How to combine shapes and create 3 great logos with Illustrator (3/3)

In the past couple of weeks we’ve been learning how to use Illustrator to transform basic shapes into logos. Last week we took some basic shapes and learned how to create logos by aligning, rotating and scaling them in Adobe Illustrator. 

Now we’ll take it a step further and explore ways to combine them into logos that are more complex, but still stunningly simple. 

Take a look at these logos and see if you can work out how they are created. Again, if you’re not quite clear, keep looking and thinking and see if you have a “lightbulb” moment.

The first logo is created in Illustrator from four rectangles. You’d create one tall rectangle, rotate it slightly, then duplicate it two more times to create three slightly offset, rotated “pillars”. You’d then create a much larger fourth rectangle that overlaps the bottom of the previous three. Using Illustrator’s Shape Builder Tool you’d then cut the bottoms of the rectangles off to finish the logo. Watch the first video for full details on how to create this logo in Illustrator. 

The second logo is created from five circles, all the same size. The trick is that the fifth circle is used as something like a “cookie cutter” to define the edge of the logo. Again, the Shape Builder Tool is used to delete the shapes that aren’t required. In this logo in particular you might notice how perfect this looks, and of course this is only possible because of the accuracy techniques you learnt when creating last week’s logos. Watch the second video for full details on how to create this logo in Illustrator. 

As you can probably see, the final logo is mainly created from text, with a rotated rectangle cut out of it. There is a technical trick here in that the text needs to be “outlined” so that its shape no longer defined by a font, and becomes a graphic, made from anchor points. Watch the third video for full details on how to create this logo in Illustrator. 

Two ways to develop your logo creating skills

Firstly, take a look at our Creating Logos with Illustrator CC book. It’ll walk you through the creation of 48 logos, step by step.

Secondly, use our infographic cheat sheet to help you create logos with Illustrator. You can download a pdf version from our resource library.

Peter Bone

I'm a graphic, web and motion designer who works out of Cambridge (UK) & London.

I also write about design & teach people to use design software.

https://peterbone.com/
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How to create 3 great logos simply with Illustrator (2/3)