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Illustrator Tutorial: A Pair Of Eyeglasses

sunglasses-illustrator-tutorial

By Bao Nguyen

In this tutorial we’ll create a pair of eyeglasses, using basic shapes, the Reflect tool, the Pathfinder panel, the Appearance panel and some other useful functions of Adobe Illustrator! That being said, grab a cup of your favorite coffee and let’s jump into it!

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 800 in the width box and 600 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 Basic Shape of the Glasses

2. Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a 236 by 156px red rectangle. With the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the bottom-left anchor point of the newly created rectangle and move it 42px to the right. Next select the bottom-right anchor point and move it 41px to the left. Now reselect the object you just edited the shape and go to the Object > Transform > Rotate… In the Rotate dialog box, enter a -4 degrees Angle and click OK. With the help of the Direct Selection Tool (A) and the Shift, select anchor points of the resulting object. Then click on the “Convert selected anchor points to smooth” icon from the Properties Keep working with the Direct Selection Tool (A), adjust the handles of this red object like you see in the last image.

Create the Eye Wire

3. We are going to create the eye wire. Select the red object created in the step 2 and go to the Object > Path > Offset Path… Enter a -5px Offset and click OK. Now reselect the two red objects and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of them. Still having the copies selected, open the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder) and click on the Minus Front Keep the resulting compound path selected, remove its stroke and then fill this object with the linear gradient as shown in the third image.

4. Select the shape you just filled with soft orange gradient colors and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it. Then replace the existing fill color of the copy with new linear gradient as shown in the first image. Focus on the second image, select the anchor point highlighted with black of the yellow shape and move it 2px to the right. Next select the anchor point highlighted with blue and move it 2px to the left. Continue select the anchor point highlighted with red, move it 3px up and 3px to the left. Next select the anchor point highlighted with magenta, move it 3px up and 3px to the right. The resulting shape should look like the third image below. Now reselect this yellow shape and go to the Effect > Stylize > Feather… Enter a 2px Radius and click OK.

Create the Lens

5. Next comes the lens. Select the bigger red object created in the step 3 and replace the existing stroke color with (# 949590). Next select the remaining red object, remove its stroke and fill this object with the radial gradient as shown in the second image. Keep the resulting shape selected and go to the Effect > Stylize > Inner Glow… Follow the data like you see in the third image and click OK. Next change the Blending Mode of the resulting shape to Multiply.

6. Select the soft orange shape created in the step 3 and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it, then bring the copy to front (Ctrl +Shift +Right Square Bracket). Still having this copy selected and go to the Effect > Stylize > Outer Glow… Follow the data like you see in the first image and click OK. Now select the 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 outer glow effect applied in this step. Right click on the artboard and then select the Make Clipping Mask section from the drop-down menu.

7. Pick the Pen Tool (P) and create a dark grayish cyan shape (# 8d9590) like you see in the first image. Apply a 2px Feather effect for the newly created shape and then change the Blending Mode to Hard Light. Keep the resulting shape selected and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it. Still having the copy selected, open the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance) and remove all existing appearances. Next remove the fill color of the resulting shape and add a 2px dark grayish cyan stroke (# a1a8a4). Then apply the Width Profile 5 for the resulting object. Focus on the next to last image, select two anchor points highlighted with red of the newly created object. Then click on the “Cut path at selected anchor points” icon from the Properties This make the object becomes two curved path. Select and remove the lower path.

Create the Nose Pad

8. We will continue with the nose pad. With the help of the Pen Tool (P), create two objects like you see in the first and the second images. Once your objects are drawn, reselect them and fill these objects with light grayish green (# ebefe7), then add a 1px grayish yellow stroke (# c9d3a1). Finally change the Blending Mode of the resulting shapes to Multiply.

9. 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. Keep working with the Pen Tool (P) and create two shapes as shown in the images below. Once your shapes are drawn, reselect them and then hide these shapes behind the first shape created in this step.

10. Select all shapes created from beginning step 8 to this times and then send them to back (Ctrl +Shift +Left Square Bracket). At this point your illustration should look like in the next image:

11. With the help of the Pen Tool (P) and the Gradient Tool (G), create a very dark blue shape like you see in the first and the second images. Make sure that the newly created shape is still selected and go to the Object > Path > Offset Path… Enter a -3px Offset and click OK. Then replace the existing fill color of the newly created shape with dark grayish cyan (# 617a7a). Make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of the resulting shape, then replace the existing fill color of the copy with radial gradient as shown in the next to last image. Finally apply a 5px Feather effect for the resulting shape.

