How to Draw Christmas Presents in the Snow in Adobe Illustrator

In this tutorial you will learn how to use the Mesh Tool in Adobe Illustrator to create a vector Christmas background with a pile of gift boxes!

If you want to skip the tutorial and just use these presents along with some other awesome elements in your work, you can purchase Christmas Gift Boxes in Snow from GraphicRiver!

1. How to Draw the First Present

Step 1

For our very first step, grab a red (#B33029) rectangle.

Proceed to Effects > Warp > Arc and apply the effect with the following settings:

• Bend -28%
• Horizontal 0%
• Vertical 0%

Step 2

Go to Object > Expand Appearance, and modify the shape by bringing its edges up a bit.

Let's begin using Mesh! Grab the Mesh Tool (U) and create a Mesh Grid like the one in the screenshot below by clicking where the nodes are supposed to be.

Once your Mesh Grid is done, begin coloring it by selecting the indicated column of nodes with the Mesh Tool (U) and changing their color to #F9E5D5.

Continue by coloring the nodes selected in the screenshot below with #D04640.

Finally, color the six nodes on the left edge of the shape with #941F17.

Step 3

Draw the lid of the box using the same technique and these colors:

1. #D24741
2. #D45458
3. #FFE0D0
   

Step 4

Create the bottom side of the gift box using the Mesh Tool and the following colors:

1. -
   
2. #B12E27
3. #FFEFDE
4. #DD544E
5. #941F17
6. #EF8A7E
   

Step 5

Assemble the box out of the three parts we made!

Step 6

Let's move on to creating the bow!

Create the first element with Mesh and these colors:

1. #AE2C26
   
2. -
   
3. #871910
4. #3E0600

Step 7

Create the second element.

1. #8F1D15
   
2. #FAB7A8
3. #721107
4. #150100

Step 8

Put both elements together to create the first piece of the bow.

Step 9

Create another bottom part of the bow with Mesh.

1. #AB2C25
   
2. #7A150B
3. #120100

Step 10

Create the accompanying top part.

1. #A0241E
   
2. #D74F48
3. #FADCCC
4. #80170D
5. #190200

Step 11

Again, put the last two parts together.

Step 12

Draw the first half of piece number 3.

1. #B9352E
2. -
   
3. #FFF7E6

Step 13

Draw another part.

1. #C13C36
2. -
   
3. #480700

Step 14

Put together the third piece.

Step 15

Draw another part of the bow.

1. #C7413B
2. -
   
3. #691108

Step 16

Draw this part out of two shapes, both colored with #C7413B.

1. #C7413B
2. #FFF7E6
3. #4F0800

Step 17

Join our final two parts together!

Step 18

Now put together the left half of the bow, as indicated by the numbers.

Step 19

Go to Object > Transform > Reflect, choose the Vertical option, and press Copy to complete the bow.

Step 20

Draw a #100000 filled ellipse to serve as a shadow for the base of the bow.

Step 21

Place it onto the base.

Step 22

Add the bow on top of the gift box we drew earlier.

Step 23

Draw an ellipse filled with a Radial Gradient (#58342D to white) to create another shadow. Use the Multiply transparency mode.

Step 24

Add shadows on the base of the bow and under the box.

Step 25

Let's create a new color variant of this box!

Proceed to Edit > Edit Colors > Convert to Greyscale.

Step 26

Go to Edit > Edit Colors > Adjust Colors and tweak the Black in the box by -14%.

Step 27

Finally, return to Edit > Edit Colors > Adjust Colors, only now choosing the RGB mode.

Tick Convert on the top of the window, and set the following parameters:

• Red: -33%
• Green: -9%
• Blue: -9%
  

2. How to Draw the Second Present

Step 1

Draw the left side of the second gift box's lid with Mesh.

1. #D3CFB4
2. #ABA485
3. #817756
4. #F7F5DF
   

Step 2

Draw the right part of the lid.

1. #E8E5CD
2. #C5BFA4
3. #F7F5DF
   

Step 3

Draw the left side of the box.

1. #9E9676
2. #695F3E
3. #796F4D
4. #E8E3CD
   

Step 4

Draw the right side of the box.

1. #CDC8AC
2. #695F3E
3. #796F4D
4. #E8E3CD
   

Step 5

Draw the lid.

1. #F2F1DB
2. #CFCAB0
3. #E9E6CF
   

Step 6

Put together the second box.

Step 7

Recolor a copy of the box with Edit > Edit Colors > Adjust Colors and these settings:

• Red: -60%
• Green: -37%
• Blue: -12%
  

Step 8

Create another green box out of a copy with Edit > Edit Colors > Adjust Colors:

• Red: -45%
• Green: -36%
• Blue: -34%

Step 9

Begin drawing the cyan bow.

