Post pobrano z: Beautiful: Origami meets Dance
Pauline Loctin, aka Miss Cloudy, is a paper artist whose work is largely inspired by the Japanese art of origami. The movement she can create with folded paper seems to be a math in heaven for dancers. In this interdisciplinary project, the artist collaborated with photographer Melika Dez to create stunning visuals.
Post pobrano z: Beautiful: Origami meets Dance
Pauline Loctin, aka Miss Cloudy, is a paper artist whose work is largely inspired by the Japanese art of origami. The movement she can create with folded paper seems to be a math in heaven for dancers. In this interdisciplinary project, the artist collaborated with photographer Melika Dez to create stunning visuals.
Post pobrano z: Hottest 5 portfolio builders you’ll want to check out today
A while back,
only artists and creative professionals used to have portfolios. However, the
trends have changed these days. Now, EVERY professional could benefit from
having one.
It doesn’t have
to be about showing pretty pictures of your work. In fact, an online portfolio
website’s real purpose is to provide a tangible evidence of the value of your
work.
But how can you
create a portfolio website if you have zero experience in web developing? The
answer might come as a surprise but it is actually quite easy.
Designing a
website is no longer as complicated as it used to be. All you need is the right
tool. We are going to take a look at some of the best website builders out
there to make the choice easier for you.
Elementor is
one of the best WordPress page builders and it will make the whole process of
designing a website a walk in the park.
Absolutely no
coding experience is needed and it all comes down to a few simple clicks. With
this drag & drop tool, you can create your new online portfolio in less
than an hour!
As a plus,
Elementor offers a library of templates and themes, as well as some useful
icons and widgets – completely free of charge!
Apart from
all the useful cool features, this website builder offers, what truly sets it
apart from the competition is its speed. Elementor is the fastest website
builder out there and everything happens instantly.
To make
things even better, even though there is no coding involved in the website
building process, the results are astonishing. All designs are responsive and
look amazing on all devices and screens!
Download
Elementor for free if you want to join 1,000,000+ users who have been enjoying
this easy and fast way to build WordPress websites!
Mobirise is one of those great
website builders that give you a total control over your site. Since it is an
offline builder, you are not tied to any platform and you can work on your
website wherever and whenever.
The whole process of designing
a website with Mobirise is fast and simple; there is no coding involved and it
all comes down to simple drag & drop.
The latest Google AMP and
Bootstrap4 guarantee that every site designed with Mobirise is as fast as it
gets while also being entirely responsive and mobile friendly.
Mobirise comes with:
Another big plus is that it is
free for commercial use (both for you and for your clients).
Portfoliobox is an
ideal website builder for those who don’t want to be restricted by templates
and themes. If you want your site to be completely unique, Portfoliobox makes
it possible by allowing you to design each page using a different style.
The website builder itself
is pretty easy to use and developer-friendly. The designing process requires no
coding experience and the interface is very intuitive, which makes it easy even
for the non-techies to create nice-looking portfolio websites.
Portfoliobox comes in
both the free and the premium plan. Both plans offer some pretty impressive
features so it boils down to your own personal needs and requirements. The pro
plan will cost you $82.8 per year or $8.9 per month.
Check out
Portfoliobox’s student account – you will not regret it.
SITE123 is a free website builder that will help you create a great
online portfolio in less than an hour!
The website designing process requires no coding experience and is easy
thanks to SITE123’s intuitive interface.
You will be able to design beautiful, SEO optimized, and mobile-friendly
websites easier than ever! As a plus, SITE123 supports 56 languages, and you
can manage your website from your mobile!
Pixpa is a great tool for creative professionals to manage their complete
online presence from one place. You can create a pixel-perfect, professional
portfolio website. Integrated eCommerce, blog, and client galleries are a part
of the package.
Pixpa offers a variety of cool features including:
Sign up for a free 15 days trial period to start building your website on
Pixpa.
Do you know how the
majority of people look for work? They do it exactly the opposite way the employers
pick the job candidates.
Many people still rely
on resumes, cover letters, and job board. Unfortunately, that is no longer
enough – and that is where the portfolios come in!
