Cute Vector Coffee Cup, Step by Step
This tutorial draws a simple, cute coffee cup in Adobe Illustrator using basic shapes, rounded corners and a set precise keyboard increment. It is a good beginner project because the shape stays editable and you can recolour it into several finished versions at the end. The artwork suits posters, flyers, icons and packaging.
Step 1: Background and setup
Rename the first layer BG, draw a rectangle over the artboard, remove the stroke and fill it with a neutral tone, then lock the layer. Make a new layer named “coffee” for the artwork.
Step 2: The cup body from a rectangle
Draw a rectangle and centre it. Open Preferences (Ctrl+K) and set the Keyboard Increment to 25 px so anchor points move in even steps. With the Direct Selection Tool, select the two bottom anchor points and nudge them inwards with the arrow keys to taper the cup, then round the corners by dragging the live-corner circles. This gives a clean tapered cup base in a few moves.
Step 3: Add the parts
Build the rim, the handle and the saucer as more rounded rectangles and ellipses, using the same taper-and-round routine, and add small details such as steam or a heart with the Pen Tool. Keep each part a simple shape so it stays easy to adjust.
Step 4: Colour, and make versions
Apply your palette (the video uses saved swatch presets). Because everything is flat vector, you can quickly duplicate the finished cup and recolour it for different moods, ending up with a set of colour variations of the same design.
Conclusion
Rounded rectangles plus a fixed keyboard increment make clean, repeatable shapes. Once the cup is built, recolouring is instant, which is how you turn one drawing into a whole set.
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