Create a Stylish Rifle on Illustrator

marcos333 — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 04:40:15 +0000

Since I was a kid, I wasn't really good at playing with colors, now that I grew up I decided to embrace this characteristic on my work. I've being trying to push more and more my black and white style and so I decided to create the "Two Bloody Weeks Project". Personal projects are quite good to experiment and being able to focus on some ideas and styles. So today I'm going to share one of the results of my latest personal project.

I advise you guys to at least take a look at my Gas Mask tutorial before proceeding on this one, because most of the techniques here are pretty advanced, most in terms of drawing, not so much on software. But even If you're a beginner, this lesson may give you some great insights regarding black and white illustration.

Outline

Step 1

As always a quick sketch is quite necessary and handy, let's think on vectors as ink, going straightt to inking is nuts as some of you already know that. This first part is about making the outline so we can have an idea of the structure, later we will work on applying shading to give depth to it.

Then let's open Adobe Illustrator and create a 9,97 x 5,49 inches (25,33 x 19,34 cm) canvas, CMYK mode, 300 dpi resolution.

Insert the sketch on this canvas and made another layer (command + L / ctrl + L)

I also decreased the opacity of the sketch, it's easier to draw over.

Well, let's start by drawing the scope, make two rectangles using the rectangle tool (M).

Make a rounded rectangle above them using the rounded rectangle tool.

Make another rectangle above the larger one.

And two vertical rectangles almost on the middle of the larger one.

Step 2

Let's draw the stock part of the rifle, using the pen tool (P) create this shape.

Using the same tool make this division inside of it. Then go to the pathfinder panel, select all shapes and choose the Minus Front option.

Add a protection part using the previous tool.

Step 3

The gear box part is quite simple, firs draw the main piece using rounded rectangle tool and the pen tool (P) , use the pathfinder option called Unite when necessary.

Draw the magazine using the pen tool (P).

The trigger piece should be also draw using the previous tool, use the sketch to make things easier.

Just added a display on the clip, and a protection on the bottom of it.

This quarter circle will be a display too later.

This part will be like the connection between the clip and the gun, draw it using the pen tool (P).

Yeah, let's no forget the trigger.

Using the ellipse tool (L) let's add some buttons.

Add a rectangle using the rectangle tool (M).

The bullet window can be made by creating two rounded rectangles one over the other.

Then I just added these two shapes to make more sense you know.

Here's another display created using two rectangles.

And a hexagonal display on the bottom of the clip.

And a last button bellow on of the displays.

Step 4

The front part of the gun, so let's start by making a rectangle. Then add a rounded rectangle vertically on it's border.

Add three of these inside the big horizontal rectangle.

Add a horizontal rounded rectangle, it's the front battery part.

Make these vertical rounded rectangles, than make a clipping mask over (command + 7 / ctrl + 7) using a duplicate shape of the horizontal rounded rectangle.

Now you're basically going to add a series of rounded and normal rectangles in this order.

When you finish everything, it should look like this:

Shading

Step 1

Ok guys, the first part was a piece of cake, but the shading it's a really straight forward part, so If you're familiar with the following techniques I would advise you to take a look on my latest tutorials. Let's begin this part by making a really important element: the hachures, just create a triangle, resize it to look thin and duplicate it many times. This way we can create hard gradient.

Lets begin with the scope, apply the hachures on the following shapes:

Made a reflex on this shape using the pen tool (P).

Use the rounded rectangle tool and then the pen tool (P) to erase the points you're not using and create these shapes.

Add a hachure on the bridge part.

As you're about to see next, being a remarkable characteristic of this style I always add a lot of details, like minor reflexes on the corner of the
shapes. Try to observe how I make them in order to understand when to use this resource.

Step 2

On the stock part i created a black fill inside the line, but separating the shapes.

Used some hacures on the protection part.

Again, I could explain where you should place each of this reflexes, but I think you should observe how i place then. it's not random, they are placed on the corners, making thin and sharp shapes.

Also added this hachured shapes to give depth.

Can you understand it now?

Step 3

Ok, let's go to the battery part. Start making this black fills using the pen tool (P).

Some hachures on this parts.

And some black fill on this part.

More hachures: add this one on the rounded rectangle shape, make a clippling mask on it (command + 7 / ctrl + 7).

And hachures on each of this minor shapes.

Finally a black fill a hachure above on this

Now add some reflexes and lights along the shapes like the samples bellow:

Hard reflexes like this one work really good on cylindrical shapes, try this out.

Ready!

Step 4

Lets make a huge black fill on the motor, use the pen tool (P) for this.

A black tilt fill on the display.

Some more black shapes on the following places:

Make a hachure using the pen tool (P) in this piece.

Make some reflexes on this magazine display.

The black shapes should be a bit offset, as on this trigger, it gives a irregular touch on it, tho really interesting.

Yep, really boring hachure around the magazine display, but try this one using the pen tool (P) and patience, you will see it's no big deal.

Here you can use one of the ready mades hachures, just make sure to make a clipping mask on the extractor.

Here's a nice trick: in order to make some realistic screws, first make two circles using the ellipse tool (L), make a white inside of a black one.

Then make another circle and 4 points star inside of it, you can do it by using the star tool, click once on the canvas while using it to configure the tool.

Finally add some rounded hachures.

And some quarter circles shapes around the star. Done, now you can distribute them along the circles with the same size around the gun.

Other trick: In order to make a glossy button, create two circles, the black one must be a bit offset.

Make minor circles inside the white one, just like these. Then place it on the little circles.

Here's another display, this one have a device that measures using a pointer. Don't forget to make the black shape offset.

The squared display is like a magazine display, I used this font. Make some hachures around it to give depth.

Let's design the bullets: first make the silhouette using the pen tool (P). Than add this white shapes and some black shapes, use the contrast as your friend.

Place them inside the magazine display.

Some hashing around the trigger.

Let's add these black shapes on the magazine.

And some hachures.

Here's some hachures and details you should insert on the gear box.

At this point, I think you guys already know what to do: add light and reflexes on corners and other parts, use your intuition, it's not that hard.

Conclusion

Regardless the fact that it's a quite long tutorial, I think the main idea here was not to try to make it identical, but learn the techniques behind the illustration so you can apply to your own projects. I hope you got some good insights and learned more on outline, shading, reflexes and how to add some details to an artwork. Also, don't forget to check out other designs I created for this project.

Download the Illustrator File

Click here to download the Illustrator file used for this tutorial.

About the author

My name is Marcos Torres, I'm Graphic Artist from Porto Alegre, Brasil. You can get to know more about me by acessing my Personal Website or by following me on Twitter: @marcos333. You can also see some of my last projects at my Flickr.

Stylish Illustrations by Mopa Design Studio

aloa — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:31:31 +0000

Estudio Mopa is a creative design studio with 5 young artists based in Brazil. They say that they "believe in the good side of things". Since August 2006 they've been designing a good deal of wonderful colored illustrations

Where to find them on the web:

www.EstudioMopa.com - Website with portfolio

Where to find them on the web:

www.EstudioMopa.com - Website with portfolio

About the author

Aloa is the moniker of the german/greek graphic designer/filmmaker & musician Alexis Papageorgiou. Im glad to share great artistic work with the readers on Abduzeedo. Contact me on aloa@abduzeedo.com or follow my Twitter and Facebook page

stylish

Create a Stylish Rifle on Illustrator

Outline

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Shading

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Conclusion

Download the Illustrator File

About the author

Sponsored Links:

Stylish Illustrations by Mopa Design Studio

Estudio Mopa is a creative design studio with 5 young artists based in Brazil. They say that they "believe in the good side of things". Since August 2006 they've been designing a good deal of wonderful colored illustrations

Where to find them on the web:

Where to find them on the web:

About the author

Sponsored Links: