1. See what other people have done
It's always useful to open up your mind a little before starting a project, and by open your mind I mean to grab some time to take a look at the proposals that other people have done, this will help you to decide how to proceed in some aspects of your design.
2. The pencil always goes before the mouse
Don't forget that some of the greatest ideas where written with paper and pencil. Take your old notebook and sketch for a while.
3. Create your Canvas
There's not an specific document size if you are working with illustration, as long as the design maintains a nice proportion and zero pixilation. Because we were making this for our twitter background, we created a large canvas. Go to File>New and create a 1400 px X 900 px file, 72 dpi and RGB color mode.
4. Starting our astronaut
One way to start a design is to first draw the tiny details and then the large shapes. Select the pen tool (p) and draw an irregular stroke that resemblances an S letter.
Now we need to increase the stroke value of the line, to do that, first select the shape with the selection tool.
After selecting the object, go to the stroke options at the top of the window and increase it to 7 px.
And now some magic, lets turn this shape into a fill. Go to Object>Expand and leave all the options checked.
By doing this, we can now edit our shape as a fill, which means that we can add it a lot or properties. What we are going to do now is to change the plain color of the figure for a gradient. Select the object and make sure that the fill box is on top.
I don't like black for an astronaut's sweet, I think I'm going to change it for a nice gradient. Go to the gradient window and assign one fill gradient to our object.
The next thing to do is to adjust the gradient parameters, we will be using a lot this fill, so pay attention to the values we are entering. Replace both color indicators for a light blue, one darker than the other. Also change the type from linear to radial with a 100 % aspect radio. If you don't see either the gradient or the color windows, you can look for them at the Window tab on top of the program.
Using the pen tool we drew something like this. Leave the same gradient that we used before, but adjust the angle value to -90. So far we are doing pretty well.
Its time to play with the volume. Select the last object we did and copy paste it right in front of the original (Ctrl + C, Ctrl + F). Then change the angle in the fill parameters to -90. You also need to change the blending mode from Normal to Multiply.
At this time many must be asking themselves, why did we made the first shape if it's going to be covered by this one?. Well, that's not completely true. We are going to cut a piece of this new shape. To do this, we need to use the knife tool, it's very simple, just select it and draw a smooth line, then you will see how the shape gets splitted in two.
Simply select the right side of the figure and delete it so you can see something like this.
We now have the shadow, but we are missing the glow, the light must be coming from somewhere. Use the knife tool one more time but in this case over the lighter shape, you will get something like this.
Very simple shape the one coming up next, just draw it using the pen tool and leave the gradient we have been using with a 0 angle.
Copy and paste the shape we just did, then change its blending mode to multiply.
More simple steps, draw another shape next to the last two and leave the gradient properties unmodified.
Copy paste the figure (Ctrl + C, Ctrl + F), then use the knife tool to create a glow at the left side of the figure and a shadow on top, then clear the remaining parts. For the left glow do not change the colors but the angle, switch it from 0 to -134. Also modify the blending mode to screen and 50 % opacity.
For the shadow leave everything as the original but change the blending mode to Multiply. It's very important to do this over a copy, because if you don't, the blending styles won't work as you expect.
In this part we are going to determine if our buddy is a chubby, slim or regular guy, it's up to you. Grab your pen tool and draw the main body of our astronaut. Don't change the colors of the gradient, but adjust the angle to -55.
The beauty relies on the details, or at least that's what I've heard. Select your pen tool and create a thin line over the left leg.
We are changing our gradient values for the first time. Switch to red and dark red, left to right respectively. Assign it a radial type and a 57 angle.
The other leg needs the same touch, so use the pen tool and draw it, you don't need to change anything at the gradient window.
Now we need to generate the volume of our astronaut's spacesuit. Generate a copy of the original body (Ctrl + C, Ctrl + F) so we can start working with the knife tool.
The first cut we are going to trace goes over the upper side of the left arm, something like this:
If we look at the foot and then at the arm, we will realize that the light is not correct. To fix that, change the new glow shape we have just cut and change the blending mode to screen and the opacity to 50 %.
Now over the left leg, repeat exactly the same process that we just did.
Keep doing it, the power of the force is with you. Same process to the right arm.
Now down to the right leg. It's quite easy once you have mastered the way things are done.
OK, we are done with the main highlights of the spacesuit, it's time to add the shadow. Repeat what we've doing during the last steps, knife tool and gradient adjustments.
Change in the Transparency window the following values: From Screen and 50 % opacity to Multiply and 100 %.
Back to the left arm, you know what to do.
The next shape requires a small trick. We need to create a new copy of the original shape and place it on top (Ctrl + C, Ctrl + F). Now use the knife tool to create the chest of the spacesuit, we need to do it over a new copy because we are cutting through a part we've already cut.
Clear all the rest of this new copy.
Now, use the knife tool one more time over the previous shape where we were doing the glows and shadows. Generate a shadow over the left leg.
5. The Astronaut's head
This part is maybe the key for achieve a good quality illustration, we are going to draw our character's head. The first step is to create the main head shape. Use the ellipse tool to draw a circle.
OK, now use the ellipse tool to create the ears.
And now the trick. Select the three circles and look for the pathfinder at Window. Then select the first icon of the first row, that will mix them all into one single shape.
The fill it's done easily. Just select the shape and assign it the gradient values that we are showing you at next with a linear type and a -90 angle.
This guy have a basketball instead of a head, ha ha. Let's give him some hair to make him feel good, take your pen tool and design the hairstyle that you prefer, we give him a classic haircut with a dark gradient, linear type and -90 angle. Remember that when using the pen tool, you can click over the anchor point to make a straight turn, which is something that we need to do in order to generate the hair.
To give him a beard, you can either create a copy of the face and cut it with the knife, or take a risk and draw it with the pen tool, both options work.
Play with the gradient values until you get a nice beard appearance. Although you must remember to leave it linear and -90 angle all the time.
Oh no, our astronaut is blind, he needs a couple of eyes to see the beauty of the moon. Select the ellipse tool and draw the right one.
And now, select the eyedropper tool while the eye is still selected, then click over the hair to clone the fill style.
Select the eye and copy paste it, then move it to the left, the astronaut is blind no more.
