Work flow question for illustrator

[Joe Bannon]

This was my first illustrator project, which is the logo for my website (warning, parts of it are not moderated... NSFW).

Anyways, I wanted to turn his bag mask into the Cobra Commander helmet. The only problem is that I've never done anything with curves. I'd like to know what work flow I'd need to do to make a Cobra Commander helmet, at least something to point me down the right path to being able to design this myself.

 

[rhett7660]

Try wiping out the pen tool and tracing the lines. Then use the mesh gradient tool to get the colors and blends.

 

[Error Type -43]

Your best bet is the pen tool, if you are tracing that pic. It will take some getting used to at first but once you get the idea, it becomes easy. If you are drawing from scratch, try making a rough outline with the pencil tool and touch it up w/ the smooth tool.

 

[gregtuco]

1) Place your image in Illustrator – FILE/Place
2) Rotate image to desired position.
3) Under "Layer Options", dim image layer to 50% (default) or whatever you are comfortable with. Lock layer.
4) Create new layer above dimmed source material.
5) Use pen tool to trace over source material and create the five basic shapes that make up the helmet. I use the pen tool with a STROKE only while working, I've filled the shapes with color just for clarity.
6) I'm a layer freak, so I placed the shapes onto three separate layers to complete the coloring process. As the other poster suggested, the Gradient Mesh tool is your best overall tool for this.

There is not much I can say about creating CURVES, except that, ideally, in this case where you want simple, clean curves, the fewer bezier nodes, the better. The pen tool just takes practice. Surprisingly, it WILL become intuitive after a while, (In what I think is the most UN-intuitive programs in the Adobe suite).

Sorry for the crappy screen cap.

This is my SHORT answer, I have a way of making a basic shape of the helmet, copying that shape and using the Pathfinder tool to make the secondary shapes, but it gets a little complicated to explain– I will if it'll help in the future.

Hope this makes sense!