Michael Travers, microstock and freelance illustrator from Nicemonkey, is going to show us in this vector tutorial how to create a cityscape and incorporate other elements such as a rainbow and silhouettes.

Cityscape with rainbow and silhouettes

Step 1: New Document

First open a new illustrator document and make it 297x210mm (landscape), remember if you intend to use it for print it has to be CMYK. You can leave all of the other setting as default.

Step 1: Open new document

Step 2: Preparing Background Layer

Ok so now you should have your blank document, to keep things easily editable (and tidy), click on the "create new layer" button and name it "background sky".

Step 2: Background layer setup

Step 3: Building the background

With the "Rectangle Tool" (M) click in the top left corner and create a box the same size as the document and fill it with a mid blue (100c, 0m, 0y, 50k).

Again using the "Rectangle Tool" (M) click in the top left corner and create a box but this time only make it 3x210mm and fill it with a "Linear gradient" running from (100c, 0m, 0y, 40k) to (100c, 0m, 0y, 50k) (top to bottom).

 Step 3: Building up the background

Step 4: Creating the skyline

Click on the "create new layer" button and name it "building". Now for the fun part, its time to be creative, grab the "pen tool" (P), start about a third of the way down on the left by simple clicking points across the skyline to create the buildings in silhouette (if you hold the shift key down when you click, it will keep the line square to the page), also remember the angle of the building will change as you work from left to right. Don't worry if you make a mistake as you can always go back after to adjust the points with the "direct selection tool" (A). Once you have finished creating the skyline, continue by creating points in the bottom right/eft corners and joining up to the the start point to close the box, filling with a darker blue (100c, 15m, 0y, 60k).

Step 4: Creating the skyline

Step 5: Creating the skyline (continued)

Repeat the skyline procedure a further 3 times but this time using different buildings in silhouette and increasing each skyline in darkness using the following colours (100c, 20m, 0y, 70k), (100c, 30m, 0y, 780k). Fade the last one with a gradient ranging from (100c, 20m, 0y, 50k) to (100c, 20m, 0y, 100k).

Step 5: Creating the skyline (continued)

Step 6: Adding Silhouettes

I will quickly skim over the next bit, but to create silhouettes of a person is straightforward, first find the required image (remember if you intend to use the illustration for microstock many agencies still require a model release) and open it into photoshop. Create a new layer then, with the pen tool, trace around the outline of the person and fill it with black. Delete the original layer and save as a tiff, import the tiff into illustrator and under the "object" menu you will find "live trace". It might take a bit of experimenting to get the look you require but it is worth it... dont forget to hit the expand button at the end. One more tip, select the "direct selection tool" (A) and click on part of the white area of the image you have just expanded. Under the "select" menu you will find "same" and then "fill" and then hit delete on the keyboard to tidy up the image. Fill the people's silhouettes with white and then reflect the people to create the shadow and fill it with the gradient from the lower skyline.

Step 6: Adding silhouettes

Step 7: Drawing the rainbow

OK now for the rainbow, using the "Rectangle Tool" (M) create a box 280x7mm, fill it with warm red (0c, 100m, 100y, 0k). Select the box with the "Selection tool" (V) drag it down holding the "alt" and "shift" key to duplicate the file, duplicate it a further 5 times.

step 7: Drawing the rainbow

Step 8: Warp The Rectangle Into an Arc

With the "Selection tool" (V) select all of the rainbow and then under the "Effect", "Warp" and then "Arc" menu enter the setting in the image below.

Step 8: Warp The Rectangle Into an Arc

Step 9: Coloring The Rainbow

"Expand" the rainbow whilst all of the bands are selected add a "linear gradient" to all of the bands at the left end add red (0c, 100m, 100y, 0k) and on the right add blue (100c, 30m, 0y, 80k).

Step 9: Coloring the rainbow

Step 10: Creating Color Bands

To give the rainbow a more realistic effect select each band in turn (from the 2nd one down) and change the red end of the gradient then in turn change them to the following colours orange (0c, 50m, 100y, 0k), yellow (0c, 0m, 100y, 0k), green (100c, 0m, 100y, 0k), cyan (100c, 0m, 0y, 0k), purple (100c, 100m, 0y, 0k) and mauve (50c, 100m, 0y, 0k).

Step 10: Creating color bands

Step 11: Position the Rainbow

Position the rainbow within the picture, if you group it you can adjust the angle and size ("Selection tool" (V) ) to best fit your image.

Step 11: Positioning the rainbow

Step 12: Final Image

So that's the final image created but don't stop there, it's simple to add extra elements such as clouds, stars and musical notes to really bring the illustration to life. To neaten things up you might also want to add a clipping path to the rainbow.

Step 12: Final image

About Michael Travers:

Michael has been in the print industry since leaving school which is scarily over 20 years ago! Three years ago he broke free and went at it alone and that is when Nicemonkey.co.uk was born. Although he specialises in microstock Illustrations he also freelances and produces stock video.

Check out Michael's portfolio at Nicemonkey and Zymmetrical