How to Create the Definitive Designer’s Essential Pack in Adobe Illustrator

Because I
believe that all designers have their own secret essentials pack, I decided to
show you how to build a small yet cute set of illustrations that you can use
however you like.

The entire
creative process will focus on using the Rectangle Tool’s basic shapes, which we
will adjust here and there.

1. Setting Up Our
Document

Open up Adobe
Illustrator, and create a New Document
(File > New) using the following
settings:

• Number of Artboards: 1
• Width:
  600 px
• Height: 600 px
• Units: Pixels

And from the Advanced tab:

• Color Mode: RGB—standard digital color model for the digital medium
• Raster Effects:
  Screen (72 ppi)
• Align New Objects to
  Pixel Grid: checked

2. Layering Our
Document

If you’ve
followed any of my other tutorials, you might have noticed that I have a
“thing” for Layers. So the current tutorial won’t be the first exception to
drop the layering process, which I find helps us achieve a better sense of
control over our elements.

Now that I’ve pointed that out, go to the Layers panel,
and create six layers, naming them as you see below:

1. background
2. notebook
3. pantone book
4. ipod
5. dice
6. pen

3. Creating the
Notebook

Step 1

Make sure you’re
on the notebook layer, lock all the other ones, and then using the Rounded Rectangle Tool, create a 176 x 230 px shape with a Corner Radius of 16 px. Use #695858 to give it a nice leather color.

Step 2

As you might
have noticed from the final example image, the left side of the notebook needs
to be hard cut, meaning we need to get rid of the top and bottom rounded corners.
To do so, simply grab the Direct
Selection Tool (A), click on the shape we just created, and then drag and
select the left middle anchor points.

Step 3

Once you have them selected, simply press Delete to erase them, and then use Control-J to unite the remaining
anchors, and form a whole shape.

Quick tip: To
make sure that the elements you are designing are positioned in the exact same
place as mine, use the Transform panel
to lock this first object onto the following coordinates:

• X: 315
  px
• Y:
  300 px

Step 4

As we now have our right side basic shape, we
need to create the left side binding. To do so, click on the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw an 8 x 230 px object, which we will color
using a darker shade #5C4D4D and place exactly on the left side of our previously
created shape.

Step 5

Now that we have
our basic shape for our notebook, it’s time to start adding some details. As
our illustration is line-based, we need to create the thick outline that
overall adds some playful weight to our composition.

Quick tip: I
want to take a quick break here, and explain why I chose to use the Offset Path function instead of giving
our objects a basic stroke value.

Due to the imperfect nature of the Align to Pixel Grid in Illustrator, I found that instead of having to
reposition each object that has received a stroke (because it will shift
position by a couple of pixels), it is easier and handier to simply create a
back shape that acts as an outline. This way, you can create the highlights
more easily, as you don’t have to duplicate the object and then make sure to get rid
of its stroke.

Below you have two examples of the same object
jumping positions while trying to replicate the outline using Offset Path (in
the first one)…

… and a 6 px Stroke set to the Outside (in the
second one).

Now, let’s continue by duplicating the two
notebook parts that we have until now (select them both and Control-C > Control-F), and then
uniting them using the Pathfinder panel.

Step 6

Selecting our
newly formed shape, go to Effect >
Path > Offset Path and change the values as indicated below:

• Offset: 6 px
• Joins:
  Round

Step 7

As soon as the offset is made, change the
shape’s color to a darker shade #453939, expand it (Object > Expand) and then position it under the notebook by
right-clicking on it and then Arrange
> Send to Back.

At this point our illustration should look
something like this.

Step 8

Because almost
every part of our illustration will have an outline, we need to add one to the
binding too.

To do so, simply
grab the Rectangle Tool (M) and
create a 4 x 230 px shape, color it
using the same value as for the larger outline (#453939) and then position it (using
the Align panel) on the right side
of the binding, horizontally aligning the two.

Quick tip: In case you’re new to the Align panel,
you should know that in order to position two objects in relation to one
another, you must first have them selected and then define one of them as the
key object by simply clicking on it, and then make use of the different options
which are pretty straightforward.

Also, if some options like the Distribute Spacing aren’t visible,
that’s because you need to activate them by clicking on the small down-pointing
arrow in the top right corner, and then selecting Show Options.