Here are several
reasons why you should have a career portfolio:
The organization of
your professional documentation is crucial. You will have it all in one place.
Work examples, resumes, cover letters, and copies of professional Licenses. and
certifications, letters of recommendations will also need to be there.
Having all that
documentation in one place is highly beneficial. It will help the employer get
a better idea of what they can expect from you. It also helps you to keep track
of everything and updating it accordingly.
Describing your work in
words is one thing. But having a tangible proof takes it to a completely
different level.
Having a well-designed
portfolio will help you make a better first impression. It will also let the
employer get a better idea of who they are choosing to do the job for them.
Every employer wants to
minimize the risk when hiring someone new. A good portfolio is definitely
always helpful in that matter.
No one will hire you if
they have never heard of you – it is as simple as that. You need to take every
chance you can get to market yourself and increase your visibility.
Every professional can
benefit from having a well-put online portfolio. It helps to strengthen a brand
and to add value to a job application. It also helps keep your professional
documentation organized.
Don’t have a portfolio
website because you are worried about the cost of building one? Maybe it is
time to change the way you think about it.
There are many great tools out there that are completely free of charge.
They will help you to build your new online portfolio in 1 day!
Post pobrano z: Hottest 5 portfolio builders you’ll want to check out today
A while back,
only artists and creative professionals used to have portfolios. However, the
trends have changed these days. Now, EVERY professional could benefit from
having one.
It doesn’t have
to be about showing pretty pictures of your work. In fact, an online portfolio
website’s real purpose is to provide a tangible evidence of the value of your
work.
But how can you
create a portfolio website if you have zero experience in web developing? The
answer might come as a surprise but it is actually quite easy.
Designing a
website is no longer as complicated as it used to be. All you need is the right
tool. We are going to take a look at some of the best website builders out
there to make the choice easier for you.
Elementor is
one of the best WordPress page builders and it will make the whole process of
designing a website a walk in the park.
Absolutely no
coding experience is needed and it all comes down to a few simple clicks. With
this drag & drop tool, you can create your new online portfolio in less
than an hour!
As a plus,
Elementor offers a library of templates and themes, as well as some useful
icons and widgets – completely free of charge!
Apart from
all the useful cool features, this website builder offers, what truly sets it
apart from the competition is its speed. Elementor is the fastest website
builder out there and everything happens instantly.
To make
things even better, even though there is no coding involved in the website
building process, the results are astonishing. All designs are responsive and
look amazing on all devices and screens!
Download
Elementor for free if you want to join 1,000,000+ users who have been enjoying
this easy and fast way to build WordPress websites!
Mobirise is one of those great
website builders that give you a total control over your site. Since it is an
offline builder, you are not tied to any platform and you can work on your
website wherever and whenever.
The whole process of designing
a website with Mobirise is fast and simple; there is no coding involved and it
all comes down to simple drag & drop.
The latest Google AMP and
Bootstrap4 guarantee that every site designed with Mobirise is as fast as it
gets while also being entirely responsive and mobile friendly.
Mobirise comes with:
Another big plus is that it is
free for commercial use (both for you and for your clients).
Portfoliobox is an
ideal website builder for those who don’t want to be restricted by templates
and themes. If you want your site to be completely unique, Portfoliobox makes
it possible by allowing you to design each page using a different style.
The website builder itself
is pretty easy to use and developer-friendly. The designing process requires no
coding experience and the interface is very intuitive, which makes it easy even
for the non-techies to create nice-looking portfolio websites.
Portfoliobox comes in
both the free and the premium plan. Both plans offer some pretty impressive
features so it boils down to your own personal needs and requirements. The pro
plan will cost you $82.8 per year or $8.9 per month.
Check out
Portfoliobox’s student account – you will not regret it.
SITE123 is a free website builder that will help you create a great
online portfolio in less than an hour!
The website designing process requires no coding experience and is easy
thanks to SITE123’s intuitive interface.
You will be able to design beautiful, SEO optimized, and mobile-friendly
websites easier than ever! As a plus, SITE123 supports 56 languages, and you
can manage your website from your mobile!
