At some point, you’ve probably come across a cat statue with one of its paws raised and swaying back and forth. This is Maneki-neko or the Beckoning Cat, a common Japanese figurine, which is often believed to bring luck to its owner. 
在某些時候，你可能會遇到一個貓雕像，它的一個爪子舉起，來回擺動。這是招貓，一種常見的日本小雕像，人們通常認為它能給主人帶來好運。

Such talismans usually come in different color variations and have different meanings, depending on which paw is raised and what the cat holds in its other paw. For example, there is a belief that a raised left paw attracts money, while a raised right paw protects it. However, there are a lot of other versions and meanings, so be sure to check this article about Maneki-neko if you’re interested in its origin and significance.
這種護身符通常有不同的 顏色變化，並有不同的含義，這取決於哪一個爪子抬起 還有貓另一隻爪子裡的東西例如，有一種觀點認為， 舉起的左爪吸引金錢，而舉起的右爪保護它。然而， 還有很多其他的版本和含義，所以如果你是 對它的起源和意義感興趣。

It might be hard to imagine all the minor details of the figurine if you haven’t seen Maneki-neko before, so I highly recommend that you head to Envato Market and look through these photo references on PhotoDune, which will help you to see it from different angles and in different colors.
如果你以前沒有見過貓狸，你可能很難想像這個小雕像的所有細節，所以我強烈建議你去

And now that we’re ready, let’s start making our lucky charm!
現在我們準備好了，讓我們開始做我們的幸運符吧！

1. How to Create a Cat’s Head
1. 如何製作貓的頭像

Step 1步驟1

First of all, take the Rectangle Tool (M) and create an 800 x 600 px rectangle for the background to make all the white details visible on the canvas. Apply a vivid purple radial gradient and use the Gradient Tool (G) to edit the position of the fill.
首先，使用矩形工具（M）創建一個800 x 600 px的矩形作為背景，使畫布上所有的白色細節都可見。應用一個生動的紫色徑向漸變，並使用漸變工具（G）編輯填充的位置。

Let’s take the Ellipse Tool (L) and form the head from a 195 x 195 px circle. Apply a radial gradient from white in the center to light beige at the edges. Use the Gradient Tool (G) to position the gradient as shown in the image below, creating a subtle shadow at the bottom of the head, thus making it spherical. We’ll be using a lot of linear and radial gradients throughout this tutorial, applying them to every single object that we create.
讓我們使用橢圓工具（L），從195 x 195 px的圓圈中形成頭部。應用徑向漸變，從中心的白色到邊緣的淺米色。使用漸變工具（G）來定位漸變，如下圖所示，在頭部底部創建一個微妙的陰影，從而使其成為球形。我們將在本教程中使用大量的線性和徑向漸變，將它們應用到我們創建的每個對象。

Now take the Direct Selection Tool (A) and select both side anchor points of the shape. Move them down and to the sides a bit, making the bottom of the shape flatter and wider.
現在採取直接選擇工具（A），並選擇雙方的錨點的形狀。將它們向下移動一點，使形狀的底部更平坦更寬。

Step 2步驟2

Copy the head and Paste in Front twice (Control-C > Control-F > Control-F). Move the top copy up a bit.
複製頭部並粘貼到前面兩次（Control-C %3 E Control-F %3 E Control-F）。把最上面的那份往上移一點。

Select the two copies and use the Minus Front function of Pathfinder to cut the objects, leaving a narrow crescent shape at the bottom of the head.
選擇這兩個複本，並使用路徑查找器的減去前面的功能，以削減對象，留下一個狹窄的新月形狀在底部的頭部。

Fill the new shape with linear gradient from white to blue and switch it to Multiply Mode in the Transparency panel, making the shape semi-transparent. This way we’ve added a gentle bluish overtone.
使用從白色到藍色的線性漸變填充新形狀，然後在「透明度」面板中將其切換到「倍增模式」，使形狀半透明。這樣我們就添加了一個溫和的藍色泛音。

Step 3步驟3

Let’s add a bright spot on top of the head. Make a 120 x 120 px circle and fill it with bright-orange linear gradient. Select both the head and the orange circle and take the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M). Hold down Alt and click the upper part of the orange circle that we want to delete. There we have it!
我們在頭頂上加一個亮點。做一個120 x 120 px的圓，用亮橙色線性漸變填充。選擇頭部和橙子圓圈，然後使用形狀生成器工具（Shift + M）。按住Alt鍵並單擊要刪除的橙子圓的上部。好了！

