Tutorial Illustrator : How To Create Air Plane Model Part 1

In the following steps you will learn how to create an airplane illustration in Adobe Illustrator. For starters you will learn how to using basic tools and vector shape building techniques along with the Pathfinder palette you will learn how to create the main airplane components. Moving on you will learn how to add shading and highlights for your airplane to give it more of a 3D look. Finally, you will learn how to add a simple background and some subtle shading.

Create a New document
1. Press (Ctrl + N) to create a new document. Select Pixels from the Units drop-down menu, enter 900 in the width box and 600 in the 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 you click OK.

Create the Fuselage
2. Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and use it to create a 370 by 72px object. Next select the anchor point highlighted with yellow and click on the “Convert selected anchor points to corner” button from the Properties bar.

Reselect the resulting object, go to the Object > Transform > Rotate… Enter a 44 degrees Angle and then click OK.

3. Select the object created in the step 2, duplicate (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) it once, then move the copy 3px up and then 1px to the left. Now select the top anchor point of the red object and move it to the same position with the top anchor point of the black object.

4. Reselect the red object and go to the Object > Path > Offset Path… Enter a -2px Offset and then click OK.

While the newly created object selected, move it 3px up and then 2px to the left. Make sure that the new object is still selected, pick the Add Achor Point Tool (+) and click on the two points highlighted with green.

Next select the top anchor point of the yellow object and remove it. With the help of the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift +C), adjust the resulting object to get the result as shown in the third image below.

5. Fill the black object with R=223, G=223, B=221. Next fill the red object with R=13, G=19, B=46. Finally fill the yellow object with R=7, G=78, B=129.

6. Using the Pen Tool (P) create an object and then fill this object with the linear gradient like you see in the images below. While the resulting shape selected, go to the Effect > Stylize > Feather… Enter a 5px Radius and then click OK.

7. We are going to start making highlights on the newly created shape to give it more of a 3D look. Start with drawing two object using the Pen Tool (P) as shown below.

Once your objects are drawn, fill the yellow object with R=233, G=255, B=255 and fill the yellow object with R=13, G=95, B=169. Reselect both newly created shapes and apply a 3px Gaussian Blur effect for them.

Continue with the Pen Tool (P), use this tool to create a curved path like you see in the third image. Fill this object with none, add a 3px stroke (R=0, G=147, B=210), then apply the Width Profile 1 and a 2px Feather effect for the result.

Now select and group (Ctrl +G) three objects created in this step. Next select the smallest shape created in the step 5,

duplicate (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) it once and then bring the copy to front (Ctrl +Shift +Right Square Bracket).

Keep this copy selected, hold down the Shift, click on the newly created group and go to the Object > Clipping Mask > Make (Ctrl +7).

Create the Wind Screen
8. With the Pen Tool (P) create an object as shown below. Once your object is drawn, reselect it and go to the Object > Path > Offset Path… Enter a -1px Offset and then click OK.

Keep the new object selected, go to the Object > Transform > Move… In the Move dialog box, enter a 0.5 in the Horizontal box and then click OK.

Make sure that the new object is still selected, duplicate it once and then hide (Ctrl +3) the copy. Now reselect two newly created objects, open the

Pathfinder palette (Window > Pathfinder) and click on the Minus Front button. Fill the resulting object with the linear gradient as shown in the sixth image below.

Finally press (Ctrl +Alt +3) to show the object hidden in this step and then fill it with R=10, G=10, B=10.

9. To add some details on the wind screen, first draw a 96 by 96px ellipse and then place it to the position as shown below. Next select the black shape created in the step 8 and duplicate it once.

While the copy selected, hold down the Shift, click on the newly created ellipse and then click on the Intersect button from the Pathfinder palette.

Next fill the resulting object with R=255, G=255, B=255.

Finally change the Blending Mode to Lighten and lower the Opacity to 10%.