Gardening Vector Graphic Icon Set
For this project, I was given the topic of designing a set of 12 vector graphic icons using Adobe Illustrator. The theme and topic is whatever we wanted to be that was in the realm of a free creative license.
Concept
I am a lover of all things nature and warmth, and miss it terribly due to the harsh winter we're having here in Idaho. Growing up, my grandparents alway had a huge garden- probably the beginning of my earthy roots, and desire to always be outside.
Due to cold, I was drawn back to these warm memories that inspired my theme for my icons:
Gardening
Objective
Immediately when I decided on this theme, I wanted the icons to be inviting and warm. Reflective of my personality- yet, professional. The main was to create something that was cohesive as a set, all while being identifiable in solidarity. And this begins with the sketches.
Sketches
As all great ideas come to be, they almost always start off rough. And that's how my drafts of sketching are. Never ever are my sketches what my products turn out to be.
Rather, they help me refine my ideas and what I'm visualizing in my head- if it will actually work.
As I started sketching, I was immediately drawn to the rounded edges. I was just stuck on what exactly I wanted the 12 icons to be. So, I started drawing everything that made sense to me. And then came up with this set list:
-hand shovel
-cultivator
-seed pouch
-carrot
-fruit
-garden gloves
-watering can
-sun
-flower
-potting soil
-flowering pot
-leaf
And usually, when I am set on single style, I take one object and refine it into the style I like. In this case, it was the hand shovel.
I started focusing on the head, and then on the handle itself. I kept drawing it until I couldn't draw it anymore and finally I had to just take it to illustrator to make it into what I was set on in my mind.
Color Concept
Drafts
After I set my color theme, it was time to start drafting. And usually once I start going, it's hard for me to stop once I have a consistent theme. These were my first 6 initial icons.
I was staying consistent with my rounded edges, but it was necessarily flowing the way I wanted to. I knew I wanted to add texture and contrast, but I couldn't quite figure out how to do that consistently on each individual icon.
But, I kept going with my set list to see if I could at least get the general design and go from there. I did however, make changes along the way- such as with the colors and placement of the shading.
I kept going, but I needed input. It wasn't flowing the way I wanted/needed them to. I was also just so unsure of how to organize and place them. After consulting with my instructor's assistant, she guided me on how I should shade each icon as the one before and make them all the same size in order to better organize them together.
Final Icon Set
And this was my final product. I truly felt that I was able to stay consistent with my set design style throughout and was able to make the shading consistent in the way I needed to display contrast.
The colors reflect and earthy and warm feel. In the way it was organized and resized, each one was made individual, yet the set was able to flow together.
