In the following tutorial, you will learn how to create the Dune movie logo from scratch instead of using a Dune logo font in Illustrator. Prefer to watch a video? Follow along on our YouTube channel:
Once you've put together the Dune movie logo, you can head over to Envato Elements where you can get unlimited downloads of stock videos, music, graphics, photos, fonts, and much more.
What You'll Learn
- How to create the Dune logo design
- How to stylize the Dune movie logo
What You'll Need
You will need the following image in order to complete this Dune logo project:
- Aerial Dune Textures photo
1. How to Create the Main Letter Shape
Step 1
Start by pressing 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 400 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 Create. Now we can start work on our Dune logo design.
Step 2
We won't use a Dune font to create this design, so let's see how you can create it from scratch.
Start by picking the Rectangle Tool (M) from your Toolbar and then focus on the color settings. Select the Fill and remove the color, and then double-click the Stroke and make sure that the color is set to black (R=0 G=0 B=0).
Move to your artboard and simply click on it to open the Rectangle window. Set the Width to 75 and the Height to 70, and then click OK to create your 75 x 70 px shape. Keep it selected and go to the Control panel to increase the Stroke Weight to 8 px.
Continue with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and use it to select the two anchor points highlighted in the following image, and then return to the Control panel to set the Corner Radius to 35 px.
Step 3
Make sure that the Direct Selection Tool (A) is still active. Click and drag across the left side of your shape to select it, and then press the Delete key to remove that selection.
Step 4
Make sure that your black path is still selected, and go to Object > Path > Outline Stroke to turn the stroke into an editable vector path.
Using the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the four anchor points highlighted in the following image and set the Corner Radius to 2 px.
Step 5
Keep your shape selected and open the Gradient panel (Window > Gradient) to replace that black fill with a linear gradient.
For starters, click the Linear Gradient button and set the Angle to 0 degrees, and then double-click the left gradient slider and set its color to R=161 G=115 B=83. Do the same for the other gradient slider, and replace the existing color with R=255 G=247 B=240.
Step 6
Keep your shape selected and focus on the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance). Select the existing fill and go to Effect > Stylize > Inner Glow. Enter the settings shown in the following image and click OK.
Step 7
Make sure that your shape remains selected as we continue to stylize it, and keep an eye on the Appearance panel.
Select the existing Stroke, increase the Weight to 2 px, and align it to Inside. Apply the linear gradient shown below, and don't forget to lower the Opacity of that right gradient slider to 50%.
Return to the Appearance panel and click that tiny arrow on the left-hand side to further expand the settings of your stroke. Lower its Opacity to 50% and change the Blending Mode to Color Burn.
Step 8
Keep focusing on the Appearance panel, make sure that the existing stroke is still selected, and duplicate it using the Duplicate Selected Item button.
Select the new stroke and lower the Weight to only 1 px, and then move the Gradient panel to select the right gradient slider and lower its Opacity to 0%.
Step 9
Keep focusing on the Appearance panel and add a second fill for your shape using the Add New Fill button. Select this new fill and apply the linear gradient shown below. Don't forget to lower the Opacity of that left gradient slider to 25%.
Drag your new fill on top of the strokes and change its Blending Mode to Overlay, and then go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Set the Offset to -3 px and click OK.
Step 10
Keep focusing on the Appearance panel, and add a new fill for your shape.
Move it on top of the existing attributes, apply the linear gradient shown below, and don't forget to change its Blending Mode to Color Burn.
Step 11
Keep focusing on the Appearance panel and add one last fill for your shape.
Move it on top of the existing attributes and apply the radial gradient shown below, and then lower its Opacity to 75% and change the Blending Mode to Overlay. Use the Gradient Tool (G) to adjust the position of your gradient as shown below.
2. How to Put Together the Dune Logo Design
Step 1
Use the Selection Tool (V) to select your shape, and go to Object > Transform > Move (Shift-Control-M). Set the Horizontal Position to 600 px and then click that Copy button to add a copy of your selection 600 px to the right.
Select the copy and use the bounding box to rotate it 180 degrees, as shown in the second image. Remember to hold down the Shift key as you rotate the shape to constrain the angle.
Step 2
Make sure that the Selection Tool (V) is still active. Hold down the Alt and Shift keys, and then click and drag your first letter shape to easily add another two copies to the right.
Select all your letter shapes and focus on the Control panel. Remember to select Align to Selection from the dropdown menu, and then click the Horizontal Distribute Center button to get even spacing between your four letter shapes.