12. With the help of the Pen Tool (P) and the Gradient Tool (G), create a very dark cyan shape like you see in the first and the second image. Next apply a 3px Feather effect for the newly created shape.

13. With the Ellipse Tool (L), create an ellipse, with 3px black stroke (# 000000) and no fill. Then place the newly created ellipse to the position like you see in the first image. Still having this ellipse selected and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it. Next remove the stroke of the copy and fill it with the linear gradient as shown in the second image.

Create the Temple

14. It’s time to draw the temple. With the help of the Pen Tool (P) and the Gradient Tool (G), create a very dark blue shape like you see in the first and the second image. Apply a 7px Feather effect for the newly created shape and then send it to back (Ctrl +Shift +Left Square Bracket).

Create the Bridge

15. We’re done with the left part of the eyeglasses. It’s time for the bridge now. Pick the Pen Tool (P) and create two curved paths like you see in the first and the second images. Reselect these two curved paths, right click on the artboard and then select the Join section from the drop-down menu. Next right click on the artboard again, then select the Join Keep the resulting object selected, remove its stroke and then fill this object with the linear gradient as shown in the last image.

16. Select the shape created in the step 15 and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it. Keep this copy selected, swap the fill and stroke colors by clicking the bent double-headed arrow next to the Fill and Stroke color swatches in the Toolbox. Having the resulting object selected, replace the existing stroke color with new linear gradient as shown in the first image. Then apply the Width Profile 3 for the resulting object. Now focus on the second image, select two anchor points highlighted with red of the newly created object. Next click on the “Cut path at selected anchor points” icon from the Properties This make the resulting object becomes two curved paths. Select and remove the upper path. Finally select and group (Ctrl +G) two objects created from beginning step 15 to this time, then send this group to back (Ctrl +Shift +Left Square Bracket).

17. Let’s create the mirror image for the right side. First, select and group (Ctrl +G) all objects of the left part of the eyeglasses, then name this group “Left”. Keep the newly created group selected and go to the Object > Transform > Reflect… Set the Axis to Vertical and then click Copy. Name this copy “Right” and then drag it to the right. Don’t forget to hold the Shift key on the keyboard for straight dragging.

Create the Background

18. With the help of the Rectangle Tool (M) and the Gradient Tool (G), create a rectangle like you see in the first image. Next place the eyeglasses into the newly created background.

Add the Shadows

19. To give a more realistic look I’m going to be adding some shadows on some key places. Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a 190 by 9px ellipse, then place it to the position as shown in the first image. Remove the stroke of the newly created ellipse and then fill this object with the radial gradient like you see in the second image. Finally apply a 4px Gaussian Blur effect for the resulting ellipse and then send it to back (Ctrl +Shift +Left Square Bracket).

20. With the Pen Tool (P) and the Gradient Tool (G), create a shape like you see in the first and the second images. Once you shape is drawn, apply a 3px Gaussian Blur effect for it. Next send the resulting shape to back (Ctrl +Shift +Left Square Bracket).

21. Now select two shapes with blur effects applied in the step 19 and the step 20, then go to the Object > Transform > Reflect… In the Reflect dialog box, check the Vertical and click Copy. Then drag the copies we have just created to the right while holding Shift.

22. Before you continue, select the “Left” and the “Right” groups created in the step 17 and then press (Ctrl +Shift +G) to ungroup them. Now select objects like you see in the first image and go to the Object > Transform > Reflect… In the Reflect dialog box, check the Horizontal and click Copy, then press (Ctrl +G) to group the newly created objects. Drag the group we have just created down to the correct position as shown in the second image. Don’t forget to hold the Shift key on the keyboard for straight dragging. Now select the rectangle created in the step 18 and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F), then bring the copy to front (Ctrl +Shift +Right Square Bracket). Keep the copy selected and replace the existing fill color with new linear gradient as shown in the third image. Change the Blending Mode of the resulting rectangle to Multiply and reduce its Opacity to 50%, then move this object 60px Still having the resulting rectangle selected, hold down the Shift and click on the group created in this step. Next open the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance) and click on the Make Mask button. Finally hide the resulting object behind the eyeglasses.

Here is what the completed design looks like.