Transcripts
1. Intro: in this class. I'm going to go through my entire process of designing and icon set from my initial thought process and picking everything out onto tips and tricks on making your design process faster and easier for you. I hope you enjoy the class. Let's get started.
2. Idea Process: I have created a free bonus for you to download, Phil. Free to print it out and you can kind of go along. Teoh, help shape your icon set. Um, so here are the steps to designing one. First you need to decide on a theme for mine. I decided on travel, and I wanted to do one of my favorite locations to travel to, and that is Scotland. The next thing you need to do is to come up with what style you want your icon to be do full color. A lot of times, people will dio Onley one color O r. Two color essentially and then another Really popular one would be your line style for mine . I wanted to do full color, and lastly, you need to just start jotting down some ideas to go along with your theme. Because mine was Scotland. I noted down a few things from my trip. So a car, because we drove all through Scotland, the mountains because the highlands were my absolute favorite part of Scotland. Um, along with things that they're famous for, like a kilt on haggis and whiskey and sheet eso I jotted everything down and then once you have all that, you need to start narrowing it down. I wanted to do five icons, so I narrowed my list down to five. So once you have your own list, please do create a project with icons you have come up with and include your entire process with it. So if you do print out the she'd make sure to include a picture so we can all see how you came up with your designs in the next video. I am going to go through designing each one of my icons, and I am going to include a lot of my favorite little tips when designing.
3. Designing Icons: when making icons. I like to have a separate art board for each individual icon in order to do so just go to file new. I'm doing these at 300 pixels because they're for the screen. I selected RGB and then for art boards. I selected five because I am doing five for the set. Just hit create. I'm closing because I have already created it and I have come up with a pretty simple color palette, and these are colors that I want to use, and I will also use tents of these colors, and I want to put them in my swatches with all of them selected. Go to swatches. If you don't see that, go up to window and swatches. Click what looks kind of like a folder, which is the new color group. I have selected artwork. I want to convert process to global and includes watches for tense. So okay, and just so I don't get overwhelmed by all the selections, I am going to select a recently other color and delete it from this watch is that way you are left with only the colors that you want to use, and now you can delete the ones on the art board. I've selected my icon style to be multiple color kind of flat design style, and I want them to be in a circle as opposed toothy square or rounded square. To start with your circle, you can choose any clear that you would like, and the first thing I want to do is to make the passport going to select the rectangle tool or M on your keyboard, make a rectangle, and then I am going to round these corners lately, so I'm just going to pull in on that circle, and then I'm going to change this to Blue. And it's just because I live in the US and my passport is navy and go to color guide once again. If you don't see that, go to window and color guide and I'm just going to select a tent that is darker. Used the Ellipse tour L on your keyboard, and I'm going to switch that to a white stroke and increase that stroke size once again. If you don't see stroke, go to window and stroke. So I like the 10 pixel stroke, and I am just creating that simple kind of symbol for the world, which is the circle with a couple lines just because every single country has a different style for the passport. So this is an easier way to kind of have, like, a more global looking one. I'm going to select the line segment and creating a line for the middle could make sure that it does not overlap that other stroke copy and paste this in front by using command C command F and then rotate this so that it kind of makes that X and then grab the ellipse tool one more time. Make sure that it does not come off for past the stroke of that first ellipse and you can make one more and change that. So it goes halfway between. Okay, So I'm happy with that. I am going to select every single one of the ellipses and those lines and just going to go ahead and expand Strope by going to object. Expand Phil and stroke hit, Okay. And I just want to combine this into one, so go to your Pathfinder panel. If you don't see it, go to Window and Pathfinder and use that very first option which is the Unite option. And it has now created one object for you so you can choose to type and passport. Or you could even do like a squiggly line which represents text. And I am buying with that fight. So I'm just going to go to type and create outlines. Group these together and so that it fits into the first aren't board. I want to go to that art board. Decrease the size of this and make sure that it hits the edge on every single side. And you have icon number one done. Grab the Ellipse tool and now I'm going to create a flag. So once again, the rectangle tool create a rectangle. The Scottish flag is blue with kind of like a white X. So I'm just going to use the rectangle tool for every single piece of this copy and paste in front with the Command C command