In this tutorial, we'll create a unique Magnifying Glass shown enlarging a selection of text. We'll work primarily with the pathfinder and basic shape tools to cut out our shapes for this illustration, though the pen tool will also be used. We color the elements along the way using various gradients.
Final Image Preview
Before we get started, let's take a look at the image we'll be creating. Below is the completed illustration to see what you're working toward.
Step 1
Create new document, 800px by 600px will do. Type some text using a big font size. I am using Futura for this design. After that, apply create outline (Shift + Ctrl + O) to the text. Then apply a gradient color to the text, as shown below.
Step 2
Grab the pen tool and draw a shape, as shown below. Copy (CTRL + C) the outlined text and paste in front (CTRL + F) of it. Select both paths and choose intersect shape areas from the pathfinder tool.
Step 3
Repeat step 2 to create a shadow using different color.
Step 4
Grab the Ellipse tool and draw a circle. Copy the circle and paste in front. Then hold ALT + Shift and resize it. Select both of the circles and subtract from shape area using pathfinder. Then Expand it.
Step 5
Position the donut shape and apply the color and stroke setting, as shown below.
Step 6
Grab the rounded rectangle tool and click once on the screen to bring up the dialogue box. Create a 150px width, 50px height, and 20px corner radius rectangle. Fill it with a gradient color shown below with a -111 ° angle. Also, apply a 1px stroke with the same color we used before.
Step 7
Now, we need to add some shading. We can do this using the same technique we used to create the orange top area for the text in step 2. For area 1, we use a white to black gradient with a 57 ° angle. For area 2, we use the same gradient with a 253 ° angle. For area 3, we use a black color.
Step 8
Using the same technique, create something like a rubber or cloth band. Use a white color and a 0.5px stroke.
Step 9
Now we draw the ribbons.
Step 10
Create a rectangle using rectangle tool as our background. Apply a radial gradient to it. Then draw a shadow using the ellipse tool.
Step 11
We are almost there. Add a white circle below all layers, but above the text layer. Set the opacity to 10%. Create a shinning area using the pathfinder. Fill it with a white color, and set the opacity to 5%.
Conclusion
Finally, add some shadow for the text layer because it is under the donut shape. Well, that's all about it.
This tutorial only required some drawing skills. In this tutorial, we often repeated the process where we need to copy and paste a path in front of another path. This allows us to easily make an intersection, often done via pathfinder tools. I Hope you enjoy the tutorial and leave some comments. Cheers!
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User Comments
( ADD YOURS )Mark June 20th
first
( )K3v June 20th
Nice and easy
( )Sacha June 20th
Umm.. nice but… in order to magnify things, a magnifying glass needs a lens. The way you added that piece of cloth implies there is no lens, only an empty frame.
( )Reid June 20th
Wow that was pretty easy to learn… nice tutorial
( )Ben Griffiths June 20th
Great tut with a fun end result, thanks
( )macias June 20th
looks nice..
( )D. Carreira June 20th
Great tutorial and nicely explained, thanks!
David Carreira
( )John June 20th
Excellent! Big improvement on the previous tutorials!
( )Andrei Constantin June 20th
Not half bad, keep them coming
( )Htoo Tay Zar June 20th
Nice tuts but I feel it’s miss something. Anyway, thanks I wish to learn drawing vector cartoons
( )accessoire June 20th
The tuts are getting better :)!
( )crazyhunk June 20th
I am glad vectortuts started ……… I really have a lot less idea abt the various functions in Illustrator… since I mainly work in Photoshop…
Thanx a lot….
( )Gilberto Saraiva June 20th
Thats what I’m talking about!
( )Great art!
Nate June 20th
Nice and enjoying to do. Thanks
( )Danny June 20th
great tutorial, fun result! love it
( )Ali June 20th
Nice final result, being really new with illustrator nice to see tutorials like this, I think it’ll come very useful as logo/icon use for a wordpress design maybe.. regardless still pretty good. I hope to see many more!
( )Braden Keith June 20th
Kind of repetitive from the other tutorials but I did like how you explained steps better and I found the masking of the graphic on the text useful.
( )MoNsTeR June 20th
Great techniques.
Not my style but great steps to know.
Keep ‘em cummin’.
( )D.A.T. June 20th
cool I really like this site.
( )Qvectord June 20th
great tutorial, i didn’t expect much of the wow effect like psdtuts.com because with vector graphics its up to your illustration abilities to create great work. and that can’t be taught
keep up the good work, I’m learning a lot abut illustrator through these tutorials.
( )BANAGO June 21st
Very Nice Tut!
( )Ovais June 21st
grt tut thanks..
( )Ahmed Nuaman June 21st
Good stuff
( )Braden Keith June 21st
BTW, the search on the homepage says search nettuts instead of searching this site. I don’t know if this has already been brought to your attention but just a heads up.
( )Splash June 22nd
Hmm I was just wondering… Every time I apply a gradient to the text it shows it as each letter has its own gradient. Help with that? [PS i'm really new to illustrator]
( )Igor June 22nd
Thank you for this great tutorial! This detail of conduct process shoud set the standard for future tutorials.
( )kailoon June 22nd
Splash
oh ya, I think that is the missing step. Sorry …
you need to ungroup it after you create the outlines. Then, select all, use the pathfinder, click the first shape modes (add to shape area) and expand.
Hope this can help. Sorry again for the missing step.
By the way, thank you for all the comments above
( )Adam June 22nd
just to point out…on the homepage, it still says “search nettuts” in the search tab!
hehe
( )Braden Keith June 22nd
Just to point out that I pointed out that the search tab still says search nettuts first.
( )Joefrey Mahusay June 22nd
Wow Really nice tut.
( )Bryan June 22nd
Just one question…I notice in your RGB colors some of the numbers go up over 255…how? I, like many others here have little concept of the ins and outs of illustrator, so sorry if its an odd question.
Thanks for starting the new site guys.
( )Roger June 22nd
Hey man, look at ur search. it says…
SEARCH IN NETTUTS
( )Arun June 24th
Nice and simple tutorial! Thanks!
( )Andrei Constantin June 24th
always wanted to give illustrator a chance but nothing could make me use it. now i have a good reason.
( )IsaacS June 24th
Wow! This looks as good as pixels!! Makes me feel like learning Ai might be a good idea, although I’ll still import them as smart objects to play around with them in Ps
Isaac
( )MD June 26th
Well, it’s just nice!
( )Black Bloke August 15th
Where are you getting RGB color values like 256 and 347?
( )Vector Graphics August 26th
Relay interesting tutorial…
[quote]Where are you getting RGB color values like 256 and 347?[/quote] Same question here…
Thanks!
( )serpentemx September 27th
Great tut! guys I’m trying to catch up, so keep it up!
( )