Create a Quick and Easy Typographic Illustration in Illustrator
![](https://photoshopwizards.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/image-38.png)
For this tutorial I chose a rooster. I had this random rooster image on my computer already. You can use whatever animal you like, or a completely different shape like a car or house for example.
![](https://photoshopwizards.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/image-38.png)
We?ll need to create a silhouette of the image. I cover several different ways of creating silhouettes in this handy article over at Medialoot. You can use whatever method you feel most comfortable with. For this one, I simply traced the rooster with the Pen Tool in Illustrator.
![Typographic Illustration](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/wegraphics/typo_img2.jpg)
The finished silhouette.
![Typographic Illustration](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/wegraphics/typo_img3.jpg)
Add Type to the Image and Warp it
Now that we have our silhouette, we need to add some type. I chose a font called FFAD Matro. It?s a free download available here.
Layout the type with each word as a separate element. Place the type and size each word so that it sits close to the edge of the silhouette on either side.
![Typographic Illustration](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/wegraphics/typo_img4.jpg)
To begin shaping the words, select the first word and click Object | Envelope Distort | Make with Mesh. Enter 1 for the rows and 2 for the columns. I?m entering 2 because my first word is very short with only two letters. Normally I would choose 4 or 6 for longer words.
![Typographic Illustration](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/wegraphics/typo_img5.jpg)
Click okay, and choose the Direct Selection Tool (A) and begin warping the word to fit within the borders of the silhouette.
![Typographic Illustration](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/wegraphics/typo_img6.jpg)
Now continue with all of the words until they all fit nicely within the border of the silhouette.
![Typographic Illustration](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/wegraphics/typo_img7.jpg)
It doesn?t get much easier than that, does it?
Add Texture to Finish it up
To wrap it up, let?s add some texture. I had a vector texture on hand, and so do you if you?re a WeGraphic member. If you?re not, you can easily create your own vector texture by taking a black and white texture file importing it into Illustrator and running an image trace.
![Typographic Illustration](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/wegraphics/typo_img8.jpg)
I also copied and pasted the silhouette, removed the fill and gave it a black stroke with a size of 5pt. I placed this copy above the texture so that the texture doesn?t go all the way to the edge.
![Typographic Illustration](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/wegraphics/typo_img9.jpg)
You can even take it over to Photoshop and invert the color to white, and a photo background and you have an instant hipster style design that is sure to impress your friends! 🙂
![Typographic Illustration](https://s3.medialoot.com/blog-images/wegraphics/typo_img10.jpg)
I?d love to see your typographic illustrations! Feel free to share them using the comment fields below.