1. Start from real elements
When making real life elements, it's very important to understand how they are affected by its surroundings, elements such as sunlight, shadows and reflections must be taken into account. Take some minutes before start drawing to gather some real life references.
2. Make it of your own
There is no better way to appropriate of something that by painting it, because that will provide you a lot of confidence and knowledge regarding the element you are studying. Draw some quick sketches before we go to the computer. You can even draw a brilliant object on paper and then vectorize it.
3. Create canvas
Because we are going to work for web, we suggest that your document's properties must be 250 X 250 pixels, RGB color mode and 72 DPI.
4. Starting our Macaw
The first thing you need to do is the larger shape of the macaw to help you with the proportions and volume management. Select the pen tool and proceed drawing something like this.
Creating this shape requires a lot of patience, do not rush. Remember that by clicking over the last anchor point you did, you can make straight turns instead of curved.
Take advantage of your screen, zoom when it becomes necessary using the zoom tool (click to zoom in and click when holding Alt to zoom out) or clicking while holding Ctrl + Space.
Now adjust the properties of the shape. We can use a lot of colors while we're making our macaw. Select the shape and adjust the stroke color first, towards a crimson tone.
The stroke must be thin, not too thick, we think that a 0.31 stroke is more than enough.
Regarding the fill, let's generate a gradient appearance to the shape, first, go to the gradient window (Window>gradient) and add an extra point at the middle of the gradient bar. Also leave the gradient parameters set to radial, 0 angle and 100 aspect radio.
The three color points must be similar between each other to make a realistic gradient effect.
5. Working with clipping paths
Sometimes when you are working with irregular shapes, blurred fillings and similar, there are many parts of this elements that are left outside the area we want, in this cases is when we need to generate a clipping path. Clipping paths can only be vector objects, but the clipped objects can be either vectors or bitmaps. First we need to create the two shapes that are going to be clipped. Use the pen tool to draw something like this.
This shape must be less bright, so fill it with a dark red.
If we leave it this way, I think it will look too cartoonish, let's add a blur filter to make it more realistic. Please go to Effect>blur>Gaussian blur.
Around 9.0 it's a perfect value to reach what we are looking for.
OK, the gradient is fine, but is noticing beyond the necessary, reduce the shape's opacity to 45 % at the transparency window. (Window>transparency).
Now our shape should be looking like this.
Then, we draw the following form using the pen tool. Fill it with exactly the same color than the previous shape we did.
And then we repeat the process, enter a Gaussian blur around 9.0
And now, reduce the opacity to 53 % and you will get something similar to this.
As you can see, there is a problem with this two shapes, both are going beyond the larger shape's edges, so this is the moment to create the clipping path. The clipping path in this case is going to be close the macaw's original shape, take the pen tool and trace the path.
We don't make it exactly like the original shape so we can leave some gradient pixels outside the area generating subtle shadows.
This is where the magic happens, select the two blurred shapes and the clipping path, then go to Object>clipping mask>make and voila.
6. The Wooden Stick
Our macaw will be standing on a wooden stick, staring at every person that walks in front of him. The initial wooden stick is composed by a simple gradient shape with no stroke.
Do not use bright colors, a controlled color palette works perfectly on realistic works. Use two colors to generate the gradient with one of the two inclined closer to the other, the values must be linear and 68.7 angle.
We need to add some extra volume. Let's draw a new shape in top of the wooden stick that will help with this volume that we are looking for.
This shape is going to have a black and white gradient, with linear type and a -120 angle, also it's important to change the blending mode to screen at the transparency window.
7. Adding more details
The rest of this tutorial will guide you through the details that gives the realistic touch to our icon. The next shape is the with area of the macaw's face, use the pen tool to draw it.
The next thing to do is the gradient. Although it should be white, it's better to apply a bit of color to enhance the volume, define a radial type gradient with a 0 angle and 100 aspect radio.
This shape needs some blur. Enter a Gaussian blur with a value around 5.0, maybe less.
Now you will have a result closer to this.
Now a wing insinuation, draw a shape that resembles a wing and fill it with a crimson tone, then go to Gaussian blur and enter a value around 3.0. Finally, adjust the opacity at the transparency properties to 43 %.
The next step is the paws. Very simple thing, just draw a small shape with the pen tool and fill it with a dark color.
Repeat the process to create another claw of the paw with the same fill.
Now we are going to start with the feathers, draw it with the pen tool and fill it with a black and white gradient, 27.7 angle and linear type, also change the blending mode to screen.
The next few shapes are just a constant repetition. Draw it and fill it just like you did with the previous object.
And keep on doing, the next shape is identical in terms of fill properties.
The final shape changes its angle, switch it to -157, leave the rest exactly like the others.
Let's complete the left paw of our macaw, this requires around 4 steps to be completed. First select the pen tool to draw the primary shape.
Now fill it with a gradient and adjust the parameters to linear and 147 angle.
The next shape is similar but the angle changes to 117, all the rest is the same.
Now the claws, easy to do, simple trace with the pen tool and solid fill color.
The same thing for the next claw, it's just a matter of repetition.
Now a few highlights, trace the first one with the pen tool.
Regarding the filling, it should be a black and white gradient, linear type, -65 angle and screen blending mode.
The other highlight is similar, the only thing that you need to change is the angle, which now should be -34.
To make the right paw, first, trace the shape using your pen tool.
And now, fill it with a gradient with the following parameters: Linear type and 106 angle.
Proceed drawing an inner shape that will define the highlights, remember to use the pen tool to fulfill this purpose.
To generate the fill, use a black and white gradient and adjust the parameters to linear, -48 angle and screen blending mode.
Let's go to the body and draw a large shape at the left side of our macaw.
Fill the shape with a gray tone and adjust the blending mode to Multiply, also reduce the opacity to 45 %.
Keep it up, our macaw is looking better and better, go and grab a bag of snacks and then we continue. OK, now we will draw a highlight shape near the latest object we did.
As we've been doing with the previous highlights, use a black and white gradient, linear type and -61 angle to fill the shape, then switch the blending mode to screen.
The next detail is important because it's a large shape covering a considerable part of our macaw's body.
No science at all regarding the fill, just leave everything as the previous fill we used.
Now we are moving to the macaw's beak. The first step we must take is to draw a dark shape that will be the lower part of the beak.
We must place a dark fill inside this shape, we suggest to use gradients instead of plain colors.
The top beak has an extra element concerning the filling. Before that, grab the pen tool and draw it.
Pay attention to the following part. We are filling the object with a 3 color gradient, radial type and 100 % aspect radio.
8. Implementing graphic styles
I think it's time to begin with the feathers. It's an easy process that leaves lovely results, for start, let's draw the first feather using our pen tool.
As we saw in the photo references, the feathers are full of color and are the iconic element of a macaw. Because of that affirmation, we are going to apply 3 color radial gradient. But that's not it, we are going to use the graphic styles, an option that allows to save determined object qualities for use it at anytime. Go to Window>Graphic Styles, that will unlock the window so we can start working on it.
