How to Illustrate an Auction Gavel Icon – Blancer.com Tutorials and projects

This work is a common project created together with Iaroslav Lazunov and Oleksandr Iegupov. We have used 3D-modeling, Gradients, Blends, and Gradient Meshes for creating this picture. Let’s get started!

Step 1

Take the Pen Tool (P) and draw the path that you see in the diagram below.

Take the Ellipse Tool (L) and draw a circle in the top part of the path. Set the Stroke of the circle to None. See the image below for reference.

Step 2

Grab the Direct Selection Tool (A) and select the right anchor point of the circle. After that press the Delete button.

Lock the semicircle in the Layers palette. Select the red path, take the Scissors Tool (C) and click on the intersection points of the red and green paths. These points are shown with arrows in the diagram below.

Now select the inner red path and delete it.

Step 3

Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to select the anchor points of both: the red and the green paths in couples and go to Object > Path > Join (Command + J). You need to do these actions two times in order to receive the following diagram.

Go to Object > Transform > Reflect. In the window of reflection options set the Horizontal axis and click the Copy button.

Now we should know the dimensions of the Bounding box. Go to the Transform palette and see the W-Value and H-Value. Then go to Object > Transform > Move and set the H-value in the Vertical position item of the window. Use the image below as a reference.

Go to Object > Path > Join (Command + J).

Step 4

Now go to Effect > 3D > Revolve and set zero values, which you can see in the diagram below.

It is the initial view of the gavel and it must be edited.

Step 5

After that convert the path and 3D options in order to reproduce a beautiful gavel. Use the image below as a reference.

Take the Pen Tool (P) and draw a vertical small path. Increase the Stroke Weight for it and change the Stroke color.

Now go to the Stroke palette and set the Round Cap for the path.

Go to Object > Expand. Then go to Object > Ungroup.

After that go to Effect > 3D > Extrude & Bevel, and set there the values that you can see in the diagram below. Pay attention to the value of the Perspective angle.

Step 6

After that place the handle under the gavel. In order to place it exactly, decrease temporarily the Opacity of the gavel.

Select the handle and go to the Appearance palette. Click there the 3D Revolve command and change the rendering style to “No Shading” (See the first part of the diagram below).

You must do this in order to decrease the quantity of different expanded paths in the next action. Then select the handle and go to Object > Expand Appearance. Go to Object > Ungroup three times. Select the paths that are shown below (see the second part of the diagram), go to the Pathfinder palette and click the Unite-button there.

Fill it with the Linear gradient filling. See the image below for reference.

Step 7

Select the top part of the handle, fill it with a dark brown color, place it over the gavel itself in the Layers palette.

Set the Opacity of the gavel head to 100%. Then copy the top part of the handle and paste it in front (Command + C then Command + F). Move it some pixels to the right, and fill it with the angled Linear gradient filling.

Step 8

Copy the top part of the handle and paste it in front again (Command + C then Command + F). Move it some pixels to the right, and fill it with another Linear gradient filling.

Step 9

The visual effect of the top part of the shaft that is merged with the hummer looks bad. See the diagram below.

In order to fix it, select all the paths forming the top part of the shaft and move it slightly.

Step 10

Select the handle, copy it and paste in front (Command + C then Command + F). Take the Ellipse Tool (L) and create the following ellipse.

Now select both: this ellipse and the copy of the handle, go to the Pathfinder palette and click the “Minus Front” button.

Now go to Object > Ungroup and delete the down path of the handle (shown selected in the diagram below).

Place the upper part of the shaft under the handle, and fill it with a Radial gradient filling where the Opacity of the left gradient stop is equal to zero.

Step 11

Select the handle and go to the Appearance palette. Click there the 3D Revolve command and change the rendering style to “No Shading” (You have already done it in the Step 6).

Select the handle and go to Object > Expand Appearance. Then go to Object > Ungroup. Now unite the necessary paths by using the Pathfinder palette. All the resulted necessary paths are colored by different tints in the diagram below.

Pay attention that there are three paths under the green path. Also there are three paths over the grassy path. And there is a violet path between the grassy path and the light blue path made with the help of the Pen Tool (P) after uniting.

Step 12

Select the first (top) path and fill it with the Linear gradient filling.

Now select the second path and fill it with the Linear gradient too.

Repeat these actions. The following Linear gradients are shown applied in the diagrams below.

Step 13

Take the Pen Tool (P) and create a rim. Fill it with a shiny Linear gradient.

Repeat these actions.

Step 14

Select the blue path and fill it with the Linear gradient filling.

After that expand this gradient filling to gradient mesh by going to Object > Expand.

