Introduction
Hello! In this tutorial, I will be utilizing Adobe Illustrator to create the logo shown below. You can follow along with this tutorial to end up with a very similar final product, or use specific tools and features to create your own work. This is meant as an introductory tutorial, so I will be explaining the tools and methods to some degree - However, if needed, Adobe has great documentation of all of Illustrator’s tools and functions. I know that this is a very text-heavy post, but hopefully everything is easily understandable. With this in mind, let’s get started!
Final Result:
Note: Adobe Illustrator is a paid application used in the field of graphic design, but there are free alternatives. A simple search should find some excellent free programs if you don’t want to pay.
Step One: Creating a Document
After opening Illustrator, click “New File” and customize the size to your liking. The rest of the settings can stay the same. Since Illustrator is vector based, the size of the artboard doesn’t really matter - the art can be scaled without losing quality. Once you have a document open, you can customize the windows and tools to your liking. One step that will help with this tutorial is to navigate to the window tab, then hover over toolbars and select advanced. This will open up the toolbar on the right with more advanced tools that we’ll be using in this tutorial.
What is vector art?
A vector refers to a type of artwork that’s made using points and lines. While this may sound basic, vector art can be incredibly detailed and realistic. The difference between vector images and traditional images (“raster” images), is that raster images are made of pixels, and when they’re scaled up, they lose quality. Vector artwork can be scaled to any size without a loss of quality, making it ideal for digital art.
Step Two: Creating Text
After creating or opening a document, the next step for this type of game logo is to create a base text. Select the type tool, then click and drag on the document. Use the properties window to change the font, as well as other settings (such as letter spacing). For this tutorial, I will only be changing the font and the text size.
Selecting a font
Selecting a font is a crucial step. In Illustrator, you can sort fonts by classification and property, seen below. For this tutorial, I’ll sort by heavy weight, since we want a bold text that will stand out. I found “Berlin Sans FB Demi Bold” to be a good font for this project.
Once a font is selected, replace the “lorem ipsum” text with whatever text you want for your logo. Next, right click on the text box, and click Create Outlines.
What does create outlines do?
Create outlines will change your text into a series of complex shapes. The letters will now be made up of paths and points, which you can edit.
You now have the base text for your project!
Step Three: Cutting Out Shapes
For this project, I’ll be using the knife tool to cut out shapes from my letters, to give it a ruined appearance. Right click on the eraser tool in the toolbar, and select knife from the menu. Drag from outside the letter, create a shape, then drag back outside the letter. Once you’ve done this to draw holes in the text, ungroup it (ungroup button in properties window; or CTRL+SHIFT+G). Using the selection tool, select the “holes” in each letter, then click delete or backspace. You should end up with something like this:
Select all of the letters, and group them back together (group button in properties window; or CTRL+G).
Step Four: Coloring and 3D Effect
With the swatches window open, select the text, then select a color from the swatches provided. You can also double click the fill box to select a precise color.
For this tutorial, I’ll be going with a yellowish gold.
Next, I’m going to add a 3D bevel effect. With the text selected, navigate to Effect, then 3D and Materials, then Extrude and Bevel. You’ll see rotated three-dimensional text, but don’t worry! Just adjust the settings to create a chiseled bevel look. First, scroll down in the effects window, to the rotation section. Select the dropdown menu, and click Front.
To add the bevel, toggle the Bevel option to on. You’ll then be presented with bevel options. The default options should work well for this project, so you can leave them as is unless you’d prefer a slightly different look. Mess around with the settings to find what works! When finished, close the 3D and Materials menu.
You should now have something that looks similar to this:
Step Five: Intertwined Lines (Vines)
Select the curvature tool from the toolbar, and click outside the letter. Then, click on the other side of the letter, and so on. It may take some practice to get this right, but it’s simple once you get the hang of it! When you’re done, re-select the selection tool. You’ve now created a path. Configure the stroke’s color and weight to your liking. Note that you should have a stroke, but an empty fill. Then, with the path selected, click the width tool. You’ll notice a new option in the properties window: width profile. Select the width profile that you want - for this project, I’ll use a simple tapered line. You can also customize the width further by selecting the width tool, and dragging points in your line. When the path looks good, you’re ready to expand it.
With the path selected, go to the Object tab, then select Expand Appearance. Expanding the appearance will convert the path into a series of paths and points that make up a complex shape. Now, you’re ready to create the intertwined vine appearance.
The vines don’t actually wrap around a 3D object, but rather, are cut to make that illusion. The first step is to select both the path (vine) and the text. Then, select the shape builder tool from the toolbar. Click all of the parts of the path that do not overlap with the text. This will divide the shape into segments at certain points, seen below:
Now, you can select each segment that you want to delete, and click delete or backspace. This will create the illusion that the vine actually wraps around 3D text.
Repeat this process for all of the letters. When finished, you should have something that looks like this:
Step Six: Adding Details (Leaves)
The next step is to add small details to make the artwork really stand out. For this tutorial, I’ll be adding leaves to the twisting vines. A simple leaf shape is fairly easy to make. Right click the rectangle tool in the toolbar, and select Ellipse Tool. Drag on the artboard to create an oval:
Using the direct selection tool, select the top anchor point. Navigate to the properties window, and click “Convert selected anchor points to corner.” This will convert them from a rounded path with handles to a simple corner shape.
Repeat with the bottom anchor point to end up with this:
Next, use the knife tool to divide the leaf in two. Select the knife tool again, hold ALT, and drag from above the leaf to below it. This will divide it cleanly with a straight line. Select one side, and select a different shade of green from the swatches panel to end up with something like this:
Select both halves of the leaf, and group them together. Scale accordingly and copy the leaf, then paste it onto the vines. Right click on the artboard to copy and paste, or use keyboard shortcuts (CTRL+C/V). Here’s what the logo looks like with leaves:
Step Seven: Background/Outline Effect
In this step, I’ll show how to create the darkened outline you see around the finished logo. This way, it can be put against backgrounds of any color without losing focus. First, select just the text. Copy it, then paste it in the front (CTRL+F or right click, paste…, paste in front). You now have a second copy of the text. With it still selected, change the color in the swatches panel. Then, delete the 3D effect from this copy:
With the copy still selected, go to the object tab, then path, then offset path. You’ll notice the text is expanded - mess with the numbers until you get to a size that you like. The joins mode determines if the outline is sharp or rounded. For the purposes of this tutorial, I’ll keep it set to Miter (sharper edges). Apply the offset path, and then with the text and offset still selected, click unite under pathfinder settings in the properties window:
This will make it a singular compound shape. Send it to the back by right clicking, then selecting arrange, and send to back. It should now look something like this:
As an additional step, I added a golden stroke to the offset by using the properties panel. This creates an outline around it:
Now the logo is finished, and it’s time to export it!
Step Eight: Exporting
With the logo finished, it’s time to export it as an image. Select all the objects (drag over all with selection tool or CTRL+A) and group them together. Go to the file tab, then select export selection. Choose your destination, and export it. You’ve now created a raster image with your logo!
Note that if your background is not transparent, click the gear to open additional settings and change the background color:
Have a question or want clarification on anything? Just reply to this post and I’ll do my best to answer! Suggestions are also greatly appreciated.