Creating an Environmentally Friendly Green Type Treatment

Tutorial Details

• Program: Illustrator
• Difficulty: Beginner
• Completion Time: 1-2 hours

Final Product What You'll Be Creating

With oil prices the way they are today, everybody is thinking Green. I have done many projects recently that require a Green style applied to the design. In the following Illustrator tutorial, I’ll teach you how to create a Green type treatment. It works great for logos and other design elements.

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Step 1

Create a document that is 8.5 inches by 11 inches. Choose a typeface for the type treatment (I used Helvetica Bold) and type out what you want. Next, Outline the text by going to Type > Create Outlines.

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Step 2

With the text selected, create a Linear Gradient from the Gradient Panel. Change the color of the first swatch on the Gradient Slider (left swatch) to a light green (I used these CMYK values: C=40, M=0, Y=100, and K=0). Change the second swatch on the Gradient Slider to a darker green (C=60 M=16 Y=100 K=0). Use the Gradient Tool (G) to adjust the gradient by clicking at the top of the type and dragging to the bottom of the type so the dark part is at the bottom.

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Step 3

Now we’re going to create some leaves. Start by drawing a leaf shape with the Pen Tool (P). Again, with the Pen Tool (P), draw a line that starts at the tip of leaf and ends in the middle of the bottom part of the leaf. After selecting the line and the leaf shape, press the Divide button in the Pathfinder Panel, located on the bottom left side of the panel. Ungroup (Command+Shift+G) the objects so you have two separate shapes.

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Step 4

Select both shapes and create the same colored Linear Gradient as the Text. Next, select one shape and use the Gradient Tool (G) to click and drag at a 45 degree angle across the leaf half shape. Do this again for the other half of the leaf.

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Step 5

With the Pen Tool (P) draw a highlight shape on the top leaf half. Change the highlight shape to a Radial Gradient. Change the left swatch to white and the right swatch to your green color (C=40 M=0 Y=100 K=0).

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Step 6

With the Pen Tool (P), create a stem shape and send it behind the leaf shapes. Create a Linear Gradient, make the gradient the same colors as the leaf shapes, and adjust the gradient so the darker green is at the top of the stem.

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Step 7

Next come the water droplets. Create an oblong ellipse with the Ellipse Tool (L). Then create a Linear Gradient using the same colors as the leaf and text. Adjust the gradient so the dark side is on the bottom left.
Create another ellipse on top of the previous ellipse and create a Radial Gradient with the same swatches as the highlight gradient. Adjust this gradient so the light part of the gradient is coming from the bottom left.
Create two more smaller ellipses with Linear Gradients matching the highlight gradient. Once you are done, group all the ellipses, scale and place them on the leaf shapes. You can easily copy the droplet by holding down Alt and dragging a copy.

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Step 8

The next couple of steps deal with creating the ladybug. Create an ellipse and fill it with a Linear Gradient. Make the first swatch in the gradient a red (C=0 M=100 Y=100 K=0) and the second an even darker red (C=0 M=100 Y=100 K=35). Adjust the gradient so the red color is at the bottom of the ellipse.
Copy (Command + C) the ellipse and Paste it in Front (Command + F). Draw another bigger ellipse that overlaps the center of the original ellipse. After selecting one of the original ellipses and the overlapping circle, press the Intersect Shape Areas button in the Pathfinder Panel. Make the intersected shape a Linear Gradient with the first swatch white and the second swatch red. Adjust the gradient so the white is at the top of the shape.

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Step 9

Draw five more ellipses over the ladybug body shape and group them together. Copy (Command + C) the original body ellipse shape and Paste it in Front (Command + F). With the copied body shape and the five ellipse selected, Intersect the shapes.
Change the dots to a Linear Gradient with the first swatch a really dark red and the second swatch a black red. Adjust the gradient so the lightest red is at the bottom of the combined shapes. Next, Copy (Command + C) the top highlighted shape of the body and Paste it in Front (Command + F).
Copy (Command + C) the dots and Paste it in Front (Command + F). Select the copied highlight and one of the dots copy and Intersect them. Create a Linear Gradient with the first swatch at 60% black and the second at 90% black. Adjust the gradient so the lighter black is at the top of the shape.

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Step 10

Create another ellipse for the ladybug’s head. Create a gradient the same as the top dots gradient and send the head behind the body shape. Draw an antenna shape with the Pen Tool (P) and place it behind the head. Copy (Command + C) the antenna and Paste it in Front (Command + F). Reflect the antenna by pressing the Flip Horizontal option from the pop-up menu of the Transform Panel.

