How to Create a Winter City Scene in Adobe Illustrator

Winter is coming! It's time to enjoy the wonderful holiday Christmas atmosphere, walk on snowy streets and listen to Christmas songs while looking at the lights, garlands and decorations of beautiful European cities.

In this tutorial, we will let the Christmas magic fill our imagination and create a festive city street illustration.

As always,you can skip the tutorial and grab the result as a part ofmy Christmas Travel Winter Backgroundscollection. And look for even more Christmas spirit onGraphicRiver.

1.How to Create a New Document

First we need to set up aNew Document(File > NeworControl-N) with these settings:

• Number of Artboards:1
• Width:1200
• Height:1200
• Units:pixels

From theAdvanced tab:

• Color Mode:RGB
• Raster Effects:Screen
• Preview Mode:Default
• UncheckAlign New Objects to Pixel Grid

2.How to Create a Winter House

Step 1

Before we start building our first house, make sure you have theSmart Guides(View > Smart Guides)turned on.This option will help us to move and place objects more easily.

Then create a224 x 395pxlight blue#579dferectangle with the help of theRectangle Tool (M) for the main shape of our building.

Build one more 224 x 50 px shape (#754a3d) and put it on the bottom part of the larger one, aligning to its center.

Step 2

Create a small brown (#8a5e48) rectangle which will act as a brick. Spread the bricks over the bottom brown part of the building by copying and dragging them, imitating the texture.

Step 3

Let's start to build a window by creating a 33 x 75 px rectangle which we will fill with #bad4f7.

Select it and go toObject > Path > Offset Path.Set theOffsetvalue to-3 px,adding asmaller shape inside. Set the shape color to #4a5c5e.

Step 4

Select the light outer shape and use the Offset Path method again, setting the Offset to 5 pxto create an outline. Color it with blue#447cc9. (1)

Add a narrow stripe of 3 px width dividing our window into two halves. Create one more horizontal line of the same width, placing it on the top half of the window. (2)

Keeping the horizontal line selected, choose theReflect Tool (O). Holding theAltkey, click on the center of the vertical stripe. In theReflectoption window, set theAxisto Horizontaland pressCopy, reflecting the shape to the bottom half of the window. (3)

Group (Control-G) all the parts together.

Step 5

In addition to the larger one, we need a smaller window for the house.

Build a 33 x 52 pxrectangle of #bad4f7 color.

Using the Offset Path option and the same colors as in the previous step, add a dark inner shape, blue outline, and crossed vertical and horizontal stripes to the window.

Step 6

Let's move on and place windows on the house shape.

Take the larger window and drag it to the middle of the large blue rectangle. Keeping the shape selected and holding both the Shift and the Alt keys, drag the window right, creating a copy on the right side.

To get one more copy in the same direction on the left side, just select the first window and press Enter.The Move option window appears. Add the "-" symbol before the Horizontal value without changing the value itself and press Copy.

Step 7

Create three more windows on the top part of the building.

Then add two smaller windows on the bottom part, leaving an empty space in the middle for the entrance.

Step 8

Time to create an entrance door.

Build a 60 x 119 px rectangle (#8a5e48) and go to Object > Path > Offset Path, setting the Offset value to 10 px. Change the outline color to #447cc9.

Add a horizontal rectangle (#4a5c5e) on the top part of the inner shape for the door window.

Step 9

Let's add some details to the door by creating a horizontal stripe (#6e4539) rightunder the bottom outline of the door window. Then place a thinner vertical line of the same color on the middle of the brown part of the door, dividing the door in two parts.

Build one more rectangle for the snowy threshold (#b3def5), aligning it to the bottom part of the door. Select the two upper anchors with the Direct Selection Tool (A) andpull the circle indicators to the center, making the corners rounded.

Step 10

Group (Control-G) all the door pieces together and place the door on the house, aligning to its bottom edge.

Take the Direct Selection Tool (A) and, holding Shift, drag the bottom edge of the blue door outline up, placing it on the same level as the top edge of the brown brick part.

Step 11

Add several thin stripes going across the top and bottom edges of the windows, making the facade more detailed.

Step 12

Time to create a roof for our house.

Build a 234 x 140 px rectangle of #b3def5 color on the top of the building, overlapping the house's top edge,and slightly round the corners.

Copy the roof shape and clickControl-Bto get aDuplicatebehind the main object. Move it down by a few pixels using theArrow key and change the color to dark blue (#4075bd), creating a shadow effect.

Duplicate the main blue wall shape. Then select both the wall copy and the roof copy using theIntersectfunction of thePathfinderto cut the shape. Now the shadow looks natural.