Pixpa is a great tool for creative professionals to manage their complete
online presence from one place. You can create a pixel-perfect, professional
portfolio website. Integrated eCommerce, blog, and client galleries are a part
of the package.
Pixpa offers a variety of cool features including:
Sign up for a free 15 days trial period to start building your website on
Pixpa.
Do you know how the
majority of people look for work? They do it exactly the opposite way the employers
pick the job candidates.
Many people still rely
on resumes, cover letters, and job board. Unfortunately, that is no longer
enough – and that is where the portfolios come in!
Here are several
reasons why you should have a career portfolio:
The organization of
your professional documentation is crucial. You will have it all in one place.
Work examples, resumes, cover letters, and copies of professional Licenses. and
certifications, letters of recommendations will also need to be there.
Having all that
documentation in one place is highly beneficial. It will help the employer get
a better idea of what they can expect from you. It also helps you to keep track
of everything and updating it accordingly.
Describing your work in
words is one thing. But having a tangible proof takes it to a completely
different level.
Having a well-designed
portfolio will help you make a better first impression. It will also let the
employer get a better idea of who they are choosing to do the job for them.
Every employer wants to
minimize the risk when hiring someone new. A good portfolio is definitely
always helpful in that matter.
No one will hire you if
they have never heard of you – it is as simple as that. You need to take every
chance you can get to market yourself and increase your visibility.
Every professional can
benefit from having a well-put online portfolio. It helps to strengthen a brand
and to add value to a job application. It also helps keep your professional
documentation organized.
Don’t have a portfolio
website because you are worried about the cost of building one? Maybe it is
time to change the way you think about it.
There are many great tools out there that are completely free of charge.
They will help you to build your new online portfolio in 1 day!
Post pobrano z: 8 Tips for Great Code Reviews
Kelly Sutton with good advice on code reviews. Hard to pick a favorite. I like all the stuff about minding your tone and getting everyone involved, but I also think the computerization stuff is important:
If a computer can decide and enforce a rule, let the computer do it. Arguing spaces vs. tabs is not a productive use of human time.
Re: Tip #6: it’s pretty cool when the tools you use can help with that, like this new GitHub feature where code suggestions can turn into a commit.
Direct Link to Article — Permalink
The post 8 Tips for Great Code Reviews appeared first on CSS-Tricks.
Post pobrano z: 8 Tips for Great Code Reviews
Kelly Sutton with good advice on code reviews. Hard to pick a favorite. I like all the stuff about minding your tone and getting everyone involved, but I also think the computerization stuff is important:
If a computer can decide and enforce a rule, let the computer do it. Arguing spaces vs. tabs is not a productive use of human time.
Re: Tip #6: it’s pretty cool when the tools you use can help with that, like this new GitHub feature where code suggestions can turn into a commit.
Direct Link to Article — Permalink
The post 8 Tips for Great Code Reviews appeared first on CSS-Tricks.
Post pobrano z: Why Do You Use Frameworks?
Nicole Sullivan asked. People said:
There are tons more replies. Jeremy notes „exactly zero mention end users.” I said: Sometimes I just wanna be told what to do.
Nicole stubbed out the responses:
Why do you use frameworks? Almost 100 of you answered. Here are the results. pic.twitter.com/jdcTpA0kf5
— Nicole Sullivan 💎 (@stubbornella) October 16, 2018
If you can’t get enough of the answers here, Rachel asked the same thing a few days later, this time scoped to CSS frameworks.
The post Why Do You Use Frameworks? appeared first on CSS-Tricks.
Post pobrano z: Why Do You Use Frameworks?
Nicole Sullivan asked. People said:
There are tons more replies. Jeremy notes „exactly zero mention end users.” I said: Sometimes I just wanna be told what to do.
Nicole stubbed out the responses:
Why do you use frameworks? Almost 100 of you answered. Here are the results. pic.twitter.com/jdcTpA0kf5
— Nicole Sullivan 💎 (@stubbornella) October 16, 2018
If you can’t get enough of the answers here, Rachel asked the same thing a few days later, this time scoped to CSS frameworks.