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Step 11

Draw an ellipse roughly the size of the completed ladybug. Create a Radial Gradient so the inside swatch is black and the outside is white. Set the ellipse to Multiply from the Transparency Panel and send it behind the ladybug to the bottom left, creating a drop shadow. After grouping the ladybug and drop shadow, place it on the leaf. Then scale and rotate the lady bug as needed.

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Step 12

After selecting the leaf and all the elements on it, place them over your text. I placed mine over the first letter of the word.

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Step 13

Copy (Command + C) the leaf and elements, except the lady bug, and Paste (Command + V). Flip the leaf horizontally and scale down the leaf. When scaling you don’t have to constrain the proportions, this helps the leaf look different from the other. Repeat this step a couple of times around the text.

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Step 14

For the other leaves we are going to create an Art Brush. You can draw these elements with the Pen Tool (P), but you’ll find it more consistent and easier to use a brush.
Draw an oblong ellipse. Then with the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the right anchor point in the ellipse. When you select an anchor point the Control Panel will default to the Anchor Point Options. Convert the anchor point to a Corner (the first button to the right on the Control Panel). Do this again for the left anchor point. Next, squish the ellipse down from the top to half its original size.

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Step 15

Drag the oval into the Brush Panel and choose New Art Brush. In the Art Brush options change Colorization to Tints. This lets you change the color of the brush without creating a new brush. You don’t need to change the colors of the brush strokes for this tutorial, but it is good practice.

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Step 16

With your new brush, make a swirl shape for a leaf blade. You might need to change the stroke of the brush if it looks to small or too big. When you get a stroke you like, go to Object > Expand. You will also want to clean up the unfilled stroke. An easy way to do this is to go Object > Path > Clean Up. Also, make sure all the check boxes are checked and press OK.

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Step 17

Select the expanded brush shape and create a Linear Gradient with the same swatches as the original text gradient.

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Step 18

Repeat the steps for creating the leaf blade around your text. Try to vary the shape and size of the blades.

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Step 19

Next we’re going to add some more water droplets around the text. Simply Copy (Command + C) the droplets on the leaf you already made and Paste (Command + V) them around the text. Also, be sure to vary their size and shape.

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Step 20

Now it is time to work on the dirt at the bottom of the text. Double click on the Pencil Tool (N) in the Tools Panel to bring up the Pencil Tool Options. Change the Fidelity to 5 to get really smooth lines.
Use you Pencil Tool (N) to draw a small circular shape. Press Alt before you let go to close the shape. Next, create a Radial Gradient with the interior swatch a brown color (C=35 M=60 Y=80 K=25) and the exterior swatch a dark brown color (C=50 M=70 Y=80 K=70) . Place the spot on the first letter of your word. Scale the dot down smaller than one of the droplets.

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Step 21

Repeat this till you have a pile of dirt spots on you first letter.

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Step 22

Copy (Command + C) and Paste the dirt pile until you have covered the very bottom of all the letters.

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Step 23

Draw a Radial Gradient ellipse like you did for the ladybug drop shadow. Squish the ellipse to about half the size. Send the ellipse behind all the artwork and set it to Multiply.

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Step 24

Repeat this drop shadow under all the letters.

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Step 25

For the background create a rectangle with the Rectangle Tool that is the size of you document. Give it a Radial Gradient, make the interior swatch white and the second swatch a light green (C=13 M=0 Y=38 K=0).

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Final Image

Now you have a nice Green type treatment!

Illustrate a Pair of Sweet Gradient Mesh Cherries

In this tutorial, we’ll explain how to create a pair of cherries solely with the Gradient Mesh tool. If you’re not familiar with the Gradient Mesh tool, then this is a great tutorial to learn how to start using it. You can create artwork with a semi-realistic to very realistic look with that tool. It can take effort to master, but it’s worth your time.

Final Image Preview

To begin with let’s have a look at the image we’ll be creating.

Step 1

I went and picked a nice image of some cherries that I thought would be good to recreate. You can get the picture of the cherries at Stock.xchng. Place the image in a new document on its own layer and lock it.

Step 2

We will need to set up some base colors for our cherries. With the Eyedropper Tool (I), I picked five base red colors with one highlight color. I have illustrated below which ones I chose. You can of course choose more, if you decide to go into more detail.

