Killer Robot Tutorial

This is quick and easy to follow tutorial. A basic knowledge about using Pen tool is important since I won't explain the detail about it in this tut. This tutorial was inspired by classic Japanese cartoon movie I used to watch when I was a kid. Enjoy.

Tutorial Details

• Program: Adobe Illustrator
• Version: CS
• Difficulty: intermediate
• Estimated Completion Time: 45 - 60 minutes

Step 1

Use Brush tool or Pencil tool to make a rough sketch of robot. Since I will trace it with the default Fill and Stroke color (white and black) so I make the sketch in blue lines in order to make it easy for me to trace over it. You can use whatever colors you like for the sketch and for the tracing paths, just make sure they are two different colors.

Step 2

Rename Layer 1 into Sketch by double click it in layer palette.

Step 3

Click the new layer icon in the palette to create new layer, name it as Artwork and drag it below the layer Sketch. Lock the layer Sketch.

Start tracing the sketch using Pen tool (P) with the default fill and stroke color.

Step 4

Now that we have finished tracing the robot, it is time to color it. I like to color it with soft and warm colors so I can have the classic feel for it. I open Pastels and Metals swatches as I will use some colors from it.

Step 5

Start coloring the robot. Free you to combine colors do not be afraid experimenting with the combination as you can change them later.

Step 6

When you're done it is time to create a style for lights and shade -style is very useful as it make our work faster. Make any shape and fill it with black color, in Transparency palette set its mode to Multiply and reduce the opacity to 25%, and then drag it into Style palette. Once the new style has added double click it and name it as Shade. Now we have the Shade style.

Step 7

Next to make Highlight Style. Create a white shape, set its mode to Screen and reduce the opacity to 25%. Drag it into Style palette and name it as Highlights.

Step 8

Now we are going to make the highlights and shades of the robot. We are going to need the duplicate of each part right on top of the original so the styles will work properly. Okay now let's start with the shoulder, select it, copy it to clipboard (Ctrl + C) and paste it in front (Ctrl + F).

Use Knife tool to divide it into two, select the duplicate and drag the cursor crossing it as shown below. Decide where the light source coming from before you do that, in this tutorial I set it coming from upper left. Once you got the shape then apply the Highlight style to it.

Step 9

Apply the same steps for creating the shade.

Here is the result I got by this far.

Step 10

Next is to create the background. Make new layer below the Artwok, create rectangular that fit the artboard and fill it with any color you like.

Use Ellipse tool to make big ellipse and place it at center of the artboard.

Step 11

Select the ellipse then go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Zig Zag, apply the setting as shown below.

I change the background colors in order to make it match with the character's tone.

Step 12

Next is the final step; add a title onto it. In a new layer named "Title" type the title you like. I was using Arial for it, converted it into path (Ctrl + Shift + O) then modified each letters until I got the look of logotype I like. The modified font step is optional, you can just use whatever font you like as the logotype. But the converted step is a must as we will apply 3D effect to it later.

Step 13

Once you got the logotype you like, position it somewhere in the artboard as you want it to be. Ungroup the logo and apply Add to Shape button in Pathfinder palette then expand it.

Step 14

Select the compound path logo and apply Extrude & Bevel effect, set the setting as shown below.

Step 15

What if you don't feel satisfied with the extrude color after applying the effect? Well you can just change the logo's color which also change the extrude color automatically. Or you can change it manually, that's what I'm going to do because that way gives me more freedom to control the colors.

Select the logo and expand its appearance, ungroup (Ctrl + Shift + G) it so we have each path separate from each other (you might need to do this many times).

Step 16

Start re-coloring the logotype.

This is the final logotype I got.

Step 17

I adjust the size and angle of the logotype and I'm done.