Have you already started to prepare for New Year? In this tutorial we will learn how to create a Happy New Year greeting card in Adobe Illustrator. This tutorial is broken down into parts to make it easier for beginners. The first part of this tutorial will show you how to create the Christmas Ball. The second part will show you how to add the numbers and text. And the third part of this tutorial will show you how to create the background with falling snow and stars.
Create a New Document
1. Launch Adobe Illustrator and then press (Ctrl + N) to create a New document. Select Pixels from the Units drop-down menu, enter 750 in the width box and 640 in the height box then click on the Advanced button. Select RGB, Screen (72ppi) and make sure that the Align New Objects to Pixel Grid box is unchecked before you click OK.
Create the Christmas ball
2. Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a 216 by 216px black ellipse. Make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of the black ellipse and then replace the existing stroke color of the copy with red. Make sure that the red ellipse is still selected and open the Transform panel (Window > Transform). Set the transfer reference point to bottom-center, then change H to 212px.
3. Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a 54 by 26px blue rectangle, then place it to the position like you see in the first image. Next pick the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift +C), click on the top-left anchor point of the blue rectangle, then hold mouse and drag it up while holding Shift. Continue click on the top-right anchor point, then hold mouse and drag it down. Don’t forget to hold the Shift key on the keyboard for straight dragging. The resulting object should look like the second image below. Now with the help of the Selection Tool (V) and the Shift, select the blue object and the black ellipse. Then open the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder) and click on the Unite button. The resulting object should look like the last image below.
4. Select the blue object created in the step 3, remove its stroke and fill this object with the radial gradient as shown in the first image. Continue select the red ellipse created in the step 2, remove its stroke and then fill this object with the radial gradient like you see in the second image. Keep the resulting ellipse selected and go to the Effect > Stylize > Feather… Enter a 5px Radius and click OK. Still having the resulting ellipse selected and change the Blending Mode to Multiply.
5. With the help of the Pen Tool (P) and the Gradient Tool (G), create a shape like you see in the first and the second image. Reselect the newly created shape and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it. Keep this copy selected, swap the fill and stroke colors by clicking the bent double-headed arrow next to the Fill and Stroke color swatches in the Toolbox. Then replace the existing stroke color of the resulting object with new linear gradient as shown in the third image. Next apply the Width Profile 1 for the resulting object. Now focus on the next to last image, pick the Direct Selection Tool (A) along with Shift, select four anchor points highlighted with red. Then click on the “Cut path at selected anchor points” icon from the Properties bar. This make the object created in this step becomes four paths. Then select and remove the upper path.
6. Select the shape created in the step 5 and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it. Still having this copy selected and go to the Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow… Follow the data like you see in the first image and click OK. Now select the first shape created in the step 4 and make a copy of it, then bring the copy to front (Ctrl +Shift +Right Square Bracket). Make sure that the newly created shape is still selected, hold down the Shift and click on the shape with shadow effect applied in this step. Right click on the artboard and select the Make Clipping Mask section from the drop-down menu. Then hide the clipping set behind the shape created in the step 5.
7. Draw a curved path with the Pen Tool (P) and give it a 5px light grayish blue stroke (# e4eefd) for the moment. Once your path is drawn, reselect it and make a copy of this path. Change the stroke weight of the newly created path to 3px and replace the existing stroke color with dark blue (# 3e5968). Next move the resulting path 1px to the right. Still having this path selected and go to the Effect > Stylize > Feather… Enter a 2px Radius and click OK. Finally select the two paths created in this step and send them to back (Ctrl +Shift +Left Square Bracket).
8. Select all objects created from beginning step 2 to this time and go to the Object > Transform > Rotate… In the Rotate dialog box, enter a -35 degrees Angle and click OK.
9. We are going to start making highlights on the ball to give it more of a 3D look. Pick the Pen Tool (P) and create two dark blue shapes (# 1d5973) like you see in the first and the second image. Reselect the two newly created shapes and then change the Blending Mode to Soft Light. With the help of the Pen Tool (P) and the Gradient Tool (G), create two white shapes as shown in the last two images. Finallly change the Blending Mode of the two newly created shapes to Screen.
10. Pick the Pen Tool (P) and create three objects like you see in the images below. Reselect three newly created objects, then open the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder) and click on the Minus Front button. Remove the stroke color of the resulting group and then fill it with white (# ffffff). Next change the Blending Mode of the resulting group to Screen and reduce its Opacity to 90%.
11. Select the group created in the step 10 and go to the Object > Transform > Transform Each… Follow the data like you see in the second image and click Copy. Then place the newly created group to the position as shown in the last image.
