Create XP-style Icons Using Illustrator or Freehand

[ArticleBot]

This is an article discussion thread for discussing the SitePoint article, "Create XP-style Icons Using Illustrator or Freehand"

the link for the grid does not work. could you fix it?

For more on the Aqua Look check out this great entry by Cameron Moll. Included is a downloadable Illustrator logo he did for a company in the Aqua style. Really well done, I'd recommend everyone check it out - even though the article in and of itself is more interesting, it's still nice to see something done by hand rather than layer styles. That Formerly Wicked Aqua Look

[dotpeter]

Great article. Can't wait to get started on this myself. Thank you :)

[Justice]

Great article. I hate using the pen tool, but this is a great incentive to start.

ok

[polvero]

This was great corrie.
I skimmed most of the article, but your use of visual illustrations convinced me that illustrator can be a powerful tool when you need small icons at a larger scale.
Vectorizing is awesome and you're just so great at it.

Good stuff. I'll have to take another run through to read the details.

Edit
Brief side comment. I went through photoshop quickly and made a simple curvy looking shape with the pen tool and just realized that is a vector tool since you could resize it and it keeps the nice round curves :D
Cool. I learned something today.

Thanks.
Dustin

very good work, i really appreciate you, i am a webdesigner in Gm tech. in chennai, this site is very useful to me. thanks sir

I thought this was a well-done technique, but I must add a bit of criticism to the drop-shadow. I personnally use the drop-shadow technique so that it resembles an object more in a real-life situation; thus a drop-shadow on the top right edge is actually false, unless it was a paper cut-out while using 1/2" risers underneath the object. ;)

[Liquid Bass X]

Pretty cool

[corriehaffly]

Hi, Fred -- remember that we're not designing a "realistic" 3D object, but a Windows XP Icon -- which always has the dropshadow in that position.

I'm completely new to illustrator. But seeing nice work like this, I finally got it! Now a noob question. How do I change the gradient color from the default grey? I bought a training cd set for $100 yet it doesnt tell me how either???

[M.Mahgoub]

So intersting Corrie,, i got a real pretty result.

You change the grey in the gradient by clicking on the little square under the gradient in the gradient pallette. Then altering the color in the color pallette, or by dragging another color swatch onto it.

If nothing else this tutorial certainly explains the qualitive differences between WXP icons and Mac OSX icons!

This tutorial gives a better view for creating xp icons using Photoshop also outcomes using Photoshop were really nice, thanks to Corrie.

Fantastic, I was one of those "i can do that in photoshop" people and now i (finally) see the use and advantage to having illustrator! Thanks Corrie :)

[LI2]

Nice tutorial, very well explained.

[gfxcan]

Recreating XP icons is no biggie. The real thing is drawing icons from scratch without reference images, now this is tough

VEry good tutorial. Excellent. very helpful.

Really handy information, It will help.

It's a nice drawing tutorial I'm starting using the Illustrator from now ;)