How to Create a Food Groups Icon Pack in Adobe Illustrator

In today’s tutorial, we’re going to get our nutritionist hats on and
explore the process of creating the primary five food groups that dictate how
healthy one’s body is. As always we’re going to take the easiest approach
possible, by creating them using the most basic geometric shapes and tools that
Illustrator has to offer.

Oh, and don’t forget you can always expand
the pack by heading over to GraphicRiver where you’ll find a great selection of
food-themed icons.

That being said, grab
your daily dose of caffeine and let’s get started!

1. How to Set Up a New Project File

Assuming you already have Illustrator up
and running in the background, bring it up and let’s set up a New Document (File > New or Control-N)
using the following settings:

• Number
  of Artboards: 1
• Width:
  1000
  px
• Height:
  600
  px
• Units:
  Pixels

And from the Advanced tab:

• Color
  Mode: RGB
• Raster
  Effects: Screen (72ppi)
• Preview Mode: Default

2. How to Set Up a Custom Grid

Since we’re going to be creating the icons
using a pixel-perfect workflow, we’ll want to set up a nice little Grid so that we can have full control
over our shapes.

Step 1

Go to the Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid submenu, and adjust
the following settings:

• Gridline
  every: 1 px
• Subdivisions: 1

Quick tip: you can learn more
about grids by reading this in-depth piece on How Illustrator’s Grid System Works.

Step 2

Once we’ve set up our custom grid, all we
need to do in order to make sure our shapes look crisp is enable the Snap to Grid and Snap to Pixel options found under the View menu, which will transform into Snap to Pixel each time you enter the Pixel Preview mode (if you’re using an older version of the
software).

Now, if you’re new to
the whole “pixel-perfect workflow”, I strongly recommend you go through my How to Create Pixel-Perfect Artwork tutorial, which will help you widen your
technical skills in no time.

3. How to Set Up the Layers

With the new document created, it would be
a good idea to structure our project using a couple of layers, since this way
we can maintain a steady workflow by focusing on one icon at a time.

That being said, bring up the Layers panel, and create a total of six
layers, which we will rename as follows:

• layer
  1: reference grids
• layer
  2: fruit
• layer
  3: dairy
• layer
  4: vegetables
• layer
  5: grains
• layer 6: meat and eggs

4. How to Create the Reference Grids

The
reference grids (or base grids)
are a set of precisely delimited reference surfaces, which allow us to build
our icons by focusing on size and consistency.

Usually, the size of the grids determines
the size of the actual icons, and they should always be the first decision you
make once you start a new project, since you’ll always want to start from the
smallest possible size and build on that.

Now, in our case, we’re going to be
creating the icon pack using just one size, more exactly 128 x 128 px, which is a fairly large one.

Step 1

Start by locking all
but the “reference grids” layer, and then grab the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a 128 x 128 px orange (#F15A24) square, which will help define the
overall size of our icons.

Step 2

Add a smaller 120 x 120 px one (#FFFFFF) which we
will position on top of the previous shape, since it will act as our active
drawing area, thus giving us an all-around 4
px padding to work with.

Step 3

Select and group the
two squares together using the Control-G
keyboard shortcut, center aligning them to the underlying Artboard
afterwards. Create the remaining grids using four copies (Control-C > Control-F) spaced horizontally with a40 px gap between each one, locking
the current layer before moving on to the next section.

5. How to Create the Fruit Icon

Assuming you’ve
successfully managed to create the little reference grids, move on to the next
layer (that would be the second one), and let’s kick off the project by
creating the first food group.

Step 1

Start working on the melon’s side section by creating a 120 x 112 px ellipse, which we will
color using #8CB75Eand then adjust by selecting its left anchor point using
the Direct Selection Tool (A) and
then deleting it by pressing Delete.
Center align the resulting shape to the underlying active drawing area,
positioning it at a distance of 12 px from
its right edge.

Step 2

Add the inner pair of horizontal stripes, using
a 120 x 22 px ellipse with a 4 px thick Stroke (#332E2E), which we will center align to the previously
created shape’s right edge.

