How to Create a Still-Life Illustration of German Food in Adobe Illustrator

Posted on:  Feb 06, 2024

Dolotko, N. (2018). How to Create a Still Life Illustration of German Food in Adobe Illustrator: Envato Tuts+. Retrieved from https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-create-a-still-life-illustration-of-german-food-in-adobe-illustrator–cms-26021

In this tutorial, we will create an illustration of delicious German food. This illustration’s elements are simple and made from basic shapes, leading you to quick but awesome results. We’ll need the Pen Tool several times, but I promise it won’t be that hard.

1. Create a Shelf, a Tablecloth, and the Background

Step 1

Start by creating a new document (File > New) with 600 px width and 400 px height. We will first create a shelf where all the foods will be displayed. Take the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a long, narrow rectangle.

Step 2

Now, take the Pen Tool (P). Don’t be scared—you will need to click your artboard five times with this tool. Place the first dot where the number 1 is in the image below. Then, move on to the second position, third, and fourth. The fifth dot has to be exactly where the first dot is. Change the fill color as shown in the image below.

Step 3

Let’s move on to the tablecloth. We will use the Polygon Tool to make a triangle. Take the Polygon Tool and click on your artboard. In the new dialogue window, type 3 Sides with any Radius. Then click OK.

Turn the triangle upside down: right-click >Transform > Reflect. In the new dialogue window, check Axis Horizontal and press OK. After that, stretch the triangle and place it on the shelf. We’re going to turn this into a Bavarian-themed tablecloth.

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Step 4

Select the triangle from the previous step. Now, take a look at the Appearance panel. Click on the tiny triangle in the top-right corner and select Add New Fill in the pop-up menu.

Now look at the Swatches panel. Go to Swatches > Patterns > Decorative > Decorative_Geometric one and select the Diamond Harlequin pattern for this new fill. Set the Opacity to Color Burn. Our Bavarian tablecloth is ready!

2. Create a Beer Stein

Step 1

Draw a rectangle using the Rectangle Tool (M). While keeping it selected, go to Effect > Warp > Arc. In the new dialogue window, adjust the options as you see in the image below—this is our basic glass shape.

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Step 2

Go to Object > Path > Offset Path. In the new dialogue window, make Offset -12 px. Make Joins Miter, Miter Limit 4, and press OK. Change the fill color to what you see below. We just filled it up with the beer.

Step 3

Delete the fill color and set the stroke color. Using the Ellipse Tool (L), draw an ellipse. Then take the Direct Selection Tool (A), and move the left anchor to the right. You will get a handle for our beer stein.

Place the handle on the side of the glass.

Step 4

Delete the stroke color and set the fill color. Hit the Rounded Rectangle Tool and draw a long rounded rectangle. While keeping it selected, hold down the Alt and Shift keys together and move it to the right, but not too far.

Press Control-D once more to move this rounded rectangle again. Go to Effect > Warp > Arc, as we need to warp it a little. In the new dialogue window, adjust the options as you see here:

Place warped rounded rectangles on the beer stein.

Step 5

Let’s go ahead and place this beer stein on the shelf. It’ll be easier to draw the foam for our beer since we’ve got a colored background.

Using the Ellipse Tool (L), hold down the Shift key (to draw an even circle) to draw many small circles representing the beer foam. Once you’re finished, take the Rounded Rectangle Tool and add a tiny, long, rounded rectangle to show the overflowing of the beer.

3. Create a Pretzel

Step 1

First, draw an ellipse with the stroke color from below and no fill color. Then you need to get a sharp bottom anchor point with the help of the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C).

Select the left and right anchor points using the Direct Selection Tool (A) and shift them up. You should have a upside-down drop shape.

Step 2

Keep this drop shape selected, and shift it to the right while holding the Alt key. You will get two of the same shape. Notice that they still need to be overlapping. Take the Arc Tool to draw a curve. Place it upside down on the bottom of the two drop shapes.

Now, check the Round Cap on the Stroke panel. Draw two small lines using the Line Segment Tool (\) on the bottom part. The simple pretzel shape is ready.

Step 3

Let’s sprinkle some salt. Add a few tiny beige rectangles over it. Group the whole pretzel (Control-G).

Place it on the shelf.

