[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/post_owl_top.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/mooney.jpg" align="center" width="650" height="250" type="image" skin="on"]
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[info_box]This Owl Tutorial was previously featured on DiNGLife.com and the PSDtuts “Monthly Roundup.” Due to unforeseen events, the DiNGLife site is no longer available. Since I was the author of the tutorial and there seems to be continued interest in the tutorial, I have reposted it to my personal site.[/info_box]

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Step 1

It’s easiest if you start with a simple sketch of your design. It isn’t worth it to get super detailed at this point, the sketch is mainly for reference. Next scan your sketch and place it in a new Illustrator file. Be sure to lock the image so it wont move around while your working with it. Select sketch and go to Object > Lock > Selection

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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step01.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step01.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="521" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 2

Next you can begin to outline your sketch. I outline using the pen tool with a .25 stroke in cyan.

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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step02.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step02.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="521" type="image" skin="on"]

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Step 3

Once you have entire shapes outlined open the pathfinder pallet Window > Pathfinder. You’ll want to select all the shapes that you want to merge together and then press the “add to shape button” then press “expand” Continue this process through your whole sketch. You may have to use the “direct selection” tool to adjust some of your shapes.

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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step03.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step03.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="521" type="image" skin="on"]

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Step 4

Now that you have all the shapes made you can begin to color your illustration. I go to COLOURlovers to help find a great pallet to help with step. You can also the “color mixer” to add variation to the colors.
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[note_box] ColorLovers – Color Trends + Palettes[/note_box]
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step04.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step04.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="427" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 5

In this step you will be adding the outlines and strokes to the shapes to give them definition. Start by selecting a shape, the copy it “command c” then paste it in place “command f”. This pastes the shape exactly on top of the previously copied shape. With the shape still selected send the shape behind by pressing “command [“ Next go to Object > Path > Offset Path. You can use the values shown but you may find different settings work better for your illustration. After you have offset the path you can press the “add to shape button” then “expand” like in Step 3
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step05.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/step05.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="521" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 6

Now that you have your new shape all you need to do is adjust the color to add variation . You can also add strokes to some of the shapes that are more simplistic. In my illustration I included the body, wings, and feet then copied them and used the pathfinder to make one large shape to add an outline around the entire owl. You will need to use this technique to add outlines around entire objects. In some cases Ill add multiple outlines to create a more dramatic effect.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step06.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step06.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="521" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 7

Next you can start to add some details and shading to your illustration. For the details on the owls wings, feet and eyes I start by making two overlapping circles. Then I use the pathfinder and press the “Subtract from shape” button then I press “Expand” This gives me a crescent shape. I scale and position the shape and the set the opacity to 40% For the eyes I used white circles set to 40% opacity.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step07.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step07.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="521" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 8

This step shows the owl with all the details in place. To make things easier I selected the entire owl and grouped all the objects “command G”
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step08.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step08.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="521" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 9

Now I start on the background by creating a rectangle with a gradient. It’s important at this point to start thinking about how your design will look on the different devices ie: phones, mp3 players, game consoles. Since these devices are so different in shape it’s essential to “build in” room to adjust the layout for each device. In my design I gave myself plenty of room to adjust the top (clouds and moon) and the bottom (barn and hills) this means that no matter what the device looks like I can scale all the elements to fit.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step09.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step09.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="521" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 10

Now place your other elements and adjust their scale and position.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step10.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step10.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="521" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 11

In this step I begin to add shadows. I start with the pen tool and draw a rough outline of what the shadow should look like.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step11.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step11.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="521" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 12

Next I used the “direct select” tool to adjust the shape. Once I have the general shape of my shadow I use the “add anchor point” tool to add the shadows cast from the doors. Pay attention to thing like where your light source is in the illustration. These details can make all the difference in the completed illustration.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step12.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step12.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="521" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 13

I then added some stylized swishes in the background. To create these I made one shape, duplicated it, and the varied the transparency.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step13.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step13.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="160" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 14

Now with the work done in Illustrator I’m going to move over to Photoshop.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step14.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step14.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="400" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 15

I created a new Photoshop document with these specs. Since the elements I created in Illustrator are vector Ill need to work with them rasterized in Photoshop.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step15.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step15.jpg" align="center" width="511" height="315" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 16

Now I began coping a pasting the elements from Illustrator to my new Photoshop document. When you paste be sure to select “pixels”. I continue this process for all the elements of the illustration.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step16.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step16.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="400" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 17

Next I began to add drop shadows on the owl, moon, and clouds with a layer style.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step17.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step17.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="400" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 18

For the hills I used an outer glow with these settings.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step18.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step18.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="400" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 19

To add a little depth to the illustration I used the “Burn” tool with a large 300 pixel brush with the exposure set to 20.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step19.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step19.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="400" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 20

I then added the light spilling from the barns door. I first created a new layer and with a small brush I painted in the yellow at 20% opacity. I then cleaned up the area around the door with a eraser with the hardness set to 100%
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step20.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step20.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="400" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 21

Next it’s on to the rising sun behind the hills. I created a new layer behind the hills and then used a 1700 pixel brush with a darker yellow and clicked once to get the sun. I then used the move tool to position the sun.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step21.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step21.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="400" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 22

At this point I thought that the sun need a little extra… something. I used the custom shape tool to make rays omit from the sun. I made the shape super big and centered the burst on the center of the sun.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step22.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step22.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="400" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 23

Next I rasterized the shape layer and used a large soft eraser to blend the ends of the rays into the background
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step23.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step23.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="400" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 24

To blend the rays even more into the illustration I set the blend mode screen and notice I unchecked the black blend box.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step24.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step24.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="400" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 25

To make the sky have some harsh contrast I created a new layer and added a black to transparent gradient. I didn’t gradient the entire document instead I only drug the tool down about 1/3 of the entire document.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step25.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step25.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="400" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 26

To create the stars I used a technique I learned years ago (If I know who to credit I would). I start by creating a new layer and filling it with black. Next go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise..
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step26.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step26.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="400" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 27

Now go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set radius to around 120. The press command L to adjust the levels. Set the histogram to look similar to mine.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step27.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step27.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="400" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 28

I set the layers blend mode to screen to make the black disappear. Next I the eraser tool with a diameter of about 30 pixels to erase some of the stars.
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step28.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step28.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="400" type="image" skin="on"]
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Step 29

To add a distressed look to the image I downloaded some great textures from CGTextures.com I used plywood and concrete. I placed the plywood on the top most layer and the concrete above the wisps. For the plywood layer I set the opacity to 30% and the concrete layer to 25% opacity and both layers set to multiply mode.
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[note_box]CG Textures - Textures for 3D, graphic design and Photoshop![/note_box]
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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step29.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/step29.jpg" align="center" width="521" height="400" type="image" skin="on"]
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Final Image

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[image small="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/final.jpg" big="http://andyeveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/mooney.jpg" align="center" width="650" height="867" type="image" skin="on"]
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