Draw a Vector Traffic Cone with Adobe Illustrator

Preview

Step 1: Create the Illustrator Document

Open up Adobe Illustrator. Press Ctrl/Cmd + N to create a new document; let’s make the artboard 500x500px in size (though as you know, with vector illustration, we can resize our artwork to any size we want later on).

Create the Illustrator Document

Step 2: Create the Basic Shape of the Cone

Now we have to figure out how to create the shape of the cone. Let’s start with the upper part (the cone) and then we’ll create a stand for it later.

Grab the Star Tool from the Tools Panel and click anywhere on the artboard to bring up the Star Tool dialog window. Set the Points to 3 — that way, we will create a triangle.

We have to modify the shape of the triangle a little bit to make it taller. Switch to the Selection Tool (V), select the triangle, and then drag the upper middle transform control of the selection box upwards a bit.

Create the Illustrator Document

Next, we have to cut out the bottom and top ends of the triangle to make the triangle shaped more like a cone. Grab the Ellipse Tool (L) and create two ellipses as shown below. Make sure to center them by selecting all three objects (the triangle and two ellipses), then, in the Align Panel (Window > Align), clicking on the Horizontal Align Center button.

Create the Illustrator Document

Select the triangle and the upper ellipse and, using the Minus Front button in the Pathfinder Panel (Window > Pathfinder), remove the top end of the triangle.

Create the Illustrator Document

Select the resultant shape we just made above and the ellipse at its bottom, then, in the Pathfinder Panel, hit the Intersect button.

Create the Illustrator Document

We now have the basic shape of the cone, but there is lots of work ahead to make it look like a real traffic cone.

Step 3: Create the Cone Stripes

Now we need to make the stripes. Hold down Shift + Alt/Option, then click-and-drag the cone shape upwards; holding down Shift keeps the movement straight, and holding down Alt/Option creates a copy of the object you are moving. Create a few more copies.

Create the Cone Stripes

Copy the first original shape (Ctrl/Cmd + C), and paste it in front (Ctrl/Cmd + F). Select the copy and the shape above it. Use the Intersect button in the Pathfinder Panel to create a new shape.

Create the Cone Stripes

Make a copy of the new shape (Ctrl/Cmd + C and then Ctrl/Cmd + F) and use it to create a similar shape for the other objects.

Create the Cone Stripes

Apply gradients to the stripes in alternating fashion.

Create the Cone Stripes

Step 4: Create the Top End of the Cone

With the Ellipse Tool (L), create a small ellipse and place it at the top end of the traffic cone. Use the Zoom Tool (Z) to zoom in so that you can adjust the size of the ellipse in such a way that the anchor points align precisely.

Create the Top End

Select the ellipse and then go to Object > Path > Offset Path; set the Offset to -1. This will create another ellipse so that we now have two ellipses.

Create the Top End

Apply a linear gradient to the inner ellipse.

Create the Top End

Before moving onto the next step, select all the objects we’ve created so far and group them (Ctrl/Cmd + G).

Step 5: Creating the Stand for the Cone

Let’s create the stand for the traffic cone. To do so, we have to (again) create and combine a few different shapes and use a few tricks with gradients.

Grab the Rounded Rectangle Tool and, holding Shift to maintain proportions, create a square with rounded corners.