How to Create a Star Wars Themed Icon Pack in Adobe Illustrator

Today’s tutorial is a special one, at
least for me, since we’re going to get the chance to create some of the most
iconic spaceships from the Star Wars universe, using nothing more than the
geometric shapes and tools that we work with on a daily basis.

Oh, and don’t forget
you can always expand the pack by checking out GraphicRiver, where you can find
a great selection of vector spaceships just waiting to be clicked on.

That being said, put on those Chewbacca hats, and let’s jump straight into
it!

1. How to Set Up a New Project File

Since I’m sure that 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)
using the following settings:

Number
of Artboards: 1

• Width:
  800
  px
• Height:
  600
  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

Since we’re going to be creating the icons
using a pixel-perfect workflow, we’ll want to 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 and Snap to Pixel option found under the View menu, which will transform into Snap to Pixel each time you enter the Pixel Preview mode (if you’re using an older version of the
software).

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

With the New Document created, it would be
a good idea to structure our project using a couple of layers, since this way
we can maintain a steady workflow by focusing on one icon at a time.

That being said, bring up the Layers panel, and create a total of
four layers, which we will rename as follows:

• layer
  1: reference grids
• layer
  2: tie fighter
• layer
  3: millennium falcon
• layer 4: x-wing

4. How to Create the Reference Grids

The
Reference Grids (or Base Grids)
are a set of precisely delimited reference surfaces, which allow us to build
our icons by focusing on size and consistency.

Usually, the size of the grids determines
the size of the actual icons, and they should always be the first decision you
make once you start a new project, since you’ll always want to start from the
smallest possible size and build on that.

Now, in our case, we’re going to be
creating the icon pack using just one size, more exactly 128 x 128 px, which is a fairly large one.

Step 1

Start by locking all
but the “reference grids” layer, and then grab the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a 128 x 128 px orange (#F15A24) square, which will help define the
overall size of our icons.

Step 2

Add a smaller 120 x 120 px one (#FFFFFF) which we
will position on top of the previous shape, since it will act as our active
drawing area, thus giving us an all-around 4
px padding to work with.

Step 3

Select and Group the
two squares together using the Control-G
keyboard shortcut, Center Aligning them to the underlying Artboard
afterwards. Create the remaining grids using two side copies (Control-C > Control-F) at a distance of 40 px from the original, Locking
the current layer before moving on to the next section.

5. How to Create the TIE Fighter Icon

Assuming you’ve successfully managed to
create the little reference grids, move on to the next layer (that would be the
second one), and let’s kick off the project by creating our first icon.

Step 1

Start working on the twin
ion engine propelled spacecraft by creating the smaller section of its left
solar array wing using a 5 x 40 px rectangle,
which we will color using #7C6663, and then Center Align to the active drawing
area’s left edge, positioning it at a distance of just 2 px.

Step 2

Give the shape that
we’ve just created an outline by creating a Copy of it (Control-C), which we will Paste in Front (Control-F) and then adjust by first changing its color to #3A2E2A
and then Flipping its Fill with its Stroke (Shift-X). Set the resulting outline’s Weight to 4 px,
selecting and Grouping the two shapes together afterwards using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Step 3

Create the thicker
section using an 8 x 116 px rectangle
(#AF9994) with a 4 px thick outline
(#3A2E2A), which we will Group (Control-G)
and then position onto the right side of the smaller wing segment.

Step 4

Add the vertical
detail line using a 2 x 116 px rectangle
(#3A2E2A), which we will center align to the two shapes from the previous step.
Once you’re done, select and Group them together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Step 5

Create the wing’s
thinner inner section using a 5 x 40 px rectangle
(#7C6663) with a 4 px thick outline
(#3A2E2A), which we will Group (Control-G)
and then position onto the right side of the taller shapes. Once you’re done,
select and Group (Control-G) all
three sections together before moving on to the next step.

Step 6

Start working on the
wing’s attachment pylon by creating an 8
x 20 px rectangle, which we will color using #5E4A49 and then position onto
the right side of the shapes that we’ve just grouped.

Step 7

Adjust the shape that
we’ve just created by individually selecting its right anchor points using the Direct Selection Tool (A), and then
pushing them to the inside by a distance of 4 px using the Move tool
(right click > Transform > Move
> Vertical > + / – 4 px depending on which side you start with).