Step 3

Create the middle stripes using a slightly
taller 120 x 54 px ellipse with a 4 px thick Stroke (#332E2E), which we will align to the melon’s side section
as we did with the previous one.

Step 4

Add the outer facing stripes using a 120 x 82 px ellipse with a 4 px thick Stroke (#332E2E), making sure to select and group all of the
melon’s stripes using the Control-G
keyboard shortcut.

Step 5

Since we’ll want the stripes to remain contained
within the surface of the melon’s side section, we’ll have to mask them using a
copy (Control-C) of the green shape,
which we will paste (Control-F) in
front of them, and then with both the copy and the ellipses selected,right click > Make Clipping Mask.

Step 6

Give the side section an outline using the Stroke method, by creating a copy of
it (Control-C), which we will paste
in front (Control-F) and then adjust
by first changing its color to #332E2E and then flipping its Fill with its Stroke (Shift-X). Set
the resulting outline’s Weight to 8 px and its Corner to Round Join,
selecting and grouping all of the current section’s composing shapes together
afterwards using the Control-G
keyboard shortcut.

Step 7

Start working on the fruit’s front section by
creating its outer body using a 72 x 112
px ellipse (#C6DBAD) with an 8 px
thick outline (#332E2E), which we will group (Control-G) and then position onto the active drawing area so that
its center overlaps the side section’s left edge.

Step 8

Add the melon’s inner body, using a 48 x 88 px ellipse (#EA7A5C) with an 8 px thick outline (#332E2E), which we
will group (Control-G) and then
center align to the previously created shapes.

Step 9

Take a couple of moments and add the fruit’s
seeds using some4 x 6 px ellipses
(#332E2E), which we will position as you can see in the reference image. Once you have
all the seeds in place, select and group (Control-G)
them together, doing the same for the melon’s front section.

Step 10

Finish off the melon by adding its stem using a
10 x 10 px circle with a 4 px thick Stroke (#332E2E) with a Round
Cap, which we will adjust by removing its upper half. Position the
resulting shape onto the active drawing area’s right edge, at a distance of 58 px from its bottom one, making sure
to select and group (Control-G) all
of the fruit’s composing shapes afterwards.

Step 11

Start working on the little orange by creating
its main body using a 32 x 32 px circle
(#EDAD66) with an 8 px thick outline
(#332E2E), which we will group (Control-G)
and then position in the active drawing area’s bottom-left corner.

Step 12

Finish off the orange, and with it the icon
itself, by adding the little leaf which we will create using a 20 x 20 px square (#8CB75E) which we
will adjust by setting the Radius of
its top-left and bottom-right corners to 20
px from within the Transform panel’s
Rectangle Properties. Give the
resulting shape an 8 px thick
outline (#332E2E) with a Round Join,
grouping (Control-G) and positioning
the two shapes on top of the orange, at a distance of 16 px from the active drawing area’s left edge. Once you’re done,
select and group (Control-G) all of
the icon’s composing sections together, before moving on to the next one.

6. How to Create the Dairy Icon

Assuming you’ve finished working on the first icon, lock its layer and then
move on up to the next one (that would be the third one), where we’ll start
working on the second food group.

Step 1

Start working on the milk carton by creating the
front section of its lower body using a 44
x 80 px rectangle, which we will color using #E8E1DF and then position at a
distance of 40 px from the active
drawing area’s left edge, and just 4 px from
its bottom one.

Step 2

Add the carton’s side section using a 24 x 80 px rectangle (#A08380), which
we will position on the right side of the previously created shape.

Step 3

Take a couple of moments and draw the carton’s
swirl using the Pen Tool (P) with
the Fill color set to #6BC2D6,
moving on to the next step once you’re done.

Step 4

Give the swirl an 8 px thick outline (#332E2E) using the Stroke method, selecting and grouping the two together (Control-G). Make sure to create a
copy (Control-C) of them, which we
will paste in front (Control-F).