The post Why Do You Use Frameworks? appeared first on CSS-Tricks.
Post pobrano z: How to Create an Abstract Icon Set in Adobe Illustrator
Welcome to how to create an abstract icon set in Adobe Illustrator! The theme we’re working on will be chess. In this tutorial we will learn the step by step process of how to create an abstract set of icons using basic shapes and tools.
For more examples of abstract icon sets, check out GraphicRiver where you can find a wide variety of different abstract icons.
Let’s get started by setting up a New Document in Adobe Illustrator (File > New or Control-N). For this tutorial, we will use the settings below:
In the Advanced tab, use the following settings:
Go to Edit > Preferences > General and set the Keyboard Increment to 1 px.
Go to Units and use the settings shown below.
Next, you will need to structure the project by creating layers. Select the Layers panel and create two layers. Name them as follows:
Make sure that you select the background layer to begin creating the background.
With the background layer selected, click on the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a 850 x 850 rectangular area to place your icons in. This should fit the entire area of the Artboard.
Make sure that the rectangle is still selected, and click on the Gradient Tool. In the angle section, select 45 Degrees from the drop-down menu.
Select two colors for the gradient. For this tutorial, we will use the following:
For the second color, we will use the following:
The final background should look like the image below. Lock the background layer by clicking on the lock icon, and click on the icon layer to start creating the icons.
Choose the Pen Tool (P) and adjust the settings of stroke to the following:
Start by selecting the Ellipse Tool (L) and creating a small circle. To create a perfect circle, press and hold the Shift key on the keyboard whilst clicking and dragging with the mouse.
Select the Pen Tool (P) and create two lines underneath the circle.
Select the Rounded Rectangle Tool (M) and create a shape underneath the two lines. You can adjust the curvature of the corners by pressing the Up Arrow or the Down Arrow on your keyboard whilst creating the shape (clicking and dragging with the mouse).
With the shape still selected, change it to a fill shape.
Duplicate the shape by copying it (Control-C) and then paste it into place (Control-Shift-V).
Add a stroke to the second shape with a width of 20 pt. For the best results, align the stroke to the outside.
With the second shape still selected, go to the top menu and select Object > Expand to open the Expand window. Make sure both Fill and Stroke are selected, and then click OK.
This will create a shape from the stroke. Make sure that the shape is still selected and, using the Pathfinder, click on Unite. This will merge the shape.
Change the shape to a stroke by using the Eyedropper Tool (I) and align the stroke to the outside.
Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to create a small circle at the bottom to complete the pawn icon.
To start creating the rook icon, use the Rectangle Tool (M) to create a small rectangle shape.
Create a slightly larger rectangle shape and set it to Stroke by using the Eyedropper Tool and selecting one of the strokes we used previously on the pawn icon.
Use the Rectangle Tool (M) to create a small rectangle shape at the top. Then use the Ellipse Tool (L) to create a small circle at the bottom (holding the Shift key on the keyboard to create a perfect circle).
Use the Rectangle Tool (M) and follow the steps below to create the top of the rook icon.
Select all the shapes in Step 4 and click on Pathfinder > Unite.
This will merge all the shapes together.
With the new shape selected, change it into a stroke by using the Eyedropper Tool (I) to ensure that the weight of the stroke is the same.
To create the semicircles, you need to start by creating a circle using the Ellipse Tool (L). Place a rectangle over the circle using the Rectangle Tool (M).
Select both the shapes (making sure that the rectangle is arranged on top of the circle) and then select Pathfinder > Minus Front.
This will remove the rectangle shape and the part of the circle which is overlapping.
Duplicate the semicircle by copying it (Control-C) and then pasting it (Control-V).
Select the duplicate semicircle and then Right-Click on it. From the menu, select Transform > Select. Choose Vertical axis at 90 Degrees and then click OK.
Make sure that both semicircles are aligned horizontally opposite each other.
Place the semicircles on either side of the shapes to complete the rook icon.
To start creating the knight icon, create a duplicate of the rook icon. With the duplicate icon, use the Selection Tool (V) or the Direct Selection Tool (A) to remove the middle shapes of the icon.