half option. I'm going to combine the two white rectangles with the Unite option again, and then I'm going to select that blue background as well, and this is one of my favorite tips. If you have not used it before, used the shape builder tool holding down option. You will see the cursor switched to a minus sign, and all you have to do is run over each one of those pieces that you want to delete. And it's a simple is that and you have a flag. And I really like using that shape builder option as opposed to using the Pathfinder tool. Just to me. It is faster, and he's because I don't have to go in and UN group, delete the pieces and then group it all back together because it's already done for me. So I want this flag to be waving slightly in the wind so I'm going to go to effect war and flag. And then it is a hardy out the option that I want, which is 5%. You can dio higher one, but it's going to look a little too warped. Sun's going to go debt back down to 5% and okay, because I am done editing this. I want to go ahead and expand that appearance. So object expand appearance will decrease its eyes slightly, using the erectile tool again, going to make a flagpole and then the Ellipse tool for the top of the flagpole and combined those. And you can always add a little more detail to this flagpole, which I'm going to do by using the pen tool. I want to add a little shine, too, that a lips part and I'm going to increase that stroke. Change that cap to around Cat. And I actually want a lighter grey for that stroke and then, using the width tool, want to click the center and enlarge. So I like that. And then I'm going to bring a rectangle down in that same color down the flagpole, and I think I am done with that. So I'm going to select all of this once again, using the shape of builder, tool and holding down option. I'm just going to run over both of those, and now they're gone. The next thing I want to create is a bottle of whisky. One of the very first things I did once I got into Scotland was to go to the Scotch whisky experience in Edinburgh, and it was really fun. But I also learned that I am not such a fan of Scotch whisky. Ah, so you guys to get started used the rectangle tool or M on your keyboard going to select. He top two of those circles holding down shift so it just selects those two really round the top of this and then suck the bottom two and slightly around those I want to use the Ellipse tool. Create a rounded neck for that bottle. Uncertainty going back to the rectangle tool Zoom in using command and the plus sign round that rectangle and I will use the pen tool to great kind of like a stopper for the bottle. Assuming back out with command and the minus sign. Select the three pieces for the bottle and unite those. I am going to use white for that bottle, going to decrease the opacity command. See, in command F I'm going to change to that kind of like an orange color and change that capacity back to 100%. And I want to bring this size in. Okay, so I like that I'm gonna have the whiskey, as if has are partially empty. So what? The rectangle tool. I'm just going to overlap this. Select both of those pieces. So that rectangle and then what's the whiskey on the inside? and the Pathfinder tool Go to minus front. You're left with the whiskey. So command in the left bracket and it will place that behind the glass you could always right click a range. Send backwards sound is going to make a label for the whiskey. I'm going to go between the rectangle and the ellipse stool, unite, thes, and then use that shape builder tool. So I want to add some details to the bottle. So I'm just going to use the pen tool and follow along the shape of that label. So now that I've created the top, I wanted to also match on the bottom. Go to object. Transform, reflect. I want that to be horizontally preview and copy holding shift dragged down to the bottom because you can see the top of that label is a little more elevated than the bottom. So with a select the points and reposition them. So I'm just going to use the blob brush like I was mentioning with the passport, you can do kind of squiggly lines, and the kind of is a placeholder for text. It just looks like that someone to switch to white. I just add some squiggly lines and you can go on with the pen tool or the blood brush to do the highlights like we did on the flagpole. I'm actually just going to go in. Since I'm using the black brush and do it with this, I want to select those four pieces and just decrease that capacity group those together. And now I'm going to use the pen tool to create a glass. So holding shift for a straight line, it's of being straight down. I'm going to bring it and slightly at the bottom. Um, As you can see, this one side has more of an angle. So just using that No, Tuller am a keyboard going to bring in the other side. I want this to match the whiskey a bottle on the side. So I, which brings up the eyedropper tool on its going to select that bottle and it duplicates, or it matches that color and capacity Copy and paste behind, which is command C Command. Be what? The color of the whiskey. Once again, bring this in just like we did with the bottle. Actually want this glass to have some rounded edges, so select a on your keyboard. I'm just going to round. There's edges slightly. If you want to make ice cubes just a square, copy that style of the glass. Group them together and place in your like on. So the next one that I'm going to do is the kilt. So to do that killed underscoring to zoom in using the Z on this last art board. And I want to make the plaid or