Create a Vector Grannysmith Apple
In this tutorial I will teach you how to create a vector Grannysmith Apple that'll make your mouth water! During the process I will talk about how to decide about the form and how light is cast on an object. This image will be created without a reference image and you will be able to create simple objects and create form with the correct lighting.
We will be creating this:
Step 1: Creating the base shape
To start with we will draw the base shape of the apple. This shaped should be simple to draw but remember it doesn't have to be perfect, apples are organic and organic objects have slight flaws so you don't need a perfectly proportioned and symmetrical Grannysmith. For this shape you will choose the color of your apple (the Grannysmith Green), later you will see that by changing this one shape color you can change the color of the whole apple.
Step 2 : Creating a light-source and a heatmap
I usually do this step in my mind by creating a 3-dimensional of the object and seeing the light reflect onto this object - as you do this more often you will start be able to skip this heat map stage. The idea is to draw a lights source and then to create a "heat map" which is where you use a color-range where one end of the range is one extreme and the other end of the color range is the other extreme. In this case the color range is red-orange-yellow-white where red is darkness and white is lightness. When creating this heat map you have to recognize the form of the apple. As you can see I recognized the little dips on the apple where the core meets the flesh at the top and the bottom of the apple.
Step3: Adding in some light
This step is crucial because it creates the form of the apple. Forms is created with light (which is white) you need to have light one almost every part of the apple to create the form except for the darker parts of the apple. So what we do is go in and create loads of layers at 5% opacity in white that create the form of the apple. The shapes will follow the contour of the apple and will decrease in size until it comes to the highlight point.
As you can see on this heat map for white (where yellow is the most layers and yellow is the least layers on one spot) that depth is built by layers of white decreasing in size. The more layers of 5% opacity white the brighter the area, the more forward it will pop from the image.
Step 4: Creating the highlights
What we do now is create the highlight, this is about 5-15 layers where you start with the 5% opacity and increase the opacity by 1% every one or two layers so that the brightest area of the highlight is really bright. By doing this I find I have less paths to create around the most brightest of area and this makes sure that I don't hold back to much with the white because if you do then it will fall back and the image will appear flat.
So you can see how the highlights (paths of white fill) follow the contour of the apple and increase in opacity to create the bump of the apple that catches the light.
Step 5: Starting the balance of light and dark.
Like the Ying Yang the image must be balanced with light and dark or white and black. This creates contrast and pops some parts of the apple forward and lets other step back to create dimension. It's time to start blocking in the shadow - as with light there is shadow everywhere except in the lightest areas. The means that you don't only add one shade of shadow but a gradually increasing gradient of shadow. So what we do first is put in the general shadow like we did in step 3 for light (use a heat map like in step 3 if it helps).
As soon as some darkness is introduced the apple takes shape and form!
Step 6: Completing the balance of light and dark, with contrast
As explained with the example of the Ying Yang, we need to have very dark darks as we have very light lights. Don't be afraid to go dark in areas where the light from the light source wouldn't get. So as in Step 4 you use the gradually increasing gradient effect on the darks to get to the point where the apple looks round and the lights are balanced by the darks.
Step 7: Putting the stalk in
To complete the apple we just put in a little stalk. This is a small area where you can, to a lesser extent, try and do these steps without following step by step. Think logically about how to will highlight and shadow the stalk and how you will create the form. Included is a zoomed up version of the stalk so you can see that it isn't just a brown stalk (I actually drew it at this blown up size). It is important to not say, aww forget it its so thin you'll hardly notice because it makes a big difference and this being a vector you must realize that it should be able to be increased without looking stupid or losing the depth because you were too lazy to finish of the stalk.
Also the zoomed up version is included so you can see how the paths are layered and staggered to create the form.
Final Version:
Hopefully you now have an apple that looks good enough to eat! Please post your results!
This tutorial is written and is copyright Ludwig Wendzich (alias.infnit/InFnit) and is NOT to be used or republished in anywaywithout the explicit permission from 13dots.com or Ludwig Wendzich in writing. You may link to it.