Step 8

Give the resulting
shape a 4 px thick outline (#3A2E2A)
using the Stroke method, adding a 4 x 6 px rectangle (#3A2E2A) to the
center of its left edge. Select and Group (Control-G)
all three shapes together, before moving on to the next step.

Step 9

Create the right
section of the pylon, using a 6 x 12 px rectangle
(#7C6663) followed by a slightly wider 14
x 12 px one (#7C6663), which we will position onto the right side of the
previously grouped shapes. Once you have them in place, combine them into a
single larger shape using Pathfinder’s
Unite Shape Mode.

Step 10

Adjust the resulting
shape by individually selecting its far right anchor points using the Direct Selection Tool (A), and then
pushing them to the outside by a distance of 6 px using the Move tool
(right click > Transform > Move
> Vertical > + / – 6 px depending on which side you start with).

Step 11

Give the section a 4 px thick outline (#3A2E2A), making
sure to select and Group (Control-G)
the two shapes together afterwards.

Step 12

Add the little
vertical divider using a 12 px tall 4 px thick Stroke line (#3A2E2A), which
we will position where the two composing rectangles meet.

Step 13

Create an 8 x 20 px rectangle (#3A2E2A), which we
will Center Align to the pylon’s right section, making sure to position it underneath
all the other shapes (right click >
Arrange > Send to Back).

Step 14

Add the little
horizontal insertion lines using two 3 x
2 px rectangles (#3A2E2A), which we will vertically stack 2 px from one another, Grouping (Control-G) and then Center Aligning
them to the vertical divider line’s right edge.

Step 15

Next, create a 4 x 4 px square (#3A2E2A), which we
will Center Align to the vertical divider, positioning it onto its right side,
at a distance of 4 px.

Step 16

Finish off the
attachment pylon by adding its top and bottom insertions using two 2 x 3 px rectangles (#3A2E2A)
vertically stacked 8 px from one
another, which we will Group (Control-G)
and then Center Align to the vertical divider, positioning them onto its right
side at a distance of just 3 px.
Once you’re done, select and Group (Control-G)
all of the pylon’s composing shapes, doing the same for the entire wing
afterwards.

Step 17

Create the TIE
Fighter’s right wing, using a Copy (Control-C
> Control-F) of the one that we’ve just finished working on, which we
will vertically reflect (right click
> Transform > Reflect > Vertical) and then align to the opposite
edge of the underlying active drawing area.

Step 18

Create the fighter’s
rear end using a 20 x 10 px rectangle
(#7C6663), which we will adjust by individually selecting and pushing its
bottom anchor points to the inside by a distance of 4 px (right click >
Transform > Move > Horizontal > + / – 4 px depending on which side
you start with). Give the resulting shape a 4 px thick outline (#3A2E2A), Grouping (Control-G) and then Center Aligning them to the active drawing area,
positioning them at a distance of 34 px from
its bottom edge.

Step 19

Add a bottom
insertion to the current section using a 6
x 3 px rectangle (#3A2E2A), which we will Center Align to the bottom edge
of the larger shapes, selecting and Grouping (Control-G) them together afterwards.

Step 20

Add the ion engines
using two 4 x 6 px rectangles
(#3A2E2A), which we will place at a horizontal distance of 24 px from one another, Grouping (Control-G) and then Center Aligning them to the rear end’s top
edge.

Step 21

Start working on the
command pod by creating a 36 x 36 px circle
(#AF9994) with a 4 px thick outline
(#3A2E2A), which we will Group (Control-G)
and then Center Align to the underlying active drawing area.

Step 22

Create the pod’s
cross section using two diagonal 4 px thick
Stroke lines (#3A2E2A), which we
will Group (Control-G) and then Center Align to the pod’s main body.

Step 23

Mask the cross
section using a Copy (Control-C) of
the pod’s fill shape, which we will Paste in Front (Control-F), right clicking and
then selecting Make Clipping Mask.

Step 24

Create the pod’s
viewport using a 36 x 8 px rectangle
(#5E4A49) with a 4 px thick outline
(#3A2E2A), which we will Group (Control-G),
and then Center Align to the larger circle’s top edge.

Step 25

Since we want the
viewport to remain constrained to the surface of the pod, we’ll have to Cut it
(Control-X) and Paste it (Control-F) inside the masked cross
section.

Step 26

Create the access
hatch using a 12 x 12 px circle
(#7C6663) with a 4 px thick outline
(#3A2E2A), which we will Group (Control-G)
and then Center Align to the pod’s larger body.

Step 27

Add some details to
the hatch, by creating a 2 x 6 px rectangle
(#3A2E2A) which we will center align to its bottom edge, and a 4 x 4 px square (#3A2E2A) which we will Center Align to its right edge. Once you’re done, select and Group (Control-G) all of the current section’s
shapes together before moving on to the next step.

Step 28

Create a 4 x 2 px rectangle (#3A2E2A) which we
will Center Align to the hatch, positioning it at a distance of just 4 px.

Step 29

Add the pod’s final detail
using a 1 x 2 px rectangle (#3A2E2A)
followed by a 2 x 4 px one
(#3A2E2A), which we will Group (Control-G)
and then Center Align to the hatch, positioning it onto its right side at a
distance of 5 px. Once you’re done,
select and Group (Control-G) all of
the current section’s shapes together, doing the same for the entire icon
afterwards.

Step 30

Finish off the
current icon by adding the trails to the bottom section of the command pod,
using a couple of 2 px thick Stroke lines (#3A2E2A). Once you’re
done, select and Group (Control-G)
all of its composing sections together before moving on to the next icon.

6. How to Create the Millennium Falcon
Icon

Assuming you’ve finished working on the
first icon, lock its layer and then move on up to the next one (that would be
the third one) where we will start working on the iconic Millennium Falcon.

Step 1

Start working on the
Corellian light freighter’s left mandible, by creating a 22 x 44 px rectangle which we will color using #B58E71 and then
position at a distance of 2 px from
the active drawing area’s top edge and 26
px from its left one.

Step 2

Create a smaller 22 x 20 px rectangle
(#B58E71), which we will position below the previous shape, selecting and
combining them into a single larger shape using Pathfinder’s Unite Shape Mode.

Step 3

Adjust the resulting
shape by selecting its top-left anchor point with the help of the Direct Selection Tool (A) and then
pushing it to the inside by a distance of 14
px using the Move Tool (right click > Transform > Move >
Horizontal > 14 px).

Step 4

Give the mandible a 4 px thick outline (#3A2E2A) using the Stroke method, selecting and Grouping (Control-G) both shapes together
afterwards.

Step 5

Create the little
access holes using two 4 x 4 px circles
(#3A2E2A) diagonally stacked 2 px from
one another, which we will group (Control-G)
and then position at a distance of 10 px
from the mandible’s top edge and 2
px from its right one.

Step 6

Finish off the
mandible by adding the little inner-facing segment using a 4 x 10 px rectangle (#3A2E2A), which we
will position onto the right side of the larger shape, at a distance of 4 px from its top edge. Once you’re
done, select and Group all of the current shapes using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Step 7

Create the right
mandible using a Copy (Control-C >
Control-F) of the one that we’ve just finished working on, which we will position
on the right side of the active drawing area, making sure to vertically
reflect it. Once you’re done, select and Group the two sections together using
the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Step 8

Create the Falcon’s
top half using an 82 x 82 px circle
(#E0BFA0), which we will adjust by cutting out an 82 x 49 px rectangle (highlighted with red) from its bottom using Pathfinder’s Minus Front Shape Mode, making sure to snap the side anchor points
back to the Pixel Grid.

Step 9

Continue adjusting
the shape by adding an 82 x 5 px rectangle (#E0BFA0) to its bottom, Uniting the two into a single larger shape using Pathfinder’s Unite Shape Mode.

Step 10

Individually select
and push the resulting shape’s bottom anchor points to the inside by a distance
of 8 px using the Move tool (right click > Transform > Move > Horizontal > + / – 8 px depending
on which side you start with).

Step 11

Give the upper body a
4 px thick outline (#3A2E2A),
selecting and Grouping both shapes together afterwards using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Step 12

Start adding details
to the current section by creating the center ring using a 48 x 48 px circle (#3A2E2A), which we
will Center Align to the ship’s upper half, positioning it at a distance of 14 px from its top edge.

Step 13

Take a couple of
moments and draw in the cross section using a 4 px thick Stroke line
(#3A2E2A), making sure that its bottom anchor point is aligned to the center of
the larger circle. Once you’re done, select both it and the circle and then Group them together using the Control-G
keyboard shortcut.

Step 14

Mask the shapes that
we’ve just grouped using a Copy (Control-C)
of the underlying fill shape which we will Paste in Front (Control-F), and then right
click > Make Clipping Mask. Then, select the masked shapes and the ship’s
upper body and Group (Control-G)
those together as well.

Step 15

Create the concussion
missile tubes using a 12 x 48 px rectangle
(#C69F7F) with a 4 px thick outline
(#3A2E2A), to the center of which we will add a group of two 2 x 40 px rectangles (#3A2E2A) at a horizontal distance of 2 px from
one another. Once you’re done, select and Group (Control-G) all of the current section’s composing shapes together, Center Aligning them to the bottom edge of the ship’s upper body.

Step 16

Start working on the
cockpit by creating a 12 x 10 px rectangle
(#C69F7F), which we will position at a distance of 18 px from the active drawing area’s top edge, and 20 px from its right edge.

Step 17

Add a smaller 12 x 8 px rectangle (#C69F7F) which we
will position just below the one from the previous step.

Step 18

Create another 26 x 20 px rectangle (#C69F7F), which
we will position below the two smaller rectangles, making sure to right align
it. Once you have all three rectangles, select and then Combine them into a
single larger shape using Pathfinder’s
Unite Shape Mode.

Step 19

Adjust the resulting
shape by selecting and moving some of its anchor points as seen in the
reference image. Take your time, and once you’re done, move on to the next
step.

Step 20

Add the cockpit’s window
section, using a 12 x 10 px rectangle
(#7A655C), which we will Center Align to its top edge and then Mask using a Copy (Control-C > Control-F) of
the larger body as a Clipping Mask (right click > Make Clipping Mask).

Step 21

Give the cockpit a 4 px thick outline (#3A2E2A) using the Stroke method, followed by the two
section delimiters.

Step 22

Finish off the
cockpit by adding a 4 x 6 px rectangle
(#3A2E2A) to its front section, and then drawing a diagonal 2 px thick Stroke line (#3A2E2A) in its center. Take your time, and once you’re
done select and Group all of its composing shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Step 23

Create the Falcon’s
deflector shield protectors using two 4
x 10 px rectangles (#3A2E2A), which we will place at a horizontal distance of 32 px from one another, Grouping (Control-G) and then
positioning them 2 px from
the bottom access holes.

Step 24

Create the sensor
dish using a 4 x 4 px circle
(#3A2E2A), on top of which we will add a 10
x 8 px ellipse (#3A2E2A), which we will cut in half by selecting and then
removing its top anchor point by pressing Delete.
Group (Control-G) the two shapes,
and then position them on the left side of the ship, at a distance of 4 px from the shield protector. Once
you’re done, select and Group (Control-G)
all of the upper body’s composing sections together before moving on to the
next step.

Step 25

Start working on the
Falcon’s center section by creating a 68
x 8 px rectangle (#B58E71), which we will position below its upper body.

Step 26

Create two smaller 8 x 8 px squares (#B58E71), and
position one on each side of the center section’s wider rectangle, uniting them
into a single larger shape with the help of Pathfinder’s Unite Shape
Mode.

Step 27

Adjust the resulting
shape by individually selecting and pushing its top and bottom outer anchor
points to the inside by a distance of 1
px using the Move tool (right click > Transform > Move >
Vertical > + / – 1 px, depending on which side you start with). Give the
resulting shape a 4 px thick outline
(#3A2E2A), selecting and Grouping (Control-G)
both shapes afterwards.

Step 28

Add the vertical
dividers using two 8 px tall 4 px thick Stroke lines (#3A2E2A), positioning them 4 px from the current section’s edges.

Step 29

Create three 2 x 2 px circles (#3A2E2A), which we
will Center Align to the underlying wider shapes, selecting and Grouping (Control-G) all of the current section’s
composing shapes together afterwards.

Step 30

Create the ship’s
bottom body using a Copy (Control-C >
Control-F) of the one that we already have, which we will horizontally reflect
(right click > Transform > Reflect
> Horizontal), and then position below its center section.

Step 31

Start working on the
Falcon’s drive units by creating a 68 x
22 px rectangle (#C69F7F), which we will adjust by individually selecting
and pushing its top anchor points to the inside by a distance of 22 px using the Move Tool (right click >
Transform > Move > + / – 22 px depending on which side you start
with). Once you’re done, Center Align the resulting shape to the top edge of
the ship’s bottom body.

