Follow this tutorial and learn how to draw a pizza in a box using Adobe Illustrator. The tutorial is composed of two main parts; creating pizza box and creating the pizza itself. We will start from some basic shapes and with a few building techniques that involve the Direct Selection Tool, the Align and the Pathfinder palette, Roughen and some simple effects. By the end of this tutorial, you will easily create the shapes that you need. Let’s begin!
Difficulty: Intermediate
Requirements: Adobe Illustrator
What will you get?
- Instant download of PDF e-book (55 pages, 44 steps)
- Comes with Ai file for easy reference
- Detailed step by step tutorial to draw a nice realistic pizza box
Tutorial Preview:
Create a New document
1. Launch Illustrator and then press (Ctrl + N) to create a New document. Select Pixels from the Units drop-down menu, enter 845 in the width box and 765 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.
Creating the Pizza Box
2. Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create two rectangles using the dimensions: 342 x 41.5px and 464 x 60px. Reselect the two newly created rectangles, open the Align palette (Window > Align) and click on the Horizontal Align Center button, then click on the Vertical Align Bottom button. Next select the smaller rectangle and move it 210px up. Finally select the top-right anchor point of the bigger rectangle and move it 4px to the right, then select the top-left anchor point and move it 4px to the left.
3. Select the bigger red object and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it, then replace the existing color of the copy with black. Using the Direct Selection Tool (A) + Shift, select the top-left anchor point of the black object and the bottom-left anchor point of the red rectangle. Then click on the Horizontal Align Right button from the Align palette and click on the Vertical Align Top button. Next select the top-right anchor point of the black object and the bottom-right anchor point of the red rectangle. Then click on the Horizontal Align Left button from the Align palette and click on the Vertical Align Top button. In the end your black object should look like the third image shown below. Finally select the black object and send it to back (Ctrl +Shift +Left Square Bracket).
4. Select the bigger red object again and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it, then
replace the existing color of the copy with blue. With the help of the Direct Selection
Tool (A) + Shift, select the top-right anchor point of the blue object and the top-left
anchor point of the red rectangle. Then click on the Horizontal Align Left button from the Align palette and click on the Vertical Align Top button. Next select the
bottom-right anchor point of the black object and the bottom-left anchor point of the red
rectangle. Then click on the Horizontal Align Left button from the Align palette and
click on the Vertical Align Top button. In the end your blue object should look like the
fourth image shown. Next reselect the blue object, make a copy of it and reflect the copy
vertically, then place it on the other side of the box.
5. Continue the process with the Rectangle Tool (M). Then create two 75 by 12px rectangles and then place these rectangles to the positions as shown below. Reselect the two newly created rectangles and the red object created in step 2. Next open the Pathfinder palette (Window > Pathfinder) and click on the Unite button. The resulting object should look like the final image below.
6. Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a 45 by 38.5px ellipse, then place it to the position as shown below. Make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of the newly created ellipse, replace the existing color of this copy with magenta and move it 5px down. Reselect the magenta ellipse and duplicate (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) it once, then press (Ctrl +3) to hide the copy. Now select the magenta original ellipse and the yellow object created in the step 5; click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder palette (Window > Pathfinder). Before you continue, press (Ctrl +Alt +3) to show the magenta ellipse that is hidden in this step. Keep this ellipse selected. Hold down Shift and click on the green ellipse you just created, then click on the Minus Back button from the Pathfinder palette. The result should look like the fifth image below. Finally create two black objects like you see in the final image.
7. Before you continue, select all four objects created from step 5 to this time and press (Ctrl +3) to hide them. Now select the black object created in the step 3 and fill it with the Radial Gradient as shown below, then remove the stroke of the resulting shape. Next select the two blue objects created in the step 4 and fill them with the linear gradient as shown in the second image, then remove the strokes of the resulting shapes.
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