Step 9

Our next task
will be to add some highlights and shadows to the notebook. First let’s take
care of the right side highlight. Simply copy (Control-C) and paste in place (Control-F) the lighter notebook object twice, and then move the upper
duplicate 2 px towards the left.

To be as accurate as possible, enable the Pixel Preview (View > Pixel Preview or
Alt-Control-Y).

Step 10

With both duplicates selected, use Pathfinder’s Minus Front option to cut out the part that we don’t actually need.

Step 11

Change the
resulting shape’s color to white (#FFFFFF) and then go over to the Transparency panel (on the right side
toolbar) and adjust the values as below.

• Blending Mode: Overlay
• Opacity: 20%

Step 12

Next, we will
add a highlight for the binding.

Using the Rectangle
Tool (M) create a 2 x 230 px white
shape (use the same Overlay Blending
Mode with an Opacity of 20%) and then position it by using the Horizontal Align Right option.

Step 13

To add a shadow to the binding, simply duplicate
the highlight we just created, align it to the left margin of our binding
shape, and then make sure to change the color to black (#000000), the Blending Mode to Multiply and to lower the Opacity
to about 10%.

Step 14

Once we’ve added
the highlights and shadow, we can move to adding the subtle sewing which will
add to the feeling of leather.

Using the Pen
Tool (P), draw a line that starts at the very top of the notebook (not the
outline) and ends at the very bottom, and set its Weight to 1 px. Color it using
the same #453939 value that we used for the outlines.

Step 15

Add small breaks in the line, by using the Stroke panel, and checking the Dashed Line option, giving it a value
of 4 px.

Step 16

As I’ve already positioned the leather stitch in
my version of the design, in order to help you visualize it more clearly, you
will have to make sure to distance it at about 2 px from the binding’s outline so that it looks like mine.

Step 17

Next we will
work on adding the angled scratch-like lines that will go over the right side
of our notebook.

Grab the Rectangle
Tool (M) and create two 1 x 438 px shapes, positioning them at a fair distance from one another.

Step 18

Now comes the
interesting part, as we need to create a total of about 57 individual pieces.
You might be tempted to copy the first and then press Control-F 57 times, but a quicker and more efficient solution would be
to use the Blend tool.

With both of the objects selected, go to Object > Blend > Blend Options.

Step 19

From the Blend
Options popup box, set the Spacing to
Specified Steps, enter 57 in the right value field, and then
press OK.

Step 20

For those new to the Blend tool, you should take note that the blend itself won’t be created until you go back to Object
> Blend and then click on Make
(or if you prefer shortcuts, Alt-Control-B).

Step 21

As you’ve probably already seen, the objects in
the blend itself are linked, which means we need to expand the blend (Object > Expand) and then ungroup it
(right-click > Ungroup).

Step 22

Once you’ve ungrouped the objects from the
blend, make sure to click on the first one on the left (to mark it as the key
object), and then using the Align panel,
horizontally distribute the rest at a distance of 4 px from one another.

Step 23

Once you’ve distanced them
correctly, regroup them (Control-G) and
then rotate them at a -45° angle (right-click
> Transform > Rotate).

Step 24

Now all we need
to do is position the lines on top of the right side of our notebook, and apply
a mask onto it so that it will cover only the surface that we want it to.

Select the
grouped objects, and using the Transform
panel, position them using the following coordinates:

• X: 326 px
• Y: 266 px

Step 25

Zoom in a little
(Alt-scroll wheel) and select the
right side (the brighter) of the notebook, copy it (Control-C) and then paste it on top (Control-F) of the lines we positioned earlier.

As soon as you’ve done that, simply select both
the lines and the pasted object and create a Clipping Mask (right-click > Make Clipping Mask).

Step 26

You might have noticed that our clipped diagonal
lines are now overlaid onto the right side highlight and the vertical stitch we
created a few moments ago. To correct this, simply select both the highlight
and the stitch and move them up by using the Arrange > Bring to Front option.

Your illustration should now look similar to
this.

Step 27

For the circle part, with the anchor point, we
will first create an 80 x 80 px circle
using the Ellipse Tool, and color it
using #453939. Next we will flip the fill with the stroke (Shift-X) and set it to a thicker value of 4 px.

Step 28

Expand the
resulting circle (Object > Expand)
and then position it using the following coordinates in the Transform panel.

• X: 298
  px
• Y: 304 px

Step 29

For the anchor point, create a 20 x 20 px rounded rectangle with a Corner Radius of 3 px, and then horizontally align them, making sure that you have 8 px both on the top and bottom side of
the rectangle going outside the height of the circle.

Step 30

To finish the vector circle representation,
simply create a 68 x 4 px rectangle
which will act as our handles, and position two 10 x 10 px circles at each end.

Now that the notebook itself is done, we just
need to add the elastic strap and then we can move on to the other objects in
the pack.

Step 31

Before we begin
working on the band, I recommend grouping the elements that form the notebook
(select them all and hit Control-G), so that we can easily move and adjust
different parts of the band.

Using the Rectangle
Tool (M) create a 14 x 238 px object,
color it using a lighter shade #9B7B7B and then position it at a distance of
about 24 px from the right side of
the notebook.

Step 32

Duplicate the shape (Control-C > Control-F), color it in the same dark shade as the
notebook’s outline (#453939), and
then go to Effect > Path > Offset
Path to create the outline section.

Step 33

Now that we have our strap outline, we need to
push it to the back along with the notebook itself. To do so, select both the
newly created object and the grouped notebook, and right-click > Arrange > Send to Back.

Step 34

For the strap’s highlight create a 2 x 238 px white object, and set its Blending Mode to Overlay, making sure to lower the Opacity to 20%. Then position it by vertically aligning it to the right
side of the strap segment.

Step 35

Cast a subtle shadow onto the notebook, by
creating a black 4 x 238 px rectangle,
with the Blending Mode set on Multiply and the Opacity lowered to 10%. Then position it immediately on
the left side of the strap’s outline.

Step 36

To finish off the strap, we will need to create
the dotted pattern. First create a 2 x 2 px circle, color it in the same shade as the outlines (#453939), and horizontally align it to the strap, making sure to position it about 12 px from the top of the strap’s outline.

Step 37

Now using the Ellipse Tool (L) create four 1
x 1 px circles, and position them at a distance of 1 px from the central larger shape we created previously. Use Pixel Preview (Alt-Control-Y) to get a better view on things.

Step 38

Group all five circles (both the larger center
one and the orbiting smaller ones) using Control-G and then create a copy by selecting and then dragging down 4 px while holding Alt.

Step 39

Duplicate the pattern by pressing Control-D 21 times (or by using the Blend trick I showed you when we
created the diagonal lines on the notebook).

4. Creating the
Pantone Book

Step 1

Move up onto the
pantone book layer, and using the Rectangle
Tool (M) create a 50 x 212 px shape
which we will color using #D8CECE. Position it with the help of the Transform panel using these
coordinates:

• X: 442
  px
• Y: 297 px

Step 2

Give the base
form an outline by duplicating it (Control-C > Control-F), and then using the Offset
Path Effect.

• Offset: 4 px
• Joins:
  Miter

Also change its color to #453939 and make sure
to send the object to the back (right-click > Arrange > Send to back).

Step 3

Now that we have the base pantone shape and its
outline, we need to create the little cutout in the lower right corner. We will
do so by using the Ellipse Tool (L) to
draw a 10 x 10 px circle, which we
will copy and then subtract from both the main shape and the back outline.

Step 4

Once you’ve added the cutouts, it’s time to give
the top one an outline. Simply paste (Control-F) the previously copied circle, and flip its fill with its stroke (Shift-X), making sure to set the Stroke to a thicker 4 px value. Also don’t forget to expand
the shape using Object > Expand while
you have it selected.

Step 5

Now how about adding some color to our little
illustration? Create a 50 x 118 px rectangle
horizontally top align it to the pantone’s main shape and then change its color
to #74B586.

Step 6

Add three color
box values at the bottom of the green rectangle by creating two smaller 16 x 8 px shapes (which will go towards
to outer margins) and one 18 x 8 px which
will be placed right in the middle.

