One of my favorite TV shows of all time is Twin Peaks and one of its most memorable lines is "The owls are not what they seem." Inspired by that ominous truth I decided to create a little illustration. I chose a rather non-spooky scene set at dusk, with a curious owl sitting on a branch and some scenery in the background.             Take a look at what we're aiming for, an inquisitive owl on a branch with dusk scenery in the background. I chose a soft, warm color palette to create a peaceful illustration.         Step 1 Open a new...

In this tutorial you will learn how to create a leaf-filled, vector tree – step by step. Some of the techniques we'll use are custom made brushes to create the leaves, and Gradient Mesh Tool for creating light and shadows. So let's get started!                 Step 1 First, we'll work on creating the custom brush. Select the Pen Tool (P) and draw the shape of a leave. Fill the shape with green and set the Stroke to a darker green.     Step 2 Create a curved line with the Pen Tool (P) across the leave using the same color as...