Once the overall illustration comes together, we’ll use some warp effects to add a three-dimensional look to the oil barrel. Finally, we’ll add a grungy texture using a simple radial gradient, some simple blending techniques and a Sponge effect. The final color used for the oil barrel is easily editable so it won’t be difficult for you to use the colors that you like.
Final Image
As always, this is the final image that we’ll be creating:
Step 1
Hit Control + N to create a new document. Enter 600 in the width and 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 your click OK. Now, turn on the Grid (View > Grid) and the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). Next, you’ll need a grid every 5px. Go to Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid, enter 5 in the Gridline every box and 1 in the Subdivisions box.You can also open the Info panel (Window > Info) for a live preview with the size and position of your shapes. Do not forget to set the unit of measurement to pixels from Edit > Preferences > Unit > General. All these options will significantly increase your work speed.
Step 2
Pick the Rectangle Tool(M) and create eight 130 by 225px shapes. Fill it with the linear gradient shown below then make a copy in front (Control + C > Control + F). The white numbers from the gradient image stand for location percentage.
Step 3
Again, use the Rectangle Tool(M) and create four, 140 by 5px shapes. Fill them with a simple red, and place them as shown in the following image. The Snap to Grid should ease your work. Select all four rectangles and turn them into a compound path (Object > Compound Path > Make).
Step 4
Select the compound path created in the previous step along with the copy of the rectangle created in the second step, then open the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder) and click on the Minus Front button. Move to the Layers panel and you will find a group with three simple rectangles. Ungroup them (Shift + Control + G), fill them with white then duplicate them (Control + C > Control + F).
Step 5
Pick the Ellipse Tool(L), create two, 180 by 65px shapes and a 180 by 75px shape. Fill them with a random color and place them as shown in the following image. Again, the Snap to Grid will ease your work.
Step 6
Focus on top shape created in the previous step. Select it along with the copy of the top, white rectangle and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Move to the Layers panel and you will find a group with four new shapes. Select the two, left shapes and lower their opacity to 35% then select the other two shapes and lower their opacity to 15%. Finally, fill them with the linear gradient shown below. The yellow zero from the gradient image stands for opacity percentage.
Step 7
Move to the other two shapes created in the fifth step and repeat the techniques mentioned in the previous step.
Step 8
Disable the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid) then go to Edit > Preferences > General and make sure that the Keyboard Increment is set at 1px. Focus on the top, white rectangle, select it and make two copies in front (Control + C > Control + F > Control + F). Select the top copy and move it 1px to the left. Reselect both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with R=35 G=31 B=32.
Step 9
Reselect the top, white rectangle and make two copies in front (Control + C > Control + F > Control + F). Select the top copy and move it 1px to the right. Reselect both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with R=35 G=31 B=32.
Step 10
Reselect the top, white rectangle and make two new copies in front (Control + C > Control + F > Control + F). Select the top copy and move it 2px to the right. Reselect both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with R=78 G=78 B=78.
Step 11
Move down to the other two white rectangles and repeat the techniques mentioned in the last three steps.
Step 12
Focus on the top, white rectangle, select it and make two copies in front (Control + C > Control + F > Control + F). Select the top copy and move it 1px down. Reselect both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting with black and lower its opacity to 35%.
Step 13
Reselect the top, white rectangle and make two new copies in front (Control + C > Control + F > Control + F). Select the top copy and move it 3px down. Reselect both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with black and lower its opacity to 5%.
Step 14
Reselect the top, white rectangle and make two new copies in front (Control + C > Control + F > Control + F). Select the top copy and move it 5px down. Reselect both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with black and lower its opacity to 5%.
yStep 15
Reselect the top, white rectangle and make two new copies in front (Control + C > Control + F > Control + F). Select the top copy and move it 1px up. Reselect both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with black and lower its opacity to 15%.
Step 16
Reselect the top, white rectangle and make two new copies in front (Control + C > Control + F > Control + F). Select the top copy and move it 3px up. Reselect both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with black and lower its opacity to 5%.
Step 17
Reselect the top, white rectangle and make only one copy in front (Control + C > Control + F). Select it and move it 5px down. Select this copy along with the original white shape and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with black and lower its opacity to 5%.
Step 18
Move to the other two white rectangles and repeat the techniques mentioned in the last six steps.
And on we roll with the rest of the tut!
