How to Illustrate an Elegant Bottle of Wine in a Gift Box


Make use of the 3D tools in Illustrator and learn to create this fantastic looking bottle of wine in a gift box. In this tutorial you will learn how to create your own gift box of wine using the Rectangle Tool, Pen, 3D Revolve and Gradients.


Step 1

Open a new document, and create a rectangle with the following dimensions W: 160px H: 550px, apply a 10px stroke and no fill. With the rectangle still selected, go to Effect > 3D > Extrude & Bevel and enter the following settings: Specify rotation around the X axis: -9, Specify rotation around the Y axis:-40, Specify rotation around the Z axis: 6, Perspective: 20, Extrude Depth: 180pt, click OK.


Step 2

Keep the shape selected and correct the lower right point using the Direct Selection tool (A). It should look the same as the picture below, use a Ruler Guide if you need help lining up the points.


Step 3

After correcting the lower point, go to Object > Expand Appearance and ungoup the newly created group by going to Object > Ungroup (Shift + Control + G).


Step 4

Select all the shapes and fill them with the color R:95 G:43 B:47, select the bottom shape with the Direct Selection tool (D) and copy and paste in place ( Control + C followed by Control + F). Fill the copied shape with a Linear Gradient from black to white and change the Blending Mode from Normal to Multiply.


Step 5

Repeat the same action on all of the other shapes, except for the duplicate of the top shape, which will be colored white with an Opacity of 40%. The image below is what the Layer palette should look like when you’re finished.


Step 6

Create lines as shown in the image below with the Pen Tool (P), once the lines are drawn apply a 0,1px white Tapered Stroke. Have a look at the picture below.


Step 7

Create a W: 160px by H: 550px filed rectangle with no stroke. After we apply 3D effect we’ll change the colors. Keep the rectangle selected and go to Effect > 3D > Extrude & Bevel and enter the following settings: Specify rotation around the X axis:-9, Specify rotation around the Y axis:40, Specify rotation around the Z axis: -6, Perspective: 20, Extrude Depth: 50pt, click OK.


Step 8

With the 3D rectangle still selected, go to Object > Expand Appearance then Object > Ungroup (Shift + Control + G).


Step 9

Select the shape shown in the picture below and send it behind all of the other shapes by going to Object > Arrange > Send to Back. Copy the shape you sent behind the other shapes using Control + C followed by Control + F, move the copy above all other shapes using Object > Arrange > Bring To Front (Shift + Control + Right Square Bracket). Turn off the Fill color and apply a 10px stroke aligned to the inside.


Step 10

With the stroke still selected, go to Object > Expand Appearance and fill with a Linear Gradient consisting of the colors. R:129 G:43 B:5 to R:95 G:43 B:47.


Step 11

Select the original shape that is behind all the other shapes, change its color to black, then copy it using Control + C followed by Control +F. Change the Fill color to R:77 G:77 B:77 and go to Effect > Texture > Grain. Enter the following settings: Intensity: 100, Contrast: 100, Grain Type: Enlarged, click OK and change the Blending Mode from Normal to Luminosity.


Step 12

Copy the shape from Step 11 using Control + C followed by Control + F, open the Appearance panel (Shift + F6) and remove the effect you applied in Step 11.


Step 13

With the shape still selected, turn off the Fill color and apply a 12px Black Stroke, aligned to the inside.


Step 14

Select the right side of the box’s lid. Copy it using Control + C followed by Control + F, fill the copy with a Black to White Linear Gradient and change the Blending Mode from Normal to Multiply. Copy the bottom part of the lid using Control + C followed by Control +F, fill it with white and reduce the Opacity to 50%.


Step 15

Create lines like the one shown in the picture below using the Pen tool (P) and apply a 0,1 px white Tapered Stroke.


Step 16

Create a W: 6px by H: 10px rectangle and fill with Linear Gradient. To do this, open the Gradient panel (Control + F9). You will need four Gradient Sliders. For the first one from left to right apply white, for the second one R:77 G:77 B:77, for the third one black and for the fourth one R:241 G:204 B:168. Copy the rectangle, move the copy a few pixels down, open the Gradient panel and click on the Reverse Gradient button. Copy the shape two more times, move the copies a few pixels down and click the Reverse Gradient button for each one.


Step 17

Select the four rectangles from the previous step and group them (Object > Group).


Step 18

Move the shapes into position as shown in the picture below, then copy the shapes and move them to the bottom part of the lid and box.


Step 19

Create a W: 40px by H: 40px square and go to Effect > Stylize > Round Corners, apply a radius of 10px, click OK. With the shape selected go to Object > Expand Appearance.


Step 20

Now create a taller rectangle over the previous shape, (as shown in the picture below) open the Pathfinder panel and click on the Minus Front button. Move the shape into position as shown in the picture below.


Step 21

Add three more points with the Add Anchor Point tool (+) as shown in the picture below. Create a C shape with the middle point by sliding it inwards, fill the shape with a Linear Gradient the same as the picture below.


Step 22

Create a square under the previous shape and fill it with Linear Gradient as shown in the picture below. Create two ellipses in positions as shown in the picture below, fill them with a Linear Gradient from white to yellow and group all the shapes you’ve created since Step 19 (Object > Group).


Step 23

Copy the group created in the previous step (Control + C followed by Control + F), flip it horizontally and move it into position as shown in the picture below. Alter the shape by dragging the middle right point inwards with the Selection Tool (V). Repeat this with the other shapes, have a look at the picture below.


Step 24

In the next steps we will create the bottle of wine. To do this, create half a bottle shape with the Pen tool (P), I’ve used the image below for a reference. Before you apply a 3D effect to the bottle, create a label in a design you like and drag it into the Symbol panel.


Step 25

Select the bottle shape and go to Effect > 3D > Revolve, enter the following settings: Specify rotation around the X axis: -9, Specify rotation around the Y axis:-40, Specify rotation around the Z axis: 6, Angle: 360, Offset: 0pt, from: Right Edge, click on the Map Art button and apply the symbol you created earlier.


Step 26

Position the bottle inside the box, and your gift set is done. To finish the illustration you can add a background and table surface or even a few extra objects, I’ve added a corkscrew. I hope you’ve enjoyed this tut.

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