Step 13

Many old European houses have mansard windows, and I really like this architectural detail. Let's add two mansard windows to our building.

Just create a narrow white rectangle and rotate it by holding the Shift key. Take theReflect Tool (O), and thenAlt-clickon the top anchor point of our shape. In theRotatepanel, set theAngleto 90°and click theCopybutton. Make both shapes fully rounded and move them closer to each other. Merge the rounded rectangle into one shape using theUnite option ofPathfinder. This shape will act as a snow cap on the top of our window.

Create a small blue rectangle underneath.

Step 14

Select both shapes with theSelection Tool (V), hold theAltkey, and click on the blue shape. The selection becomes thicker, indicating you're now aligning to theKey Object. Head to theAlignpanel and click theHorizontal Align Centerbutton.

Take the Pen Tool (P) and draw a triangle-like shape (#4075bd) which sits right on the top edge of the blue shape and overlaps the angled white shape.

Select the white angled shape and go to Object > Arrange > Bring to Front, placing it in front of the other parts.

Step 15

Create a small window inside the blue rectangle in the same way as we did before, using the Offset function and the Rectangle Tool (M).

Group (Control-G) all the mansard window pieces together and create a mirror copy on the left part of the roof, by taking the Reflect Tool (O) and clicking on the center of the roof while holding theAlt button.

Add white rounded rectangles underneath each facade window for snowy window ledges. The first house is ready!

3. How to Create More Winter Houses

Step 1

Let's move to the next grey building with the rounded roof.

Start by making a 225 x 395 px rectangle of #4a5c5e color. Create one more 145 x 90 px shape of the same color, placing it over the top edge of the larger one and aligning to its center. Select the two upper corners, make them fully rounded, and then merge the two shapes into one with the help of the Unite option on thePathfinder panel.

Step 2

Use the Offset path method to add a decorative rim around the building. Set the color to #9ec5c9. Drag the bottom edge of the rim to the top flat edge of the house shape. Align the outstanding rim edges to the main house base by dragging them with the Direct Selection Tool (A).

Step 3

Create a rounded door with a staircase on the bottom part. Use the Live Corners feature to round the door's top, the Offset method to create a rim around it, and simple rectangles for the stairs. Use #8a5e48 for the main door color,#6e4539 for the darker brown, and#7c9b9efor the light grey.

Place three decorative stripes (#7c9b9e) on the house facade behind the door group. Add a horizontal ledge (#9ec5c9) over the entrance and spread two more copies of it over the building facade, leaving empty spaces for the future windows.

Place a gentle shadow under the bottom ledge, making the facade more three-dimensional. Fill the shadow shape with #4a5c5e, and switch itsBlending Mode to Multiply in the Transparency panel,while lowering the Opacityto 40%.

Step 4

Form a small window in the same way as we did for the previous house, using the Rectangle Tool (M) and the Offset path option. Use #b3def5 color for the window and #7c9b9e for the window frame.

Create small decorative rectangles around the window, filling them with #9ec5c9. Add a thin horizontal shape of the same color for the window ledge on the bottom part.

To give the ledge a more classic style, make a circle over the ledge, aligning to its center. Select the ledge and the top circle and cut off the top part of the circle by Alt-clicking on it with the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M). Merge both shapes into one with the Unite option ofPathfinder.

Add a white rounded rectangle overlapping the ledge, which will act as a snow cap. Group (Control-G) all the parts together.

Step 5

Spread the window groups over the building. Create two smaller rectangular windows and one circular window on the top part of the facade.

Form two grey columns (#7c9b9e) under the decorative rim and then add snow caps on the horizontal ledges using white rounded rectangles.

Take the Pen Tool (P) and create the angled shape for the half of the snowy roof (#b3def5) on the left side of the building. Round the roof corner and, keeping the shape selected, create a mirror reflection of it on the right side by Alt-clicking on the top building anchor with theReflect Tool (O). Don't forget to set the Axis to Vertical and press Copy in the end, as we did before.

The grey building is finished. Group (Control-G) all its pieces together.

Step 6

Time to make the last building with a stepped roof.

Create a 235 x 430 px rectangle of #ffc45c color. Start forming the roof by placing a horizontal rectangle on the top edge, making it shorter at the edges. Add two more rectangles, one above the other, making each one shorter than the previous.

Place a 235 x 140 px rectangle (#822b1a) on the bottom of the building for the ground floor. Add a narrow ledge (#e66340) above its top edge.

Step 7

Copy the window from the first blue house, and make its outside part wider while making the window itself shorter at the top and bottom edges. Change the colors using #e66340 for the red outside part, #7c9b9e for the glass, and #4a5c5e for the window frame.