Use the Polygon Tool to create a triangle. Whilst using the Polygon Tool, press the Up Arrow key or Down Arrow key on the keyboard to increase or decrease the number of sides.
To create an equilateral triangle, press and hold the Shift key on the keyboard whilst creating the shape.
Create a smaller equilateral triangle and place it in the middle.
Rotate the semicircles on either side of the triangle so that the strokes align diagonally (Right Click > Transform > Rotate).
To create the head of knight icon, use the Rounded Rectangle Tool and the Ellipse Tool (L) to create the shapes below.
Use the Rectangle Tool (M) and place two rectangles above the shapes as shown below.
Use the Minus Front Tool on the overlapping shapes.
This will create a straight edge where the shapes used to overlap. Move the two shapes together so that they resemble the image below.
Use the Minus Front Tool again to remove the left side of the shape and change them both into a stroke.
Select both shapes and use Pathfinder > Unite to combine them into a single shape.
Select the Add Anchor Point Tool (+) and add a point near the left corner of the shape. Then use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to drag the top left corner to the left to create the ear.
Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) and remove the point shown in the image below.
Use the Pen Tool (P) and draw out three extra points on the right side of the shape.
Select the curve points and drag them to the middle using the mouse to create the neck of the horse. Hold the Shift key on the keyboard to select multiple points.
Once you are happy with the way the horse head looks, use the Ellipse Tool (L) to create the eye (remember to press and hold the Shift key on the keyboard to create a perfect circle).
Add a line underneath the head and position it underneath the previous shapes to create the final knight icon.
To start creating the bishop icon, create a duplicate of the knight icon. With the duplicate icon, use the Selection Tool (V) or the Direct Selection Tool (A) to remove the top shapes (the horse head) of the icon.
Use the Ellipse Tool (L) and hold the Shift key on the keyboard to create a perfect circle on top of the icon.
Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to move the top point of the circle slightly upwards. This will create an egg-like shape.
Select the handlebars with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and move them to the middle point to create a teardrop shape.
Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to create a circle and place it on top of the teardrop shape. Then use the Pen Tool (P) to create a cross, and place it inside the teardrop shape to create the final bishop icon.
To start creating the queen icon, create a duplicate of the bishop icon. With the duplicate icon use the Selection Tool (V) or the Direct Selection Tool (A) to remove the top and middle shapes of the icon.
This will leave just the two circles at the bottom and the semicircles on the sides.
Rotate the semicircles slightly. To do this, Right-Click on the shapes, and then go to Transform > Rotate, following the image below.
Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to create two circles, with the outer circle using a stroke and the inner circle using a fill. Remember to hold the Shift key on the keyboard to create a perfect circle.
Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to create two overlapping circles side by side on top of the other shapes.
Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to create a small circle on top.
To create the base of the crown, use the Pen Tool (P) or the Rectangle Tool (M) to draw the shape as seen in the image below. When using the Pen Tool, you can hold the Shift key on the keyboard in order the draw a straight line vertically or horizontally. This will make it easier to align.
From there, use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to select the curve points (hold Shift to select multiple points) and move the points towards the centre with the mouse to transform the corners into curves.
Complete the queen icon by placing the crown on top of the shapes, as shown in the image below.
To create the king icon, duplicate the queen icon. With the duplicate icon, use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to delete the middle circle shapes.
Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to delete the small circle shape at the top of the crown.
Use the Rectangular Shape Tool (M) to create two squares (one larger outline and one smaller fill shape). Place the smaller square inside and in the middle of the larger square.
From there, select both squares and rotate them both by 45 degrees (Right Click > Transform > Rotate) and place both squares in the centre space of the icon.
Use the Pen Tool (P) to create a small cross on top of the crown.
Congratulations! You have successfully completed this tutorial. Feel free to share your own creations below! I hope you found this tutorial helpful and that you’ve learned many new tips and tricks that you can use for your future illustrations. See you next time!
If you liked this and are looking to learn some new icon skills, check out these tutorials below! Expand your expertise by going through these in-depth guides. Happy designing!