tartan pattern. So the first thing I'm going to do doesn't matter if it's larger than the art board. Want to use the screen and a white, and I want to decrease that capacity. I want to add in some different colors. I'm going to do the red. I also want to do the spot or two of that yellow, which is really bright. So I want to go into the color guide and changed the tent of that and all those pieces that you have already created. Other than that green background, you can group those so command G and then copy and paste in France or coming in, see command F and then holding Chef, just rotate 90 degrees. We're all a little bright for me, so I'm going to change the capacity for every single piece to 60%. That's better. Now with the rectangle tour, um, selected. Just click down once on the art board, and I already know these airports or 300 pixels. So I'm just going to make a 300 pixel square and the Align panel. If you don't see it, go to window on that line. If you don't see the distribute spacing and a line to go to the menu should say show options and then in the A line to make sure you have a line toe art board selected horizontal align and vertical ally in and then change the fill color to nothing. Select everything and then hit command um seven. And that creates a clipping mask. Go to object pattern and make sighs tile toe art. Save a copy and you are done because you have already created the pattern. Just delete that. So I'm going to use the pen tool again. We can kind of that same exact style for war. The glass but upside down so straight line larger on the bottom and right now has no filling her stroke. Just go to your swatches and select the tartan that you created because this is going to be smaller. I am going to go to transform and scale un select transform objects and in the uniform I actually want to make this larger and I like that. So just okay. And now I'm going to copy and paste behind. And I also you know that I have adjusted this. You may have to decrease the size so it's not larger in that first piece. I want to rotate that pattern so up to object, Transform and rotate once again un select, transform, object and click. OK, if you want this to look kind of a little more shaded, All you have to do is command See command after copy and paste, Switch to that gray color and then decrease the A pass ity moving to group thes command Copy Command pace behinds a commune C command be Grab these two on the side. Group them together. So command G or right click and group go up to object. Transform reflect This time I wanted to reflect vertically and copy and then holding Chef, just bring those in group all of those together and then I want to make the belt. Have all of these once again with the shape builder tool I want to make kind of like the buckle. So the very last icon I'm going to create will be mountains. Some of my favorite places in Scotland were in, like the Glencoe and I'll a sky area. It was just absolutely breathtaking. The mountains and the hills of Scotland are gorgeous. So with the star tool, make the star. If you hold down the down arrow key, you can create a triangle. Just gonna hold shift, going to do the gray color. I am going to make a rounded edges on each of the corners. It's kind of hard to see because of the background. So I'm going to go over to the icon, and you can choose to do the next step with a pen tool or with the blob brush. I'm just gonna use the blood brush and switch to the white color and kind of do like a snow peak. And you can color all of that in yourself. Or you can use the straight builder tool. Grab both of those unite. Hm. Use the mountain once again on the shape builder tool and you have a Melton holding option are all to duplicate. Grab everything once again shape, Builder, Tool option. And this is the final five icons for my travel sets. For Scotland, you can always go in and adds more details like a border for each one of the icons. You could even do some long shadows on each one of the pieces. So, for example, I'm going to copy this yellow, so come in and see Command F right click. Arrange and bring to front, going to switch this to a brighter color for the stroke. Increase that stroke weight, but quite a bit will do 25 and go to a line stroke and inside. Actually, I'm going to decrease that. Let's try 18 so you could have this border on every single one of these. So, for example, once again if I wanted to do the red, so there's the example. If you wanted the border on each one, you can play around with the colors, maybe want him darker as opposed to the lighter, and you can change how each one looks. For the most part, this one looks fine. other than the flag. If you wanted to export each one of these four cell on like places like Creative Market the best way I have found to do so, it's select each one individually. Go to file export selection. Have the former as PNG because I do not want a background added to these, and you can have them skilled so two times the size that would be 600 pixels can keep it the exact same size. You could even decrease it. We're changed the resolution for these export the asset and it puts them in a folder and then you can package them and upload them for self.
4. Project: I hope you enjoyed the class and learned a lot of good tips and tricks along the way. If you did find this class useful, please give me a like also, please share a project with me based on your favorite travel location. I would absolutely love to see it play something. No, if you have any questions or comments below. Thanks again, guys.
Lindsey Slutz, Surface Pattern Designer