Select the new letter shapes one by one, and rotate them as shown in the final image.
Step 3
Select all your shapes and add copies in front (Control-C > Control-F). Keep the copies selected and go to Object > Compound Path > Make (Control-8) to turn them into a single compound path. Make it red. You can easily press the D key to replace the existing Appearance settings with the default ones (white fill and black stroke), and then remove the stroke color and replace the fill color with that red.
Step 4
Make sure that your red compound path is selected and go to Object > Path > Offset Path. Set the Offset to -1 px and click OK. Fill the resulting shape with black, and then add a copy in front (Control-C > Control-F).
Keep the copy selected and move it 2 px up using the Up Arrow key. Simply press it twice, but first go to Edit > Preferences > General (Control-K) and make sure that the Keyboard Increment is set to 1 px.
Now, select both black compound paths that we created in this step, open the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder), and click the Minus Front button. Turn the resulting group of shapes into a new compound path (Control-8).
Step 5
Remove the red compound path and select the black one. Replace the black with R=39 G=19 B=16 and lower the Opacity to about 70%.
3. How to Create the Stylized Eclipse From Your Dune Logo Design
Step 1
Start with the Ellipse Tool (L) and use it to create a 180 x 2 and a 30 x 4 ellipse, and then add an 8 px circle. The fill color is not important.
Select all these shapes and focus on the Control panel where you need to click the Horizontal Align Center and Vertical Align Center buttons to perfectly align your three shapes.
Once you're done, go to the Pathfinder panel and click the Unite button to merge your selected shapes.
Step 2
Make sure that the shape made in the previous step is still selected, and fill it with the linear gradient shown below. Use simple clicks to add new gradient sliders, keeping in mind that the blue numbers from the image stand for Location. All you have to do is select the added anchor points one by one and set the Location as shown below.
Step 3
Using the Direct Selection Tool (A), select all the anchor points highlighted in the following image, and set the Corner Radius to 10 px.
Continue with the Ellipse Tool (L), create a 6 px circle, fill it with R=39 G=19 B=16, and place it as shown in the third image.
Step 4
Select the two shapes that make up your stylized eclipse, and place them roughly as shown in the following image.
Select your entire Dune logo and press Control-G to Group the shapes.
4. How to Further Stylize Your Dune Logo
Step 1
Make sure that your Dune logo group is selected and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the settings shown below and click OK.
Step 2
Finally, you can add a desert background to your Dune logo. Simply drag this photo inside your document, send it to the back (Shift-Control-[), and scale it as you wish.
Congratulations! You're Done!
Here is how your Dune movie logo should look. I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial and can apply these techniques in your future projects.
Feel free to adjust this Dune logo design and make it your own. You can find some great sources of inspiration at Envato Elements, with interesting solutions if you'd like to use a Dune logo font.
Popular Assets From Envato Elements
Envato Elements is an excellent resource for desert-themed designs. Here's a short list of some of the most popular assets that you can find.
Desert Landscape Background Illustrations Set (JPG, PNG, PSD)
Here's an illustrative alternative for your desert-themed designs. The warm colors and smooth outlines will make your work stand out.
Beautiful Sand Dunes (EPS, JPG)
Keep it smooth and simple with this beautiful sand-dunes illustration. This vector illustration could be the perfect solution if you're looking for a simple yet elegant background for your desert-themed design.
Sand Engraved Logo Mockup (PSD)
This engraved-sand logo mockup will automatically adjust to fit your designs. The subtle play of light and shadow on the textured surface creates a mesmerizing effect, adding depth and character to your logo.
10 Sand Texture Background (JPG, PNG)
If you're looking for a more seamless background for your Dune logo design, this set of sand texture backgrounds might be the perfect fit.
Dunes Stamp Brushes (ABR)
If you prefer to create your own custom sand textures, this set of sand brushes might come in handy. Give it a try, and feel free to customize the brushes as you see fit.
Want to Learn More?
We have loads of tutorials on Envato Tuts+, from beginner to intermediate level. Take a look!
How to Create the Guardians of the Galaxy Logo Text Effect
How to Make an Avengers Text Effect in Photoshop
Create the Captain America Shield Icon in Adobe Illustrator
How to Draw the Wonder Woman Logo
How to Create the Batman Dark Knight Logo in Adobe Illustrator
How to Create the Justice League Logo With Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator
By
