In the following tutorial I will show you how to create a pacifier icon. You'll learn to use professional vector shape building techniques, save time with Illustrator's tools, and how to add those details that make the final image pop.
Step 1
Create a 255 by 255px, RGB document. First, turn on the Grid (View > Show Grid) and the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). Next, you'll need a grid every 1px. Go to Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid, enter 1 in the Gridline every box and 1 in the Subdivisions box.
You can also open the Info panel (Window > Info) for a live preview with the size and position of your shapes. Do not forget to replace the unit of measurement to pixels from Edit > Preferences > Unit > General. All these options will significantly increase your work speed.
Step 2
First, go to the Appearance panel or to the toolbar and remove the color for the stroke. Next, pick the Ellipse Tool (M) and create a 90 by 125px shape. Fill it with none and add an 8pt stroke. Set its color at R=43, G=57, B=144.
Now go to the Stroke panel and click on the Align Stroke to Inside button. Continue with the Direct Selection Tool (A). Select the top anchor point and move it 40px down.
Step 3
Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a 26 by 25px shape. Fill it with R=28, G=117, B=188. Place it as shown in the following image. It's really important to place it as shown below so, take a closer look at the grid to get the exact place.
Step 4
Continue with the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a second shape. Make it 37px wide and 20px tall, fill it with R=43, G=57, B=144. Now place it as shown in the following image. Leave a 15px gap between the bottom side of this new shape and the bottom side of the shape created in the previous step.
Step 5
Continue with the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a third shape. Make it 48px wide and 20px tall, fill it with R=28, G=117, B=188. Now place it as shown in the following image. Leave a 5px gap between the bottom side of this new shape and the bottom side of the shape created in the previous step.
Step 6
Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a 110 by 40px shape. Fill it with R=39, G=170, B=225. Now place it as shown in the following image.
Step 7
Pick the Selection Tool (V), select all the shapes created, then click on the border of the first shape (the one with the stroke). Now, the border of this shape should get emphasized so, go to the Align panel (Window > Align) and click on the Horizontal Align Center button. In the end, all your shapes should be aligned as shown in the second image.
Step 8
Now, let's add some extra effects for these shapes. Select the bottom rectangle and go to Effect > Stylize > Rounded Corners. Enter a 5px radius, click OK, then go to Effect > Warp > Arc. Enter the data shown below the first image, click OK, then go to Effect > Warp > Arch. Again, enter the data shown below, click OK then go to Object > Expand Appearance.
Move up, to the next rectangle. Select it and go to Effect > Stylize > Rounded Corners. Enter a 4px radius, click OK, then go to Effect > Warp > Arc. Enter the data shown below the second image, click OK, then go to Object > Expand Appearance.
Step 9
Select the remaining rectangle and go to Effect > Stylize > Rounded Corners. Enter a 10px radius, click OK, then go to Effect > Warp > Arc. Enter the data shown below the first image, click OK, then go to Object > Expand Appearance. Move up to the squeezed circle. Select it and go to Effect > Warp > Arc. Enter the data shown below the second image, click OK, then go to Object > Expand Appearance.
Step 10
Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and click on your artboard. Enter 12.5 in the width box and 8.5 in the height box, then click OK. This will create a 12.5 by 8.5px shape.
Fill it with any color, then go to Effect > Warp > Arc. Enter the data shown below, click OK, then go to Object > Expand Appearance. Select the resulting shape and go to Object > Transform > Rotate. Enter -15 in the Angle box, then click OK. In the end your shape should look like the third image shown.
Step 11
Select the shape created in the previous step, place it as shown in the first image, then go to Object > Transform > Reflect. Check the Vertical button, then click on the Copy button. This will create a horizontally flipped copy of your shape. Select it and move it to the right, as shown in the third image.
Step 12
Now, let's add some extra color for these shapes. Select the shape with the stroke and go to Object > Expand Appearance. Fill the resulting shape with the radial gradient shown below, then add a 0.25pt stroke. Align it to inside and set its color at R=6, G=67, B=114.
Step 13
Disable the Grid (View > Hide Grid) and the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). Select the shape created in the previous step and go to Object > Path > Offset Path. Enter a -1px Offset and click OK. Select the resulting shape and remove its stroke, then fill it with white and lower its Opacity to 30%. Make a copy of this new shape.
Select it, then hit the right arrow and the up arrow once. Reselect these two new shapes and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. You should a get a group with two of these shapes.
Step 14
Move up to the next shape. Fill it with R=6, G=67, B=114. Then go to Object > Path > Offset Path. Enter a -2px Offset, then click OK. Fill the resulting shape with white and lower its Opacity to 30%, then make a copy in front.
Select this copy and hit the right arrow and the up arrow once. Reselect these two new shapes and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. The resulting shape should look like the fourth image shown.
Step 15
Move to the next to shapes. Fill them both with the linear gradient shown below, then add a 0.25pt stroke. Align it to inside and set its color at R=6, G=67, B=114.
Step 16
Focus on the little oval shapes. Let's start with the small, left one. Select it and make two copies, then select the top copy and hit the down arrow twice. Reselect both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with R=188, G=190, B=192. Now use the same techniques to create the shape pointed by the arrow in the fourth image.
Step 17
Select the small oval shapes along with the large one and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with the radial gradient shown below, then add a 2pt, white stroke. Align it to inside, then go to the Appearance panel and lower its Opacity to 50%. Next, you need to add a second stroke for this shape. Go to the Appearance panel, open the fly-out menu and click on Add New Fill.
Obviously, this will add a second stroke for your shape. Make it 0.25pt wide, align it to inside and set its color at R=128, G=130, B=133.