Step 5

Select and mask each of the two swirls using a
copy of the underlying sections as Clipping
Masks (right click > Make
Clipping Mask), making sure to change the color of the side section’s fill
shape to #2E9CAF.

Step 6

Give the two sections an 8 px thick outline (#332E2E) with a Round Join, individually selecting and grouping each of their
composing shapes together using the Control-G
keyboard shortcut.

Step 7

Create the front section’s drop using a 16 x 16 px circle
(#332E2E), which we will center align to the larger rectangle, positioning it
at a distance of 26 px from its
bottom edge.

Step 8

Adjust the circle’s shape by first selecting and pinching its top
anchor point using the Anchor Point Tool
(Shift-C) and then pushing it to the top by8 px using the Move tool (right click >
Transform > Move > Vertical > 8 px). Once you’re done, select and
group (Control-G) all of the front
section’s composing shapes before moving on to the next step.

Step 9

Start adding the nutritional information bars to the carton’s side, by
creating two 12 x 2 px rectangles (#332E2E),
vertically stacked2 px from one
another, which we will position at a distance of 8 px from the swirl’s bottom edge.

Step 10

Add the larger shape using a 12 x
12 px square (#332E2E), which we will position2 px below the bottom bar. Select and
group (Control-G) all three
rectangles together, doing the same for the side section’s composing shapes
afterwards.

Step 11

Start working on the carton’s upper body by creating the main shape for its
side section using a 24 x 20 px rectangle
(#A08380), which we will position on top of the shapes that we’ve just grouped.

Step 12

Adjust the shape that we’ve just created by adding a new anchor point in the center of its top
edge using the Add Anchor Point Tool (+),
and then removing its side ones using the Delete
Anchor Point Tool (-).

Step 13

Give the resulting shape an 8 px thick
outline (#332E2E) with a Round Join,
selecting and grouping them both together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Step 14

Add the upper body’s front section using a 44 x 20 px rectangle (#BFA9A5), which
we will position as seen in the reference image.

Step 15

Adjust the shape that we’ve just created by
selecting its top anchor points using the Direct
Selection Tool (A) and then pushing them to the right by12 px using the Move tool (right click >
Transform > Move > Horizontal > 12 px).

Step 16

Give the resulting shape an 8 px thick outline (#332E2E), selecting and grouping (Control-G) the two together before moving on to the next step.

Step 17

Create the milk carton’s folded top section using a 44
x 12 px rectangle (#E8E1DF) with an 8
px thick outline (#332E2E), which we will group (Control-G) and then position as seen in the reference image.

Step 18

Finish off the milk carton by adding a 16 x 6 px (#332E2E) rectangular insertion to the center of the
previously created section’s upper edge, selecting and grouping (Control-G) them together, and doing the
same for the entire carton afterwards.

Step 19

Start working on the little cheese triangle by creating its side
section using a 20 x 34 px rectangle
(#EA7A5C) with an 8 px right Corner Radius and an 8 px thick outline (#332E2E), which we
will group (Control-G) and then
align to the milk carton’s bottom-left corner.

Step 20

Add the front section using a 36
x 34 px rectangle (#EDAD66) with an 8
px right Corner Radius, which we
will position at a distance of 12 px from
the active drawing area’s left edge.

Step 21

Adjust the shape by creating a 12
x 12 px circle (highlighted with red), which we will position on the
front section’s left edge, at a distance of 10 px from its bottom one. Once you have the shape in place, simply
select both it and the larger section and use Pathfinder’s Minus Front
Shape Mode to create the cutout.

Step 22

Finish off the cheese triangle, and with it the
icon itself, by giving the resulting shape an 8 px thick outline (#332E2E), followed by two circular insertions (8 x 8 px; 4 x 4 px - #332E2E). Once you’re done, select and group (Control-G) all of the cheese’s
composing sections together, doing the same for the entire icon afterwards.

7. How to Create the Vegetables Icon

Assuming you’ve finished working on the second icon lock its layer and then
move on up to the next one (that would be the fourth one), where we’ll start
working on the third food group.

