Here you will learn how to draw beautiful orchid in a pot. The tutorial is composed of two main parts, creating the pot and creating the orchid plant. You will start from basic shapes, use the techniques that involve the Transform, Blend and with a few effects such as Grain, Spatter, Gaussian Blur you will easily create the shapes that you need. So let’s take a closer look.
Open a New Document
1. Launch Illustrator and from the File menu choose New. Type a name, set up the width and height of your new document then select Pixels as Units and RGB as Color Mode.
Create a Flower Pot
2. Pick the Ellipse Tool (L), create a 98 by 30px shape and fill it with the linear gradient shown below.
3. Select the new shape and go to the Object > Transform > Transform Each…Follow the data as shown below and then click Copy. Next replace the existing color of the copy with R=194, G=93, B=80. Reselect the result, make a copy in front (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) and then hide the copy (Ctrl + 3).
4. Select two remaining ellipses and go to Object > Blend > Make. Next, go to Object > Blend > Blend Options, select Specified Steps from the drop down menu, enter 30 in the box and click OK.
5. Press (Ctrl + Alt +3) to show the ellipse hidden in the previous step. While the shape selected, go to the Object > Transform > Scale…Check the Non-Uniform, enter a 108 in the Horizontal box and enter a 122 in the Vertical box and then click OK. Next replace the existing color of the resulting shape with new linear gradient.
6. Duplicate the resulting shape (Ctrl + C, Ctrl + F) and then move the copy 27px up. Reselect the newly created shape, make a copy in front (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) and then hide the copy (Ctrl + 3).
7. Select two newly created shapes and go to Object > Blend > Make. Next, go to Object > Blend > Blend Options, select Specified Steps from the drop down menu, enter 30 in the box and click OK.
8. Press (Ctrl + Alt +3) to show the ellipse hidden in the previous step. While the shape selected, replace the existing color of it with new linear gradient.
9. Keep the resulting shape selected, go to the Object > Transform > Scale…Check the Non-Uniform, enter a 93 in the Horizontal box and enter a 83 in the Vertical box and then click Copy. Next replace the existing color of the copy with R=51, G=11, B=5. Finally duplicate the resulting shape (Ctrl + C, Ctrl + F) and then hide the copy (Ctrl + 3).
10. Now reselect the shape created in the step 9 and go to the Effect > Texture > Grain…Follow the data as shown below and then click OK.
11. Press (Ctrl + Alt + 3) to show the shape hidden in the previous step. Fill this shape with none and add a 1px Stroke (R=66, G=37, B=33). Next go to the Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur…Enter a 2px Radius and then click OK.
12. Use the Pen Tool (P) to create a curved path, fill it with none and add a 4px stroke (R=136, G=41, B=28). Next add the Gaussian Blur effect for this curved path and then lowered its opacity to 60%. Finally press (Ctrl + Left Square Bracket) many times to get the result as shown below.
13. Continue working with the Pen Tool (P), create a curved path and then set the data for it as shown below.
14. Double-click on the blended object created in the step 4. Select and copy (Ctrl + C) the smaller shape. Next double-click on the anywhere outside of the blended object and then press (Ctrl + Shift + V) to paste in place. Now select and group (Ctrl +G) all shapes (except the newly created shape) created from beginning step 1 to this time.
15. Reselect the newly created shape, go to the Object > Transform > Transform Each…Follow the data as shown below and then click OK. Duplicate (Ctrl + C, Ctrl + F) the result and hide the copy (Ctrl + 3).
16. Select the shape we have just created and go to the Object > Transform > Transform Each…Follow the data as shown below and then click Copy.
17. Replace the existing color of the copy with new linear gradient. Next send it to back (Ctrl + Shift + Left Square Bracket).
18. Create a blend between two newly created shapes.
19. Now press (Ctrl + Alt + 3) to show the shape hidden in the previous step. Next replace the existing color of this shape with new linear gradient.
20. While the result selected, go to the Object > Transform > Scale…Check the Non-Uniform, enter a 90 in the Horizontal box and enter a 80 in the Vertical box and then click Copy. Next replace the existing color of the copy with R=51, G=11, B=5.
21. Keep the result selected, go to the Object > Transform > Scale…Check the Uniform, enter a 93 in the Scale box and then click Copy. Next replace the existing color of the copy with R=64, G=19, B=13. Finally move the result 4px down.
22. Duplicate (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F, Ctrl +F) the shape we have created in the step 20 twice times and then hide a copy (Ctrl +3). Select the remaining copy, hold down the Shift and click on the shape created in the step 21. Next open the Pathfinder palette (Window > Pathfinder) and then click on the Intersect button.
23. Now press (Ctrl + Alt + 3) to show the shape hidden in the previous step. Next fill this shape with none and add a 1px stroke (R=66, G=37, B=33). Keep the result selected, go to the Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur…Enter a 2px radius and then click OK.
24. Select the group created in the step 14 and bring it to front (Ctrl + Shift + Right Square Bracket). Next place this group to the position as shown below.
Add Shadows and Highlight to the Flower Pot
25. Create some curved paths and then set the data for them as shown in the images below.
26. Now we’ll add shadows under the pot. First, double-click on the blended object created in the step 18, select the smaller shape and copy it (Ctrl +C). Next double-click on the anywhere outside of the blended object and then press (Ctrl +Shift +V) to paste in place.
27. Replace the existing color of the copy with R=35, G=31, B=32 and add the Gaussian Blur effect for the result. Finally send it to back (Ctrl + Shift + Left Square Bracket).
28. Reselect the newly created shape and make a copy in front (Ctrl + C, Ctrl + F). While the copy selected, open the Appearance palette (Window > Appearance) and click on the Gaussian Blur section. In the Gaussian Blur dialog box, enter a 28px radius and then click OK.
Create the leaves
29. Now we’re going to create some leaves. Start by drawing a shape with the Pen Tool (P).
30. Once your shape is drawn, fill it with the radial gradient.
31. Next create other half of the leaf shape and then fill it with the radial gradient as shown below.
32. Next we’ll create veins for the leaf. Use the Pen Tool (P) to create two curved paths and then set the data for them as shown below.
33. Create a blend between two new curved paths.
34. Now we’ll create smaller veins for this leaf. First duplicate the newly blended object (Ctrl + C, Ctrl +F). Next double-click on the copy, select two original curved paths and then reset the data of them as shown below. Finally, double-click on the anywhere outside of the blended object.
35. Reselect the blended object just edited, go to the Object > Blend > Blend Options…Change the blend box to 20 and then click OK.
36. Add two margins for the leaf. Create two curved paths and then set the data for it as shown below.
37. In the end your leaf should look like the image shown.
38. Now, follow the sequence of images and draw some leaves similar to the ones from below. This process will take some time but you will not be disappointed with the final result.
39. At this time we have created two leaves for our orchid plant.
40. Likewise, repeat the same process as the previous steps to draw more leaves.
41. The third leaf has been completed.
42. Continue create the fourth leaf.
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