Step 32

Create another 68 x 8 px rectangle (#C69F7F), which we
will position below the shape that we’ve just adjusted.

Step 33

Create the drive unit’s
circular section using a 96 x 96 px circle
(#C69F7F), from the top of which we will cut out a 96 x 82 px rectangle (highlighted with red), making sure to snap the
resulting shape’s anchor points to the Pixel
Grid. Once you’re done, Center Align the shape to the underlying active
drawing area, positioning it at a distance of 2 px from its bottom edge.

Step 34

Unite the three
shapes that we’ve just created into a single larger one, giving the resulting
shape a 4 px thick outline
(#3A2E2A), making sure to select and Group (Control-G) the two together afterwards.

Step 35

Start adding little
details by creating two 4 x 4 px circles
(#3A2E2A), which we will place at a horizontal distance of 20 px from one another, Grouping (Control-G) and then Center Aligning them to the previously grouped
shapes, positioning them 6
px from their upper edge.

Step 36

Create the engines’
cooling chambers using six 6 x 6 px circles
(#3A2E2A), which we will position as seen in the reference image, selecting and Grouping (Control-G) them together
once you have them in place.

Step 37

Add the bottom detail
lines using five 4 px thick Stroke lines (#3A2E2A), which we will
position as seen in the reference image. Once you’re done, select and Group all
of the current section’s shapes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Step 38

Create the ship’s
smaller circular section using a 24 x 24
px circle (#E0BFA0) with a 4 px thick
outline (#3A2E2A), which we will Group (Control-G)
and then Center Align to the wider center section.

Step 39

Start working on the
quad laser cannon by creating an 8 x 8
px circle (#3A2E2A), which we will Center Align to the larger circular
section, positioning it 4
px from its top edge.

Step 40

Add the actual
cannons using two 2 x 7 px rectangles
(#3A2E2A), which we will place 2 px away from one another horizontally, Grouping (Control-G) and then positioning them over the top half of the
previous shape.

Step 41

Create a smaller 4 x 4 px square (#3A2E2A),
which we will position so that its upper half overlaps the larger circle. Once
you’re done, select and Group (Control-G)
all of the cannon’s composing shapes together.

Step 42

Take a couple of
moments and draw the trapezoidal detail line using a 2 px thick Stroke (#3A2E2A). Once you’re done, select and Group (Control-G) all of the current section’s
composing shapes together, doing the same for the entire icon afterwards.

Step 43

Finish off the icon by drawing the little trails at the back of the Falcon using a couple of 2 px thick Stroke lines (#3A2E2A), making sure to Group (Control-G) them afterwards. Once you’re done, select both the
trails and the ship and Group (Control-G)
those together as well.

7. How to Create the X-Wing Starfighter
Icon

We are now down to our third and last
icon, so assuming you’ve already moved on to the next layer, zoom in on the
reference grid and let’s finish this.

Step 1

Start working on the
Rebel fighter’s left wing by creating a 42
x 14 px rectangle (#AF9994), which we will position at a distance of 10 px from the active drawing area’s
left edge and 32 px from its bottom
one.

Step 2

Create a smaller 42 x 8 px rectangle
(#AF9994), which we will position below the previous one, Uniting the two into
a single larger shape with the help of Pathfinder’s
Unite Shape Mode.

Step 3

Adjust the resulting
shape by selecting its bottom-left anchor point, which we will reposition using
the Move Tool (right click > Transform > Move > Horizontal > 34 px >
Vertical > 6 px), making sure to remove the center-right anchor point
once you’re done.

Step 4

Give the wing a 4 px thick outline (#3A2E2A) using the Stroke method, selecting and Grouping (Control-G) the two shapes together
afterwards.

Step 5

Add the wing’s left
insertion, using a 4 x 8 px rectangle
(#3A2E2A), which we will adjust by individually selecting and pushing its right
anchor points to the inside by a distance of 2 px (right click >
Transform > Move > Vertical > + / – 2 px depending on which side
you start with).

Step 6

Take a couple of
moments and draw in the “y”-shaped detail lines using two 4 px thick Strokes
(#3A2E2A), making sure to select and Group (Control-G) all of the current shapes together afterwards.

