How to Draw a Collection of Bags and Containers in Adobe Illustrator

Final product image
What You’ll Be Creating

In this tutorial, you will learn how to use the Mesh Tool in Adobe Illustrator to create a set of packages!

If you’d like to skip the tutorial and just use this vector in your work, you can go ahead and purchase the Collection of Shopping Bags and Gift Boxes from GraphicRiver!

Collection of Shopping Bags and Gift Boxes

1. How to Draw the Shopping Bag

Step 1

Begin by drawing a side for the shopping bag with mesh.

Create a square filled with #F5F5F5, and bend it to look like the image below.

Next, with the Mesh Tool (U), add a mesh node as indicated and color the bottom left edge with #A5A5A5. Color the new node with #BBBBBB.

gradient mesh tutorial

Step 2

Draw another mesh object. You will need these colors:

  1. #C6C6C6
  2. #9B9B9B
  3. #B3B3B3
  4. #CCCCCC
shopping bag vector tutorial

Step 3

  1. #C8C8C8
  2. #A3A3A3
  3. #B8B8B8
vector tutorial

Step 4

  1. #A2A2A2
  2. #D0D0D0
  3. #5A5A5A
shopping bag mesh

Step 5

Draw a curved line and apply a grey, radial Gradient to its Stroke. Continue to Object > Expand.

radial gradient

Step 6

Draw a shadow with a Radial Gradient from #979797 to white. Change the Transparency mode to Multiply.

gradient shadow

Step 7

Assemble the bag out of the elements we have made. Add the shadow under the bag.

shopping bag vector

Step 8

Create a copy of the original bag and bend it with Effect > Warp > Squeeze, using a 14% Bend with 7% Horizontal Distortion. Expand the finished object.

warp effects

2. How to Draw the Paper Bag

Step 1

Continue by drawing the paper bag.

  1. #EBEBEB
  2. #B1B1B1
  3. #FFFFFF
paper bag vector

Step 2

Draw the side.

  1. #EDEDED
  2. #FFFFFF
  3. #DDDDDD
  4. #F3F3F3
vector mesh tool

Step 3

  1. #E5E5E5
  2. #DEDEDE
  3. #FFFFFF
gradient mesh

Step 4

Draw the top.

  1. #D9D9D9
  2. #777777
  3. #989898
vector bag

Step 5

Finish drawing this part.

  1. #B2B2B2
  2. #F0F0F0
  3. #CBCBCB
gradient mesh

Step 6

Assemble the paper bag.

mesh bag

Step 7

Add the shadows we made in the previous section.

vector paper bag

3. How to Draw the Tube

Step 1

Draw the main part of the tube.

  1. #EBEBEB
  2. #F0F0F0
  3. #8E8E8E
  4. #FEFEFE
  5. #DEDEDE
  6. #E7E7E7
vector tube

Step 2

Draw the lid.

  1. #909090
  2. #EFEFEF
  3. #A4A4A4
mesh lid

Step 3

Assemble it, adding a shadow.

mesh tube

4. How to Draw the Bottle

Step 1

Draw the bottle.

  1. #D2D2D2
  2. #FDFDFD
  3. #B1B1B1
  4. #E2E2E2
  5. #A0A0A0
  6. #B1B1B1
vector mesh bottle

Step 2

Draw the lid.

  1. #DCDCDC
  2. #FFFFFF
  3. #BBBBBB
  4. #CCCCCC
  5. #D5D5D5
mesh tutorial

Step 3

  1. #E8E8E8
  2. #F9F9F9
  3. #C4C4C4
  4. #DBDBDB
mesh lid

Step 4

Assemble the bottle.

vector bottle

Step 5

Create a different version of the bottle by bending a copy with Effect > Warp > Arch. Use 17% Vertical Distortion and Expand Appearance.

warp illustrator

Step 6

Create another version of the bottle by bending a copy of the original with Effect > Warp > Bulge. Use 12% Bend and Expand Appearance.

warp effects

5. How to Add the Boxes

Step 1

Learn how to draw the first box right here:

Color it with Edit > Edit Colors > Adjust Colors. Use Grayscale mode and adjust the Black value to -3%.

how to draw a box with mesh

Step 2

Learn to make the second box in the tutorial linked above, and then recolor it similarly: with Edit > Edit Colors > Adjust Colors, using Grayscale mode with Black at -16%.

vector present

Step 3

Finish with Edit > Edit Colors > Saturate at -52% Intensity.

vector gift box

Step 4

Learn how to make the final box in another tutorial of mine, and then add 26% Intensity with the Saturate function.

vector gift box

Step 5

You’ve finished the set!

set of vector containers

Awesome Work, You’re Now Done!

What now? You can try any of my other tutorials from my profile, or check out my portfolio on GraphicRiver, as well as the original vector I was inspired by for this tutorial.

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial, and I would be super happy to see any results in the comments below!

Collection of Shopping Bags and Gift Boxes
Collection of Shopping Bags and Gift Boxes

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