Create the Face of a Greedy Monkey

Hi there. This tutorial will help you create a simple illustration of a monkey face. It uses the Ellipse Tool, the Pen Tool, the Rectangle Tool, the Crystallize Tool or the Gradient Tool. For the the shadow effects you’ll use some classic effects like the Inner Glow or the Gaussian Blur.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Estimated Completion Time: 45 minutes
Number of Steps: 15

This is what you’ll be creating:

Step 01

Create a 700x700px document. Select the Ellipse Tool(L) and create a squeezed shape like the one shown in image #1. Create a copy of this shape, select it then hold Shift+Alt and resize it as shown in image #2. For the moment make this shape invisible(click on the eye icon from the Layers pallete). Reselect the Ellipse Tool(L) and create another squeezed shape as shown
in image #3. Select the visible shapes, click on the Horizontal Align Center button from the Align pallete then click on the Unite button from the Pathfinder pallete. Select the resulting shape, pick the Direct Selection Tool(A), select the top anchor point (image #5) and move it a few pixels down (image #6). Next, pick the Cristallize Tool and click in the top area to get a simple hair effect. Finally, name this shape “Head”, fill it with R=157 G=110 B=33 and add the Inner Glow shown below.

Step 02

Turn on the visibility for the shape created in the previous step. Fill it with the color and the gradient shown in the image below. Create two copies of this shape. Select the second one and move it a few pixels down. Next, select both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder pallete. Fill the resulting shape with R=188 G=140 B=63.

Step 03

Now, let’s create the eyes. First the contour. Reselect the Ellipse Tool(L) and create a shape like the on eshown in image #1. Duplicate this shape and move it to the left. Group these two shape (select them and hit Ctrl+G). Select this group along with the “Head” shape. Pick to the Selection Tool(V), click on the border of “Head” (it should get bold) then click on the Horizontal Align Center button from the Align pallete. Next, select only the group, switch to the Direct Selection Tool(A), select the top anchor points (hold Shift to select more then one anchor points) and move them several pixels down (image #4). Once again select the group and click on the Unite button from the Pathfinder pallete. Fill the resulting shape with the color and the radial gradient shown in the image below.

Step 04

Now, to create the eyeballs select the Elipse Tool(L) and make two shapes as shown in image #1. Align them like you did in the previous step then select the top anchors points and move them a fex pixels down. Fill these two shapes with R=255 G=255 B=255 then add the Inner Glow shown below. Reselect the Ellipse Tool(L) create two squeezed shapes (image #5) and fill them with R=51 G=51 B=51.

Step 05

Let’s continue with the eyelids. Duplicate the eyeballs. Once again, select the Ellipse Tool(L) and create an ellipse that intersect with the top of the eyeballs. Select this new shape along the copies of the eyeballs and click on the Divide button from the Pathfidner pallete. From the newly created group keep only the two shape that intersect with the eyeballs. Fill them both with R=219 G=170 B=93 then with the gradients shown in image #4 and #5.

Step 06

Pick the Ellipse Tool(L), create a shape like the one shown in image #1, apply the Arc effect (Effect > Warp > Arc) shown below then go to Object > Expand Appearance. Name the resulting shape “Nose” and fill it with R=248 G=171 B=164 and with the gradients shown in image #4 and #5.

Step 07

Create two copies of “Nose”. Select the second copy and move it a few pixels up. Next, select both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfider pallete. Fill the resulting shape with R=229 G=105 B=116 (opacity: 20%) and with the gradient shown in image #3.

Step 08

Next, are the nostrils. Grab the Ellipse Tool(L), create a squeezed shape and rotate it as shown in image #1. Fill it with R=245 G=148 B=154 and with the gradient shown in image #2. Create two copies of this shape, select the second copy and move it two pixels up an one to the left. Now, select both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder pallete. Fill the resulting shape with R=231 G=123 B=123. Duplicate these two shapes move them to the left and flip them horizontally (with the Reflect Tool or Object > Transform > Reflect).

Step 09

Select the Ellipse Tool(L) and create a shape like the one shown in image #1. Fill this shape with none and add a 21pt stroke aligned to center (for the moment choose any color you want). Select this shape, pick the Direct Selection Tool(A), click on the top anchor point and hit Delete. Now, select the remaining path, go to the Appearance panel, click on Stroke (the text), click on the Round Cap button then go to Object > Expand. Fill the resulting shape with R=103 G=68 B=22 and with the gradient shown in image #5.

Step 10

Let’s continue with the ears. Select the Ellipse Tool(L) and create a shape like the one shown in image #1. Fill this shape with R=129 G=83 B=6 then duplicate it. Select this copy then hold Shift+Alt and resize it (image #2). Fill this shape with R=233 G=184 B=107. Now, to make a discrete shadow effect, duplicate the shape filled with R=129 G=83 B=6 and “Head” shape. Move the copy of “Head” a few pixels to the right and down then select both copies and click on the Intersect button from the Pathfinder pallete. Fill the resulting shape with R=0 G=0 B=0 then lower its opacity to 20%. Move these three shapes in the bottom of the Layer panel.

Step 11

Duplicate the two shapes that form the right ear. Move these copies to the left (image #1). Duplicate the bigger shape then pick the Ellipse Tool(L) and create a shape like the one shown in image #2. Select this new shape along with the copy previously created and click on the Intersect button from the Pathfinder pallete. Fill the resulting shape with the gradient shown in image #3 and lower its opacity to 30%.

Step 12

To make the tongue, select the Pen Tool(P) and create a shape like the one shown in image #1. Duplicate the shape of the mouth. Select this copy along with the shape of the tongue and click on the Divide button from the Pathfinder pallete. Now, your new group should have five shapes. Select the shapes indicated in image #3 (delete the rest) and click on the Unite button from the Pathfinder pallete. Fill the resulting shape with R=193 G=39 B=45 and with the gradients shown in images #5 and #6.

Step 13

Create two copies of the tongue. Select the second copy and move it a few pixels to the right. Select both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfidner pallete. Fill the resulting shape with R=195 G=74 B=75. Select the Pen Tool(P) and create a shape like the one shown in image #3. Create a new copy of the tongue. Select it along with the previously created shape and click on the Intersect button from the Pathfinder pallete. Fill this newly created shape with R=137 G=21 B=24 and lower its opacity to 30%.

Step 14

Select the Ellipse Tool(L) and create three small circles like those shown in image #1. Duplicate them, move them to the right and flip them horizontally.

Step 15

Duplicate “Face” and the shapes that form the ears. Select these copies and click on the Unite button from the Pathfinder pallete. Select the resulting shape and hit Shift + Ctrl + [ to move it to the back (in the botom of the Layers panel). Move this new shape a few pixels down and to the right, fill it with R=0 G=0 B=0, lower its opacity to 20% and add a 5px Gaussian Blur. Finally, for the background, select the Rectangle Tool(M), create a 700x700px shape (the size of your Artboard) and fill it with the gradient shown below (don’t forget to move this final shape in the bottom of the Layer panel).

Final

Now your greedy monkey is done. Here is how it should look like.