The key to mastering this step is to think about how to add depth and dimension to the shapes while remaining consistent with their details. This is the most time-consuming part of the illustration process for me, but it’s important to devote a lot of time and attention to this step because the illustration should look finished at the end of it. Step 4: DetailsĪfter I have my base color, I then go in and add additional details that will bring the illustration to life. I find that pairing shades of one color with a different, contrasting color gives the best visual effect. It’s more visually appealing to keep the color palette as simple as possible. Try not to go overboard and add a ton of colors unless it’s absolutely necessary. There are a ton of great websites out there that can help you figure out your color palette (some of my favorites are Adobe Color CC and Flat UI Colors ). It’s okay to not have a full color palette in mind for your design. It’s time to start filling all of the outlines with color. You’ll have hundreds of shapes in your Illustrator file by the time you’re done with your design, so make sure to name and order them as you go to avoid confusion. It’s also a good idea to make sure you have your layers organized. After I’m done tracing, I like to smooth my lines out with the smooth tool and once I’m happy with all of the lines, I start to make adjustments to the composition.Īt this stage, it’s a good idea to lay everything out in the way you like so you don’t have to move things around later. Next, I turn my sketch into a vector outline by importing it into Adobe Illustrator and tracing the lines with the pen and shape tool.

Just sketch something that is clear to you and worry about everything else later. Don’t worry about spending a ton of time trying to perfect details. Keep in mind that this step shouldn’t be time consuming (I usually spend no more than 15-20 minutes on my sketches) because right now, you only need to get the image in your head down on paper. I do this by sketching on my iPad, but a pencil and paper work too. The beginning of my process is all about figuring out the composition, dimensions, and intent of the piece I’m working on. I believe that seeing another designer’s workflow can help build a strong foundation for your own, so below is the step-by-step process of how I create flat illustrations. But now, I have a process that saves me time and helps me avoid problems while I’m designing.

I had no idea where to start when I was first designing flat illustrations, and I made a lot of mistakes. But, if you don’t have much experience creating them or you don’t have a process to follow, they can be pretty daunting. Flat illustrations are all of the rage these days, and can be a great way to display information in an easy-to-follow way.

How to make a curse flat on illustrator