Step 1

Since the onion is pretty much identical in
shape and size to the melon, we’re going to quickly unlock the fruit icon’s layer and create a copy (Control-C)
of the melon, which we will paste (Control-F)
onto the current layer, aligning it to the active drawing area’s right edge.

Step 2

Ungroup the copy that we’ve just created (right click > Ungroup), and then take a couple of moments to remove its seeds and stem as seen in the reference image.

Step 3

Adjust the remaining shapes by changing the color of the side section’s
fill shape to #BF7D47, its front section’s outer body to #E8E1DF, and its inner one
to #BFA9A5.

Step 4

Add another layer to the onion’s front section using a 24 x 64 px ellipse (#E8E1DF) with an 8 px thick outline (#332E2E), which we
will group (Control-G) and then
center align to the larger underlying section.

Step 5

Create another smaller 8 x 24 px ellipse,
which we will color using #332E2E and then center align to the previously
created section. Once you have the shape in place, select and group (Control-G) all of the front section’s
composing shapes together before moving on to the next step.

Step 6

Finish off the onion by drawing its roots using three 8 px thick Stroke lines (#332E2E) with a Round
Cap, which we will position onto the side section’s right side as seen in
the reference image. Take your time, and once you’re done, select and group (Control-G) all of vegetable's composing
sections before moving on to the next step.

Step 7

Start working on the little carrot by creating
its main body using a 32 x 32 px circle
(#EA7A5C), which we will position at a distance of 4 px from the active drawing area’s left and bottom edges.

Step 8

Adjust the shape of the circle that we’ve just created by selecting its
top anchor point using the Direct
Selection Tool (A) and then pushing it to the top by24 px using the Move tool (right click >
Transform > Move > Vertical > -24 px).

Step 9

Give the resulting shape an 8 px thick outline using the Stroke
method, making sure to set its color to #332E2E.

Step 10

Finish off the carrot, and with it the icon itself, by adding the little
horizontal detail lines using a couple of 4
px tall rounded rectangles (#332E2E) with a 2 px Corner Radius. Once you have the lines in place, select and
group (Control-G) them together,
doing the same for the carrot and the entire icon afterwards.

8. How to Create the Grains Icon

Make sure you’ve
locked the previous layer, and then move on up to the next one (that would be
the fifth one) where we will create the fourth food group.

Step 1

Start working on the cereal box by creating its front section using a 56 x 92 px rectangle (#EDAD66) with an 8 px thick outline (#332E2E) with a Round Join, which we will group (Control-G) and then align to the active
drawing area’s bottom edge, positioning it at a distance of 28 px from its left one.

Step 2

Add the grain symbol’s bottom seeds using four 12 x 12 px squares (#332E2E), which we
will position as seen in the reference image.

Step 3

Adjust the shape of the left-sided rectangles by
setting the Radius of their
bottom-left and top-right corners to 12
px from within the Transform panel’s
Rectangle Properties.

Step 4

Repeat the same process for the right-sided
squares, only this time adjust the Radius
of their top-left and bottom-right corners using the same 12 px value.

Step 5

Add the top seed using a 6 x 12 px ellipse (#332E2E), which we will position between the
top two shapes that we’ve just adjusted, at a distance of 8 px from their bottom edges.

Step 6

Adjust the shape of the ellipse that we’ve just created by pinching its top and bottom anchor points using the Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C) to make
them pointy. Once you’re done, select and group (Control-G) all the seeds together, doing the same for the box’s
front section.

Step 7

Create the lower body of the box’s side section using a 24 x 52
px rectangle (#A08380) with an 8 px thick
outline (#332E2E), which we will group (Control-G)
and then position onto the right side of the larger front.

Step 8

Add the side section’s upper body using a 24 x 40 px rectangle (#BF7D47) with an 8 px thick outline (#332E2E), which we will group (Control-G) and then position on top of
the previously created shapes.

Step 9

As we did with the milk carton, take a couple of
moments and add in the little nutritional value bars using two 12 x 2 px rectangles (#332E2E)
vertically stacked2 px
above a 12 x 12 px square (#332E2E). Group
(Control-G) and then center align
all three shapes to the larger underlying section, positioning them at a
distance of 8 px from its bottom
edge. Once you’re done, select and group (Control-G) all of the side section’s composing shapes before moving
on to the next step.

