sh look to it. Select it and go to Object > Envelope Distort > Make with Warp. Select Arc from the Style drop down and enter about 30 for the Bend.
Go to Object > Expand then click OK.
In some instances, the warp shape may be clipping the ladybug. If this is the case, use the Direct Selection Tool and adjust the points so that your entire ladybug is showing.
Now, the entire ladybug is visible.
Draw another arch shape over the top part of the ladybug and fill it with a white to transparent gradient to create a reflection.
You can further draw a black shape behind the ladybug so the style matches that of the spring letters.
To create the bee you'll predominantly use the Pen Tool. Draw the more organic shapes using the Pen Tool and use the ellipse for things like the center of the body. For the details in the wings use the Pencil Tool (N) so the lines look more random.
Use the Pathfinder's various functions as we've used previously to tidy-up the shapes that comprise the bee.
Color the bee and place it throughout the illustration. It's important to note that you should group items in clusters rather than place one bee here and one bee there. Clusters allow you to create an overall flow for your composition while one-off bees make everything look scattered. This concept applies to any elements within the illustration, bees, ladybugs, leaves, vines ,etc.
To make the clouds use the Pen and/or Pencil Tool and draw arbitrary yet visually appealing organic shapes.
Even though the clouds look very random, they do have a level of artistic quality about them. This is an important concept to note. Even though clouds are, by nature, random, just scribbling with the Pen Tool may not produce good results.
The other factor to take into consideration is that of line weight. Clouds that are farther away will have a thinner stroke, while clouds that are closer to the viewer will have a thicker stroke.
Give some choice clouds a white to transparent gradient. Apply the gradient sparingly, as overuse will make all your clouds look too similar.
Last, draw the sun and give it a yellow to orange gradient. Be sure to give it subtle details on the surface so it doesn't look foreign.
Final Image Preview
Here is the final illustration! To conclude, there are several core concepts that come into play when creating the illustration. Composition, color and style:
- Composition – the composition feels organic and I've made judicious use of clusters of objects like clouds, insects and vines.
- Color – nothing stands out too much and isolates your focus. When looking at your illustration you can use the Saturation dialog (Edit > Edit Colors > Saturate) to make adjustments to the intensity of your colors.
- Style – the style of the full and thick letters in contrast to that of the thin and light background complement each other.
All these elements come together to create an intriguing final illustration.
Thanks for following along!