I love simple and sleek looking icons. I love them even more when they’re easy to make, and completely versatile as a foundation for a ton of other icons. With a little practice, you can probably whip out some really beautiful icons in under a few minutes!
Final Image Preview
Below is the final image that you’ll get from working through this tutorial. It’s my logo! But as you trek through this tutorial, you’ll soon see that you can apply the steps to almost anything you want. I’m a strong believer of dissecting other people’s files to learn from them, so here is the .ai file (AICS3).
Tutorial Details
- Program: Adobe Illustrator CS3
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Estimated Completion Time: 10-15 minutes
Step 0 – Check it Out
Let’s take a quick look at what we’re making here. Wait, what? Two shapes with just some minor variations? Yep. The beauty of this tutorial is that it’s simple, but also shows tips on how to apply transparency modes and simple shapes to create the effect of light, shadow, and depth.
Step 1 – Shaping a Solid Base
Create a rounded square by using the Rounded Rectangle Tool. Make sure to hold down shift to keep it proportionally constrained. Before you let up on the mouse click, toggle the radius of the corners by hitting the up or down arrow keys. Fill the shape with a 30% black (in the swatch palette it says K=30) to a 60% Black gradient and use the Gradient tool (G) in the toolbar to get it going from top to bottom. Set the stroke to a 1px black. Select your beautiful new shape, Copy (Command + C) and Paste in Front (Command + F), then while this copy is still selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path and set the Offset to -3 (make sure its NEGATIVE 3!). You should see a new rounded rectangle within the one you had originally made. Select the top two rounded rectangles (the copy and the offset, not the original), and go to Object > Compound Path > Make or you can just hit (Command + 8). With the new shape selected, remove the stroke and set the transparency mode to Multiply. Check below to see what it should look like by now.
Step 2 – More Depth
We’re basically going to be repeating what we just did to create another inner bevel. Select the original rounded rectangle, Offset it -3px, then without clicking anything, offset it -3px AGAIN. Select those two new shapes and make a Compound Path out of it. Remove the stroke and set the Transparency Mode to Screen at 25% Opacity. Time to create some environment by adding a simple shadow. Create a white Ellipse. Copy, Paste in Front, change color to black and shrink it down. Select both objects and Blend (Command + Alt/Option +B). Set the Transparency to 75% and the Mode to Multiply. Send this shape to the back (Shift + Command + [) and place it nicely under the icon. Resize it if needed.
Step 3 – The Icon
Time for the fun stuff! Create a simple shape (even a letter will do). Copy, Paste in Front, then Paste in Front again. We have three of this shape now, with the newest one selected. Tap the down arrow a couple times, then select the top two objects and use the Subtract Pathfinder. Set the Transparency to Multiply at 75%. Now select the original shape, Offset Path 3px (positive 3 this time) and give that shape a black to white gradient. Make sure the gradient goes from top to bottom with white on the bottom. Set the Transparency to Screen. And. We. Are. Done!
Conclusion
Some simple techniques, some tools we might not usually use in Illustrator, and a little bit of time can get us some awesome results. These steps are great for adding subtle depth to graphics and getting pixel perfect highlights and shadows. I’m sure you’ve noticed this style in many other graphics online, in typography and website designs too. Now you know how to do it! I hope you enjoyed it!
pretty handy stuff, overall I think this is worthy of a bookmark, thanks
This tutorial was really easy!
I thought the 15 minutes estimate seemed a bit ambitious but was able to complete it in about 20. It has a great bang for your buck and is great for the mockups I’m working on now. Obviously, there’s a ton of room for customization and flourish which I love; you give the user lots of room for their own creativity.
As far as unprofessional, I wouldn’t agree, especially for a user who is following a “beginner” level tutorial. It’s just very basic, but I think that was the goal 🙂
Thanks for sharing this, Brian!
thank you for share this tutorial.
noobs !!! lol …
shhhhhhwwwweeeeeeeeet!
may I just add one thing here, and I quote, ‘Difficulty: Beginner’.
Thank you for this tutorial
I just tried out this tutorial and I love how my little icon came out! Thanks for sharing!
10x !
I love vectips
Keep going 🙂
idiotic..it is not the matter to create the background of an icon. Major problem is to create the shape !
Why would a squarish object cast a circular shadow?
Awesome little tip, looks neat.
Thanks for sharing.
Ha Hoshimo
Nice to see you having fun doing tutorials. good work!
hey! i havent heard from you in AGES.
how you been? 🙂
thank for post
Nice and easy tut. Thanks Brian.
Get article! Long gone are the days of filtering through istock looking for the perfect icon. Definitely one to bookmark and email round the office.
I can’t select the levels underneath without moving the upper ones, and then they get trapped when you use the Make Compound Path command.
Good tutorial – although not up to the usual standard of vectips tutorials.
A few things I would have done differently,
– apply round corners effect to the rectangle (lets you stretch the shape without stretching the corners)
– you could have made much better use of the appearance panel, creating a neater work file and more importantly letting you create a graphic style for future use.
All in all a nice end result and a well written tutorial! thanks for sharing!
if my tutorials were as good or better than ryan’s tutorials, it would be blasphemous! haha, nonetheless, thanks for the tips. a lot of times for small operations like these icons, i don’t consider neatness of my files enough and i know i should. the appearance panel is definitely an option too, but i wanted to showcase the offset-path abilities since ryan has written a couple quick tuts using the appearance panel for complex styles for text already 🙂
Ehhmmm… who is Ryan?
I really appreciate your tuts! Thank you!
yeah nice one Brian, i would say 30 mins is more realistic by the time i read the tut. and flick back and forth to AI. many thanks for sharing your knowledge all the same.
thanks for the kind comments guys.
oh and Dem, it’s “UNprofessional.” NONprofessional just makes you sound silly!
Touche indeed, touche! Haha, nice one, and I too love the bevelled style, and I use it a lot when making icons and navigation tools in particular – it can lead to some really nice looking user interfaces
why don´t you accept critiques?, I like the tut, but accepting critiques is professional 🙂
Accepting critiques is professional, but “Hmm, ugly and nonprofessional” is a poorly worded, stilted comment with no constructive insight and is far from being a critique.
Hmm ugly and nonprofessional 🙁
“Hmm ugly and nonprofessional”
I’m eager to see you beautiful and professional tutorials, Dem!
Nice Job, Brian! Very easy to follow with a nice end result!
I want just to ask “Why?”
Anyway good job and great tutorial.
I really love the icons.
“Hmm ugly and nonprofessional”
this looks really good and no one would care if its professional or not
I love this!