How To Create a Textured Vector Revolver

Illustration
TUTORIALS

26 NOVEMBER 2012

12 COMMENTS

This post was originally published in 2012

THE TIPS AND TECHNIQUES EXPLAINED MAY BE OUTDATED.
In the past I always saved any texturing work for Photoshop, but recently Ive been

enjoying using vector textures to create cool distressed illustrations directly in Adobe

Illustrator. Follow this step by step tutorial to build a textured vector revolver illustration.

Well use some handy Pen curves to create the linework, fill in the shapes with

LivePaint then use some vector textures to create a stylized final appearance.
The vector revolver well be creating is made up of crisp vector shapes and solid

colours, but the vector textures help eliminate some of that flat digital appearance to

produce a cool stylized effect.

Well base the revolver illustration on the classic Single Action Army from the old West.

Download a Wikimedia Commons image and place it into Illustrator. Reduce the opacity

to 50% then press CMD+2 to lock it into place.

Use the Pen tool to begin tracing the outline of the frame and grip, leaving out the barrel

for now. Click and drag each point, then click the open end to reset the bezier curve

before setting the next point.

Use a rounded rectangle to trace the barrel. Adjust the corner radius with the cursor

keys before releasing the mouse when clicking and dragging. Use the Direct Selection

tool to select and delete the two end points.

Click and drag each of these end points to overlap the outline of the main pistol body.

Drag a second rounded rectangle, but this time delete the upper edge as well as the two

end points.
Use two carefully aligned rounded rectangles to outline the cylinder. Turning on Smart

Guides (CMD+U) can be a real help to accurately line things up.

Draw an ellipse to roughly outline the dome at the rear of the revolver. Clip the path

where it intersects the cylinder shapes with the Scissors tool and delete the unwanted

half.
Draw another ellipse to outline the recessed areas of the cylinder, then select and

delete the right most point with the Direct Selection tool.
Use the Pen tool to select and open ends of the path and continue the lines to the edge

of the cylinder shape.

Repeat the process for the other two recessed areas to finish the cylinder area.
Add details to the other areas of the illustration with the Pen tool by lining up the start

and end points with the main pistol outline.

Press CMD+Shift+2 to Unlock the background photo. Hit delete to remove it from the

artboard to see the basic vector linework.

Draw a selection around all the objects, then select the LivePaint tool. Click anywhere

on the selection of objects to activate the tool.

Pick colours from the Swatches palette then click the shapes in the illustration with the

LivePaint tool to fill each area.

Once all sections are filled, go to Object > Expand. Select just the Object option to

convert the objects back to solid shapes.

Right click and select Ungroup multiple times until each shape can be selected

individually.
Add a 2pt stroke to the main frame area and select the Align to Inside option from the

Stroke palette.
Go to Object > Expand Appearance to convert the stroke into a solid object. Right click

and Ungroup the elements then delete the stroke shape.

Removing this stroke leaves a cool outline around the shapes that helps separate each

element and add to the stylized effect.

Copy (CMD+C) and Paste in Front (CMD+F) a duplicate of the cylinder recess shapes.

Change the colour to the lighter shade of grey then squash the shape to create a

highlight/shadow effect.
Finish off the colour fills with some simple rectangles to act as highlights on the barrel.

Using those Smart Guides here will make lining up the edges a breeze.
Download and open up my Vector Bumper Pack and paste a texture onto the artboard.
Draw a selection around all objects, then Shift-click the texture to minus it from the

selection. Copy and Paste in Front a duplicate of the revolver and hit the Merge option

from the Pathfinder palette to blend all the duplicated shapes together.
Right click and Ungroup the elements, then create a Compound Path by selecting the

menu option or hitting the shortcut CMD+8.

Select both the pistol compound path and the vector texture and hit the Intersect option

from the Pathfinder palette to trim the texture down to size.

Change the texture fill to black, then alter the blending mode to Multiply and set the

opacity to 30%.
Repeat this process with a second texture overlay to add more grain and distressed

marks to the illustration.

Paste in one of the vector spraypaint elements and position them in various places

around the illustration so the main spray drips scatter across the pistol.
Draw a selection around the objects, removing any textures from the selection and

create another compound path (Merge, Ungroup, CMD+8).

Make a copy of the compound path so it can be pasted back in and used with the next

spraypaint texture, then use the Intersect tool to trim each texture to size.
Change the fill of these elements to black and give them the same Multiply blending

mode at 30% to finish off the revolver illustration.

The simple shapes help create a cool stylized vector illustration while the texture

overlays add a distressed effect and provide a touch of shading where the darker grain

speckles eliminate the flat vector appearance.