Step 4步驟4

Now let’s draw the facial details. Use the Ellipse Tool (L) again to make a 50 x 50 px circle. Set its Fill color to none and its Stroke color to a linear gradient of brown tints.
現在我們來畫面部細節。再次使用橢圓工具（L）製作一個50 x 50 px的圓。將其填充顏色設置為無，將其描邊顏色設置為棕色的線性漸變。

Head to the Stroke panel, set the Width to 6 pt, and switch Cap to the middle position.
轉到「描邊」面板，將「寬度」設置為6 pt，並將「帽」切換到中間位置。

Step 5步驟5

Take the Scissors Tool (S) and click the left and right anchor points of the shape to split the circle into two halves. Delete the lower half. Rotate the shape a bit, depicting a closed eyelid. 
使用剪刀工具（S），點擊形狀的左右錨點，將圓分成兩半。刪除下半部分。稍微旋轉形狀，描繪一個閉合的眼瞼。

Keeping the shape selected, double-click the Reflect Tool (O) and flip the shape over the Vertical Axis. Click Copy to make a reflected second eye.
保持形狀處於選中狀態，雙擊反射工具（O）並將形狀翻轉到垂直軸上。單擊「複製」以創建反射的第二隻眼睛。

Step 6步驟6

Use the same half-circle shapes to create a mouth.
使用相同的半圓形狀來創建一個嘴。

Copy the head shape and Paste in Front (Control-C > Control-F). Bring the copy to Front (Shift-Control-]) and make it much smaller.
複製頭部形狀並粘貼到前面（Control-C > Control-F）。將複本移到最前面（Shift-Control-]）並使其變小。

Fill the copy with linear gradient from orange to black and switch its Blending Mode to Screen, thus making a bright highlight on the forehead.
用從橙子到黑色的線性漸變填充複本，並將其混合模式切換為屏幕，從而在前額上製作明亮的高光。

Step 7步驟7

Now let’s form the ears. Use the Polygon Tool to make a 120 x 100 px triangle (you can change its size either in the control panel on top or in the Transform panel (Window > Transform)).
現在我們來做耳朵。使用多邊形工具製作一個120 x 100 px的三角形（您可以在頂部的控制面板或變換面板（窗口>變換）中更改其大小）。

Fill the triangle with a gentle linear gradient of the same white-beige colors as the head.
用與頭部相同的白色-米色的柔和線性漸變填充三角形。

Select the top anchor point with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and pull down the circle marker of the Live Corner to make the top of the ear rounded.
使用直接選擇工具（A）選擇頂部錨點，然後下拉活動角的圓形標記，使耳朵頂部變圓。

Make a smaller rounded triangle inside the ear. Fill it with bright-orange linear gradient, picking it from the top of the head with the help of the Eyedropper Tool (I).
在耳朵裡面做一個小的圓形三角形。使用滴管工具（I）從頭頂拾取，用亮橙色線性漸變填充它。

Step 8步驟8

Rotate the ear and attach it to the head. Move the ear to Back (Shift-Control-[). Use the Curvature Tool (Shift-') to make the edges of the ear slightly arched.
旋轉耳朵並將其連接到頭部。將耳朵向後移動（Shift-Control-[）。使用曲率工具（Shift-'）使耳朵的邊緣略微拱起。

Use the Reflect Tool (O) to attach a mirrored copy to the other side of the head.

2. How to Make the Body of Maneki Neko
2. 如何讓男人徹底愛上你

Step 1步驟1

Take the Rounded Rectangle Tool and let’s form the body from a 195 x 190 px shape with smooth corners. Fill it with radial gradient, creating a subtle shadow at the edges.
使用圓角矩形工具，讓我們從195 x 190 px的形狀中形成具有平滑拐角的身體。用徑向漸變填充，在邊緣創建一個微妙的陰影。

Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to select the anchor points of the top corners and move them closer to each other with the arrow keys, while holding Shift to make the shape narrower at the top.
使用直接選擇工具（A）選擇頂角的錨點，並使用箭頭鍵將它們彼此靠近，同時按住Shift使形狀在頂部變窄。

Send to Back (Shift-Control-[), placing the body beneath the head.
向後移動（Shift-Control-[），將身體置於頭部下方。