Color the first box using #7CC290, the second
one using the same green as the bigger object (#74B586), and the last one using
#639C73.

Step 7

Add a highlight and shadow by creating two 4 x 212 px rectangles (one black and
one white) and positioning them on each side of the pantone’s left and right
margins. Set the shadow’s Blending Mode to
Multiply lowering the Opacity to 14%, and the highlight to Overlay
with an Opacity of 24%.

Step 8

Separate the green section from the lighter
brown one of the pantone book by adding one 50 x 4 px rectangle and positioning it at the bottom, and another 50 x 3 px rectangle which will go just above the
three colored box values.

Step 9

Since our
pantone book is almost done, all we need to do is add some little details that
will make it pop.

First let’s draw
the little plus sign by creating a 4 x
16 px rectangle, coloring it using a darker shade (#5A8C68) and then
duplicating it (Control-C > Control-F) and rotating
the resulting object at a 90°
angle.

Then group the two and position them at about 14 px from the top
and 6 px from the left.

Step 10

Once we’ve
finished the plus sign, it’s time to add some horizontal lines that resemble
actual text. For the top green section, create three rectangles (#5A8C68) with
the following values:

• rectangle 1: width
  26 px / height 4 px
• rectangle 2:
  width 12 px / height 4 px
• rectangle 3:
  width 18 px / height 4 px

After you’ve created the lines, position them at
about 12 px from the plus sign,
making sure to left align them to it, giving them a line space of 4 px and a 2 px between the bottom two pieces.

Step 11

For the lighter
brown section, create nine rectangles as follows:

• rectangle 1: width
  14 px / height 4 px / color #969191
• rectangle 2:
  width 22 px / height 4 px / color #A8A1A1
• rectangle 3: width
  28 px / height 4 px / color #A8A1A1
• rectangle 4:
  width 8 px / height 4 px / color #969191
• rectangle 5:
  width 12 px / height 4 px / color #A8A1A1
• rectangle 6:
  width 8 px / height 4 px / color #969191
• rectangle 7:
  width 14 px / height 4 px / color #A8A1A1
• rectangle 8:
  width 8 px / height 4 px / color #969191
• rectangle 9: width 18 px / height 4 px / color #A8A1A1

Your pantone book should look something like
this.

5. Creating the
iPod

Step 1

As before the
first thing we need to create is our base shape. Using the Rounded Rectangle Tool, draw a 72
x 66 px object with a Corner Radius of
4 px and then color it in a light
grey (#999999). Don’t forget to position it correctly using the following
coordinates:

• X: 169
  px
• Y:
  370 px

Step 2

Duplicate the previously created shape (Control-C) and paste it on top (Control-F). Using the Offset Path function, create a new
object with an offset of 4 px and
color it in a darker grey (#545454). Also make sure to send the object to the
back of our iPod’s main body.

Step 3

Next we’ll add the shadow and highlight by simply
duplicating the lighter grey shape of the iPod twice and moving the upper
duplicate 4 px to the left. With
both copies selected, use Pathfinder’s
Minus Front function to cut out the
unwanted section.

Step 4

Set the resulting shape’s Blending Mode to Overlay, lowering
the Opacity to 20%.

Step 5

To create the
shadow, simply duplicate the highlight (Control-C > Control-F) and then vertically reflect the shape (right-click > Transform > Reflect).

Make sure to align it to the left side of the
iPod and to change its color to black (#000000) setting its Blending Mode to Multiply and its Opacity to
10%.

Step 6

Next, we’ll
create the top section buttons. Grab the Rounded
Rectangle Tool and draw an 8 x 4 px object
with a Corner Radius of 1 px. Color it in a darker grey (#A8A8A8)
and then position it using the following coordinates:

• X: 191
  px
• Y: 333 px

Step 7

Using the Direct
Selection Tool (A) select the bottom-centered anchor points and delete
them, uniting the remaining form using Control-J. Then select the bottom anchor points one more time and move them up 1 px.

Step 8

Create the highlight and shadow by using the
same technique we followed for the iPod’s body.

Step 9

Add an outline to the shape by duplicating the
main object and applying an Offset Path effect,
with an Offset of 4 px, Round Joins and the default Miter
Limit. Once the outline is created, select it and send it to the back,
grouping (Control-J) all the button
components (main body, highlight, shadow and outline).

