Create an Angry Birds Parody in Illustrator
Most video games that I've played lately have not been as charming as Angry Birds. Why? Because nowadays most games focus too much on realistic graphics and improved AI. They just forget the basics of fun games like Super Mario World. If you have not played this game yet you shoudn't miss the opportunity; it's really addicting. Ok, enough talking about it, so inspired by a session of Angry Birds I decided to make this cool parody and teach it to you guys. Hope you dig it as much as I did.
Besides the fact my last tutorial was pretty advanced, this one is actually for beginners and intermediates, you won't need good drawing skills and a tablet to do it, so go ahead guys and have fun. Also, there's a Ai file at the bottom of the post if you need to open it to have a better understanding.
So here's a sketch of this illustration...I know, pretty ugly, but the sketch is just a guide for my steps in to the final result, so I never refine it. The concept was to make a scene of reunion before a confrontation with each character dressed like classic war movies heroes.
Ok let's open Adobe Illustrator and create a A4 canvas (29,7 x 21 cm), RGB, 300 DPI.
Using the rectangle tool (the shortcut is the letter "M") create these two rectangles on the canvas.
The bigger one will be the wall and the little will be the floor, so add a lighter green fill for the wall and a darker for the floor.
Let's start with the board, first draw a grey rectangle using the rectangle tool (M).
And make a darker one inside.
Choose the rectangular grid tool, click once on the canvas to set the parameters like the ones below:
Also change its opacity to 20%, use only a green stroke, no fill.
As some of you already know, the Pig King is the main villain of the game, so I just wrote "Subject: Pig King" on the board as an identifier, I used this font .
I made an illustration of the pig king on the board, outline only, like those classic war panels. So, first draw an ellipse using the ellipse tool (L).
Make two little ones behing the bigger one on the superior left diagonal. These will be the ears and the big one will be the head. Use a green stroke and a black fill.
Use the same tool to create the eyes, make one, duplicate, reflect and place it on the other side.
The nose follow pretty much the same procedure, you just need to adjust its shape using the direct selection tool (A), don't forget to make the two cavities.
Add these details on the ears.
And let's not forget the jaw, draw it using the pen tool (P).
Let's not forget the eyebrows, make them using the pen tool (P).
A king is not a king without a crown, so draw it using the pen tool (P), then add some ellipses on the bottom to look like jewels.
I decided to put a calendar on the wall, so let's start by making the paper sheets using the rectangle tool (M).
Add a red rectangle on the top.
Using the ellipse tool (L) make the holes, then using the rounded rectangle tool make the metal rings.
Decided to use the original Angry Birds Font to write Jun 6, why June 6? Because it's D day (Normandy landings), just an analogy.
Also decided to create a classic dart board. First make two ellipses one inside the other like the sample below using the ellipse tool (L), make one with a black fill and a white stroke and the other using the inverse combination.
Double click on the blend tool (W) to open the panel, set spacing as specified steps and set 3 steps, now choose the two circles to get this result.
Ok, let's make another circle with the same size of the white one above this blend, let's add some monter stroke to it. Go to the stroke panel and set the align to internal, weight to 90 pt and dasehd line to 25 pt dash.
Let's make some darts, draw this shape using the pen tool (P), duplicate, reflect and use the option called Unite on the pathfinder panel.
Now place it on the dart board.
You can duplicate it using the selection tool (V) + alt and then resize and place it around the dart board. Change the color fill so that it doesn't look boring.
Well, the background it pretty much ready, time to draw the angry birds.
First thing: create an ellipse using the ellipse tool (L), then using the direct selection tool (A), change the vector points till you get this messy shape.
Again with the ellipse tool (L), make this two shapes and put them on the top of the body shape.
Select everything, then access the pathfinder panel and choose the option called Unite.
Also give a cool stroke to it, I usually use the 3 pt oval brush, it's really good when drawing cartoon characters.
Using the pen tool (P), draw these wrinkles on the cockscomb.
"Is he flying, floating or something?" is a famous quote a teacher asked me once when I showed him some drawings, after that I never forgot to add shadows and a floor on my illustrations. So, make this ellipse white a really dark green fill on the bottom of the body.
Create this board stick using the pen tool (P), send it to back like his grabbing it.
Using the pen tool (P) make his belly using only this color fill.
Use the ellipse tool (L) to create these two ellipses.
Make the eyebrows using the pen tool (P).
Make the beak using the pen tool (P).
Use the ellipse tool (L) to make the iris.
So I wanted to make him more angry, so I add this two shapes using the pen tool (P) on the bottom of the eyes, to look like he's staring at you.
Of course, I added this dark red shapes to cover the eye parts that were left.
And added these circles using the ellipse tool (L), they are stains this birds has.
Make these black fill shapes using the pen tool (P) to create his tail.
I confess that Charlie Sheen's Top Gun inspired me to add this stripe on the head. Ok, so you can either draw it using the pencil tool (N) or the pen tool (P).
Add these wrinkles using the pen tool (P).