4. Create a Bavarian Spiral Sausage (Bratwurstschnecke)

Step 1

Since it is a spiral sausage, we will use the Spiral Tool to draw it.

First, delete the fill color and set the stroke color below. Then, take this tool and click on your artboard. Enter the following options and click OK. Don’t forget to check the Round Cap on the Stroke panel. Rotate this shape and adjust the handles of the anchor points to achieve the real shape of the bratwurstschnecke (the German name of this sausage).

Step 2

To hold this sausage together, Germans pierce it with a wooden skewer. So, let’s delete the stroke color and set the fill color. Draw a long, narrow rectangle. Make it narrower at the top: move the top-left anchor point to the right and move the top-right anchor point to the left.

Step 3

Pierce the sausage with the skewer.

And place it on the shelf.

5. Create the Goose

Step 1

Let’s use a beige ellipse for the goose’s body. By moving the handles of the anchor points, achieve the result you see in the image below. Notice that the bottom and left anchor points remain intact.

Step 2

Add a small ellipse for the head of the goose. Rotate it a little to the left.

Here comes the next challenging point of the tutorial—another Pen Tool (P) moment. The top of the neck needs to overlap the head, and the bottom of the neck needs to overlap the body. Notice that when you’re using the Pen Tool (P), you need to stretch the handles of the anchor points, not just click on the artboard as you did at the beginning of the tutorial.

Step 3

Let’s create a beak for our goose. Create an orange ellipse, then move the top and bottom anchor points to the left. Move the handles to make this shape sharper but not pointy.

Step 4

Give the goose a beak. Add a tiny oval for the eye. And of course, brighten up his eyes by adding a white circle.

Step 5

Make a copy of the beak. We’re going to turn this into a tail. Change the fill color: Take the color from the body using the Eye Dropper Tool (I). Place it as the tail of the goose. Let’s make one more copy, but make it a bit smaller. The tail is now ready.

Step 6

For the wing, create two ellipses where the wing should be. The first ellipse is darker (below, you can see the fill color), and the second, the top one, is the same fill color as the body. Our goose is done.

6. Create the Traditional Bavarian Hat

Step 1

Start with a green rectangle and add some warp options that you see in the image below. Finish off with an ellipse on the top. You don’t need the black stroke on the ellipse—I just marked it to show you where it should be placed.

Step 2

To create the hat’s brim, we will use a cutout of an ellipse. Cover one-half of the newly created green ellipse with any colored rectangle. While keeping both shapes selected, press Minus Front on the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder).

Step 3

Combine all the parts belonging to the hat together.

Using the Arc Tool, draw a yellow stroked curve on the hat (without a fill color).

Step 4

Here we will create a simple feather which we will add as a decoration to our traditional German hat.

Draw an ellipse with fill color (R=232, G=216, B=175) and no stroke color. Warp it by entering the following options below. Add a long, narrow ellipse over it (fill color R=214, G=196, B=150). Using the Direct Selection Tool (A), move the new, darker ellipse’s left and right anchor points down. Expand the feather (Object > Expand Appearance).

Step 5

We want to bend the feather for a natural-looking effect. Group the whole thing together (Control-G) and apply the Warp Options below. Expand the feather again (Object > Expand Appearance).

Place it on the hat but behind the yellow stroke. You can also place the feather and then put the yellow stroke over it (Control-X, Control-F).

Step 6

Group the hat together and place it on the head of the goose.

7. Create the Basket

Step 1

Draw a rounded rectangle using the Rounded Rectangle Tool. Cover the upper part of it with a rectangle of any fill color. Press Minus Front in Pathfinder (Window > Pathfinder).

Step 2

Add a long, rounded rectangle of a lighter color.

Step 3

Delete the fill color, match the stroke color, and draw a circle for the basket handle. Make the stroke weight very thick on the Stroke panel.

Step 4

To show the texture of the basket, we can draw a few lines over it to show the weaving.

Step 5

And place the goose in the basket.

Awesome Work, You’re Done!

Place the basket with the goose on the shelf. We are done!

Dolotko, N. (2018). How to Create a Still Life Illustration of German Food in Adobe Illustrator: Envato Tuts+. Retrieved from https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-create-a-still-life-illustration-of-german-food-in-adobe-illustrator–cms-26021