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Illustrator Tutorial: Vector Icon of Open Notepad with Pencil in Yellow Color

By: Bao Nguyen

Follow this tutorial and learn how to draw a vector icon of open notepad with pencil in Adobe Illustrator. The tutorial is composed of two main parts, creating the notepad and creating the pencil. You will start from basic shapes and vector shape building techniques with a bunch of gradients you will easily create the shapes that you need. The Clipping Mask also plays an important role in this tutorial along with some basic effects. So let’s begin!

Create a New document

  1. Launch Illustrator and then press (Ctrl + N) to create a New Select Pixels from the Units drop-down menu, enter 990 in the width box and 840 in the height box then click on the Advanced button. Select RGB, Screen (72ppi) and make sure that the Align New Objects to Pixel Grid box is unchecked before you click OK.

Create the Notepad

2. Pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool from the Tool bar and simply click on the artboard. Enter the data like you see in the first image and click OK. Next pick the Pen Tool (P) and create a red object as shown in the second image.

3. With the help of the Direct Selection Tool (A) and the Shift, select anchor points of the red object and click on the “Convert selected anchor points to smooth” icon from the Properties Now pick the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift +C), click on the upper handle of the bottom anchor point of the red object. Then hold mouse and drag it to the right. Continue select the remaining handle of the bottom anchor point and drag it up. Focus on the next to last image, select the upper handle of the top anchor point and drag it down. Finally select the remaining handle of the top anchor point and move it to the left.

4. Select the red object and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it, then replace the existing stroke color of the copy with green. Next with the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the anchor point highlighted with red of the green object and drag the mouse to the direction of the arrow. Keep working with the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the upper handle of the right anchor point and move it down. Next select the left handle of the top anchor point and move it to the right. The resulting object should look like the fourth image below. Now reselect the black rounded rectangle and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it, then replace the existing stroke color of the copy with blue. Keep this blue object selected, hold down the Shift and click on the green object. Next open the Pathfinder palette (Window > Pathfinder) and click on the Minus Front Finally select the red object and bring it to front (Ctrl +Shift +Right Square Bracket).

5. Select the black rounded rectangle, remove its stroke and then fill this object with the linear gradient as shown in the first image. Likewise, repeat the same process to apply the linear gradients for the remaining two objects

6. Reselect the shape created in second image of the step 5 and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it. Still having the copy selected and go to the Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow… Follow the data like you see in the first image and click OK. Now select the first shape created in the step 5 and make a copy of it, then bring the copy to front. Keep this copy selected, hold down the Shift and click on the shape with shadow effect applied in this step. Right-click on the artboard and then select the Make Clipping Mask section from the drop-down menu. Finally hide the clipping set behind the shape created in second image of the step 5.

7. Next come other pages. Select the first shape created in the step 5 and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it, then move the copy 3px Having the newly created shape selected and add a 1px very dark grayish blue stroke (# 6d6e71). Then hide the resulting shape behind the first shape created in the step 5. Keep the newly created shape selected and make a copy of it. Move the copy 3px down and then hide it behind the first shape created in this step. Likewise, repeat the same process as the previous steps to draw more pages. Also you can see them all in the next to last image. Now reselect the last shape created in this step and go to the Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow… Follow the data like you see in the last image and click OK.

8. We will continue with the tic-tac-toe board. With the help of the Pencil Tool (N), create some paths like you see in the images below.

9. Before you continue, open the Brushes palette (Window > Brushes). In the Brushes palette, click on the “Brushes Libraries Menu” button (at the left-bottom corner of the Brushes palette) and you will get brush sets in various categories. Open the Artistic category and select the Artistic_ChalkcharcoalPencil Now select the blue and the red paths created in the step 8, replace the existing stroke colors with very dark grayish violet (# 414042) and change the stroke weight to 1.5px. Keep the resulting paths selected, move to the Artistic_ChalkcharcoalPencil subcategory and click on the brush labeled as Pencil – Thin. Continue select remaining black objects created in the step 8, replace the existing stroke colors with very dark grayish violet (# 414042) and change the stroke weight to 1.5px. Still having the resulting paths selected, move to the Artistic_ChalkcharcoalPencil subcategory and click on the brush labeled as Charcoal – Thin.

10. Select all objects created from beginning step 8 to this time and hide them behind the last shape created in the step 5. Next select and group (Ctrl +G) all objects created from beginning step 2 to this time. We are done with the notepad for the moment.

Create the Pencil

11. Next comes the pencil. Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create two rectangles with dimensions: 477 by 102px and 537 by 54px. Reselect the two newly created rectangles, open the Align palette (Window > Align) and click on the Horizontal Align Center button, then click on the Vertical Align Center Before you continue, select the green rectangle and press (Ctrl +2) to lock it. Now pick the Add Anchor Point Tool (+) and click on the two points highlighted with yellow. This will add two new anchor points for the black rectangle. Press (Ctrl +Alt +2) to unlock the green rectangle locked in this step. Then press (Ctrl +3) to hide this object. Finally reselect the two newly added anchor points and move them 6px to the right.