Step 3

Select the Pen Tool(P) and start tracing the outline of the left cherry. Then fill it with a medium red color that we picked in Step 2 (I chose number 5). Then select the Mesh Tool (U) and add a mesh line by clicking on the shape.

Step 4

Start adding more mesh lines from the bottom up by close to the middle of the shape.

Step 5

Add more mesh lines. Make it uneven. Some can be closer, other can be further apart.

Step 6

Continue to add mesh lines towards the top of the shape.

Step 7

In case you clicked somewhere, where you don’t want a mesh line, you can easily undo this by holding down the Alt key and clicking on the mesh line. (Instead of a plus sign, you will see a minus sign).

Step 8

The trick with mesh lines is that if you add too much it can get quite intimidating. Also, if a color is added it can look unnatural. Try to keep the lines to a small amount.

Step 9

Another thing with mesh is to start with a simple object, such as an oval.

Step 10

Irregular shapes will look funny first, when a mesh line is applied. I will show this later on. Just keep adding some mesh lines horizontally.

Step 11

Make sure you add mesh line close to the cherry outline. This will help setting up contrast areas.

Step 12

Now add mesh lines on the vertical. Below you can see the mesh object with its parts. We will soon select either mesh points or mesh fields, drag mesh lines, or pull some control handles.

Step 13

Drag your shape below the cherry image. This will make it easier for you to apply the colors, like highlights and shadows. Let’s add our first highlight. Select the mesh point shown in the image with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and click on the lightest color (number 1). This will set our first highlight. Our cherry is starting to come to life!

Step 14

Select another mesh point to add another highlight point, then fill it with the light red.

Step 15

Select the mesh point below the first highlight point and fill it with a darker red. Have a look at the cherry image and compare.

Step 16

Selected the mesh point below the previous one and fill it with a lighter red.

Step 17

Have a look at the cherry image. On the top right, you can see that it has a shadow part (Most likely from the stem). Select a mesh point near the top right and fill it with the darkest red.

Step 18

If you want to spread the color out a little, you can do this by adjusting the control handles. Pull them with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and drag them around to see how it affects the color.

Step 19

To define edges, we want to set the mesh points to the darkest red we have picked in the beginning. Select the outer mesh point to do that and fill them with the dark red.

Step 20

Sometimes, we need to add some highlights to the outline. So in between the darker points, select some mesh points and fill them with the lightest red.

Step 21

As you can see in the image below, if you select several outer mesh points and fill them with the light red, it will give the cherry a beveled look.

Step 22

Repeat this all around. Don’t forget to have a look at the cherry photograph. Nobody expects you to have a super genius photographic memory!

Step 23

Select the mesh points close to the most outer points and fill them with the darkest red. Add some dark points to the middle of the shape.

Step 24

Let’s have a look. Not bad, but a little dull, don’t you think? Let’s make the cherry more round looking.

Step 25

Now instead of selecting mesh points, we will select mesh fields. This will spread out the color more like a gradient. Select the mesh fields with the Direct Selection Tool (A), as illustrated in the image below, then fill them with the darkest red. You can compare the mesh cherry with the photograph and add more highlights and shadows, mid-tones and details.

Step 26

Now you have created a cherry as a gradient mesh object!

Step 27

Lets move on to the stem. Create a shape with the Pen Tool (P) and fill it with a green. You can pick the colors from the cherry photograph. Create the left half first.

Step 28

Now create the right half of the stem and fill it with the same color. Make sure that both shapes are closed and individual.

Step 29

Add mesh lines with the Gradient Mesh Tool (U) just as we did before. Sometimes, when you come close to the outline of the shape, you will see mesh lines overlapping and being outside of the shape. Don’t worry about these. They will not affect the colors for now.

Step 30

Add lighter and darker colors, as we did before.

Step 31

Repeat the same with the right part of the stem. In order to make them look like one stem, select the top-left most mesh point with the Direct Selection Tool (A).

Step 32

Drag it slightly to the left. As you can see, the colors are spreading with it.

Step 33

There you go. Our stem is almost ready.

Step 34

One last thing. Create a small shape with the Pen Tool (P) for the tip of the stem. Add mesh lines with the Gradient Mesh Tool (U) and select mesh points, then fill them with brown colors.

Conclusion

Now we have all our parts and the cherry pair is ready. Of course I made a copy of the cherry, reflected it, and moved all parts together. I also added some shadows (I applied the Gaussian Blur). I hope you enjoyed this Gradient Mesh tutorial.