Step 10

Create the second button by copying (Control-C) and pasting (Control-F) the first instance and then
positioning it at about 2 px towards
the left, making sure to send them both to the back of our iPod.

Step 11

For the front buttons, we will need to first create
the ring in relation to which we will position the rest of the elements. Using
the Ellipse Tool (L) create a 42 x 42 px light grey circle (#808080), flip its fill with
its stroke, and then give it a thick 14
px weight.

Step 12

Expand the shape (Object > Expand) and then center it both vertically and
horizontally to the iPod’s main object—the light grey one.

Step 13

When it comes to
the front buttons, will first create the bottom minus one and build up from
there.

Using the Rectangle
Tool (M), create a 2 x 6 px object,
which we will color in a darker grey (#999999). Horizontally align it to the
ring and then position it at the middle of the bottom section of our ring.

Step 14

Copy the minus button, and move it to the top
section of the ring, making sure to keep it centered as we did with the bottom
one. Create another instance and rotate it at a 90° angle, thus creating our plus button.

Step 15

For the previous
and next buttons we will create one instance which we will then reflect and position
in its correct place.

Before we start
creating the arrows, let’s grab the vertical section of the plus button and move
it to the left, positioning it using the following coordinates:

• X: 145
  px
• Y: 370 px

Step 16

Once you have the first section of the previous
button positioned, we need to grab the Pen
Tool (P) and create a left oriented arrow with a height of 6 px and a width of 3 px which we will stick to the front
line section.

Step 17

To finish the button, duplicate the arrow and
position it exactly on the right side of the one we already have, grouping all
three of the elements together (Control-J).

Step 18

To create the
next button, simply duplicate and reflect the one created just a few moments
ago and then position it on the right side of the ring using these coordinates
in the Transform panel:

• X: 190
  px
• Y: 370 px

Step 19

For the
play/pause button we’ll need to create a slightly bigger version of each of the
elements that we’ve already drawn. For the pause section, simply create two 2 x 8 px rectangles, color them using #808080,
distance them at 2 px from one
another, and once grouped, position them at the following coordinates:

• X: 173
  px
• Y: 370 px

Step 20

When it comes to the play button, again using
the Pen Tool (P) create a right
oriented arrow with a height of 8 px and
a width of 6 px.

Our iPod should now be ready for use.

6. Creating the
Dice

We’re almost
there guys. The final pieces of our illustration are the dice and the crayon, so
it won’t be long until you’ll have a cool looking self-made vector pack.

Step 1

Assuming you’ve already moved up onto the dice
layer, grab the Rounded Rectangle Tool and
create a 30 x 30 px object with a Corner Radius of 3 px, which we will color using #DBDBDB and position after the
following coordinates:

• X: 190
  px
• Y: 278 px

Step 2

Duplicate the dice’s base shape and after
coloring it in a darker grey #545454 give it an Offset Path of 4 px, sending
the resulting outline to the back (right
click > Arrange > Send to Back).

Step 3

Repeat the same process for creating the shadow
and highlight used in the iPod part, keeping the same values for both the Blending Modes and the Opacity levels.

Step 4

In order to complete the dice we need to add the
little dots that indicate the number it has landed on. Using the Ellipse Tool (L) create a 6 x 6 px circle and color it in the
same dark shade as the outline (#545454). Then using the Align panel, position it right in the center of the dice.

Step 5

For the other dots, simply duplicate the middle
one four times, and then position each of the copies at a distance of 3 px both
horizontally and vertically from the centered one.

Step 6

To create the second dice, just copy the one we
already have and move it so that you have about 10 px between the two. Then duplicate the centered dot and align
one copy to the left dots and the other to the right ones.

7. Creating the Pencil

Step 1

To start
building the pencil, we’re going to rely on the good old Rectangle Tool (M) and create a yellowish (#F4D484) 12 x 122 px object which we’re going to
position after the following coordinates:

• X: 150
  px
• Y: 246 px

Step 2

In order to create the tip, we’ll first have to
draw the main pinkish (#E2C3C3) shape from which we will build on the rest of the object.
Using the Pen Tool (P) create a
downward pointing triangle, with a width of 12 px and a height of 14 px,
placing it exactly at the end of the pencil’s body.