12. Focus on the left side of the black object. Pick the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift +C), click on the upper anchor point highlighted with yellow, hold mouse, then drag it to the left and down. Keep working with the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift +C), click on the lower anchor point highlighted with yellow, hold mouse, then drag it to the right and down. Continue select the lower-right handle of this anchor point and drag it to the left. Finally select the upper-right handle of the upper anchor point highlighted with yellow and then drag it to the left.

13. Select the black object and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it, then replace the existing stroke color of the copy with red. Before you continue, press (Ctrl +Alt +3) to show the green rectangle hidden in the previous steps. Then press (Ctrl +2) to lock this object. Now pick the Add Anchor Point Tool (+) and click on the two points highlighted with yellow. This will add two new anchor points for the red object. Press (Ctrl +Alt +2) to unlock the green rectangle locked in this step. Then press (Ctrl +3) to hide this object. With the help of the Direct Selection Tool (A) and the Shift, reselect the two newly added anchor points and move them 7px to the right. Next select the black object and bring it to front (Ctrl +Shift +Right Square Bracket). Pick the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift +C), click on the top-right anchor point of the black object, hold mouse and drag it to the left while holding Shift. Continue click on the bottom-right anchor point, then hold mouse and drag it to the right while holding Shift.

14. Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a 19 by 102px yellow rectangle. Make sure that the newly created rectangle is still selected, hold down the Shift and click on the black object. Then release the Shift and click on the black object again (to fixed its position). Open the Align palette (Window > Align) and click on the Horizontal Align Right button, then click on the Vertical Align Center Finally reselect the yellow rectangle and move it 58px to the left.

15. Press (Ctrl +Alt +3) to hide the green rectangle hidden in the previous steps. Now pick the Add Anchor Point Tool (+) and click on the four points highlighted with yellow. This will add four new anchor points for the yellow rectangle. With the help of the Direct Selection Tool (A) and the Shift, select the two top and the two bottom anchor points of the yellow rectangle, then move them 4px to the left. Before you continue, select the green rectangle and press (Ctrl +3) to hide it. Now reselect the yellow object and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it. Keep the copy selected, hold down the Shift and click on the black object. Open the Pathfinder palette (Window > Pathfinder) and click on the Minus Front button, then press (Ctrl +Shift +G) to ungroup the resulting group.

16. Press (Ctrl +Alt +3) to show the green rectangle hidden in the previous steps. Still having this object selected and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it. Keep the copy selected, hold down the Shift and click on the left black object. Open the Pathfinder palette (Window > Pathfinder) and click on the Intersect Next select the remaining green rectangle and the right black object and click on the Intersect button from the Pathfinder palette.

17. Select the red object, remove its stroke and fill this object with the radial gradient like you see in the first image. Next select the right blue object, remove its stroke and fill this object with the linear gradient as shown in the second image. Likewise, repeat the same process for the remaining black and the two green objects to apply the linear gradients as shown in the images below.

18. Select the yellow object created in the step 14 and bring it to front (Ctrl +Shift +Right Square Bracket). Make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of this object, then replace the existing stroke color of the copy with red. With the help of the Direct Selection Tool (A) and the Shift, select the four right anchor points of the red object and move them 3px to the right. Next select the four left anchor points and move them 3px to the left. Now reselect the red object, remove its stroke and fill this object with the linear gradient as shown in the fourth image. Change the Blending Mode of the resulting shape to Multiply and then hide it behind the yellow object.

19. Select the yellow object and make a copy of it, then replace the existing stroke color of the copy with green. With the help of the Direct Selection Tool (A) and the Shift, select the two top and the two bottom anchor points of the green object, then remove them. Now reselect the yellow and the green objects, remove their strokes and then fill them with the linear gradients as shown in the last two images.

20. Select the shape created in next to last image of the step 17 and make a copy of it, then bring the copy to front (Ctrl +Shift +Right Square Bracket). Keep this copy selected and replace the existing fill color with new linear gradient as shown in the second image. Move the resulting shape 4px to the left and then hide it behind the shape created in next to last image of the step 17.

21. Select the shape created in next to last image of the step 17 again and make a copy of it, then bring the copy to front (Ctrl +Shift +Right Square Bracket). Remove the fill color of the copy and add a 2px very soft yellow stroke (# feefc1), then apply the Width Profile 1 for the resulting object. Focus on the second image, select the two anchor points highlighted with red of the newly created object and click on the “Cut path at selected anchor points” icon from the Properties This make the object becomes two paths. Select and remove the right path. Now select the remaining path and go to the Effect > Stylize > Feather… Enter a 2px Radius and click OK. Finally change the Blending Mode of the resulting path to Overlay.

22. Select the shape created in the second image of the step 17 and make a copy of it, then bring the copy to front (Ctrl +Shift +Right Square Bracket). Remove the fill color of the copy and add a 5px very soft yellow stroke (# 7e7b7b). Focus on the second image, select the two anchor points highlighted with red of the newly created object and click on the “Cut path at selected anchor points” icon from the Properties bar. This make the object becomes two paths. Select and remove the left path. Now select the remaining path and apply a 2px Feather effect, then change the Blending Mode of the resulting path to Lighten.

