How to make a folded paper heart in Illustrator

Hi everyone! Previously, I made a tutorial on how to make a custom love shape in Illustrator. This time, I'm going to show you how to take it a step further by adding gradient.

1. Create a heart shape.
Read here if you are new to creating a heart shape. Don't worry about the color of the heart yet. We will deal with this once we get into Step #3 onward.

2. Make a copy of a half-heart.
Click Ctrl+R to bring out the ruler. 'Pull-out' a guideline. Select both the guideline and heart. Click Shift+F7 to bring out your align panel. Click Horizontal Align Center, second button from the left on the top row. This will align your guideline to the middle of the heart.

Click on the rectangle tool (M). Make a rectangle on top of the right half-side of the heart. Click on guideline to guide you. This will ensure your rectangle is over the right half-side of your heart. Make sure you cover all of the right half-side.

Click on Selection Tool (V). Click on the left half-side of the heart. This selects the heart that was on the bottom of the rectangle. Make a copy, Ctrl+C then Ctrl+F. With the copy of the heart still being selected, click and hold shift while clicking on the rectangle. This selects both the heart copy and the rectangle. Bring out your Pathfinder again (Shift+Ctrl+F9) and press Intersect, which is the third button from the left on the top row.

3. Prepare the swatch for the gradient.
By now, you can delete the guideline. Just select it and press delete.

Click on the swatch panel. By default, your swatch looks like this in RGB mode.

To use the color I am using for this tutorial, click the 'New Group Color' button that looks like a folder at the bottom. Click OK for now.

The red that I'm using for my heart is D32F3C or R=211, G=47, B=60. Double click the Fill and fill in the code. Click OK. Click on the Fill and drag it into the New Group Color.

Now double click the Fill again. This time we're going to pick a darker shade of red. The one I picked is BF2235 or R=191, G=34, B=53. Click OK. Click on the Fill and drag it into the New Group Color.

Your swatch should look like this now.

Select the whole heart and fill it with the first red, D32F3C.

4. Prepare and add the gradient.
Bring out the gradient panel (Ctrl+F9).

To make them both the gradient panel and the swatch panel active at the same time, drag them out into the artboard.

Click on the half-heart to activate it. Now click on the gradient slider. Notice you have two small sliders.

Drag your first red D32F3C from the new color group into the right slider. Then drag your darker shade of red BF2235 into the left slider.

Click on your right slider to activate it. Now change the location of the slider to 50%.

And you're done!

5. Adding shadow. Optional.
To give some depth to the heart, select the whole-heart. Make a copy, Ctrl+C then Ctrl+F. Change the color by clicking onto any color you like. I'm picking a light grey, K=20.

Bring it backward by using (Ctrl+[ ). Use your down button and move the shadow a little downward. Give it about 4 or 5 taps.

And you're done!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!