So that we can practice what we have gone over so far in the Simply Symbols Series, this tutorial goes over how to make a simple illustration using standard Illustrator symbols along with the skills and tools covered in Parts 1 & 2.

Let’s illustrate an outdoor scene of a house and a yard.

First, go through the Symbol Libraries and add these symbols seen below (or something similar) to your Symbols Palette.  If you need help adding symbols to your Symbols Palette, refer back to PART ONE: An Intro to Illustrator Symbols”.

Next, create a background of sky and grass on the artboard.

Now drag the house symbol from the Symbols Palette onto the artboard. Using the Symbol Sizer Tool, scale the house to the desired size. For a review of the Symbol Tools, go back to PART TWO: “Symbols Tools”.

Drag some instances of the tree symbol into the yard position them here and there. You can use the Symbol Sizer, Symbol Stainer and Symbol Screener tools to make some of your trees diminish in size, color and opacity to give the scene some perspective.

Next, let’s add a garden at the base of the house by dragging some flower and grass symbols onto the artboard.

Perhaps a few bushes around the perimeter of the house.

Now, drag in some butterflies fluttering around in the yard.

Finally, add some clouds in the sky. Create more lifelike clouds by using the Symbol Sizer and Symbol Screener to make the various sizes with a low opacity.

There you have it. A complete and detailed illustration using only standard Illustrator symbols. Has the potential to make life much easier, doesn’t it?

Stay tuned, PART FOUR will go through the steps for Creating Custom Symbols….