Icon Design

Icons can range in level of detail, from the simple and symbolic, to those with realism and intricate detail. In either case, they need to be metaphorically meaningful and instantly recognizable. They have to communicate at a glance. We've assembled the best tutorials, articles, and resources we have on icon design here on Vectortuts+ into this Creative Session. Learn how to create functional and beautiful vector icons that will fit seamlessly within your designs.

Posts in this series

Make a Mailbox Icon Using Adobe Illustrator
Attention! This icon was not created solely for educational purposes. You can see the working process of real designing! We are going to use various...
Iaroslav Lazunov
11 Oct 2010
Design & Illustration
Create a Modern Style Icon with a Professional Finish
Modern icons are real eye candy. In this tutorial you'll learn how to create a professional level Hard Drive icon with shading and lighting the techniques....
Fernando Albuquerque
19 Aug 2010
Design & Illustration
How to Draw a Glossy Yo-Yo Icon using Adobe Illustrator
Entertain yourself with this tutorial on creating a glossy yo-yo icon. You will learn how to combine different gradient and object effects to make a hyper...
Jonathan
7 Jun 2010
Design & Illustration
How to Illustrate a Marvelous Violin Icon
Flex your creative muscle with this cool tutorial on how to create a violin icon. We'll explore how basic shapes and a solid understanding of perspective and...
Jonathan
6 May 2010
Design & Illustration
How to Create a Hyper-realistic Flashlight
In this tutorial you will learn how to create a hyper-realistic illustration of a flashlight. This style of illustration is particularly popular for icons...
Andrei Marius
3 May 2010
Design & Illustration
Create a Stylized First Aid Icon in Illustrator
In this tutorial we'll use a combination of craft and Illustrator's 3D tools to create a first aid icon. You can use the techniques you learn in this...
Simona Pfreundner
22 Feb 2010
Design & Illustration
How to Create a Golden, Vector Compass in Illustrator
In this tutorial I will take you through the steps and techniques of creating a golden compass. For this tutorial I’ve used just Adobe Illustrator and a...
Designious
20 Jul 2012
Design & Illustration
How to Illustrate a Brain Icon for OSX and Vista
In this tutorial, I will show you how to create a cartoon style illustration of a brain, then how to convert the image for use as an icon for OSX and Vista....
Alexey Botkov
11 Aug 2009
Design & Illustration
How to Create a Gearbox Settings Icon Using Simple Shapes
Much can be done in Illustrator without relying on the Pen tool, as demonstrated by the recent hourglass tutorial. Utilizing only simple, predefined shapes,...
Bill Labus
10 Jul 2009
Design & Illustration
10 Tips for Effective Icon Design
A memorable and functional icon is beautiful, iconic, meaningful and functional. Here are ten inspiration icon tips on how to create outstanding icons.
Chris Spooner
8 Jan 2009
Design & Illustration
60 Free Vector Icon Packs for Design Professionals
Vector icons are a dime a dozen, but how many would you actually use in professional work--or personal work you want to look professional? A very small...
Chris Spooner
21 Nov 2008
Design & Illustration
How to Create a Yellow Submarine Icon with Gradient Meshes
While spaceships, rockets and UFOs are all the rage in the icon world these days, submarines have been inexcusably neglected. Let's correct this situation...
Andrea Austoni
2 Sep 2009
Design & Illustration
How to Create a Magic Wand Icon
In this Illustrator tutorial, I will show you how to create a magic wand icon. This tutorial will utilize gradient feathering and some simple shapes. These...
Ryan Putnam
10 Nov 2008
Design & Illustration
How to Turn Glasses into a Great Geek Icon
In this tutorial, we'll show you how to make a cool, or should we say geeky, glasses icon. You should be versed in Adobe Illustrator's tools to complete this...
Jonathan
30 Mar 2012
Design & Illustration
How to Make a Vector Military Cap Icon
This tutorial will show the intermediate-to-advanced Adobe Illustrator artist how to make a realistic military style cap icon using predominately gradients,...
Jonathan
30 Dec 2008
Design & Illustration
How to Create an Hourglass Icon in About an Hour
With simple shapes, gradients, and vector textures, this simple tutorial will show beginning illustrators how to create an hourglass icon. There is a whole...
Sean Hodge
5 May 2009
Design & Illustration
How to Create an Alarm Clock Icon
With simple shapes and gradients, this easy tutorial will show you how to create an alarm clock icon. We'll be using Illustrator CS4 for this tutorial, but...
Ryan Putnam
17 Apr 2009
Design & Illustration
Make a Headphones Icon Using Adobe Illustrator
In this tutorial you will learn how to create a realistic image of headphones using simple and understandable techniques. It turns out that to get a good...
Iaroslav Lazunov
10 Jan 2011
Design & Illustration
Create a Vector Film Slate Icon
In this tutorial, I'll show you how to create a vector film slate icon. The tutorial uses some basic shapes, some gradients, and even a blend. Moreover, you...
Ryan Putnam
5 Oct 2012
Design & Illustration