illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

[private]Here is the preview of one of my flash animations which is well received through ActiveDen click the image below to see it in action

illustratorcloud tutorial 0000 Layer 19 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

And since this was created such long ago i no longer have the source file of this in my system , the vector version 🙁 . Anyway i just wrote down this tutorial while i redrew it for another project that came across.

At the end of the tutorial you can download the source file as well .
lets move to some simple steps using pathfinder and offset path to create the weather icon of clouds pouring big drops of rain.

Step 1-

Draw a bunch of circles
illustratorcloud tutorial 0018 Layer 1 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

Step 2-

Use pathfinder to unite all the shapes in one , and if you miss some place in the middle which didnt add up to the final shape just use direct selection tool (A) to select and delete them.
illustratorcloud tutorial 0017 Layer 2 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

Step 3-

Give it a nice blue stroke with rounded Cap.
illustratorcloud tutorial 0016 Layer 3 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

Step 4-

Next Expand the stroke
Object > Expand
illustratorcloud tutorial 0015 Layer 4 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

Step 5-

Right click the shape and ungroup the whole thing
illustratorcloud tutorial 0014 Layer 5 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

Step 6-

Now i will use offset path to create a similar smaller shape in the middle.
Object>Path>Offset Path keep the offset in negative to give you an inner shape.
illustratorcloud tutorial 0013 Layer 6 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

Step 7-

Select the inner shape that you just created and give it a gradient fill.
illustratorcloud tutorial 0012 Layer 7 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

Step 8-

Now we have another filled area which HAD a stroke of blue behind it (as expanded in step 4) , select that and ungroup
illustratorcloud tutorial 0011 Layer 8 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

Step 9-

Select the white fill and using eye dropper tool give it a gradient as well.
illustratorcloud tutorial 0010 Layer 9 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

Step 10-

Select the two gradient filled cloud shape bring them forward
Right click > arrange > bring to front
Move the two shapes towards left a bit , just to give the blue outline some character and life. you will also noticed that i i changed the blue stroke tone here a bit.
illustratorcloud tutorial 0009 Layer 10 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

Step 11-

Just to add a little bit of interest in the cloud shape i created an eclipse shape using two circle and then again pathfinder to minus the front.
illustratorcloud tutorial 0008 Layer 11 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

Step 12-

Arrange this shape on the cloud somewhere anywhere you like to achieve something like this…
illustratorcloud tutorial 0007 Layer 12 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

Step 13-

Notice here i started to build up the final look , so i added a blue background to the cloud shape just to see things clearly on how they will look on my final project . Give the shape a bit of drop shadow.
Effects>stylize>Drop Shadow

illustratorcloud tutorial 0006 Layer 13 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

Step 14-

Create a copy Scale and arrange .

illustratorcloud tutorial 0005 Layer 14 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

illustratorcloud tutorial 0004 Layer 15 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

Step 15-

I drew a small circle and selected the top node with direct selection tool (A) and just pulled it upward a bit and then adjusted its handles to create a drop of water . This drop has the same gradient fill and same shadow effect.

illustratorcloud tutorial 0003 Layer 16 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

illustratorcloud tutorial 0002 Layer 17 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

Step 16-

We are done!
Here is what i came up with

illustratorcloud tutorial 0001 Layer 18 illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

Click on the link below to download the source CS file.

[download id=”88″ format=”3″]

illustrator tutorial : Create simple but effective Weather Icons in adobe illustrator

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sketch 8- 100 days 100 sketches -SpeachLess – {Personal Work}

[private]Year 2010 had been such busy year for me , during this year i really stopped writing anymore of the tutorials and got busy working for myself , getting myself ready you can say for the freelancer’s freedom. And i must say i have done it successfully . During this time i started my own online illustrations and graphics store and very successfully started getting orders for custom designs and illustrations which i like doing most!

During this time i found myself lost in creating FOR the client and started wondering if i was beginning to loose myself as an artist? … just to explore myself and the way i am going and my art is going i started 100 sketches , the idea is not really to produce all 100 sketches in coming 100 days but it is just a path to exploration  and i am so behind!! .

Yesterday i again doodled out some stuff and then started working on it having a clear idea of what artwork i am looking for so i doodled…. and got lost doodling 🙂 here is what i ended up creating.

sketch sketch 8- 100 days 100 sketches -SpeachLess - {Personal Work}

I will be uploading more in the series to my Flickr Set 100 sketches. if you are on Flickr dont forget to add me there

100days sketch 8- 100 days 100 sketches -SpeachLess - {Personal Work}

Project :- Self Exploration

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