Step 3

As you’ve probably gotten used to by now, we
need to add an outline to our little yellow buddy. To do so, first create a
duplicate of both the main body and the tip (Control-C > Control-F), color them using the grey from the iPod’s
outline (#545454) and after that apply an Offset
Path of 4 px to get it looking
chunky. Also always remember to send the outline to the back as we don’t want
it obscuring our main shapes.

Step 4

As we want the bottom side of the pencil to stay
flat, we will need to expand the outline (Object
> Expand) and then remove the top middle anchor points using the Direct Selection Tool (A), uniting the remaining
ones (Control-J) and moving them up
by 4 px.

Step 5

Next we need to add some vertical lines to
delimit the three sections of our pencil’s body. Create two 2 x 120 px rectangles and position them
at a distance of 4 px from one
another. After that quickly group them (Control-J) and horizontally top align them to the pencil.

Step 6

As the tip needs
some detailing we will start working on adding the round sections that are
usually a result of sharpening the pencil.

Using the Ellipse
Tool (L) create two smaller 2 x 2 px
circles and cut them in half by deleting the top anchor points. Once you’ve
done that, use the Direct Selection Tool
(A) to move the bottom anchor points down by 1 px.

Step 7

Again, using the Ellipse Tool (L), create a slightly larger 4 x 4 px circle deleting only the top anchor this time. You should
now have three shapes looking like these.

Step 8

Position all three shapes at 2 px from one another, group them and
then horizontally bottom align them to the pencil’s base yellow rectangle.

Step 9

In order for the rounded shapes that we’ve just
created to be visible, we will need to give them an Offset Path Effect (Effect > Offset Path), expand and unite the
resulting offset and then delete the
top section so that it won’t interfere with the yellow section of our pencil.

You should now have something like this.

Step 10

Add the shadow and highlight by creating two 2 x 120 px rectangles and aligning them
to the left and right margins of the yellow section of our pencil. Change their
Blending Modes and Opacity level to match those of the
iPod.

Step 11

As you can see, neither the shadow nor highlight
manage to cover the bottom rounded sections we created a few steps ago. To
correct this, simply select the left and right smaller shapes using the Direct Selection Tool (A) and copy (Control-C) and paste them (Control-F) on top of the originals.
Then use the Eye Dropper Tool (I) to
apply the same color styling used on the top rectangles. Once you’ve done that,
unite the shadow and highlight with their bottom respective parts using Pathfinder’s Unite function.

Step 12

Since we’ve started adding highlights and shadows, let’s
do the same for the pencil’s tip itself. Double-click on the pinkish section to
enter Isolation Mode and then create
two duplicates of the shape, moving the one on top 2 px to the left. With both of them selected, use Minus Front to get rid of the unwanted
part.

Step 13

Select the resulting shape and change its Blending Mode to Overlay, lowering its Opacity
to 24%.

Step 14

Repeat the same process in Isolation Mode but this time move the upper duplicate 2 px to the right, changing the
resulting shape’s color to black (#000000), its Blending Mode to Multiply and
its Opacity level to 24%.

Step 15

Don’t worry
about the overlaying effect created by the intersection of the shadow and
highlight, as we will create a dark grey section that will cover it up.

Grab the Rectangle
Tool (M) and create an 8 x 6 px object
(#545454), which we will horizontally align to the pencil and position at about
4 px from the bottom of the pencil’s
outline.

Step 16

We could leave the last object as it is, but as
I’m really detail-driven I feel we should mask it using the pinkish section
of the pencil. So select the pencil’s tip, copy and paste it on top, and then
with both it and the grey rectangle selected, right-click > Make Clipping Mask.

8. Adding a Colored
Background

To add a finishing touch to our design, make
sure you’re on the background layer, and create a 600 x 600 px square (the same size as our Artboard). Color it using
#999999 and then
simply align it both vertically and horizontally to our Artboard.

It’s a Wrap!

I hope you
managed to follow the steps provided in the tutorial and most importantly learned
some cool stuff along the way.

Sorry for the length, but I wanted to
create something that even early Illustrator adopters could understand.