How to Draw an Abstract Gold Background in Adobe Illustrator Using Gradient Mesh

In this tutorial, you will learn how to use the Mesh Tool in Adobe Illustrator to create a beautiful abstract background!

If you want to skip the tutorial and just use this background in your work, you can purchase the Elegant gold abstract background from GraphicRiver!

1. How to Draw the Background

Step 1

We will begin by drawing the biggest two background pieces with Mesh. Piece 1 is the simplest, so let’s start with it!

Draw a rectangle and fill it with #FFFCFA color. Grab the Mesh Tool (U) and create a Mesh Grid in the rectangle by clicking where you want to place your nodes.

Try to mimic the Mesh Grid in the screenshot.

Next, select the bottom edge nodes and recolor them all to #FF7220. Continue similarly, by creating more nodes and recoloring the selected ones.

Use these colors:

1. #FFFCFA
2. #FF7220
3. #FFF5BB
4. #FFA045

Step 2

Finish the background piece in a similar fashion. You will need these colors:

1. #FF641C
2. #FF631C
3. #FF460A
4. #FEE5CD

Step 3

Let’s begin drawing background piece number 2! This one will be quite a bit trickier.

Continue using the Mesh Tool to create Mesh Nodes and recoloring them as in the screenshot below.

1. #FFDDA2
2. #F18D32
3. #923300
4. #FFF1B8

Step 4

Finish the second background piece.

1. #DF7B29
2. #220D00
3. #F5A24D
4. #FFEBD3

2. How to Draw the Curves

Step 1

Now that we have drawn both big background pieces, let’s start on the curves in the foreground!

Begin drawing the first curve just as we did before.

1. #F3B26E
2. #FFDB9B
3. #D67A2A

Step 2

Finish the curve with these colors:

1. #4B2206
2. #642401
3. #AF5A17

Step 3

Start drawing the second, smaller curve.

1. #CD6816
2. #521C00
3. #010000

Step 4

Finish it with three more recolorizations.

1. #170800
2. #F7CA79
3. #612503

Step 5

Move the curves together and make sure they fit one another. Change the shapes a bit if they don’t.

3. How to Draw the Foreground Piece

Step 1

On to the final piece of this background!

Draw a #FFD28C rectangle, modify its shape by dragging the nodes around with the Mesh Tool, and then add some #BA5507 streaks to the shape.

Step 2

Continue recoloring the final piece.

1. #D6701F
2. #FFEEBC
3. #210C00

Step 3

Finally, add some finishing touches!

1. #9B3F05
2. #FFF3DF
3. #ECA153

Step 4

Now, add all the pieces together!

Pieces 1 and 2 are in the background, 3 and 4 are on top of piece 2, and piece 5 is in the front.

Step 5

Let’s ‘crop’ our background!

Draw a rectangle outline over the shapes that would contain everything you want to show. Then, select all elements, right-click, and choose Make Clipping Mask.

Step 6

This is how your background should look after applying the Clipping Mask!

Congratulations, You’re Now Done!

Thank you for following along, and please
feel welcome to post your result in the comments. I’ll be looking
forward to seeing it!

In this tutorial, you learned how to
create a modern and abstract gold background using the Mesh Tool.

I
hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial and learned how to use Gradient Mesh for the future! Check out some of my other vector tutorials on my instructor profile.

You can purchase this background as well as other similar designs in my portfolio on GraphicRiver.