Add a white ellipse on the top part of the window, create a line which goes across the ellipse shape above its center, and use the Divide option ofPathfinder while selecting the line and the ellipse. Delete the bottom half of the shape, forming a snow cap.

Add a white rounded rectangle on the bottom part of the window for a snowy ledge. Group (Control-G) all the parts together.

Make more copies of the windows and arrange them on the facade in any symmetrical position which you find interesting.

Step 8

Render the large window for the ground floor.

Most of the manipulations will be the same as for the previous objects. Start by creating a 64 x 64 rectangle for the window glass (#7c9b9e). With the help of the Offset method, add two outlines to it, using #754a3dfor the lighter brown and #5b1b14 for the darker. Add a vertical narrow stripe, finishing the window frame.

Click on the window glass and create simple curtains of the darker color with the Pen Tool (P), cutting off the outstanding parts with theShape Builder Tool (Shift-M).

Start to create a sunshade by building a red (#e84b4a) rectangle, making the top corners rounded. Add a few vertical stripes (#e8dddd) on the sunshade, cutting off the unwanted pieces, and place a gentle shadow under its edge.

Add a snow cap to the top of the sunshade and a snowy ledge to its bottom. Then Group (Control-G) the objects.

Step 9

Create a copy of the window on the left side, change its color to yellow (#ffb636), and build a simple fir tree to add a Christmas feeling. Set the colors of the fir tree and the curtains to the darker yellow.

Click on the main yellow shape and create a simple angled shadow (#eba04b) with the Pen Tool (P).

Finish the building by placing orange (#e66340) bricks here and there as well as ledges above the top edges of the stepped roof.

Control (Control-G) all the parts together.

4.How to Create a Winter Cityscape Composition

Step 1

Let's line up our houses and add a 1200 x 1200 px rectangle (#94cdeb) for the background. Use the Align panel to align the buildings at the bottom.

Step 2

Change the roof colors of the blue and grey houses to white, adding more contrast to the illustration. Change the color of the snow caps on the mansard windows to the darker blue.

Create a white rounded rectangle for the ground level and make a subtle shadow on the bottom by creating a copy (#b3def5) behind it and moving it down by a few pixels.

Draw simple silhouettes of other buildings (#87c0de) behind the houses with the Pen Tool (P), adding more depth to the illustration.

Step 3

With the help of simple shapes and the Pen Tool (P), create a street lantern and color it using the following settings:

• #4a5c5e for the darker grey
• #586e70 for the lighter grey
• #ffb636 for the yellow glass
• #d49322 for the lamp

Drag the lantern on the illustration, placing it on the left side near the blue house, and make another copy on the right side near the yellow building.

Step 4

Let's make our lanterns shine.

Just create a white circle behind one of the lanterns and fill it with radial gradient from white to black, switching its Blending Mode to Screen. Double-click on the bottom-left gradient slider and change the white color to yellow (#feb02a).

Then move the top-left gradient slider slightly to the right. Copy the gradient, placing it behind the second lantern.

Step 5

Now we'll create a snowflake. Draw the main form using the Pen Tool (P) and the image below as a reference (1). Use #daeffa for the coloring.

To add the rounded top part, just create a rounded rectangle and delete its top half with the help of theDirect Selection Tool (A). (2)

Group (Control-G) all the parts. Take the Rotate Tool (R) and click on the bottom anchor while holding the Alt button. Enter 90 for the Angle value and press Copy. Keeping the copy selected, press Control-D twice, creating two more copies and finishing the snowflake. (3) Group (Control-G) all the parts together.

Copying and varying the sizes, spread the snowflakes over our scene to form a well-balanced composition. Add a few circles to imitate smaller snowflakes.

Step 6

Take a look at your winter scene and see if there’s anything else you’d like to create—maybe an extra snow cap, some more details on the houses, or light from the windows.

I chose to add more Christmas spirit to the illustration and created classic holiday symbols, such as a wreath, garlands, bells, a pine tree, and some other decorations. Also I added a few snow caps to the stepped roof of the yellow house.

Awesome Work! Congratulations!

Great job! We've managed to create a trendy flat-style winter city scene. Now we are ready for the Christmas holidays!

This illustration is only a part ofmyChristmas Travel Winter Backgroundscollection. And look for even moreChristmasillustrations onGraphicRiver.

I hope you have enjoyed the process and learned some useful tips and tricks for your future illustrations.

Feel free to share how your project turned out or ask questions in the comments below.Happy Christmas holidays!