Step 10

Create the box’s front folded section using a 56 x 20 px rectangle (#E8E1DF), which we will adjust by selecting
and pushing its bottom anchor points to the left by 12 px (right click > Transform > Horizontal > -12 px). Give the
resulting shape an 8 px thick
outline (#332E2E) with a Round Join,
grouping (Control-G) and positioning
the two on top of the larger front section.

Step 11

Create the top folded section using a copy (Control-C > Control-F) of the one from the previous step, which we will first horizontally
reflect (right click > Transform >
Reflect > Horizontal) and then position on top of the box, making sure
to change its fill color to #BFA9A5. Take your time, and once you’re done, select and group (Control-G) all of
the box’s composing sections before moving on to the next step.

Step 12

Start working on the little bowl by creating its lower body using a 56 x 20 px rectangle (#EA7A5C) with a 20 px bottom Corner Radius and an 8 px thick
outline (#332E2E), which we will group (Control-G)
and then align to the active drawing area’s bottom edge, positioning them at a
distance of 8 px from its left one.

Step 13

Add the bowl’s upper body using a 64
x 12 px rectangle (#E8E1DF) with an 8
px thick outline (#332E2E), which we will group (Control-G) and then position on top of the previously created
shapes.

Step 14

Finish off the bowl, and with it the icon itself,
by drawing the spoon’s handle using a diagonal 8 px thick Stroke line
(#332E2E), which we will position on the left side of the object, as seen in
the reference image. Once you’re done, don’t forget to select and group (Control-G) all of the bowl’s composing
shapes together, doing the same for the entire icon afterwards.

9. How to Create the Protein Icon

We are now down to
our fifth and last food group, which is probably the easiest one to create, so
make sure you’re on the right layer (that would be the sixth one) and let’s
finish this!

Step 1

Create the ham using a copy (Control-C)
of the first icon’s melon, which we will paste (Control-F) onto the current layer, making sure to align it to the
empty active drawing area’s right edge.

Step 2

As we did with the onion, ungroup the copy that we’ve just created (right click > Ungroup), and then
take a couple of moments to remove its seeds and stem as seen
in the reference image.

Step 3

Adjust the remaining shapes by changing the color of the front
section’s outer body to #EDAD66 and its inner body to #EA7A5C.

Step 4

Isolate the side section’s horizontal rings by double-clicking on their
group, and then add a vertical ring using a 92 x 132 px ellipse with a 4
px thick Stroke (#332E2E), which
we will center align to the active drawing area’s left edge. Once you’re done,
simply press Escape to exit Isolation Mode.

Step 5

Move back to the front section and add the little bone slice using a 12 x 20 px ellipse (#E8E1DF) with an 8 px thick outline (#332E2E), which we
will group (Control-G) and then
center align to its inner body.

Step 6

Finish off the ham by adding its little tail section using a 16 x 10 px ellipse (#332E2E), which we
will center align to the active drawing area’s right edge, making sure to
select and group (Control-G) all of
its composing sections before moving on to the next step.

Step 7

Create the first egg using a 32 x
24 px ellipse (#D39972) with an 8 px
thick outline (#332E2E), which we will group (Control-G) and then position in the active drawing area’s
bottom-left corner.

Step 8

Finish off the icon, and with it the project itself, by adding the second
egg using a 24 x 32 px ellipse (#E8BB97)
with an 8 px thick outline (#E8BB97),
which we will group (Control-G), and
then position over the previously created shapes, at a distance of 20 px from the active drawing area’s
left edge.

Take your time, and once you’re done, select and group (Control-G) all of the current icon’s
composing sections together before saving the project.

Forks Up!

There you have it, fellow food lovers, a nice straightforward tutorial
on how to create the primary food groups that we all eat on a regular
basis. As always, I hope you’ve managed to keep up with each and every step and
most importantly learned something new and useful in the process.