How can I curve a design I made to make it perfectly match the curve of a circle?

Question

I would like to make a logo that has two simplified branches of barley that mirror each other and curve to a perfectly circular shape, like the following from http://culination.co:

I have tried to do it in Illustrator, Sketch and Pixelmator, but I can't seem to figure it out and can't find a tutorial. I tried making the pattern straight and curving it and when that didn't work, I tried making it curved, which was a total mess.

Does anyone have an idea how to do this elegantly?

Answer 1

Using Illustrator

To create those branches of barley like that, you could draw them straight then create an Art Brush out of them:

Create a new Art Brush

Select your art, then Brushes panel click the New Brush button in the bottom right

Apply the art brush to a curve

The brush will nicely flow with whatever curves you apply it to