1. How to Create a New Document and Set Up a Grid
Hit Control-N to create a new document. Select Pixels from the Units drop-down menu, set the Width to 850 px and the Height to 600 px, and then click that Advanced Options button. Select RGB for the Color Mode and set the Raster Effects to Screen (72 ppi), and then click the Create button.
Enable the Grid (View > Show Grid or Control-“) and Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid or Shift-Control-“). You will need a grid every 5 px, so simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid, and enter 5 in the Gridline every box and 1 in the Subdivisions box. Try not to get discouraged by all that grid—it will make your work easier, and keep in mind that you can easily enable or disable it using the Control-“ keyboard shortcut.
You can learn more about Illustrator’s grid system in this short tutorial from Andrei Stefan: Understanding Adobe Illustrator’s Grid System.
You should also open the Info panel (Window > Info) for a live preview of the size and position of your shapes. Don’t forget to set the unit of measurement to pixels from Edit > Preferences > Units. All these options will significantly increase your work speed. Now that you’re set, let’s see how you can create a smoke vector logo.
2. How to Create the Smoke Letters
Advertisement
Step 1
Select the Type Tool (T) from your toolbar and then focus on the control panel or the Character panel (Window > Type > Character). Select the Cotton Cloud Smoke font and set the size to 275 pt, and then click on your artboard and type in “420.” (don’t forget that point at the end).
Once you’re done, go to Type > Create Outlines to turn your text into vector shapes. Press Shift-Control-G to Ungroup your resulting group of shapes, and set the fill color to R=19 G=41 B=15.
Step 2
Use the Selection Tool (V) to select the “4” shape and add a copy in front (Control-C > Control-F).
Keep this copy selected and switch to the Direct Selection Tool (A). Use it to select one of the outside anchor points, press the Delete key once to remove the selected anchor point, and then press it one more time to remove the rest of the points that make up the outside of your shape.
Select the remaining shape that now fills your “4” and replace the fill color with R=241 G=251 B=255.
Step 3
Move to the other numbers and use the same technique to add the fill shapes. When you get to the “0”, remember to delete the shape highlighted in the second image.
In the end, things should look like in the third image. Have a look in the Layers panel (Window > Layers), and you should have four shapes for the outline of each number and another four for the fill.
Step 4
Let’s focus solely on the numbers for now. Select just the outline shapes and turn them into a single compound path (Object > Compound Path > Make or Control-8).
Continue with the tree shapes that fill your numbers, select them, and turn them into another compound path. Move to the Layers panel and make sure that this second compound path lies below the first one.
Step 5
Make sure that the compound path which fills your numbers is still selected and focus on the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance). Select the existing fill and go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Set the Offset to -4 px, click OK, and then go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Drag both Move sliders to 6 px, which will move your selected fill 6 px down and 6 px to the right, and then click OK.
Return to the Appearance panel and use that Add New Fill button to add a second fill for your selected compound path. Select this new fill, drag it below the existing one, and set its color to white (R=255 G=255 B=255).
Step 6
Make sure that your compound path remains selected and keep focusing on the Appearance panel. Select the stroke and set the color to R=186 G=213 B=242, and then click that Stroke text to open the Stroke fly-out panel. Increase the Weight to 10 pt, and don’t forget to select Width Profile 1 from the bottom drop-down menu.
Step 7
Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and use it to create several circles and ellipses, as shown in the following image. Fill all of these shapes with R=166 G=223 B=232.
Step 8
Select all the shapes made in the previous step and focus on the Appearance panel. Add a second fill and set its color to white, and then go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Set the Offset to -3 px, click OK, and then go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Just drag that Move-Vertical slider to -3 px and click OK.
Return to the Appearance panel to select the stroke, set its color to R=19 G=41 B=15, and increase the Weight to 4 pt.
Step 9
Make sure that all your circles and ellipses are still selected and go to Effect > Warp > Flag. Check that Horizontal box and drag the Bend slider to 3%, and then click OK to apply the effect.