Step 2步驟2

Add a light-blue reflection at the bottom of the body, using the same technique as for the head.
在身體的底部添加一個淡藍色的反射，使用與頭部相同的技術。

Step 3步驟3

Let’s make a paw from a 70 x 45 px ellipse, filled with linear gradient from white to light beige. Select both side anchor points and move them down, making the bottom of the shape flat.
讓我們從一個70 x 45 px的橢圓做一個爪子，填充從白色到淺米色的線性漸變。選擇兩側的錨點並向下移動，使形狀的底部變平。

Use the Line Segment Tool (\) while holding Shift to make three short vertical lines for the claws. Apply the same brown linear gradient for the Stroke as we did for the eyes. Set the Weight to 4 pt in the Stroke panel and make the tips of the lines rounded.
使用線段工具（\），同時按住Shift鍵，為爪創建三條短的垂直線。應用相同的棕色線性梯度中風，因為我們的眼睛。在「描邊」面板中將「粗細」設置為4磅，並使線條的尖端變圓。

Step 4步驟4

Now let’s create a little bell to decorate our figurine. Make a 72 x 72 px circle and fill it with radial gradient from yellow in the center to orange at the edges, making it spherical and three-dimensional.
現在讓我們創造一個小鈴鐺來裝飾我們的雕像。做一個72 x 72 px的圓，用從中心的黃色到邊緣的橙子的徑向漸變填充它，使它成為球形和三維的。

Copy the circle and Paste in Front twice (Control-C > Control-F > Control-F). Move the top copy down a bit and fill it with linear gradient from yellow to black.
複製圓並在前面粘貼 兩次（Control-C > Control-F > Control-F）。將頂部複本向下移動一點，並使用從黃色到黑色的線性漸變填充它。

Select the two copies and apply Intersect to cut the top copy. Switch the Blending Mode to Screen, making a bright highlight.
選擇兩個複本並應用「相交」來剪切頂部複本。將混合模式切換到屏幕，製作明亮的高光。

Step 5步驟5

Create a small circle and a small narrow rectangle and fill them with bright red linear gradient. Combine the two objects, using the Unite function of the Pathfinder.

Make the shapes fit the circle by deleting its bottom part, either by applying the Intersect function of the Pathfinder, as we did in the previous step, or using the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M) as we did earlier (Part 1, Step 3).
通過刪除圓的底部使形狀適合圓，或者通過應用路徑查找器的相交功能，就像我們在上一步中所做的那樣，或者使用形狀生成器工具（Shift-M），就像我們之前所做的那樣（第1部分，步驟3）。

Step 6步驟6

Attach the bell to the cat’s neck and place a bright yellowish-green ellipse beneath it.
把鈴鐺系在貓的脖子上，在鈴鐺下面放一個明亮的黃綠色橢圓。

As for the collar, let’s create a bright-red ellipse above the top part of the body. Select both the body and the ellipse and use the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M) while holding Alt to click and delete the unneeded piece. Send the collar Backward (Control-[) a few times, placing it beneath the head and the bell.
至於衣領，讓我們在身體的頂部創建一個鮮紅色的橢圓。選擇身體和橢圓，並使用形狀生成器工具（Shift-M），同時按住Alt鍵單擊並刪除不需要的部分。將項圈向後（Control-[）幾次，將其置於頭部和鈴鐺下方。

Don’t forget to add the paws to the bottom of the body.
別忘了在身體底部加上爪子。

Step 7

In order to make the figurine more realistic, we need to add some gentle shadows to it. Let’s see how we can make a shadow from the bell.
為了使雕像更逼真，我們需要添加一些柔和的陰影。讓我們看看如何從鈴鐺上製作陰影。

Copy the bell circle and Paste in Back (Control-C > Control-B). Move the copy down a bit and fill it with a vertical linear gradient from beige on top to white at the bottom.
複製鐘形圈並粘貼到後面（Control-C > Control-B）。將複本向下移動一點，用從頂部米色到底部白色的垂直線性漸變填充它。

Switch the Blending Mode to Multiply, creating a subtle semi-transparent shadow.
將混合模式切換為正片疊底，創建一個微妙的半透明陰影。

Use the same method to add the shadows from the head and paws. Remember to cut off and delete the unneeded pieces using the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M).
使用相同的方法添加頭部和爪子的陰影。記住使用形狀生成器工具（Shift-M）剪掉並刪除不需要的部分。

