In this tutorial I will show you how to draw a very simple but awesome twitter bird vector. I’ve used photoshop to create this but you could just as easily use illustrator as we’re mainly using the pen tool.

This is a fairly basic tutorial and all you’ll need is a very basic knowledge of the pen tool. Have fun!

Step 1: Base

Create a new document, I’ve created mine 575 x 680, but it doesn’t really matter what size it is, you can resize later if need be as it is a vector we are creating. Now select the pen tool and begin to draw the basic body shape of the bird, I based mine on a sketch I had drawn previously. You can copy the shape from a photo or drawing or you can just use your imagination.

When drawing with the pen tool I usually will turn off visibility of the layer in the layers menu so I can see what I am doing better. Once you’ve finished drawing you can turn it back on.

Now we have the basic shape of the body, I used #33ccff as the color, but again you can choose whatever you like. Next I added a slight gradient to the shape just to add a bit of depth.

Step 2: Features

Now we have the basic bird shape, the next step is to add the birds features (eye, beak, legs). The beak is a faily simple triangle-ish shape and is coloured #0f0f0f, again drawn with the pen tool, and with a slight gradient added to give it depth.

The eye is just layers of different coloured circles ontop of eachother to create a ‘beady’ looking eye.

Now the legs. First we need to create the thigh shape, this layer needs to be underneath the body layer and I coloured it with #DBDBDB. This way any overlap will be hidden underneath the body layer. The actual legs again are underneath the thigh and body layers and are positioned to look like they are gripping something and I used #0F0F0F.

Step 3: Shading

The final step is to add a bit of detail and shading, I have kept it fairly simple but you could really go for it and add as much shading as you like. I started by adding a lighter area (#7AD6F5) covering the breast of the bird.

Instead of drawing a whole new shape, I duplicated the body shape layer and adjusted it to how I wanted it, this way the edges will match the body shape.
Then I added the darker areas (#2AB7E6), again by duplicating the body shape and adjusting it by deleting a couple of vertices and adjusting others.

Conclusion

The final result is a fairly simple, but good looking twitteresque bird. Hopefully your will have had fun following this tutorial and will have learnt something along the way. The pen tool is a great tool to know how to use, so practice with it as much as you can as it can be trick at first, but once you know what your doing you can do alot with it.

Download the Twitter Bird Photoshop PSD File:

In case you want to compare your results or just tweak my design, here is the finished PSD file of the twitter bird: twitterbird.psd

Stefan from over at ArtBox7 was kind enough to offer up this set of 8 awesome flourishes. They are available as both vectors and photoshop brushes.

Terms of Use

These vectors and brushes are available for commercial and non-commercial work. Please do not repackage, redistribute or direct link to the download. If you would like to share them please link back to this page.

Share Your Work

I’d love to see the creative stuff you come up with using these brushes and vectors. Please consider posting a link to your work in the comments or share your work at the MyInkBlog Flickr Group.

Please do not repackage, redistribute or direct link to the download. If you would like to share these freebies please link back to this page.

About the Creation

Picasso’s Blue period spawned some amazing pieces from within the artist’s self-proclaimed torment of that time. In my Blue period, I have created some abstract vectors all containing a certain geometric-ness. My Blue period is owed to the recent loss of my MacBook to the repair shop, which may explain the choice of my muses to turn to the geo vectors for expression of this grief. Naturally the abstract came from the Picasso-esque period in which I found myself. And though the work wrought from my Blue period pales in comparison to Picasso’s, his period lasted four years and mine only three weeks, so it balances I think. Besides, my work is free for everyone, Picasso’s stingy, little pretentious self charges a bit more than that for his. Though, again, given the difference in quality, it balances. If you still want this set of 10 fun, original vectors they are yours for free commercial and non-commercial purposes. Bet Picasso never did that!

Preview

Please do not repackage, redistribute or direct link to the download. If you would like to share these freebies please link back to this page.

‘The time has come,’ Houle hath said, ‘to give more freebies away!’ So we had answered the call, with some grungy vector sprays. Sorry, the muses took me as I got started there, but the proclamation remains the same…it’s freebie time! MyInkBlog has once again teamed up with the imaginative minds at Fuel Your Creativity, and this time, it’s personal…or commercial. You can actually use these vector freebies however you like, in both commercial or personal projects. It is a set of 10 grungy spray vectors that were made just for you. And by ‘You’ we mean the entire design readership and collective community. Not to make you feel any less special. Afterall, you are a part of the collective, so stop being oversensitive and check out the freebie goodness!

Previews

I’m stoked to announce the new freebie that you see in the image above. The awesome vectors were kindly given by new site sponsor, VectorStock.

VectorStock is one of the industry leaders in offering high quality royalty free vectors. Their prices are very reasonable and their vectors are gorgeous. Think of them as the Istock of vectors. Definitely pay them a visit next time you have a need for some design elements.

Download the set here.