Step 10
Move to that point shape, select the shape that fills it, and focus on the Appearance panel.
Select the existing fill and go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Set the Offset to -3 px, click OK, and then go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Drag both Move sliders to 2 px and click OK.
Return to the Appearance panel to add a second fill for your shape, drag it below the existing one, and set its color to white.
Step 11
Select the outline and the fill shape that make up your point and press Control-G to Group them. Use the Selection Tool (V) to move this group as shown in the first image, and then go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the settings shown in the following image and click OK.
Using the Selection Tool (V), click and drag this group while holding Alt to add a copy. Place it roughly as shown in the second image, and use the bounding box to rotate it 90 degrees.
3. How to the Add a Joint to This Smoke Cloud Logo
Step 1
Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a 50 x 10 px shape, fill it with R=248 G=239 B=222, and focus on the Appearance panel.
Click that Path section to make sure that the effect which you’re about to add will be applied to the entire path, and then go to Effect > Warp > Bulge. Check that Vertical box and drag the Bend slider all the way to 100%, and then click OK to apply the effect.
Step 2
Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 160 x 10 px shape, fill it with R=196 G=176 B=139, and place it as shown in the first image. Keep this rectangle selected and go to Object > Path > Add Anchor Points.
Step 3
For a few steps you will need a gridline every 1 px, so go back to Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid and enter 1 in that Gridline every box.
Focus on the right side of your brown rectangle and pick the Direct Selection Tool (A). Select the middle anchor point and drag it 3 px to the right, as shown in the second image.
Switch to the Ellipse Tool (L), use it to create a 6 x 8 px shape, fill it with R=190 G=30 B=45 and place it as shown in the third image.
Reselect the Direct Selection Tool (A), use it to select the right anchor point and drag it 2 px to the right, and then pick the Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C) and simply click the top and bottom anchor points to turn them into sharp points.
Step 4
Use the Selection Tool (V) to reselect your brown shape, focus on the Appearance panel to click that Path section, and then go to Effect > Warp > Bulge. Again, check the Vertical box and drag the Bend slider to 100%, and then click OK to apply this effect.
Step 5
For these final steps, feel free to disable the grid and the Snap to Grid feature. Select the shapes highlighted in the following image and press Control-G to Group them.
Keep this group selected and go to Effect > Warp > Arc. Check that Vertical box and drag the Bend slider to -5%, click OK, and then go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Roughen. Enter the settings shown in the following image and click OK.
Step 6
Let’s focus on the shapes from your groups, start by selecting the left one and focus on the Appearance panel. You can select this shape via the Layers panel or using the Direct Selection Tool (A).
Select the stroke, set the color to R=19 G=41 B=15 and increase the Weight to 4 pt. Continue with the existing fill, select it and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform.
First of all, make sure that you’re checking the middle-top reference point. Drag the Scale-Horizontal slider to 80% and the Scale-Vertical slider to 65%, click OK to apply this effect and return to the Appearance panel. Add a second fill and drag it below the existing one, and then select it and set the color to R=196 G=176 B=139.
Step 7
Continue with the middle shape from your group, select it, and return to the Appearance panel.
Again, select the stroke, set the color to R=19 G=41 B=15, and increase the Weight to 4 pt.
Select the fill to apply the Transform effect shown below, and then add a second fill. Drag it below the existing one and set its color to R=196 G=176 B=139.
Step 8
Move to that red shape from your group, select it and focus on the Appearance panel.
Add that same 4 pt stroke and set its color to R=19 G=41 B=15, and then add a second fill on top of the existing one. Set its color to R=241 G=90 B=41 and then apply the Transform effect shown in the following image.
4. How to Add the Background to This Smoke Cloud Logo
Step 1
Select your entire design and press Control-G to Group it.
Step 2
Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a shape that fills your entire artboard, fill it with R=147 G=203 B=86, and press Shift-Control-[ to send it to the back.
Step 3
Finally, select your group and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the settings shown below, click OK, and with this final touch your 420 logo design is complete.
