A step-by-step guide from a blank canvas in Illustrator CS4 to a simple yet nice sunset image using no resources other than those included with Illustrator CS4.
1. Open up Illustrator. Create a new blank canvas. I am using a canvas that is 3000px by 3750px.
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Step 2
Hills
Using the pen tool with a black fill and no outline, draw some hills just slightly higher up the canvas than midway. Make sure they stretch the entire width of the canvas.
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Step 3
Duplicate Hill (color changed to show adjustments)
Duplicate your hills path. With the duplicate selected, go to Object>Transform>Reflect. In the Reflect options box, set the axis to horizontal. Then move your duplicate down the canvas so that the bottom of both hill paths touch.
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Step 4
Sunset Gradient & Settings
Make a new layer underneath the one containing both of your hill paths. On this layer, add a rectangle using the rectangle tool that goes from the top left corner to the bottom right of the top hill path. Fill this rectangle with a radial gradient and do not use a stroke. The colors I used are as follows (all CYMK values): 74, 93, 44, 55; 0, 61, 49, 0; and 0, 63, 100, 0. Set the angle to 146° and the aspect ratio to 96%.
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Step 5
Reflected Sunset Gradient
Duplicate your sunset path and drag it down so it’s aligned with the bottom of your canvas. Send this new path to the back of your layers by pressing Ctrl+Shift+[ or right-clicking on the path on your canvas and clicking Arrange>Send to Back. Stretch the top of this path towards to top of your canvas until the orange part of your gradient is no longer visible.
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Step 6
Layer Palette
Now we need to adjust the order of our paths. Adjust them so they are in the following order (from top to bottom): Hills (Top), Sunset (Top), Hills (Reflected), & Sunset (Reflected).
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Step 7
Collect in New Layer
Select the two bottom paths; Hills (Reflected) & Sunset (Reflected). Click the fly out menu button on the layers palette and pick “Collect in New Layer”.
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Step 8
Ocean Ripple Settings
Copy your new layer. With the copy selected, go to Effects>Distort>Ocean Ripple. Set Ripple Size to 15 and set Ripple Magnitude to 20.
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Step 9
Layer Palette after Adjustments
Open up the original layer you duplicated for the Ocean Ripple layer. Pull out the Hills (Reflected) path. Put this above the Ocean Ripple layer and set it’s opacity to around 60%. Take the Sunset (Reflected) path and move it to the bottom of the layer palette.
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Step 10
At the top of your layer palette, make a new layer. Draw a rectangle with no fill and a black stroke around the entire canvas. Set the stroke to 80pt. Adjust your canvas so that your entire image is inside it. Save your image for the web and you are ready to upload it where you wish to.