And go to Object > Ungroup.

Then you need to convert the gradient mesh to represent a conical surface. Take the Mesh Tool (U) and drag the anchor points of the mesh in order to receive the following diagram.

Repeat this step with the yellow path.

Step 15

Take the Pen Tool (P) and create a light spot on the top part of the gavel head. Fill it with a Linear gradient filling.

Create the next triangular path with curved sides. Fill it with a brown tint and set the Stroke of it to None.

Copy it and paste in front (Command + C then Command + F), go to Object > Transform > Scale and decrease the dimensions of this copy. Then fill it with a Linear gradient filling.

Select the big triangular path and set the Opacity of it to zero. Then go to Object > Blend > Blend Options and set the Spacing to Specified Steps, and the number of steps to ten or more. Then select both triangular paths and go to Object > Blend > Make (Command + Alt + B).

Step 16

Let’s now create a plate for the gavel. First take the Ellipse Tool (L) and draw an ellipse. Set the Stroke to None, and fill it with the Linear gradient filling. Place the ellipse under the gavel.

Copy this ellipse and paste it in back (Command + C then Command + B). Now move it slightly down and fill it with any color.

Take the Scissors Tool (C) and click on the semi-axis anchor points that are pointed by arrows on the diagram. Then delete the top half of the ellipse. Take the Pen Tool (P) and close the path. See the diagrams.

Fill the path with a Linear gradient filling.

Step 17

Create another ellipse filled with a Linear gradient filling.

Create the lateral surface of it by using the same actions as you just used.

Now copy the new ellipse and paste it in back (Command + C then Command + B). Decrease it by going to Object > Transform > Scale. Move this ellipse (original) slightly down and fill it with a Linear gradient.

Step 18

Copy the original ellipse and paste it in back (Command + C then Command + B). Fill it with a dark brown color (its filling is invisible in the diagram below).

Now draw a bigger ellipse under this one, and fill it with a light brown color.

Set the Opacity of the bigger ellipse to zero. Select these two ellipses and go to Object > Blend > Make (Command + Alt + B).

And you have created the shadow of the top plate.

Step 19

Create a shadow of all the stand using the same method. See the image below for reference.

Now create a shadow from the gavel on the stand. Use the image below as a reference.

Draw a shadow from the end of the handle.

And draw a back shadow of the gavel head.

Can air reflect something by shades? Or can shadows fall on air? What do you think? You’re right. Shadows cannot fall on air. So you need to cut away unwanted part of this shade. Select the top ellipse of the plate. Copy it and paste in front (Command + C then Command + F). Then select both: copy of this ellipse and the blend representing a shade.

And go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make (Command + 7).

Step 20

Let’s now create cards. Take the Rounded Rectangle Tool and create the following form.

Now take the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a circle in the top part of the rounded rectangle. Let’s name it “Big circle.” Copy it and paste in front (Command + C then Command + F). Let’s name it “Big circle copy.” Select the circle and the rectangle, go to the Align palette and align the circle horizontally to the rectangle.

After that, in the corner pointed by an arrow in the diagram above, create the next circle touching both: the “Big circle” and the rectangle. Then take the Scissors Tool (C) and click this small circle two times in the points where it touches. Now delete the unnecessary parts as shown in the diagram.

Step 21

Now with the help of the Scissors Tool delete the unnecessary parts of the rounded rectangle and the “Big circle,” as shown in the diagrams below.

After that you need to receive three paths.

Select all of them and go to Object > Path > Join (Command + J).

Go to Object > Transform > Reflect. Set there the following values that you can see in the diagram, and click the Copy button.

Now move the copy to the left in order to make a card form.

Select all the card and go to Object > Path > Join (Command + J).

Step 22

Now select the “Big circle copy,” go to Object > Transform > Scale and decrease its dimensions. Color the card and set all the Strokes of it to None.

Now take the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle over the card.

Select both: this rectangle and the “Big circle copy.” Go to the Pathfinder palette and click the Minus Front button there.

Step 23

Take the Type Tool (T) and type a value “200″ on the card. And go to Type > Create Outlines (Command + Shift + O).

Fill the card with a Linear gradient filling.

Go to Object > Transform > Rotate and rotate the card.

Fill the red path with a Linear gradient filling.

Step 24

Now place this card under the gavel.

After that select the outer path of the card, copy it and paste it in back (Command + C then Command + B), move it slightly down, and fill it with a dark green color.

Step 25

Now create the second card the same way. Pay attention here at the Radial gradient filling of the light part of the card. You must do this in order to represent a shade from the first card.