A quick note regarding the gradient: You will notice a white number in the gradient image. It stands for Location percentage. That means you need to select that little diamond icon and drag it to the left at 25%.
Step 18
Select the shape created in the previous step and make two copies in front. Select the top copy and hit the up arrow twice, then reselect both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel.
You will get a group with three new shapes. First, delete the two shapes pointed by the arrow in the second image, then select the remaining shape, ungroup it (Shift + Control + G), and fill it with R=188, G=190, B=192.
Step 19
Re-enable the Grid and the Snap to Grid, then grab the Ellipse Tool (L). Create a 40 by 29px shape and fill it with R=188, G=190, B=192. Now place it as shown in the following image.
Step 20
Let's continue with the rubber piece. Pick the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 40 by 55px shape and go to Effect > Stylize > Rounded Corners. Enter an 18px radius, click OK, then go to Object > Expand Appearance. Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a 60 by 60px shape.
Place it as shown in the second image, then go to Effect > Warp > Arc Lower. Enter the data shown below, click OK, then go to Effect > Warp > Arch. Again, enter the data shown below, click OK, then go to Object > Expand Appearance.
Step 21
Select the two shapes created in the previous step and click on the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel. Select the resulting shape and go to Effect > Warp > Arch. Enter the data shown below, click OK, then go to Effect > Warp > Bulge. Again, enter the data shown below, click OK, then go to Object > Expand Appearance.
Step 22
Keep focusing on the shape created in the previous step. Next, you will need the Round Any Corner script, which can be found in the Vectortuts+ article 20 Free and Useful Adobe Illustrator Scripts.
Save it to your hard drive, then pick the Direct Selection Tool (A). Select the two anchor points highlighted in the first image and go to File > Scripts > Other Script. Open the Round Any Corner Script, enter a 3px Radius and click OK. This will add a discrete roundness effect for the selected anchor points, as shown in the second images.
Step 23
Disable the Grid and the Snap to Grid. Select the shape created in the previous step and fill it with the linear gradient shown below. Pay attention to the location percentage. Next, add a 4pt, white stroke for your shape. Select it from the Appearance panel and align it to inside. Now lower its Opacity to 15% and change the blending mode to Overlay.
Add a second stroke for this shape and make it 0.25px wide. Align it to inside, set its color to R=196, G=154, B=108. Now change the blending mode to Multiply.
Step 24
Select the shape edited in the previous step and make two copies in front. Select the top copy, then hit the left arrow and the up arrow three times. Reselect both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Select the resulting shape, remove the strokes and fill it with R=251, G=186, B=86.
Step 25
Enable the Smart Guides (Control + U). Pick the Pen Tool (P), create a shape like the one shown in the first image and fill it with R=251, G=186, B=86. Select this new shape, along with the one created in the previous step, and click on the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel. Select the resulting shape and go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Enter a 5px radius and click OK.
Step 26
Select the rounded, orange shape and make a copy. Fill it with white and bring it to front (Shift + Control + Right Bracket key). Select this fresh shape, along with the blurred one created in the previous step, and go to the Transparency panel. Open the fly-out menu and click on Make Opacity Mask. In the end, your shape should look like the third image shown. Lock this masked shape. That way you won't select or move it accidentally.
Step 27
Reselect the rounded, orange shape and go to Object > Path > Offset Path. Enter a -8px Offset and click OK. Select the resulting shape and remove all the existing properties from the Appearance panel, then add a new stroke. Make it 6pt wide and set the color at R=255, G=210, B=90. Now align it to center and change its blending mode to Multiply.
Pick the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the anchor points highlighted in the second image, and hit the Delete key. Select the resulting path, go to the Stroke panel, and click on the Round Cap button. Finally, go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur, enter a 5px radius, and click OK.
Step 28
Re-enable the Grid and the Snap to Grid. Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a 24 by 15px shape. Fill it with R=254, G=238, B=141 and go to Effect > Warp > Arc. Enter the data shown below, click OK, then create a second shape. Make it 12 wide and 7px tall and place it as shown in the second image. Fill it with white, then go to Effect > Warp > Arc.
Enter the data shown below, click OK, then reselect these two shapes, and go to Object > Expand Appearance. Select the large, resulting shape and go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Enter a 4px radius, click OK, then select the other shape. Lower its opacity to 40%, then go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Enter a 3px radius, click OK, then reselect both shapes and group them (Control + G).
Step 29
Select the group created in the previous step and go to Object > Transform > Rotate. Enter 50 in the Angle box and click OK. Reselect this rotated group and place it as shown in the second image.
Step 30
Disable the Grid and the Snap to Grid. Reselect the rounded, orange shape and go to Object > Path > Offset Path. Enter a -7px Offset and click OK. Select the resulting shape, remove the stroke, then fill it with white and lower its Opacity to 75%.
Make a copy of this new shape. Select it, then hit the right arrow and the down arrow twice. Reselect these two new shapes and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. You should a get a group with the two thin shapes from the fourth image. Select it and go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Enter a 3px radius then click OK.
Step 31
Select all the shapes created in the last eleven steps and group them, then select this group and place it as shown in the following image.
Step 32
Select all the shapes created so far and duplicate them. Select these copies and click on the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with the linear gradient shown in the third image.
Send this new shape to back (Shift + Control + Left Bracket key) and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Free Distort. Move the top anchor points as shown in the final image, click OK, then go to Object > Expand Appearance.
Step 33
Select all the shapes created so far and go to Object > Transform > Rotate. Enter 45 in the Angle box then click OK. Finally, move the shadow shape a few pixels up and to the right.
Conclusion
The final icons are below.
