How To Create an Icy Blue Vector Geometric

Design
TUTORIALS
18 NOVEMBER 2013
13 COMMENTS

In todays Adobe Illustrator tutorial were going to create a cool abstract geometric

design with icy blue polygonal shapes. This style of art is perfect for adding stunning

visuals to your design work and being vector based means it can be used for anything

from a book cover to the background of your website or social media profile. This is

another really simple Illustrator technique that results in some really awesome looking

artwork.
The abstract geometric design well be creating features a series of interconnecting

polygonal shapes, much like the facets of a crystal. Illustrators Pathfinder tool makes it

easy to create this polygonal effect, then once a series of cool blue fills with subtle

gradients are added the design is really brought to life with crisp lines and vibrant

colours.
Open up Adobe Illustrator and draw a square on the artboard, then grab the Pen tool

and draw a random zig zagging line across the whole square. Make sure to single click

the path points to avoid dragging out any bezier curve handles.
Turn on Smart Guides (CMD+U) to make snapping to existing points super easy, then

draw another zig zagging line across the square.

Continue adding zig zag lines horizontally and vertically across the square, matching up

points wherever two points are in close proximity. As the number of lines increases

polygonal shapes will start to emerge from the intersections.

More lines equals smaller shapes and more detail, so continue until youre happy with

the effect. Draw a selection around all the objects then hit the Divide button from the

Pathfinder palette.
Right click and select Ungroup, then draw a selection around each side of the square

and remove any stray linework that might be leftover from the Pathfinder process.
Elsewhere on the artboard set up a colour palette using some temporary square

shapes. Add a gradient to each shape and configure three different gradient shades.

Were going for an icy blue theme with this design, but it looks equally cool with any

colour palette.
Select the Eyedropper tool then hold the CMD and Shift keys while clicking random

shapes and adding them to a selection. Release the keyboard buttons then click the

eyedropper tool on the first gradient square to select its fill and apply it to the polygonal

shapes.
Repeat the process with the next gradient, making sure you dont select a shape that

already has a colour applied.

Continue cycling through the gradients until every shape is filled. Take some time to

adjust the fills where the same colour might be concentrated in one area.
The design looks icy and blue so far, but we can really enhance the colours by subtly

adjusting the gradients. Grab the Gradient tool and click and drag across each shape to

randomly adjust the gradient angles.

Once youve reached the bottom every shape should have a random gradient direction,

rather than being perfectly straight.

These random gradients really enhance the colours of the design and increase the

contrast between the blues as darker shades are placed against lighter shades.
Theres one more little addition we can add to really enhances the colours. Draw a circle

over the artwork and give it a radial gradient fill from white to 0% opacity.
Under the Transparency window change the blending mode to Overlay, this will allow

the white to interact with the underlying blues and add more variation in tone.
Duplicate this circle and place it in random areas over the design to create stunning

bright highlights.
This leaves our icy blue vector geometric design complete. The basic polygonal effect is

easily created thanks to Illustrators Pathfinder tool, then the subtle additions of

gradients and highlights really enhance the colours.