Step 19
Re-enable the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). For the following step you will need a grid every 0.5px. So, go to Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid and enter 0.5 in the Gridline every box. Pick the Rectangle Tool(M), create a 136 by 5px shape, and fill it with a random color. Then go to Effect > Stylize > Rounded Corners. Enter a 3px radius, click OK and go to Object > Expand Appearance.
Step 20
Grab the Pen Tool(P), draw a simple horizontal path and place it as shown in the following image. Make sure that it cuts the rounded rectangle created in the previous step in half. Once again, the Snap to Grid should ease your work. Select this horizontal path along with the rounded rectangle created in the previous step and click on the Divide button from the Pathfinder panel. Move to the Layers panel and you will find a new group with two simple shapes.
Step 21
Open the group created in the previous step, select the top shape and fill it with the linear gradient shown in the first image. Move to the bottom shape, select it and fill it with the linear gradient shown in the second image.
Step 22
For the following step you will need a grid every 1px. So once again, go to Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid and enter 1 in the Gridline every box. Reselect the group edited in the previous step, duplicate it (Control + C > Control + F) then place these two groups as shown in the following image.
Step 23
Pick the Rectangle Tool and create a new 136 by 5px shape. Fill it with R=45 G=45 B=46, place it as shown in the first image and go to Effect > Stylize > Rounded Corners. Enter a 3px radius, click OK and go to Object > Expand Appearance. Select the resulting shape and make two copies in front (Control + C > Control + F > Control + F). Select the top copy and move it 1px up. Reselect both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with R=35 G=31 B=32.
Step 24
Reselect the rounded rectangle created in the previous step and make a copy in front (Control + C > Control + F). Pick the Ellipse Tool(L), create a 165 by 30px shape and place it as shown in the second image. Select this circle along with the copy of the rounded rectangle and click on the Intersect button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with the linear gradient shown in the final image.
Step 25
Pick the Ellipse Tool(L), create a 47 by 2px shape, fill it with R=209 G=211 B=212 and place it as shown in the following image. Focus on this squeezed circle, pick the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift + C) and click on the left and right anchor points. This should add a bit of sharpness to your shape.
Step 26
Select all the shapes created in the last three steps and group them (Control + G). Make a copy of this group (Control + C > Control + F) and drag it down as shown in the second image. Open this new group, select the sharp shape and fill it with R=88 G=89 B=91.
Step 27
Select all the shapes created so far and group them (Control + G). Select this new group and go to Effect > Warp > Arc Lower. Enter the data shown below, click OK and go to Effect > Warp > Arc Upper. Again, enter the data shown below and click OK.
Step 28
Reselect the group created in the previous step and make a copy in front (Control + C > Control + F). Select this new group, go to Object > Expand Appearance and click on the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel.
Step 29
Select the shape created in the previous step and fill it with the linear gradient shown below. Lower its opacity to 50%, change the blending mode to Color Burn and go to Effect > Artistic > Sponge. Enter the data shown below and click OK.
Step 30
Take a closer look at the shape edited in the previous step and you’ll notice that the edges are a bit pixelated. We’ll use an opacity mask to fix this. First, open the Transparency panel. Next, select the shape created in the previous step and make a copy in front (Control + C > Control + F). Select this copy and hit the D key on your keyboard. This will add the default properties (white fill and black stroke) for your shape.Remove the color from the stroke then select the white shape along with the shape created in the previous step, open the fly-out menu of the Transparency panel and click on Make Opacity Mask. Now take another look at your masked shape and the pixelated edges should be gone.
Step 31
Pick the Ellipse Tool(L), create a 160 by 30px shape and place it as shown in the first image. Fill it with black, lower its opacity to 70% and go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Enter a 15px radius and click OK. Continue with the Ellipse Tool(L), create a 138 by 18px shape and place it as shown in the second image.Again, fill it with black, lower its opacity to 70% and go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Enter a 5px radius and click OK. Finally, create a 138 by 14px shape and place it as shown in the third image. Once again, fill it with black and go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Enter a 3px radius and click OK.
Step 32
Reselect the three shapes created in the previous step, group them (Control + G) and send the group to the back (Shift + Control + [ ).
Step 33
Finally, you can use a different color for your oil barrel. Just edit the gradient used for the masked shape to better suit your tastes.
And We’re Done!
Below is another look at the final product you should be left with now that we have finally reached the end of this all new Adobe Illustrator tutorial. But things aren’t quite done yet. Now it’s time for feedback. So please take a second and let us know what you thought about this tut in the comment section.