Step 7

Start working on the
laser cannon by creating an 8 x 22 px rectangle
(#7C6663) with a 4 px thick outline
(#3A2E2A), which we will Group (Control-G)
and then position on the left side of the wing.

Step 8

Add the small
rectangular insertion using a 4 x 4 px square
(#3A2E2A), which we will align to the larger section’s left side, positioning
it at a distance of 2 px from its
bottom edge. Once you’re done, select and Group all three shapes together using
the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Step 9

Create the cannon’s
smaller upper section using an 8 x 6 px rectangle
(#DDC0BA) with a 4 px thick outline
(#3A2E2A), which we will Group (Control-G)
and then position on top of the previous section.

Step 10

Create the cannon’s
back end using an 8 x 4 px rectangle
(#3A2E2A) followed by another 4 x 4 px one
(#3A2E2A), which we will vertically stack, Group (Control-G) and then position below the larger sections.

Step 11

Start working on the
cannon’s front section by creating an 8
x 6 px rectangle (#3A2E2A), which we will adjust by individually selecting
and pushing its top anchor points to the inside by a distance of 2 px (right click > Transform > Move > Horizontal > + / – 2 px depending
on which side you start with). Position the resulting shape on top of the
cannon’s upper body, making sure to Center Align the two.

Step 12

Create the arm
section using a 4 x 8 px rectangle
(#3A2E2A) on top of which we will add a taller 2 x 16 px rectangle (#3A2E2A), which we will Group (Control-G) and then vertically stack on the smaller cone.

Step 13

Finish off the laser
by vertically stacking a 6 x 2 px rectangle
(#3A2E2A) followed by a 2 x 2 px square
(#3A2E2A) and another larger 4 x 4 px one
(#3A2E2A), to the tip of which we will add a 2 x 8 px rectangle (#3A2E2A). Select and Group (Control-G) all of the arm’s composing
shapes together, doing the same for the entire laser afterwards.

Step 14

Start working on the
ship’s engine by creating a 12 x 10 px rectangle
(#5E4A49) with a 4 px thick outline
(#3A2E2A), to the top of which we will add a 12 px wide 2 px thick Stroke line (#3A2E2A). Select and Group
(Control-G) all three shapes
together, positioning them at a distance of 2 px from the wing’s left side.

Step 15

Create the engine’s
center section using a 12 x 12 px square
(#DDC0BA) with a 4 px thick outline
(#3A2E2A), to the center of which we will add a 2 px thick detail line (#3A2E2A). Group (Control-G) all three shapes together, and then position them below
the previous section.

Step 16

Add the connecting
segment using an 8 x 6 px rectangle
(#3A2E2A), which we will position below the previous section.

Step 17

Start working on the
engine’s rear end by creating an 8 x 8
px square (#7C6663) with a 4 px thick
outline (#3A2E2A), on top of which we will add a smaller 4 x 2 px rectangle (#3A2E2A), which we will Center Align to the
square’s right edge. Group (Control-G)
all three shapes together, positioning them underneath the connecting segment.

Step 18

Add the engine’s back
section using an 8 x 14 px rectangle
(#DDC0BA) with a 4 px thick outline
(#3A2E2A), to the bottom of which we will add a 2 x 3 px rectangular insertion (#3A2E2A), followed by a 4 x 4 px one (#3A2E2A) positioned on its left edge. Group (Control-G) and
then position all of the current section’s shapes below the smaller engine
part.

Step 19

Finish off the
engine, and with it the wing itself, by adding the top cone section which we
will create using a 12 x 6 px rectangle
(#3A2E2A), which we will adjust by individually selecting and pushing its top
anchor points to the inside by a distance of 2 px (right click >
Transform > Move > Horizontal > + / – 2 px depending on which side
you start with). Position the resulting shape on top of the engine, selecting
and Grouping (Control-G) all of its
composing shapes together, doing the same for the entire wing afterwards.

Step 20

Create the ship’s
right wing using a Copy (Control-C >
Control-F) of the one that we’ve just finished working on, which we will
position on the opposite side of the active drawing area, making sure to
vertically reflect it afterwards (right
click > Transform > Reflect > Vertical).

Step 21

Start working on the
X-wing’s nose by creating an 8 x 10 px rectangle
(#7C6663), to the bottom of which we will add a smaller 8 x 2 px rectangle (#7C6663), which we will combine into a single
larger shape using Pathfinder’s Unite Shape Mode. Center Align the
resulting shape to the underlying active drawing area, positioning it 2 px from its top edge.