1. #3B7F92
2. #9DD9CA
3. #113C33
4. #236072

Step 10

Draw the second element.

1. #3B7F92
2. #A0DBCD
3. #0E3533
4. #489397
5. #285F64
   

Step 11

Draw the next part.

1. #1A4F63
2. #05210B

Step 12

Create the next element.

1. #1E556C
2. #89CDC4
3. #27678B
4. #154549
5. #53A1AD
   

Step 13

1. #1D5268
2. #7FC4BE
3. #28698C
4. #112F3F

Step 14

Draw the final part of the bow.

1. #28667A
2. #5299A7
3. #0D3A3F
4. #66B9C4

Step 15

Create a shadow for the bow by filling an ellipse with a #0B3330 to white Radial Gradient and Multiply transparency.

Step 16

Add all the parts together.

Step 17

Let's begin drawing the ribbon for the bow!

1. #286372
2. #79C5CD
3. #61A9B6
4. #0F2A30
   

Step 18

Draw the top part of the ribbon.

1. #3C8395
2. #153538
3. #59A3B0
   

Step 19

Join these two together!

Step 20

Create another element.

1. #2C6779
2. #144349
3. #5EAABA
4. #93D8DB
   

Step 21

Draw the last section of the ribbon.

1. #5EAABA
2. #16454C

Step 22

Draw a pattern for the box.

Use two circles with a #408696Stroke, which you would then Expand. Create a couple of different versions.

Step 23

Create a rectangular pattern out of the circles.

Step 24

Create two copies of the pattern.

Go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Free Distort and create a pattern for the side of the box.

Step 25

Grab the second copy and through Effect > Distort & Transform > Free Distort, create a pattern for the lid.

Step 26

Apply the pattern and the bow with the ribbon to the box.

Step 27

Grab a copy of the pattern, and set it to Multiply and 60% Opacity before applying it to the blue box.

Step 28

Take another pattern, this time with Screen and 60% Opacity, for the green box.

Step 29

Recolor the bow and the pattern with Edit > Edit Colors > Adjust Colors:

• Red: 45%
• Green: -47%
• Blue: -41%

Step 30

Arrange the boxes we made into a pile.

3. How to Draw the Third Present

Step 1

Begin drawing the third box.

1. #778C80
2. #B6CCBC
3. #363E2A
4. #353C28
5. #5B6B5B
   

Step 2

Draw the lid.

1. #B2CDBF
2. #FEF9E7
3. #95B0A7
   

Step 3

Draw the side of the lid.

1. #8EA59B
2. #EDEFDE
3. #708477
4. #A1BCB3
5. #515F4F
   

Step 4

Assemble the gift box.

Step 5

Begin drawing a bow.

1. #90A29A
2. #102114
3. #C8D8C2
4. #637568
   

Step 6

Draw the second part.

1. #55675F
2. #DBEAD4
3. #798E87
4. #D4352C
   

Step 7

Draw another element with mesh.

1. #95A79F
2. #ECFCDF
3. #091B0F

Step 8

1. #8FA299
2. #516156
3. #CDDECD

Step 9

1. #A7BAB3
2. #E9FCDD
3. #75867C
4. #112216

Step 10

1. #112317
2. #53655C
   

Step 11

1. #7C9884
2. #E5EDE3
3. #224029
   

Step 12

Draw the eighth element:

1. #223B29
2. #46614F

and the final part.

1. #37513E
2. #0E2312
3. #893398
   

Step 13

Assemble the bow!

Step 14

Place the bow onto the box.

Step 15

Recolor a copy of the present into blue by using Edit > Edit Colors > Adjust Colors:

• Red: -18%
• Green: -7%
• Blue: 15%

Step 16

Apply Edit > Edit Colors > Saturate with -35% Intensity to get a light blue box.

Step 17

Add these boxes and the boxes made in the first section to the group.

4. How to Draw the Background

Step 1

Draw the background with Mesh:

1. #6C9F99
2. #C4D7CA
3. #99C0B8
4. #D7E2D2
5. #3F7D79
   

Step 2

Add a drawing of snow.

1. #EFF4E4
2. #D1E0D5
   

Step 3

Combine the two.

Step 4

Place the group of presents on the snow.

Next, draw a rectangle and put it on top of the image. The rectangle should "frame" everything you want to keep in the picture.

Select all the elements, right-click, and choose Make Clipping Mask.

Step 5

To create some falling snow, refer to my older Christmas tutorial! Give it 60% Opacity.

Step 6

Our picture is finished!

Awesome Work, You're Now Done!

What now? You can try any of my other tutorials from my profile, or check out my portfolio on GraphicRiver, as well as the original vector we recreated in this tutorial.

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial, and I would be super happy to see any results in the comments below!