Icons are some of the most sought-after design graphics because of their flexibility in any use, whether it is for a formal or a less-formal project. A good icon is not only a small image of an object, but it also has to represent the meaning behind it. To help you create your first seasonal icons, here are a few tips you can follow:
Find out what kind of icon set you want to create
It is important to know what type of icon you want to create, where it will be applicable and what your icons will represent. Since this article is talking about seasonal icons, make sure that you know what the seasons that you want to represent and what objects or images represent such seasons.
Think about the proper symbols
Once you know what seasons that you want to draw, then you will need to write down all things associated with the icons. For example, you write down keywords or synonyms of the concept that represent the icon. Then you can simplify the words to find the objects that represent the concepts well.
For these seasonal icons set, here are a few objects that you can draw for your icon set.
- Fall: pumpkin, acorn, brown leaves, a warm cup of drinks, coat, wind blowing, campfire, turkey, etc.
- Winter: candy cane, Santa Claus, winter socks, snowman, snowflake, mountain, gloves, ice skating shoes, Christmas decoration, etc.
- Summer: sunglasses, bikini, palm tree, beach hat, ice cream, swim trunks, starfish, sandcastle, waves, beaches, crabs, sun, umbrella, coconut, boat, and so on.
- Spring: flowers, butterflies, ducks, bugs, sun, rainbow, watering can, sunflower, and so on.
- Look for references
Chances are, some people already designed icons with similar themes. Therefore, don’t hesitate to look for references to the same themes. By looking for references, you will get a lot of inspirations to start drawing your own icons.
Decide a style
The next thing to do is choose and decide what the style of your icons will be. Are they going to be an outlined, flat, hand-drawn, glyph, or other types of styles? When deciding the style of your icon, you also need to consider the intended interface.
For example, are your icons intended to be used in iOS, Material, or other interfaces? It would be best to consider whether the style you choose would suit a certain UI layout.
Drawing the sketch
When you already know what styles you are going to go for, the next thing to do is draw the sketch. Make sure you keep the style consistent for each sketch that you are drawing. You can create as many sketches as possible so that it is easier for you to choose which one will go through to the next process.
Vectorize the sketch
The next step is vectorizing the sketches that you have drawn. When you already draw a lot of sketches, it will be easier for you to decide which one to vectorize. Choose the best sketches to go into your seasonal icons set.
Test it!
When the vector version is ready, the last step is testing the icons. Use it in a different UI layout to see if it suits your intended interface layout. If it is, then your icon set is ready!
Now that you have 7 tips to start drawing your first icon set, you also need to pay attention to the following aspects:
- Make sure your icons are pixel perfect by positioning them “on pixel”
- Ensure that all icons in the set have the same weight. You can check it by squinting your eyes and looking at the set of icons, adjusting them, and then looking again.
- Use firm shapes to draw the lines. It will help your icons to look more attractive and persuasive.
- You will also want to make sure that your icons are clear and simple. Don’t use unnecessary lines that do not help you communicate the concept. Too many lines sometimes end up making your icons look heavy and noisy instead.
- Make sure that the icons have good contrast between each color you use so that it stays visible.
- Make sure that all the elements in your icons have good spacing.
With these seven tips, you should be able to start drawing your first seasonal icons. So, get your tools ready and start drawing now!
