Adobe Illustrator is a versatile software program with many uses, but it’s a staple in graphic design for creating shapes and signs and, as the name suggests, more complex illustrations. It can be counterintuitive for users who are more familiar with pixel-based programs like Photoshop or MS Paint, because it uses vector graphics rather than pixels. It’s kind of like doing an art project where you cut pieces of paper or fabric, compared to drawing with pencil or crayon — it’s all about how shapes work together.
Here are demonstrations of a few processes and skills that may be helpful for building icons.
Illustrator has a whole set of tools for making shapes, including one that turns your drawings of bad shapes into perfect geometric shapes. You can also convert letters and lines into shapes. Here’s a demonstration of these different tools:
An icon that looks simple should be simple — you might use a lot of shapes to get there, but at the end you want a single set of outlines rather than a bunch of shapes all stacked on top of each other. Here’s a demonstration of ways to do that:
Here’s a demonstration showing the process of making a winter hat icon, including some missteps and trying things different ways to see which one works best.