Check out my video course on Animating Icons in Adobe Illustrator and After Effects:
Or why not check out these tutorials:
Post pobrano z: How to Create an Abstract Icon Set in Adobe Illustrator
Welcome to how to create an abstract icon set in Adobe Illustrator! The theme we’re working on will be chess. In this tutorial we will learn the step by step process of how to create an abstract set of icons using basic shapes and tools.
For more examples of abstract icon sets, check out GraphicRiver where you can find a wide variety of different abstract icons.
Let’s get started by setting up a New Document in Adobe Illustrator (File > New or Control-N). For this tutorial, we will use the settings below:
In the Advanced tab, use the following settings:
Go to Edit > Preferences > General and set the Keyboard Increment to 1 px.
Go to Units and use the settings shown below.
Next, you will need to structure the project by creating layers. Select the Layers panel and create two layers. Name them as follows:
Make sure that you select the background layer to begin creating the background.
With the background layer selected, click on the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a 850 x 850 rectangular area to place your icons in. This should fit the entire area of the Artboard.
Make sure that the rectangle is still selected, and click on the Gradient Tool. In the angle section, select 45 Degrees from the drop-down menu.
Select two colors for the gradient. For this tutorial, we will use the following:
For the second color, we will use the following:
The final background should look like the image below. Lock the background layer by clicking on the lock icon, and click on the icon layer to start creating the icons.
Choose the Pen Tool (P) and adjust the settings of stroke to the following:
Start by selecting the Ellipse Tool (L) and creating a small circle. To create a perfect circle, press and hold the Shift key on the keyboard whilst clicking and dragging with the mouse.
Select the Pen Tool (P) and create two lines underneath the circle.
Select the Rounded Rectangle Tool (M) and create a shape underneath the two lines. You can adjust the curvature of the corners by pressing the Up Arrow or the Down Arrow on your keyboard whilst creating the shape (clicking and dragging with the mouse).
With the shape still selected, change it to a fill shape.
Duplicate the shape by copying it (Control-C) and then paste it into place (Control-Shift-V).
Add a stroke to the second shape with a width of 20 pt. For the best results, align the stroke to the outside.
With the second shape still selected, go to the top menu and select Object > Expand to open the Expand window. Make sure both Fill and Stroke are selected, and then click OK.
This will create a shape from the stroke. Make sure that the shape is still selected and, using the Pathfinder, click on Unite. This will merge the shape.
Change the shape to a stroke by using the Eyedropper Tool (I) and align the stroke to the outside.
Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to create a small circle at the bottom to complete the pawn icon.
To start creating the rook icon, use the Rectangle Tool (M) to create a small rectangle shape.
Create a slightly larger rectangle shape and set it to Stroke by using the Eyedropper Tool and selecting one of the strokes we used previously on the pawn icon.
Use the Rectangle Tool (M) to create a small rectangle shape at the top. Then use the Ellipse Tool (L) to create a small circle at the bottom (holding the Shift key on the keyboard to create a perfect circle).
Use the Rectangle Tool (M) and follow the steps below to create the top of the rook icon.
Select all the shapes in Step 4 and click on Pathfinder > Unite.
This will merge all the shapes together.
With the new shape selected, change it into a stroke by using the Eyedropper Tool (I) to ensure that the weight of the stroke is the same.
To create the semicircles, you need to start by creating a circle using the Ellipse Tool (L). Place a rectangle over the circle using the Rectangle Tool (M).
Select both the shapes (making sure that the rectangle is arranged on top of the circle) and then select Pathfinder > Minus Front.
This will remove the rectangle shape and the part of the circle which is overlapping.
Duplicate the semicircle by copying it (Control-C) and then pasting it (Control-V).
Select the duplicate semicircle and then Right-Click on it. From the menu, select Transform > Select. Choose Vertical axis at 90 Degrees and then click OK.
Make sure that both semicircles are aligned horizontally opposite each other.
Place the semicircles on either side of the shapes to complete the rook icon.
To start creating the knight icon, create a duplicate of the rook icon. With the duplicate icon, use the Selection Tool (V) or the Direct Selection Tool (A) to remove the middle shapes of the icon.
