Create the Mercedes Logo

This is what you’ll be creating:

Step 01

Create a 700 by 700px document. First, turn on the Grid (View > Grid) and the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). Next, you’ll need a grid every 10px. Go to Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid, enter “10″ in the “Gridline every :” box and “1″ in the “Subdivisions” box. You can also open the Info palette for a live preview with the size of your shape. Al these options will significantly increase your work speed.

Step 02

Select the Ellipse Tool(L), hold Shift, create a 600x600px shape and name it “01″. Fill it with none and add a 30pt, aligned to center stroke.

Step 03

Select the Star Tool, click&drag on your Artboard and don’t release the mouse button. Press the Down Arrow to subtract sides of your star then hold Ctrl to control the Inner Radius. Most certainly, your shape will not look exactly like mine. You will have to select each anchor point (with the Direct Selection Tool) and move it separately. This might take some time. Take a closer at the grid to understand the exact position for each anchor point. The Snap to Grid will significantly ease your work.

Step 04

Now let’s focus on the circle. Select shape “01″ and hit Control + C once then hit Control + F twice. This will add two new copies of “01″. Go the the Layers panel, select the bottom copy and go to Object > Expand then select the top copy and remove the stroke. Reselect both shapes and click on the Divide button from the Pathfinder panel. You will get a group of three new shapes. Again, go to the Layers panel, delete the inner circle then ungroup the other two shapes (Shift + Control + G). Fill the remaining two shapes with the linear gradients shown below.

Step 05

Select the original “01″ shape and Bring it to Front (Shift + Ctrl + ]). Lower the stroke size to 2pt then go to Object > Expand Appearance. Fill the resulting shape with R=241 G=241 B=243. Change its blending mode to Color Dodge, lower its opacity to 60% then add the Radial Blur effect (Effect > Blur > Radial Blur). Create a copy of this shape. Change it’s blending mode back to Normal, erase the Radial Blur then raise the opacity to 80%. Select all the shapes created so far (except the star shape) and group them. Name this group “Ring” and Bring it to Front (Shift + Ctrl + ]).

Step 06

Disable the Snap to Gird (Shift + Ctrl + “) and enable the Smart Guides (Ctrl + U). Select the Pen Tool(P) and create three paths to achieve the results shown in image #1. Each path starts and ends at an anchor point. With the aid of Smart Guides, you’ll be able to easily locate the starting and ending anchor points. Select these paths along with the Star shape and click on the Divide button from the Pathfinder panel. This will divide the star into six shapes. Fill them with the color and the gradients shown below.

Step 07

Keep the Smart Guides enabled. Reselect the Pen Tool(P) and create the two paths shown in the first images. Fill them with none and add a 5pt aligned to center stroke. Select both paths and go to Object > Expand Appearance. Select the resulting shapes and click on the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel. Pick the Direct Selection Tool(A), select the anchor points highlighted with green(image #4) and go to Object > Path > Average. Check Both and click OK. Repeat the same technique for the anchor points highlighted with blue and yellow.

Step 08

Now, the shape made in the previous step should look like in image #1. Pick again the Direct Selection Tool(A) select the anchor points and move them in the direction pointed by the white arrows. Fill it with R=51 G=51 B=51, change its blending mode to Multiply, lower its opacity to 25% then add a 9px Gaussian Blur effect (Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur).

Step 09

Reselect the Pen Tool(P). This time, let’s focus on the center of the star. Create the two paths shown in the first images. Again, fill them with none and add a 2pt aligned to center stroke. Expand these strokes and unite them. Now, use the Average option for the anchor points highlighted in image #4. Finally, fill the resulting shape with the linear gradient.

Step 10

Duplicate the star components. Select these copies and click on the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with the radial gradient, change its blending mode to Overlay then lower its opacity to 30%. Move this shape above the star shapes (in the Layers panel).

Step 11

Duplicate all the shapes created so far. Select all these copies and click on the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel. Select the resulting shape, fill it with none and add a 1pt, aligned to outside stroke. Select this stroke and go to Object > Expand Appearance. Fill this new shape with the radial gradient.

Step 12

Once again, duplicate all the shapes created so far. Select these copies and click on the Unite button from the Appearance panel. Select the resulting shape, Send it to Back (Shift + Ctrl + [), fill it with any color(i used white) then add the discrete Drop Shadow effect (Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow).

Step 13

For the background select the Rectangle Tool(M). Create a 700x700px shape and fill it with the radial gradient. Next, select the Flare Tool, add the flare effect then change its blending mode to Overlay.

Step 14

Finally, select the Ellipse Tool(L) and create a shape like the one shown in image #1. Fill it with any color, add the Pucker&Bloat effect then go to Object > Expand Appearance. Select the resulting shape, fill it with white, add a 4px Gaussian Blur effect then duplicate it. Place these two shapes as shown in the final image.

Final

Now your work is done. Here is how it should look like.