23. It’s time to draw the pencil tip. With the help of the Pen Tool (P) and the Pencil Tool (N), create two objects like you see in the first and the second images. Once your objects are drawn, reselect them and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of these objects. Keep these copies selected, open the Pathfinder palette (Window > Pathfinder) and click on the Divide button. Then press (Ctrl +Shift +G) to ungroup the resulting group. Select and remove the left blue object. Next select the right blue object, remove its stroke and fill this object with the linear gradient as shown in the fifth image. Now reselect the red curved path created in this step and bring it to front (Ctrl +Shift +Right Square Bracket). Change the stroke weight of this path to 2.5px and replace the existing stroke color with the linear gradient within stroke as shown in the last image. Finally apply the Width Profile 3 for the resulting path.

24. Select the shape created in fifth image of the step 23 and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it. Still having the copy selected and go to the Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow… Follow the data like you see in the first image and click OK. Now select the blue object created in the step 23 and make a copy of it, then bring the copy to front (Ctrl +Shift +Right Square Bracket). Keep this copy selected, hold down the Shift and click on the shape with shadow effect applied in this step. Right-click on the artboard and then select the Make Clipping Mask section from the drop-down menu. Finally hide the clipping set behind the shape created in fifth image of the step 23.

25. We are going to start making highlights and shadows on the pencil tip to give it more of a 3D look. With the help of the Pen Tool (P) and the Gradient Tool (G), create a shape like you see in the first and the second images. Next apply a 6px Gaussian Blur effect for the newly created shape. Continue with the Pen Tool (P), create an orange shape (# c47949) as shown in the fourth image. Then apply a 2px Gaussian Blur effect for this shape. Now select the shape created in fifth image of the step 23 and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it. Still having the copy selected, hold down the Shift and click on the two shapes with shadow effect applied in this step. Right-click on the artboard and then select the Make Clipping Mask section from the drop-down menu.

26. We are going to add a wooden texture on the pencil tip. First, draw a curved path with the Pen Tool (P) and give it a 5px very dark orange stroke (# 6d2b0c) for the moment. Continue to draw more curved paths until you have something like in the second image. Once your paths are drawn, reselect and group (Ctrl +G) them. Apply a 2px Gaussian Blur effect for the newly created group, then change the Blending Mode to Hard Light and reduce its Opacity to 50%. Having the resulting shapes selected, press (Ctrl +X) to cut them. Then pick the Selection Tool (V), double-click on the clipping set created in the step 25 and press (Ctrl +F) to paste the shapes were cut in this step. Finally, double-click on the anywhere outside of the clipping set.

27. Select the blue object and bring it to front (Ctrl +Shift +Right Square Bracket). Remove the stroke of this object and fill it with the linear gradient as shown in the first image. Then send the resulting shape to back (Ctrl +Shift +Left Square Bracket). With the Pen Tool (P), create three objects like you see in the third image. Once your objects are drawn, remove their strokes and then fill these objects as shown in the last two images.

28. Select the two bigger shapes created in the step 27 and go to the Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur… Enter a 2px Radius and click OK. Next select the remaining shape created in the step 27 and apply a 1px Gaussian Blur effect for it. Now reselect three shapes with blur effects applied in this step and press (Ctrl +X) to cut them. Then pick the Selection Tool (V), double-click on the clipping set created in the step 24 and press (Ctrl +F) to paste the shapes were cut in this step. Finally, double-click on the anywhere outside of the clipping set.

29. Select all objects created from beginning step 23 to this time and then send them to back (Ctrl +Shift +Left Square Bracket). At this point your pencil should looks like in the last image.

30. Now pick the Type Tool (T), open the Character palette (Window > Type > Character) and set the data as shown below. Then simply click on your artboard. Add a word “HB” and set its color to white (# ffffff), then add a 1px black stroke (# 0f0000) for this word. Reselect the newly created word and go to the Object > Transform > Rotate… Enter a -90 degrees Angle and click OK, then place the resulting word to the position as shown in the last image.

31. To give a more realistic look I’m going to be adding some shadows on some key places. With the help of the Pen Tool (P) and the Gradient Tool (G), create a shape like you see in the first and the second images. Apply a 3px Gaussian Blur effect for the newly created shape. Next hide the resulting shape behind the pencil.

32. Select the shape created in the step 31 and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it. Replace the existing fill color of the copy with very dark red (# 231f20). Keep the newly created shape selected, open the Appearance palette (Window > Appearance) and click on the Gaussian Blur In the Gaussian Blur dialog box, enter a 10px Radius and click OK, then reduce the Opacity of the resulting shape to 50%. Move this shape 11px down and 5px to the left, then press (Ctrl +Left Square Bracket) to hide it behind the shape created in the step 31. Now reselect and group (Ctrl +G) all objects created from beginning step 11 to this time. Still having the resulting group selected and rotate it an angle of about 7 degrees.

33. Place the pencil to the position like you see in the image below. The notepad with pencil icon is done!

34. With the help of the Rectangle Tool (M) and the Gradient Tool (G), create a 990 by 836px dark cyan rectangle. The last thing to do is place the notepad with pencil icon into the newly created background.

Here is what the completed design looks like.