Drawing City Portrait Using Adobe Illustrator Tutorial

Mokhtaar Faqeeh Posted on 29. Jan, 2013 | Comment in!

In this tutorial, we will demonstrate how to draw vector design of a city portrait using Adobe Illustrator Tutorial, this will be helping and useful for every graphic designer because in this illustrator tutorial we using some advanced techniques to get amazing drawing portrait, Not so difficult, just using basic tools. So let’s jump in!

Tutorial Details

Program : Adobe Illustrator CS5
Difficulty : Intermediate
Estimated Completion Time : 2 Hours

Step 1 – Mapping our design

Before start to compose, take a look of this sketch. The city portrait that we will create contains these elements: 1. Background with its contents, i.e. buildings, sky and cloud. 2. A reading man on the chair. 3. A road sign. We will draw the background first, then draw the others on different layers.

Step 2 – Sky with gradient.

Create new document with A4 page size and load Rectangle Tool (M) to draw sky. Then use Ctrl + F9 to call Gradient pallet. Set gradient with linear type, 90° angle and the color setting is white to CMYK Cyan.

Step 3 – Footway

Create a rectangle with #CDC3B8 color for drawing footway, located on bottom of the artboard. Then create an oblique line, you can use Line Segment Tool (\) or Pen Tool (P). Duplicate it, just use Selection Tool (V) and Alt + Drag it to the right side. After that, right click > Transform > Reflect. Set vertical axis. Then blend them. Select these two lines and click Menu Object > Blend > Blend Options. Set Spacing to Specified Steps. Give 8 then click OK. After set these options, execute the blending, click Object > Blend > Make (Alt + Ctrl + B). Select all lines. Click menu Object > Expand, then OK. Select all lines and select the rectangle too. Load Pathfinder pallet (Shift + Ctrl + F9) then click Divide. Right click on the outcome, click Ungroup. Then modify the colors like image below.

Step 4 – Divider

With Rectangle Tool (M), Create a Divider above Footway. Add linear gradient with 90° angle Now draw a #353535 rectangle behind it. Set the transparency to “Multiply” and reduce the opacity to 50%.

Step 5 – Across the street

Use Rectangle Tool (M) to draw road, then apply gradient. See image below for gradient setting. Create a small #CDC3B7 rectangle on left side. Distort it with Shear Tool. Duplicate it and bring the duplicate to the right side. Right click > Transform > Reflect, Set vertical axis. Then perform object blending like before.

Step 6 – The building

Create any shapes. We can use Rectangle Tool (M) and modify with Pen Tool (P) and Direct Selection Tool (A). Select this shape. Perform Draw Inside. Create #7F4C19 rectangle then reduce the opacity to 30%. Do the same way for the other shape. Now create the other shapes as complements.

Step 7 – The other buildings

To create the other building, we can combine rectangle, rounded rectangle and ellips. And use the pathfinder to unite them. Do some points editing using Direct Selection Tool (A) and Pen Tool(P) if necessary Create addition elements. Explore your creativity.

Step 8 – The clock

This clock is combination of some shapes. And the pointer is made from ellips. Use Ellips Tool (L) and lengthen while dragging.

Step 9 – Traffic light

Also create the traffic light.

Step 10 – Tree

Create the trunk using Pen Tool (P) manually. Draw the leaves, create some ellips using Ellips Tool (L) then distort them using Direct Selection Tool (A). Duplicate the tree. Reduce its size and adjust the color of leaves to #11763B.

Step 11 – Clouds

To create cloud, use Ellips Tool (L). Make some white ellips than unite them. Then duplicate the cloud. For the biggest cloud, add gradient for it. Linear gradient, soft blue to white with 90° angle.

Step 12 – The chair

Create a new layer and name it “Man & Chair”. Draw these rectangles to create s simple chair. The chair need shadow underneath it. Draw an ellips behind these rectangle, set color to #353535. With “Multiply” transparency and 50% opacity. And it will be better if you group these all paths.

Step 13 – The head of the man

Draw manually using Pen Tool (P). Create shapes of the head and hair.

Step 14 – Eyes

Use Pen Tool (P) to draw aye’e base. Or you can make ellips first then modify it with Pen Tool (P) and Direct Selection Tool (A). Add corners on the left and right side. After that, create eye’s pupil. Draw inside the base a black ellips. Then create two white ellipss for reflection. Duplicate this eye.

Step 15 – Face detail

Draw shapes of eyebrow, nose and mouth with Pen Tool (P). Draw inside the face. Create shadow like this image below.

Step 16 – The newspaper

To draw newspaper, you can combine some rectangles. Or you can use Pen Tool (P) to draw manually. Add the highlight and shadow of it. Use draw inside feature.

Step 17 – Shirt

Now we need to draw the base of the shirt. See image below for reference. Then create collar and button. Next, add the dark side for more detail outcome. You can draw inside the base.

Step 18 – Hands

Draw the hands, the color is same with face. And don’t forget to add shadow. Select the base of newspaper and use the drawing inside fiture. Draw the shadow on it..

Step 19 – Trousers

Here is the shape of the trousers.

Step 20 – Shoes

Draw paths for shoes behind trousers. Draw inside the shoes’ bases, create the dark side of the shoes, in the side and near the trousers. After that create the highlight. Create ellips and place it behind the shoes. Reduce the opacity. The shoe which is closest to the surface of footway will have a thicker shadow opacity and smaller size than another else.

Step 21 – The other shadows

We need to create shadows again on the chair. The shadows occured because there is an object (a man) sit on it. To create the shadows we have to back to paths of chair, and draw inside them.

Step 22 – Road sign

Next, Create a new layer named “Road Sign”. Then create rounded rectangle for sign post, then apply gradient for it, set like this following image. Create an ellips, draw behind the rounded rectangle. Then, on the top, create a rectangle. After that use Direct Selection Tool (A) to edit two points at the bottom in order to get closer. And also apply gradient for it. Draw inside it, create a rectangle then change the transparency option to “Multiply” and reduce the opacity.

Step 23 – Light bulb

Create an ellips using Ellips Tool (L) on top of the sign post. Then add radial gradient for the ellips, set like this. Draw inside the ellips, create this shape for shadow of the light bulb. Then apply linear gradient.

Step 24 – Arrows

Create a rectangle with #1A7C54 color. To make the point of the arrow, add the point using Add Anchor Point Tool (+) or Pen Tool (P) at the center of the right side of the shape and drag it to the side with Direct Selection Tool (A). And to create its frame just duplicate it and place the duplication behind the original, then change its color to white, and change the stroke color to green. Copy the shapes to create the others arrows. In order to get better perspective view, we have to do more editing. The arrow which near to us seem bigger than normal arrow. And the farther arrow looks smaller. Next, apply free distort for the text. Click menu Effect > Distort & Transform > Free Distort. Do some editing.