Step 8步驟8

Let’s add the arms and front paws to our Maneki Neko. Place a paw on the left (or right) side of the face, to your liking. Use the Rounded Rectangle Tool to make a 50 x 90 px shape with 20 px Corner Radius for the arm and fill it with the same vertical linear gradient, from light beige to white, as we have for the other body parts.
讓我們把手臂和前爪加到貓鼬上。把一隻爪子放在臉的左邊（或右邊），根據你的喜好。使用圓角矩形工具為手臂製作一個50 x 90 px的形狀，角半徑為20 px，並使用相同的垂直線性漸變填充它，從淺米色到白色，就像我們為其他身體部位所做的那樣。

Add a light-blue overtone in the bottom part of the arm, and don’t forget to create a gentle shadow from the paw, placing it over the face.
在手臂的底部添加淡藍色的泛音，不要忘記從爪子創建一個溫和的陰影，把它放在臉上。

Step 9步驟9

Now let’s draw a fish that we’re going to place in the second paw of our cat. Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to make an 115 x 55 px ellipse for the body and fill it with vivid linear gradient from lighter pink on top to darker pink at the bottom.
現在讓我們畫一條魚，我們要把它放在我們的貓的第二個爪子。使用橢圓工具（L），使一個115 x 55像素的橢圓的身體，並填補它與生動的線性梯度從淺粉紅色的頂部到深粉紅色的底部。

Make another ellipse, fill it with light-pink color, and place it over the body, covering its right part. Select both shapes and use the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M) while holding Alt to delete the pieces of the shape around the body.
製作另一個橢圓，用淺粉色填充，然後將其放置在身體上，覆蓋其右側部分。選擇這兩個形狀，並使用形狀生成器工具（Shift-M），同時按住Alt刪除身體周圍的形狀片段。

Now we’ve formed the head of our fish. Let’s add more details!
現在我們已經形成了魚頭。讓我們添加更多細節！

Step 10

Make a smaller oval of 40 x 20 px size and fill it with a horizontal linear gradient of darker pink shades.
做一個40 x 20 px的小橢圓，用一個水平的深粉色漸變填充。

Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to select both side anchor points and Convert selected anchor points to corner from the control panel on top, making the shape pointed.
使用直接選擇工具（A）選擇兩側的錨點，並從頂部的控制面板將選定的錨點轉換為角，使形狀變尖。

Make a copy of the created object and create a fishtail by combining the two indicated shapes.
複製創建的對象，並通過組合兩個指示的形狀來創建魚尾。

Finish up the fish by adding a half-circle for the eye.
最後在魚的眼睛上畫一個半圓。

Step 11

Put the fish into the cat’s paw and attach it to the body. Make a shadow from the paw as well as from the fish, creating semi-transparent shapes in Multiply mode.

Step 12步驟12

Finally, let’s add a curved smooth tail to our cat. Use the Arc Tool to attach a nice arched shape to the left side of the cat’s body and apply a 30 pt Stroke with round caps.
最後，讓我們為貓添加一個彎曲光滑的尾巴。使用弧形工具在貓身體的左側附加一個漂亮的拱形形狀，並應用一個帶有圓形帽的30 pt Stroke。

Step 13步驟13

Let’s Object > Expand the tail to turn it into an editable shape. Now we can apply a linear gradient and add minor details.
Let'sObject >擴展尾部以將其變為可編輯形狀。現在我們可以應用線性漸變並添加次要細節。

Place a bright yellowish-orange ellipse on top of the tail and use the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M) while holding Alt to delete the unneeded piece around the tail.
在尾巴的頂部放置一個明亮的黃橙色橢圓，並使用形狀生成器工具（Shift-M），同時按住Alt刪除尾巴周圍不需要的部分。

Copy the orange piece and Paste in Front (Control-C > Control-F). Make the copy smaller and turn it into a bright-yellow highlight by picking the appearance from the forehead highlight with the Eyedropper Tool (I).
複製橙子片段並粘貼到前面（Control-C > Control-F）。使複本較小，並把它變成一個明亮的黃色突出選擇的外觀從額頭突出與吸管工具（一）。

3. How to Create a Background in Oriental Style
3. 如何營造東方風格的背景

Step 1步驟1

Let’s create some elements for a simple Asian background in order to make our image look balanced and complete.
讓我們為一個簡單的亞洲背景創建一些元素，以使我們的圖像看起來平衡和完整。

Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to create a set of overlapping circles. Switch to the Rectangle Tool (M) and place a narrow stripe in the bottom of the cloud to make its lower part flat.
使用橢圓工具（L）創建一組重疊的圓。切換到矩形工具（M），並在雲的底部放置一個狹窄的條紋，使其下部平坦。

Unite all the shapes in the Pathfinder to make a single object.
將路徑查找器中的所有形狀合併為一個對象。

Step 2步驟2

Place the cloud beneath the cat and add a darker blue overtone in the bottom of the shape, making it more three-dimensional.
把雲放在貓的下面，在形狀的底部添加一個深藍色的泛音，使它更具立體感。

Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to add two small circles on both sides of the cloud and create a large red circle beneath all the objects, depicting a rising sun.
使用橢圓工具（L）在雲的兩側添加兩個小圓圈，並在所有對象下方創建一個紅色的大圓圈，描繪一個正在升起的太陽。

Add a shadow from the cloud, placing it above the sun shape.
從雲添加陰影，將其放置在太陽形狀上方。

Step 3步驟3

Make a few more copies of the fish and recolor them, making our composition more detailed and colorful.
再複製幾條魚，重新上色，使我們的構圖更細緻，更豐富多彩。

Step 4步驟4

Let’s create another cloud of a slightly different shape. Use the Rectangle Tool (M) to make a 200 x 25 px light-yellow stripe. Add two more stripes above, varying their width.
讓我們創建另一個形狀稍有不同的雲。使用矩形工具（M）製作一個200 x 25像素的淺黃色條紋。在上面增加兩個條紋，改變它們的寬度。

Unite all three shapes in the Pathfinder and select the entire shape with the Direct Selection Tool (A). Pull the circle marker of the Live Corners to make all the corners equally rounded and smooth.
在路徑查找器中合併所有三個形狀，然後使用直接選擇工具（A）選擇整個形狀。拉動活動角的圓形標記，使所有角都同樣圓滑。

Step 5步驟5

Add minor details to the cloud and place it on top of the sun. Create a reflected copy using the Reflect Tool (O) and Send to Back (Shift-Control-[), placing it beneath the sun.
給雲添加一些小細節，然後把它放在太陽的上面。使用反射工具（O）和發送到後面（Shift-Control-[）創建一個反射複本，將其放置在陽光下。

Step 6步驟6

Now let’s apply a pattern to our dark-purple background. Create a rectangle of the same size as the background (800 x 600 px). Head to the Swatches panel (Window > Swatches), open the Swatch Libraries Menu, and find Patterns > Decorative > Decorative Legacy.
現在讓我們將圖案應用於深紫色背景。創建一個與背景大小相同的矩形（800 x 600 px）。前往「色板」面板（窗口>色板），打開「色板庫」菜單，然後找到「Patterns > Decorative > Decorative Legacy」。

Step 7步驟7

Find the Waves Color pattern and apply it to the rectangle. You can change the Fill and Stroke colors of the pattern by clicking the Edit Pattern button in the Swatches panel.
找到波浪顏色模式並將其應用於矩形。通過單擊「色板」面板中的「編輯圖案」按鈕，可以更改圖案的「填充」和「描邊」顏色。

If you want to make the scale of the pattern larger or smaller, use the Scale Tool (S). Double-click it and set the desired value in the Uniform field, but don’t forget to uncheck the Transform Object box in order to Transform Patterns only.
如果你想使圖案的比例更大或更小，使用縮放工具（S）。雙擊它並在Uniform欄位中設置所需的值，但不要忘記取消選中Transform Object框，以便僅轉換模式。

Step 8步驟8

Place the pattern over the background and lower its Opacity to 10%, switching the Blending Mode to Screen to make the pattern barely visible.
將圖案放在背景上，將其不透明度降低到10%，將混合模式切換到屏幕，使圖案幾乎不可見。

Subarashii! Our Maneki Neko Is Finished!
真美妙我們的貓熊完了！

Great job! I hope you’ve enjoyed following this tutorial and learned some new techniques while working with basic shapes, gradients, and various functions of Adobe Illustrator. Go ahead and create another lucky charm that will not only bring you fortune, but will also bring your skill and creativity to a new level.
幹得好！我希望您喜歡本教程，並在使用基本形狀，漸變和Adobe Illustrator的各種功能時學習了一些新技術。繼續創造另一個幸運符，它不僅會給你帶來財富，還會把你的技能和創造力帶到一個新的水平。

Have fun!玩得開心點！