the gradient colors. Select the left slider and set the color at white then select the right slider, set the color at white and lower its Opacity to 0%. Make sure that this new fill stays selected, grab the Gradient Tool (G), focus on your artboard and stretch that gradient as shown in the following image.
4. Add a Textured Background
Step 1
Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and simply click on your artboard to open the Rectangle window. Enter 610 in the Width and Height boxes then click OK to get your 610px square. Fill this new shape with R=23 8 G=238 B=213, send it to back (Shift-Control-[ ) then center it using the Horizontal Align Center and Vertical Align Center buttons from the Align panel. In the end this new shape should cover your entire artboard as shown in the following image.
Step 2
Make sure that your 610px square is still selected, focus on the Appearance panel and add a second fill using that same Add New Fill button. Select this new fill, lower its Opacity to 80%, change the Blending Mode to Overlay and add the radial gradient shown in the following image.
Step 3
Make sure that your 610px square is still selected, focus on the Appearance panel and add a third fill. Select it, set the color at black, lower its Opacity to 3%, change the Blending Mode to Multiply then go to Effect > Artistic > Film Grain. Enter the properties shown in the following image and click OK.
Step 4
Make sure that your 160px square is still selected, focus on the Appearance panel and add a new fill. You will need a built-in pattern for this fourth fill, so go to the Swatches panel (Window > Swatches), open the fly-out menu and go to Open Swatch Library > Patterns > Basic Graphics > Basic Graphics_Textures. A new window with a set of built-in patterns should open. Make sure that the fill added in the beginning of the step is still selected, add the “Crosses” pattern, lower its Opacity to 80% and change the Blending Mode to Overlay.
Step 5
Focus on the Layers panel, reselect your white shape and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the properties shown in the top, left window, click OK and go again to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the properties shown in the top, right window, click OK and go once again to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the properties shown in the bottom, left window, click OK and go one more time to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the properties shown in the bottom, right window and click OK.
5. Add a Simple Piece of Text
Step 1
Pick the Type Tool (T), simply click on your artboard, add the "100% Green" piece of text and set its color at R=55 G=180 B=75. Make sure that it stays selected, open the Character panel (Window > Type > Character) and use the "GoodDog font" with the size set at 50px. Make sure that your piece of text is still selected and simply center it using the Horizontal Align Center and Vertical Align Center buttons from the Align panel.
Step 2
Reselect your piece of text and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the properties shown in the following image and click OK.
Make sure that your piece of text stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel and add a new stroke using that same Add New Stroke button. Select this new stroke, set the color at black and the weight at 1px, lower its Opacity to 20% and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light then go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Enter a -0.5px Offset and click OK.
Return to the Appearance panel and simply duplicate this thin stroke. Select the newly added stroke, lower its Opacity to 10% and increase the weight to 2px.
Keep focusing on this new stroke, open the existing Offset Path effect, enter a -1px Offset, click OK and you’re done.
Congratulations! You’re Done!
Here is how it should look. I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial and can apply these techniques in your future projects.
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