Create the Snow
12. Pick the Pen Tool (P) and create two objects like you see in the first and the second image. Once your objects are drawn, reselect the green object, remove its stroke and fill this object with white (# ffffff). Continue select the red object, remove its stroke and fill this object with pale blue (# b4d1ff). Now reselect the two shapes created in this step and go to the Effect > Stylize > Feather… Enter a 2px Radius and click OK. Finally hide the resulting shapes behind the ellipse created in the step 4.
Create the Pine Tree
13. Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a 48 by 80px black rectangle. Next with the Pen Tool (P), create a red object like you see in the second image. Reselect the red object, pick the Reflect Tool (O) and hold down the Alt, then click on the left side of the red object. In the Reflect dialog box, check the Vertical and click Copy. Before you continue, select and remove the black rectangle. Now reselect the two red objects, then open the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder) and click on the Unite button. Finally remove the stroke color of the resulting object and then fill it with the radial gradient as shown in the last image.
14. Select the shape created in the step 13 and go to the Object > Transform > Scale… Check the Uniform, enter a 84% in the Scale box and click Copy. Then move the copy 15px up. Now, follow the sequence of images and repeat the same process as the previous steps to create more shapes similar to the ones from below. Finally select the top shape created in this step and then replace the fill color with new radial gradient as shown in the last image.
15. Next comes the pine trunk. With the help of the Pen Tool (P) and the Gradient Tool (G), create a very dark orange shape like you see in the first and the second image. Then hide this shape behind the dark green shapes created in the step 14. Now select and group (Ctrl +G) all shapes created from beginning step 13 to this time. The pine tree is done! Make two copies of the pine tree and then scale these copies down. Also you can see them all in the last image.
16. Place three pine trees created in the previous steps to the positions like you see in the first image. Next hide them behind the ellipse created in the step 4.
17. With the help of the Ellipse Tool (L) and the Gradient Tool (G), create a 192 by 61px black ellipse like you see in the first and the second image. Apply a 7px Gaussian Blur effect for the newly created ellipse, then change the Blending Mode to Hard Light. Finally hide the resulting ellipse behind the Christmas ball.
18. Select and group (Ctrl +G) all objects created from beginning step 2 to this time. The Christmas ball is ready and looks like this:
Adding the Numbers
19. Open the Character panel (Window > Type > Character), select the Raavi font, make it Regular, and set the size to 312px. Now pick the Type Tool (T), simply click on your artboard. Then add three numbers “2“, “1” and “8“. Finally reselect these three numbers and go to the Object > Expand Appearance.
20. Select the black shape of number “2” and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it, then press (Ctrl +3) to hide the copy. Next reselect the original black shape of number “2” and replace the existing fill color with linear gradient as shown in the second image. Still having the resulting shape selected and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it. Next move the copy 2px to the left and 6px up. Keep this copy selected, press (Ctrl +Left Square Bracket) to send it backward. Now reselect the two shapes created in this step and go to the Object > Blend > Blend Options… Follow the data like you see in the last image and click OK. Then go to the Object > Blend > Make (Ctrl +Alt +B).
21. Before you continue, press (Ctrl +Alt +3) to show the black shape hidden in the step 20. Then replace the existing fill color of this shape with linear gradient like you see in the second image. We are going to start making shadow for the number “2” to give it more of a 3D look. With the help of the Pen Tool (P), create a black shape (# 000000) as shown in the last two images. Next apply a 3px Gaussian Blur effect for the resulting shape and hide it behind the number “2“. Finally select and group (Ctrl +G) all shapes created from beginning step 20 to this time. The number “2” is done!
22. Next come the number “1“. Select the black shape of number “1” and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it, then press (Ctrl +3) to hide the copy. Next reselect the original black shape of number “1” and replace the existing fill color with linear gradient as shown in the second image. Still having the resulting shape selected and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it. Next move the copy 5px to the left and 5px up. Keep this copy selected, press (Ctrl +Left Square Bracket) to send it backward. Now reselect the two shapes created in this step and go to the Object > Blend > Make (Ctrl +Alt +B).
23. Before you continue, press (Ctrl +Alt +3) to show the black shape hidden in the step 22. Then replace the existing fill color of this shape with linear gradient like you see in the second image. We are going to start making shadow for the number “1” to give it more of a 3D look. With the help of the Pen Tool (P), create a black shape (# 000000) as shown in the last two images. Next apply a 3px Gaussian Blur effect for the resulting shape and hide it behind the number “1“. Finally select and group (Ctrl +G) all shapes created from beginning step 22 to this time. Here we have the number “1“.