Add this little ball using the ellipse tool (L) to look like a knot, then make the stripe part using the pen tool (P).
Repeat it again and just send the other part to back.
The Big Brother
You're going to follow basically the same steps to draw these and the other birds, so this one will be a lot easier. First make this fat round shape doing the same procedure used on the red bird.
Using the ellipse tool (L) maek his shadow with a dark green fill.
Copy the stick from the previous bird and place it like this.
Make his belly using the pen tool (P), I added some wrinckles on some parts.
I just copied the previous bird beak and adapted a few things on this one.
Create the eyeballs using the ellipse tool (L).
Don't forget the iris.
This eyebrow is way more thick then the other birds, because he should look like a really grumpy guy, ha! Create it using the pen tool (P).
In order to look like a 80's commander, let's make a classic green beret using the pen tool (P).
Don't forget to add a little star using the star tool.
I know, this is quite boring, but you will have to create this dark cirlces around the eyes usgin the pen tool (P) to give him a tired look.
And also add these "time stains" on his body using the ellipse tool (L).
Copy and paste the same tail used on the other bird.
Make this wrinckles using the pen tool (P).
Now place this two buddies on the scene just like this.
Make a triangle using the polygon tool with the settings bellow:
Use the smooth tool to make the edges softer.
Add a dark green shadow cirlcle bellow the body using the ellipse tool (L).
Make the eyeballs and iris using the ellipse tool (L).
Use the pen tool (P) to create the beak.
Use again the same tool to create the white belly fill.
And to create his eyebrows.
The tail of this specific bird is not like the others, is more wil I would say. Draw it using the pen tool (P).
Let's draw a cap for this bird, first make the base using the pen tool (P).
Then make the flap using the same tool.
Add some hair here, you can copy his tail and just ajust it, adding and taking vector points of it.
Add this little black piece in order to look like it's an adjustable plastic snap closure in the back.
Copy the star from the big brother's beret, place and adjust it here.
Let's put some depth on this scene: Select the whole yellow bird, go to effect > blur > gaussian blur.
Set the gaussian blur to 9 pixels.
Now place him in front of the big brother.
This bird is pretty simple to create. First make a circle using the ellipse tool (L).
Make another two ellipses and place them on the top of the body shape.
Access the pathfinder panel and choose the option called Unite.
Add a dark green shadow, create it using the ellipse tool (L).
Use the pen tool (P) to create the beak.
The eyes are pretty squeezed, you can draw them using the pencil tool (N).
Add some iris on them.
Don't forget the wrinckles on the top, add them using the pen tool (P).
Make the tail using the pen tool (P).
He's got this orange circle around the eye, add this using the pen tool (P).
Let's give him a badass staring looking, just add these two eyelids using the pen tool (P).
Just to make things more classic I added some these war painting on his face using the brush tool (B), use a black/white charcoal brush.
Add these two dog tags using the rounded rectangle tool .
These trick is really cool: make a line of dots with the approximate width of a chain to pu on the birds neck. Group and drag it to the brush panel.
Choose to create a new art brush.
It will be placed among the other brushes, then you will need only to select and use the brush tool (B).
We're going to add the same ammount of blur on this one, so go to effects > blur > gaussian blur.
Set the gaussian blur radius to 9 pixels .
Now place him in front of the red one.
Ok guys, I promess you this is the last one, ok? So, make this egg shape by creating first a ellipse using the ellipse tool (L) then adjusting it using the direct selection tool (A).
Add the dark green shadow on it's bottom.
Ok, looking on that way it may look weird, but this is the tail of this bird. Draw it using the pen tool (P).
Make the beak using the pen tool (P).
The following things will be all created using the pen tool (P): cheeks, eyeborw, belly.
Watch for this helmet or he may look like a pan.
Add some stripes using the pen tool (P)
You can copy the stripe from the red bird or just make it all over again, is up to you.
Add some hair on the back of the helmet.
And some little points on the top of the helmet, use the brush tool (B) for this one.
Blur again guys, go to effects > blur > gaussian blur.
This one will be a bit more intense, so set the radius to 20 pixels.
And place him on the center of the scene like this.
No kidding, this is the final step hehe so after making all the illustration we need to add some interesting lightning on it. Let's make a lamp, first draw a circle using the ellipse tool (L).
Make this hsape using the rectangle tool (M).
And tis one using the pen tool (P).
You're going to make this big trapezium using the pen tool (P), make sure it fit outside the canvas.
Set it's opacity to 40%.
Then go to the transparency panel and choose the blending mode called Overlay.
Using the rectangle tool (M) make a big rectangle that fit over the canvas. Add some radial black and white gradient to it.
Go to the transparency panel and choose the blending mode called Multiply. That's it guys, hope you achieve it.
Well, I hope you had fun doing this tutorial. Don't worry If you didn't complete all of it, just learning how to draw at least one of these birds is already a lesson. I hope I helped you guys on having a better understanding about characters, depth and lighting. That's it, have fun and take care.