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Simple Photo Touch-Ups In Photoshop
Create a simple vector Minion in Illustrator
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Just in case you’re not familiar with this character, so here’s
Most of the techniques taught in this tutorial are pretty basic, so if you’re a beginner you shouldn’t have problems following it.
By the time this tutorial is finished, you’ll have a better understanding of how to work with shapes and gradients in Illustrator, as well as plenty of experience using the Pen Tool.
You should, of course, have a basic familiarity with the Illustrator interface and tools before you begin.
Step 1
As always, let’s first make a sketch of the scene we’re going to render later. My concept art is of a Minion cleaning your monitor using a squeegee and a bucket.
Step 2
So let’s open Adobe Illustrator and create (the shortcut is ctrl + N/command + N) an A4 canvas (29,7 x 21 cm / 11,69 x 8,27 inches), 300 DPI, RGB.
Create a rectangle using the rectangle tool (M) on the bottom of the canvas.
Add a grey radial gradient using the gradient tool (G) . Use a 0 % opacity on the white color.
You can access each color panel by double-clicking on each one. Refer to the color values on the images bellow.
Step 3
Access the rounded rectangle tool panel (it’s an icon next to the rectangle tool icon) by selecting the tool, then clicking once in the canvas. Set the width, height and radius as the picture bellow:
Add a yellow radial gradient to it using the gradient tool (G). Use colors similar to the ones showed on the panel bellow.
Using the direct selection tool (A), adjust the bottom vector point to make it more fat.
Step 4
Let’s draw the shoe using a cool trick: using the ellipse tool (L) create two spheres. They should overlap on one edge, as shown below.
Access the pathfinder panel and choose the option called Unite.
With a little help from the pencil tool (N) , adjust the shape until you get this shoe shape:
Add a black radial gradient by using the gradient tool (G).
Duplicate the shape using the selection tool (V) + alt, then right click on it and go to Transform > Reflect.
Choose to reflect the Vertical Axis. Then just resize and place it bellow the body using the selection tool (V).
Step 5
Using the pen tool (P), create this half moon shape on the bottom of the body shape.
Create two rectangles for legs above each shoe using the rectangle tool (M).
And make a big rectangle on the center of the half moon, just like this:
Select all these shapes, then access the pathfinder panel and choose the option called Unite.
Use the direct selection tool (A) to adjust the shape to look more like overalls.
Add a linear blue gradient using the gradient tool (G).
Using the pen tool (P), create a little pocket. Use the eyedropper tool (I) to add the same gradient used on the overall.
Use the pen tool (P) to create each overall shoulder strap.
Add two buttons by creating them with the ellipse tool (L), add a black radial gradient to it after.
Using the pen tool (P) make this “stroke only” shape.
Then access the stroke panel and add a 3 pt dashed line. It gives a stitched effect to the overalls, in the shape of pockets.
Finally add a rounded circular shape using the rounded rectangle tool.
Step 6
Let’s make a quick design of the Gru logo. First make a perfect circle using the ellipse tool (L) + shift. Make a square over the center of the circle using the rectangle tool (M) and rotate it 45 degrees.
On the pathfinder panel, find the option called Minus Front. This option is quite useful when you need to make some specific holes on a shape.
Make another circle on the center of the squared hole using the ellipse tool (L).
Add a thin rectangle using the rectangle tool (M). Duplicate it and use the Minus Front option on the two shapes (big and little circles).
Finally add another thin rectangle using the rectangle tool (M) like the sample bellow. Then place it on the chest of the Minion body.
Step 7
Using the pen tool (P), draw a little mouth on the head of the Minion.
Now using again the pen tool (P) draw a little tongue inside the mouth, give a pink linear gradient to it.
Using the rounded rectangle tool, create his teeth. Align them a bit randomly to look funny and weird.
Add a light grey radial gradient on all of them.
Duplicate the mouth shape, send it to front, now select all the teeth and make a clipping mask (ctrl + 7 / command + 7).
Step 8
The Minions wear some big and funny glasses. So, first create a big circle using the ellipse tool (L) + shift.
Use the pen tool (P) to create the grabber and the strap pieces.
Add a metallic linear gradient to the big circle and the grabber, also add a black gradient to the strap shape.
Make a circle inside the bigger circle using the ellipse tool (L).
Make the iris and the pupil using again the ellipse tool (L).
Now, just add the correct gradient and colors to the shapes to get the effect we want.
Add with the pen tool (P) these half moon shapes on the bottom and top of the eye, to look like he’s laughing at something.
To create the other eye, just duplicate and re-size the eye shape using the selection tool (V).
Make the stripe and grabber with the pen tool (P) and use the eyedropper tool (I) to copy the same gradients.
Step 9
He’s not totally bald so we can add a few hair using the brush tool (B) with an Oval brush, add them randomly, just make a division on the middle.
Step 10
Using the pen tool (P) create this arm shape.
Use the ellipse tool (L) to create the hand, first make a big circle, then three smaller ellipses.
Add a cuff to the glove using the pen tool (P).
Add the same gradient used on the stripe of the glasses, just make sure it’s adjusted like the picture bellow. Make this adjustment using the gradient tool (G).
Add the same radial yellow gradient used on the body on the arm, use the eyedropper tool (I) to copy.
Step 11
We’re going to repeat the procedures, first create the shape of the arm using the pen tool (P).
Use the eyedropper tool (I) to add the same gradient used on the body.
Make these two shapes using the pen tool (P). We’re going to draw the fingers later; you’ll understand why soon.
Add the same black gradient on these glove shapes.
Step 12
Using the rounded rectangle shape create this shape, like a broomstick.
Add this support shape using the pen tool (P).
The squeegee part is basically just a rectangle created using the rectangle tool (M) and then adjusted using the direct selection tool (A) to give it a 3D appearance.
One more shape using the rounded rectangle tool and time to add some color to it.
Pretty simple: copy the black gradient and add to the squeegee. The rest is just a brown linear gradient. Adjust the ranges using the gradient tool (G).
Using a blue gradient, I also added little water drops using the pen tool (P).
Step 13
Now that we have the broomstick shape over the hand shape, let’s create three ellipses using the ellipse tool (L), this will be the fingers.
Use the eyedropper tool (I) to add the same gradient used on the other glove.
Step 14
Using the pen tool (P), create this bucket shape, then using the ellipse tool (L) create this on the top of the shape.
Add a grey radial gradient on it.
And add a linear metallic gradient to the bucket body.
Create a little circle using the ellipse tool (L), add a grey radial gradient to it.
Make another ellipse inside the bucket and add the same gradient used on the drops by using the eyedropper tool (I).
Add a handle using the pen tool (P) and add a metallic gradient to it.
Create an ellipse with the ellipse tool (L), then add a white to black gradient. Go to the transparency panel and choose the blending mode called Multiply. Set the opacity to 50%.
Step 15
Almost done, now we just need to simulate a blurred monitor. Create a new layer (ctrl + L/command +L) for this part.
First make a rectangle that fits over the canvas using the rectangle tool (M).
Add a light grey radial gradient and set the opacity to 50%.
Now create some rectangles using the rectangle tool (M).
Select all the paths. Access the pathfinder panel and choose the option called Minus Front.
We just need to add some blur, so go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur.
Final Result
Well, I hope you got a deeper understanding about gradients and other tools used in this exercise. If you have any questions or tips, please share it with us in the comments.
Download the illustration and final Illustrator files
About the author: Marcos Torres is a brazilian freelance illustrator/art director and also a contributor for Abduzeedo as a tutorial designer. You can get in touch with more of his work by accessing his
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