24. We will continue with the number “8“. Select the black shape of number “8” and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it, then press (Ctrl +3) to hide the copy. Next reselect the original black shape of number “8” and replace the existing fill color with linear gradient as shown in the second image. Still having the resulting shape selected and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it. Next move the copy 7px to the left and 3px up. Keep this copy selected, press (Ctrl +Left Square Bracket) to send it backward. Now reselect the two shapes created in this step and go to the Object > Blend > Make (Ctrl +Alt +B).
25. Before you continue, press (Ctrl +Alt +3) to show the black shape hidden in the step 24. Then replace the existing fill color of this shape with linear gradient like you see in the second image. We are going to start making shadow for the number “8” to give it more of a 3D look. With the help of the Pen Tool (P) and the Gradient Tool (G), create a black shape as shown in the two next-to-last images. Next apply a 4px Gaussian Blur effect for the resulting shape and hide it behind the number “8“. Finally select and group (Ctrl +G) all shapes created from beginning step 24 to this time. The number “8” is done!
26. Place three numbers created in the previous steps to the positions like you see in the image below.
Create the Background
27. With the help of the Rectangle Tool (M) and the Gradient Tool (G), create a 746 by 638px dark blue rectangle. Reselect the newly created rectangle and go to the Effect > Distort > Diffuse Glow… Follow the data like you see in the second image and click OK. The resulting rectangle should look like the third image below. Finally place the Christmas ball and three numbers into the newly created background.
Adding the Text
28. Open the Character panel (Window > Type > Character), select the Rockwell font, make it Regular, and set the size to 68px. Now pick the Type Tool (T), simply click on your artboard. Then add the “Happy New Year” piece of text. Finally place this piece of text to the position like you see in the last image.
Add Falling Snow
29. Using the Line Segment Tool (\) create some vertical lines as shown in the first image. Once your lines are drawn, reselect the green lines, replace the existing stroke color with white (# fdfffe) and change the stroke weight to 0.2px. Next select three red lines, replace the existing stroke color with white (# fdfffe) and change the stroke weight to 0.1px. Continue select two yellow lines, replace the existing stroke color with white (# fdfffe) and change the stroke weight to 0.3px.
30. Before you continue, open the Brushes panel (Window > Brushes). In the Brushes panel, click on the “Brushes Libraries Menu” button (at the left-bottom corner of the Brushes panel) and you will get brush sets in various categories. Open the Artistic category and select the Artistic_Ink subcategory. Now reselect all vertical lines created in the previous steps, move to the Artistic_Ink subcategory and click on the brush labeled as Ink Bomb. Continue select vertical lines as shown in the last image and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light.
Create the White Stars
31. Using the Line Segment Tool (\) create a vertical line of length 45px, with a 2px blue stroke and no fill. Then apply the Width Profile 1 for the newly created line. Keep this line selected and go to the Object > Transform > Rotate… Enter a 90 degrees Angle and click Copy. Make sure that the newly created line is still selected and open the Transform panel (Window > Transform), then change W to 33px.
32. Select the vertical blue line created in the step 31 and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it. Then change the stroke weight of this copy to 1.5px and replace the existing stroke color with red. Keep the resulting line selected, open the Transform panel (Window > Transform), then change H to 30px. Keep the resulting line selected and go to the Object > Transform > Rotate… Enter a 90 degrees Angle and click Copy. Now reselect the two red lines created in this step and open the Rotate dialog box again. Enter a 45 degrees Angle and click OK.
33. Select the vertical blue line created in the step 31 and make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of it, then bring the copy to front (Ctrl +Shift +Right Square Bracket). Next change the stroke weight of this copy to 1px and replace the existing stroke color with green. Keep the resulting line selected, open the Transform panel (Window > Transform), then change H to 19px. Keep the resulting line selected and go to the Object > Transform > Rotate… Enter a 45 degrees Angle and click Copy. Then press (Ctrl +D) twice to get the results like you see in the second image. Now reselect the four green lines created in this step and open the Rotate dialog box again. Enter a 20 degrees Angle and click OK.
34. Select all lines created in the previous steps and replace the existing stroke colors with white (# ffffff). Keep the resulting lines selected and press (Ctrl +G) to group them. Make sure that the newly created group is still selected and go to the Effect > Stylize > Outer Glow… Follow the data like you see in the second image and click OK. Now make some copies of the newly created star and then scale these stars as needed. Finally place them to the positions like you see in last image.
And We’re Done!
