Hi there. In the following tutorial you can learn to create a cartoonish popcorn box. The Warp effects play a big role in this tutorial. For the popcorn shapes you will have to use some calligraphic brushes, linear gradients and drop shadow effects.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Estimated Completion Time: 30 minutes
Number of Steps: 7
This is what you’ll be creating:
Step 01
Create a 256 by 256 px document. First, make the Grids visible (View > Show Grid) and turn on the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). Next you need a grid every 5px. Go to Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid and enter the data shown in the following image.
Step 02
Select the Rectangle Tool(M) and create a 15x300px shape. You can simply click on the Artboard and enter these dimensions or you can click and drag to create this new shape. The Snap to Grid option will ease your work. For a live preview with the size of your shape you can use the Info panel (Window > Info). Fill this new shape with white. Duplicate this shape (Ctrl+C > Ctrl+F) and move it 15px to the right. Fill this copy with the R=193 G=39 B=45. Create two new copies for each of these shapes and move them as shown in image #1. Reselect the Rectangle Tool(M) and create seven new shapes, size 5 by 130px. Fill them with the same colors and place them as shown in image #2.
Step 03
Select the thick shapes, add the Arch effect shown below image #1 and go to Object > Expand Appearance. Select the thin shapes, add the Arch effect shown below image #2 and go again to Object > Expand Appearance. Pick the Direct Selection Tool(A), select all the bottom anchor points then go to the menu bar and click on the “Convert selected anchor points to smooth” and on the “Convert selected anchor points to corner” buttons.
Step 04
Group the thin shapes then add the Arc effect shown below image #1. Group the thick shapes and add the Arc effect shown below image #2. Select both groups and hit Ctrl + G to group them. Select this new group add the Bulge effect then go to Object > Expand Appearance.
Step 05
Select the thick red shapes and group them. Add a new fill for this group (from the flyout menu of the Appearance panel) and use the linear gradient shown below image #1. Select the thick white shapes and group them. Add a new fill for this group and use the linear gradient shown below image #2. Select the thin red shapes and group them. Add a new fill for this group and use the liner gradient shown above image #3. Select the thin white shapes and group them. Add a new fill for this group and use the linear gradient shown above image #4. Add a 1px black stroke for the thin shapes and a 1.5px black stroke for the thick shapes.
Step 06
Let’s continue with the popcorn. Open the Brushes panel, pick the the Brush Tool(B) and use the 2pt Oval brush to create some random popcorn shapes (double click on the Brush Tool if you want to change the behaviour of this tool). Select these paths and go to Object > Expand Appearance. Select the resulting shapes and click on the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel. Next, you need to add some color to the interior of the popcorn. Select the Rectangle Tool(M), create a shape like the one shown in image #3 and move it in the back of the popcorn shapes. Select this rectangle along with the popcorn shapes and click on the Divide button from the Pathfidner panel. Keep only shape shapes inside the popcorn and fill them with the gradient shown in image #4. Now, to ease you work, you should group each popcorn shape and its fill.
Step 07
Resize, rotate and duplicate the popcorn shapes as you want then put them in the box (do not forget to place them in the back of the box). Place one popcorn outside the box and add a discrete Drop Shadow effect. Select the Pen Tool(P), create a shape at the bottom of the box (image #3) and send it to back. Fill this shape with black, add a 20px Gaussian Blur effect then lower its opacity to 20%. Finally for the background use the radial gradient shown in the final image.
Final
Now your work is done. Here is how it should look like:
very nice tutorial, thanks.
Haha, very different, but awesome tutorial! Keep up the great work. – Mat.
nice one, using different tools.
Very nice! I like it 🙂
Thanks, Im gonna give this a shot 😀
Very nice and simple tut.
Thanks for sharing….
This is really cool… and extremely simple. Thanks a lot for sharing 😀
Next time I want to produce of very amaturish illustration of a popcorn box I’ll give this a try.
Great Logics 😉
great! Thanks for sharing…
Great Logics 😉
Quite simple but still a very nice tutorial
well good and cool
This is so cool! I like it!
thanks
thanks excelent tips
I am desperately trying to make this, however, once I have made the rectangles (both sets), when I go to select “expand appearence”, it is greyed out…I have no idea what I am doing wrong…please help!
Mary
PS- I am using version CS5
You must go to Object > Expand Appearance not Select > Expand Appearance. If it’s still greyed out send me your file at vforvectors@yahoo.com . I have no idea why it doesn’t work. Maybe I can spot the error if I have your illustrator file.
I figured it out…it’s under the effect>warp menu, not under object>expand appearance.
thank you!
Very nice. Thanks. I have been searching for this.!
This is a symbol of creativity. Very nice website. Thanks for the post Andrei.
Actually trying to do this – cannot get the arcs selected within the group to warp (step 4), it only highlights the rectangle, and ive literally tried everything to get it selected. what am i doing wrong?
Hi Emille,
Here’s a more detailed explanation:
After you apply all the effects from step #4 go to the Layers panel and make a quick recap. You should have your starting layer with six thick shape and seven thin shapes. No groups, no sublayers. Now, select all the thin shapes and hit Control + G. Return to the Layers panel and you’ll find a new group. Select it and go to Effect > Warp Arc. Enter the data shown in step #4 (image #1) and click OK. Continue by selecting the thick shapes. Group them then select this entire group and add the Arc & Bulge effects shown in step #4.
Let me know if this worked.
Thanks.
Very nice tutorial. I will try to do it myself. It is always good to read these kind of tutorials to get some tips.