TUTORIAL | Creating a simple Helix/DNA in Adobe Illustrator

Hi there, scientists of the internet :)
In this short tutorial I show you step by step how to make a simple helix or DNA in Adobe Illustrator. This kind of illustration is perfect for the design of icons, table of content/graphical abstract figures or for your next poster or oral presentation.
If you have a specific topic that you would like to see turned into a tutorial, feel free to leave a comment below or contact me via www.luminous-lab.com/tutorials.
Happy designing :)
Instagram: / luminous_lab

[@exutu]

It looks good. I quickly made a nice alpha-helix, thank you! But the chirality of your DNA helix is wrong ;)

[@LuminousLab]

Happy to hear that it was useful to you! I know :)!
I started out with the alpha-helix and I messed up for the DNA only to recognise it months later...
But I did not want to take the tutorial down. The technique stays the same though :)
I pinned your comment so that people know the the DNA if flawed from the getgo.

[@exactspace]

This was such great help, and a way to expand ways of making things.

[@LuminousLab]

Thank you 😊! Happy to hear it helped!

[@杨哲皓]

Thanks a lot. Really appreciate that.

[@lisamcpherson928]

This was such a well organized and clear tutorial, plus I like your intro music! Thanks!

[@LuminousLab]

You are welcome! Thank you for the great feedback :)

[@tray3366]

This was my first time using adobe illustrator thank you for such a great tutorial, can you add more design styles?

[@LuminousLab]

Good to hear that the tutorial was helpful! I will see what I can do concerning new styles :)

[@phillip0011]

What a wonderful tutorial! Thank you so much for taking the time to make and post it!

[@LuminousLab]

Thank you for your kind words! I am happy they are helpful!

[@jsndza]

Thank you this helped me alot. Was stuck on a particular design. Please keep creating more videos!!

[@dianagonzalez7330]

Thank you so much! Super helpful!

[@LuminousLab]

I am glad you likes the tutorial!

[@Liquid_Snake_0]

Thanks a lot for this quick and efficient tutorial!
Greetings from Munich

[@RamakanthMadhugiri]

Wonderful and helpful tutorial

[@christopherlucente2514]

This was excellent! Thank you so much for making this. I create (double) helixes infrequently, but just enough to need the know-how fresh in my memory, so this video is now on my "Favorites" list for a quick reminder tutorial. Keep up the great tutorials!

[@LuminousLab]

Thank you Christopher for you kind feedback! I am happy to help :)

[@photovoltage]

That's great thanks! Just what I needed.

[@LuminousLab]

Great, happy to hear that it was helpful :)

[@AshrafulIslam-py4cv]

Nice your design

[@pooohan78]

great job ，your video is great help to my work，can't wait for your new post~

[@patrickschurch5411]

Great tutorial, very clear and concise!

[@LuminousLab]

Thank you! Great that you liked it!

[@opiumsunrise]

good tutorial. thanks for the help.

[@augustomororaes]

Thank you so much!! I was struggling to do it "free handed".

[@LuminousLab]

Good to hear that it helped :)

[@zhifeideng9974]

Great tutorial, many thanks!

[@suellencrea]

This will be so useful! Thank you so much :*

[@drzun]

This is very helpful, thank you very much.

[@rakeshgupta4173]

Thanks! Helpful for my paper

[@LuminousLab]

I am happy to hear that! All the best for your publication!

[@chko]

Thank you for sharing. This is very helpful.

[@LuminousLab]

I am happy I could help!

[@falkengelhardt5505]

very good!

[@harikrishnanh8976]

that was cool!

[@WilliamBarker]

awesome

[@Prof_Abdelkrim_Science]

Can you make tutorials how to design animal cell or plant cell

[@camperkiller90]

Thanks a lot, that was quite helpful!

[@LuminousLab]

Thank you for the feedback! I am happy to hear that it was useful for you!

[@Make_ItWork360]

thank you

[@shrikantppatil6299]

Please make a plant cell ..you can do this very nicely

[@momu9345]

Thanks for this. Are you also able to help draw a collagen triple helical structure.

[@LuminousLab]

You are welcome :)! Making a triple helix should deffinitly be possible as well with the same concept. You just need to pay a bit more attention to how you "braid" the three strainds but the basic priciple is the same. So just copy one of the existing strands and align all three to create the triple helix.

[@hussainalghanim4193]

Thanks

[@andreasweaney8942]

my shift won't do the same thing again at the second anchor point :(

[@emmanm5633]

hpw did you create the 1st animation clip?

[@MrRamaeri]

Thank you very much. could you make the same video the using Photoshop CC2019?

[@LuminousLab]

I am happy the tutorial was useful! I would not recommend using Photoshop for visualizations like this. With Illustrator you have the advantage of working with vectors therefore having the possibility to use your work also for larger project (e.g. poster) without having to worry about the resolution. In theory you could do it in Photoshop of course, but it just gets more complicated...

[@Therizinosaurus]

what if I want to make the width varied

[@maryknauth7333]

How would go about making the helix more of tube shape, rather than flat “ribbon” style?

[@LuminousLab]

That is a good question! I have something in mind (a bit difficult to explain in text) but I will put it on my list of tutorials that I would like to make, I think that would make a good follow up tutorial!

[@triplesnakie]

I'm already out on the very first step.. When I select the pen tool there is no way to adjust the handle. Thanks for nothing

[@LuminousLab]

Sorry to hear that. Clicking and dragging the mouse (while keeping it clicked) should do the job.
Other than that, maybe a beginner tutorial for Adobe Illustrator might help you as well.