Step 22

Adjust the shape by
individually selecting and pushing its top anchor points to the inside by a
distance of 2 px (right click > Transform > Move >
Horizontal > + / – 2 px depending on which side you start with). Give
the resulting shape a 4 px thick
outline (#3A2E2A), followed by a 2 x 6
px rectangle (#3A2E2A) to the center of its top edge, making sure to select
and Group (Control-G) all its
current shapes together afterwards.

Step 23

Create the fighter’s
main body using a 16 x 46 px rectangle
(#DDC0BA), followed by a smaller 16 x 44
px one (#DDC0BA), to the bottom of which we will add an even smaller 16 x 6 px rectangle (#DDC0BA). Select
and Unite all three rectangles into a single larger shape, positioning it below
the ship’s nose.

Step 24

Adjust the shape of
the ship’s body by pushing its top anchor points to the inside by a distance
of 4 px (right click > Transform > Move > Horizontal > + / – 4 px depending
on which side you start with), and its bottom ones by just 2 px (right click >
Transform > Move > Horizontal > + / – 2 px depending on which side
you start with). Once you’re done, give the resulting shape a 4 px thick outline (#3A2E2A), selecting
and Grouping (Control-G) the two
together.

Step 25

Add the bottom
horizontal divider using a 16 px wide
4 px thick Stroke line (#3A2E2A), followed by a 6 x 4 px rectangle (#3A2E2A) positioned in the center of its bottom
edge.

Step 26

Create another 12 px wide 4 px thick divider line (#3A2E2A), which we will position at a
distance of 18 px from the body’s
top edge.

Step 27

Connect the divider
that we’ve just created to the ship’s nose using a 4 x 4 px square (#3A2E2A) on top of which we will add a 2 x 18 px rectangle (#3A2E2A), which we
will Group (Control-G) and then
position above the horizontal line.

Step 28

Add the small
insertion using a 4 x 2 px rectangle
(#3A2E2A), which we will Center Align to the top divider line, positioning it 4 px below it.

Step 29

Start working on the
X-wing’s cockpit by creating an 8 x 16
px rectangle (#3A2E2A) stacked on top of a smaller 8 x 4 px one (#3A2E2A), which we will Unite and then position below
the rectangular insertion, at a distance of just 2 px.

Step 30

Adjust the resulting
shape, by individually selecting and pushing its top and bottom anchor points
to the inside by a distance of 2 px
using the Move tool (right click > Transform > Move >
Horizontal > + / – 2 px depending on which side you start with).

Step 31

Add the little
windows using two 2 px wide
rectangles (2 x 4 px; 2 x 1 px > #7C6663) vertically
stacked at 2 px from one another,
which we will Group (Control-G) and
then position at a distance of 3 px from
the cockpit’s bottom edge. Once you have them in place, select and Group all
three shapes together using the Control-G
keyboard shortcut.

Step 32

Create the main shape
for the deflector shield generator using a 6
x 26 px rectangle (#6B5451), which we will adjust by setting the Radius of its top corners to 3 px from within the Transform panel’s Rectangle Properties. Give the resulting shape a 4 px thick outline (#3A2E2A), Grouping
(Control-G) and then positioning
them below the cockpit, at a distance of just 4 px.

Step 33

Take a couple of
moments and add some details to the current section using a couple of
rectangles (#3A2E2A). Once you’re done, select and Group (Control-G) all of its composing shapes before moving on to the next
step.

Step 34

Add the little droid
using a 6 x 6 px circle (#ABBDCE)
with a 4 px thick outline (#3A2E2A),
which we will group (Control-G) and
then Center Align to the top of the deflector shield. Once you’re done, select
and Group (Control-G) all of the
main body’s composing shapes together, doing the same for the entire ship
afterwards.

Step 35

Finish off the icon by adding the little trail lines using a couple of 2 px thick Stroke lines
(#3A2E2A), making sure to Group (Control-G)
them once you have them in place. Take your time, and once you’re done, select
and Group all of the icon’s composing sections using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

May the Force Be With You!

Our journey has finally come to an end, young Padawans, and worth it it was.

I hope you started
out the tutorial as excited as I was when I first created these iconic spacecraft, and ended it on the same note, maybe even learning something new and useful
along the way.