Use the Polygon Tool to create a triangle. Whilst using the Polygon Tool, press the Up Arrow key or Down Arrow key on the keyboard to increase or decrease the number of sides.
To create an equilateral triangle, press and hold the Shift key on the keyboard whilst creating the shape.
Create a smaller equilateral triangle and place it in the middle.
Rotate the semicircles on either side of the triangle so that the strokes align diagonally (Right Click > Transform > Rotate).
To create the head of knight icon, use the Rounded Rectangle Tool and the Ellipse Tool (L) to create the shapes below.
Use the Rectangle Tool (M) and place two rectangles above the shapes as shown below.
Use the Minus Front Tool on the overlapping shapes.
This will create a straight edge where the shapes used to overlap. Move the two shapes together so that they resemble the image below.
Use the Minus Front Tool again to remove the left side of the shape and change them both into a stroke.
Select both shapes and use Pathfinder > Unite to combine them into a single shape.
Select the Add Anchor Point Tool (+) and add a point near the left corner of the shape. Then use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to drag the top left corner to the left to create the ear.
Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) and remove the point shown in the image below.
Use the Pen Tool (P) and draw out three extra points on the right side of the shape.
Select the curve points and drag them to the middle using the mouse to create the neck of the horse. Hold the Shift key on the keyboard to select multiple points.
Once you are happy with the way the horse head looks, use the Ellipse Tool (L) to create the eye (remember to press and hold the Shift key on the keyboard to create a perfect circle).
Add a line underneath the head and position it underneath the previous shapes to create the final knight icon.
To start creating the bishop icon, create a duplicate of the knight icon. With the duplicate icon, use the Selection Tool (V) or the Direct Selection Tool (A) to remove the top shapes (the horse head) of the icon.
Use the Ellipse Tool (L) and hold the Shift key on the keyboard to create a perfect circle on top of the icon.
Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to move the top point of the circle slightly upwards. This will create an egg-like shape.
Select the handlebars with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and move them to the middle point to create a teardrop shape.
Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to create a circle and place it on top of the teardrop shape. Then use the Pen Tool (P) to create a cross, and place it inside the teardrop shape to create the final bishop icon.
To start creating the queen icon, create a duplicate of the bishop icon. With the duplicate icon use the Selection Tool (V) or the Direct Selection Tool (A) to remove the top and middle shapes of the icon.
This will leave just the two circles at the bottom and the semicircles on the sides.
Rotate the semicircles slightly. To do this, Right-Click on the shapes, and then go to Transform > Rotate, following the image below.
Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to create two circles, with the outer circle using a stroke and the inner circle using a fill. Remember to hold the Shift key on the keyboard to create a perfect circle.
Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to create two overlapping circles side by side on top of the other shapes.
Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to create a small circle on top.
To create the base of the crown, use the Pen Tool (P) or the Rectangle Tool (M) to draw the shape as seen in the image below. When using the Pen Tool, you can hold the Shift key on the keyboard in order the draw a straight line vertically or horizontally. This will make it easier to align.
From there, use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to select the curve points (hold Shift to select multiple points) and move the points towards the centre with the mouse to transform the corners into curves.
Complete the queen icon by placing the crown on top of the shapes, as shown in the image below.
To create the king icon, duplicate the queen icon. With the duplicate icon, use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to delete the middle circle shapes.
Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to delete the small circle shape at the top of the crown.
Use the Rectangular Shape Tool (M) to create two squares (one larger outline and one smaller fill shape). Place the smaller square inside and in the middle of the larger square.
From there, select both squares and rotate them both by 45 degrees (Right Click > Transform > Rotate) and place both squares in the centre space of the icon.
Use the Pen Tool (P) to create a small cross on top of the crown.
Congratulations! You have successfully completed this tutorial. Feel free to share your own creations below! I hope you found this tutorial helpful and that you’ve learned many new tips and tricks that you can use for your future illustrations. See you next time!
If you liked this and are looking to learn some new icon skills, check out these tutorials below! Expand your expertise by going through these in-depth guides. Happy designing!
Check out my video course on Animating Icons in Adobe Illustrator and After Effects:
Or why not check out these tutorials: