Create a yummy vector cupcake

 

Step 1

Create an irregular shape as in the image below. You can either use the Pen Tool (P) or start with an ellipse (L) and then move the anchor points and adjust the handles with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift+C).
Fill the shape with a solid color, R = 255 G = 174 B = 209 and set the stroke to none.
Copy Cmd/Ctrl+C and paste in back Cmd/Ctrl+B then drag it a little bit down and to the right as in the image.

Fill the bottom shape with the pink gradient as in the image. The numbers in the image represent the RGB values of the the gradient colors.

Step 2

With the Pen Tool (P) create a simple irregular shape as in the image

Fill it with the gradient as in the image, no stroke.

Copy Cmd/Ctrl+C and paste the yellow shape in the back Cmd/Ctrl+B.

Keep it selected, enlarge just a little bit and shift a bit down. Adjust the gradient so that the beneath copy was a bit darker.

Step 3

It is the time for our chocolate coating. First with the Pen Tool (P) create an irregular shape as in the image. Fill it with the dark chocolate color, mine is R = 48 G = 35 B = 19.

Deselect, set the fill color to R = 98 G = 69 B = 35 and choose the Gradient Mesh Tool (U).
Add (just by clicking) a mesh point as shown in the image.

Deselect, set the fill color to R = 73 G = 54 B = 31 and add another mesh point as shown below.

And once more with the milk chocolate brown R = 123 G = 84 B = 39.

Step 4

Now we will put our cupcake into a brown paper liner.
With the Rectangle Tool create a rectangle. Fill it with some light brown R = 143 G = 108 B = 86. With the Gradient Mesh Tool (U) add a mesh point in the middle of the bottom edge of the rectangle. Now with the Direct Selection Tool (A) reshape the bottom part of the rectangle so that to obtain the shape of the liner (you will have to replace the mesh points and to add some curviness by dragging the handles).
Send the liner shape to back the liner shape – select and go to Object > Arrange > Send to Back or use the shortcut Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+[.

(1) We will have 19 mesh points on the horizontal edges of the liner. The middle and the two extreme ones are already there.
First add two more in the middles of each half. Then try to distribute uniformly four in each quarter.
(2) Still with the Gradient Mesh Tool (U) click somewhere in the bottom part of the liner (make sure you click on the mesh line) to get some more mesh points as in the image.
(3) Select all the mesh points on the bottom edge and change their fill to some darker brown, mine is R = 58 G = 30 B = 18.
(4) Starting from one of the extreme points select every second mesh point on the top edge and every second mesh point on the mesh line inside the liner and change its fill to the same color as used in (3).

Step 5

We will add some shadow that comes from the cupcake.
In Step 1 we created two pink shapes. Select the bottom one, copy Cmd/Ctrl+C and paste it to back Cmd/Ctrl+B, still selected enlarge it a little, drag and rotate just a little bit. Change the fill color to black.

Next select the liner. We aim to intersect the just created shadow shape with the liner shape. The problem is that the liner is not a path but a mesh object and the Pathfinder won't work in such case.
Don't panic. Go to Object > Path > Offset path and set the Offset size to 0px. This way you've just created a path that has the exact shape of the outline of our mesh object.

Keep it selected. Press the Shift key and select the shadow shape.
Go to Pathfinder Panel and choose Intersect.

Go to the Appearance Panel, change the blending mode to Multiply and decrease the Opacity to 18%.

Step 5

For your convenience block the cupcake (to do that select it and hit Cmd/Ctrl+2).
Choose the Star Tool (You will find it under the Rectangle Tool in the Tools Panel). Double click and in the dialog box set the values as: Radius 1: 200 px, Radius 2: 210 px (I increase the Radius 1 by 5%) and Points: 36.

This will give you the napkin with the right proportions. Send it to back, Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+[. Select (V) and rescale the napkin.
Fill it with a light blue gray R = 236 G = 240 B = 242 , no stroke.

Step 6

Create an ellipse (L) and place it symmetrically under the cupcake. Set its fill to black with no stroke, change the blending mode to Multiply and decrease the Opacity to 12%.

Step 7

Create another ellipse (L) and put it between the napkin and the cupcake shadow that was created in the previous step. Make sure it is entirely within the napkin. Fill it with the black to white gradient as in the image.

Change the blending mode to Multiply and decrease the opacity a little (I set it to 80%).

Step 8

It's the time for a cherry.
Create a simple shape of a cherry and bring it to front Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+]. To do that either go to Object > Arrange > Bring to Front or use the shortcut Shift + Cmd/Ctrl+].
Fill it with the solid color, R = 139 G = 0 B = 55, no stroke.

Copy Cmd/Ctrl+C and paste the cherry to front Cmd/Ctrl+F. With the Gradient Mesh Tool (U) add two mesh points as in the image.

With the Direct Selection Tool A, change the fill colors of some of the mesh points as in the image (the numbers correspond to the RGB values)

Decrease the opacity a bit (71%).

Group the two cherry shapes, select both and press Cmd/Ctrl+G.
Copy Cmd/Ctrl+C and paste Cmd/Ctrl+V the gradient shadow we used for the napkin. In the Layer panel place it above the cupcake group and below the cherry group. Position it and resize so that to obtain a nice shadow of the cherry on the chocolate cover.

Step 9

Now we will create the cherry stem.
(1) With the Pen Tool (P) create a simple two-points path. Set fill to none and stroke to R = 198 G = 221 B = 124. (2) Use the built-in Illustrator brushes from the Brushes panel (go to Window > Brushes). I chose the 3pt Round Calligraphic brush and set the stroke to 1,5 pt.
(3) Go to Object > Path > Outline Stroke.
(4) Copy the stem to front Cmd/Ctrl+C, Cmd/Ctrl+F, with the Option/Alt key on drag the stem copy a bit to the right. You should now have three copies of the stem, select the two of them that do not overlap.

(5) Go to the Pathfinder Panel and choose Intersect.
(6) Apply the gradient fill as in image to the beyond (larger) part of the stem.

(7) Create a tiny ellipse as in the image. In the Layer Panel put it below the two parts of the stem.
(8) With the Shift key on select the small ellipse shape and the larger part of the stem (the one with gradient fill). Co to the Pathfinder Panel and choose Unite.

(9) Create a small ellipse (L) and in the Layer Panel put it between the cherry and the twi parts of the stem. Set the fill to R = 73 G = 54 B = 31, no stroke.

Create A Mouthwatering Chocolate Covered Strawberry

It’s almost Valentine’s day and rather than getting your loved one the same old cheap gifts you get every year, why not create a chocolate covered strawberry illustration for them? You can easily apply this illustration to your own greeting card, t-shirt, or anything else you can think of. Moreover, you can apply this tutorial to other illustrations and logos.

Step 1

Create a new document and create an ellipse with the Ellipse tool (L).

Step 2

With the Direct Selection tool (A), grab the bottom anchor point, hold down the Shift key (to constrain the movements), and drag it down about one quarter of the original size of the ellipse.

Step 3

With the Direct Selection tool (A), grab the top anchor point, hold down the Shift key, and drag it down about one eight the original size of the ellipse.

Step 4

Fill the new shape with a radial gradient from the Gradient panel. Change the first color stop in the gradient to red and the second color stop to a darker red.

Step 5

With the Gradient tool (G) adjust the radial gradient so the lightest part of the gradient is at the top of the shape.

Step 6

Create a small elongated ellipse toward to top center of the berry shape. Fill the ellipse with a linear gradient with the first color stop a light orange and the second color stop orange. Adjust the gradient with the Gradient tool (G) so the lightest part of the gradient is at the top of the ellipse.

Step 7

With the small ellipse selected, go Object > Path > Offset. Once the Offset dialog is open, change the Offset to 4 px. This measurement might be different depending on the dimensions of you artwork.

Step 8

Fill the offset ellipse with a linear gradient with the same reds as the main berry shape. Adjust the gradient so the darker part of the gradient is at the top of the shape.

Step 9

Select both shapes, Copy (Command + C), and Paste in Front (Command + F).  With the copy still selected, move it above and to the left of the original ellipse shapes.

Step 10

Repeat the previous steps placing copies of the small ellipses around the berry shape. When you are placing shapes close to the edge, rotate them with the Selection tool (V) to follow the curvature of the berry.

Step 11

For this next step we are going to use the Pencil tool (N) because it is a quick way to draw paths. Before we start drawing with the Pencil tool (N), it is a good idea to set some tool preferences so we can get a smooth line while drawing. First, double-click on the Pencil tool (N) in the Tools panel to bring up the Pencil Tool Options. The option that we are most concerned about is the Fidelity. I like to set mine at 5 pixels to ensure a smooth line. You can always play around with these settings if you don’t like the line path quality in the next step.

Step 12

Now that our Pencil tool (N) is set. start drawing a shape around four or five of the smaller ellipses. Hold down the Alt / Option key when you are almost done to connect the beginning and end points. With the new shape selected, go Object > Arrange > Send Backward (Command + ]) until the shape is behind all the small ellipses.

Step 13

Select all the small red-gradient ellipses encompassed by the pencil shape, go Object > Path > Offset, and change the Offset to 10 px.

Step 14

With the new offset ellipses still selected, hold shift, and select the pencil shape. From the pathfinder panel hold down Alt / Option and press the Minus Front button. Next, change the fill of the new shape to a light red color.

Step 15

With the Pencil tool (N) draw a organic shape encompassing the bottom half of the berry.

Step 16

Fill the new shape with a linear gradient. For this gradient we need to add an extra color stop. To do this, simply click on the middle of the Gradient Slider in the Gradient panel. Change the first color stop to light brown, the second to a dark brown, and the third to your first light brown. Next, select the middle color stop and change the Location to 70 in the Gradient panel.

Step 17

Select the chocolate shape and Copy (Command + C) and Paste in Front (Command + F). Do this one more time so you have three total shapes. Select the top copy and move it down and to the left slightly. Next, select the moved copy and the one underneath it and press the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Change the color of the new shape to a dark brown color.

Step 18

With the Pencil tool (N) draw a new highlight shape towards the bottom of the main chocolate shape. Fill the new shape with a linear gradient and make both color stops white. Change the opacity of the first color stop to 40 and the second color stop’s opacity to 15 from the Gradient panel.

Step 19

Create a couple more highlights around the top left curves of the main chocolate shape. Fill each new shape with the same white gradient as in the previous step.

Step 20

Create a couple more chocolate drops with the Pencil tool (N) and apply the same gradients as in the previous couple steps.

Step 21

Now we can move onto the leaves and stem of the strawberry. For the leaves we are going to create an custom Art Brush, making it easy and quick to create the leaves. To start, create an ellipse with the Ellipse tool (L).

Step 22

With the Direct Selction tool (A) grab the right anchor point of the ellipse and drag it right to about double the original width. With the point still selected, press the Convert to Corner button from the Control panel. Next, fill the shape with a green color.

Step 23

Copy (Command + C) and Paste in Front (Command + F) the ellipse shape twice. Select the top copy and move it down and to the left slightly. Select the two top copies and press the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Next, fill the shape with a light green color.

Step 24

Select the main green shape and (Command + C) and Paste in Front (Command + F) twice. With the Selection tool (V), move the top copy up about half way up the original shape and rotate it so the points of the shape touch. Select both top copies, press the Minus Front button, and change the fill to a dark green color.

Step 25

Select the main green shape and (Command + C) and Paste in Front (Command + F) twice. With the Selection tool (V) move the  shape up and rotate it slightly, select both top copies, press the Minus Front button, and change the fill to a darker green than the previous step.

Step 26

Select all the green shapes and drag them into the Brush panel. When the New Brush dialing opens, select the New Art Brush radial button. In the Art Brush Options keep all the default settings.

Step 27

Use the Brush tool (B) with the new art brush and draw a leaf on the top of the strawberry. You might have to change the stroke of the path if the shape is too big or doesn’t look correct. When creating these brush strokes, make sure the darker part of the brush is facing down and the pointy part of the brush is facing away from the berry shape. If this is not how it looks after creating the path, press the Stroke Options button at the bottom of the Brush panel. When the Stroke Options dialog opens, you can select the Flip Along or Flip Across options until you get the desired arrangement.

Step 28

Create five to six more brush stroke with the Brush tool (B) and custom brush.

Step 29

Select all the brush strokes, Copy (Command + C) and Paste in Back (Command + B). With the copies still selected, go Object > Expand Apperance. With the expanded brushes still selected, press the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel. Next, move the new shape down slightly.

Step 30

Select the main berry shape, Copy (Command + C), and Paste in Front (Command + F). Select the copied berry body shape and combined leaf shapes and press the Intersect button from the Pathfinder panel. Change the fill of the new shape to a grey color and set the Blending Mode to Multiply from the Transparency panel.

Step 31

Use the Pen tool (P) to create a stem shape for the strawberry. Fill the shape with a linear gradient with the first color stop  green and the second a darker green. With the stem selected, go Object > Arrange > Send Backward (Command + ]) until the bottom part of the stem is hidden from the top leaves. All done!

Final Image

Below is the final image again.