how to draw really cool 3d letters

In this tutorial I volition showcase iii different approaches for creating simple 3D lettering effects in the context of poster design. Onward and upward nosotros go!

Introduction

I volition start off by cartoon the letter-forms for the three words "ONWARD," "AND" and "UPWARD." From there I will bear witness three ways to create elementary, nevertheless interesting 3D effects. 3D is the latest craze (Run into: about every moving picture that has come out in the concluding two years) but my interests are in 3-Dimensional lettering that has old schoolhouse, subtle, simple, imperfect, more humanistic qualities. Drawing inspiration from vintage affiche lettering, and overall aesthetics, everything will exist wrapped together to create the full poster design.

Drawing Lettering

Equally always, good lettering starts with a sketch. You just need to go the basic idea and composition. The basic idea for this tut is that the poster volition be split diagonally and the messages will get from big to small (and vise versa).

Pace 1a

This sketch is very rough and is basically there to reference when really creating the lines in Adobe Illustrator (AI).

Stride 1b

Open a new document in AI and paste in the sketch. Lock it in place.

Footstep two

Create outside guides loosely based on the sketch (Drag from the Rulers).

Pace 3a

Next, we'll create diagonal guides. Create some other guide, simply while still selected go Control-click > Transform > Rotate.

Step 3b

In the prompt window enter an Bending of 33 and striking OK.

Step 3c

The guide is now diagonal. Re-create some other guide (Click + Drag + Shift) above and below. All guides are now setup.

Step 4a

Next, referencing the sketch and start drawing the letterforms using the Pen Tool. The colour/line-weight doesn't thing at this point, they volition be addressed later. Also, as mentioned previously, the bones idea is that the letters will go from large to small along the diagonal.

Step 4b

Using the guides as starting points, be certain to keep the vertical lines on the letter-forms precise by holding shift while drawing. Information technology might be easier to describe if you lot hide the sketch (Toggle the centre icon in the layers palette).

Stride 4c

The first word, "ONWARD," is complete.

Step 5a

Adjacent, use the diagonal guides and draw the word "AND." There isn't a reference for this in the sketch, only the idea is to draw the letters betwixt the 3 diagonal guides. Sometimes, I like to commencement with the centre letter of the alphabet and work my piece of work out from there.

Footstep 5b

Finished the word "AND." Remember, the letterforms can have some variance and unique characteristics, but they however need to stay contained within the guidelines.

Stride 6a

Moving on to the third word, "UPWARD."

Step 6b

We're getting closer. Also, just an FYI, I often toggle on and off the sketch to see how the letterform should be drawn.

Step 6c

Tip: Smart Guides will make cartoon on the guides and keeping things contained/precise a great deal easier.

Step 6d

Here are the completed vector letterforms, shown compared to the sketch.

Multiply and Motility

Finally, nosotros get to the 3D effects. Let's first elementary, with a basic arroyo.

Step 7a

Using the Round Rectangle Tool, draw a background shape/colour (C:xxx, Y:10) that aligns with the left and acme/bottom guides. And send them to back (Shift + Command + Left Subclass key).

Stride 7b

Change the "ONWARD" to a white make full.

Pace 7c

Side by side, select the "ONWARD" lettering and Copy > Paste in Front end (Command + F). While property shift, motility information technology diagonally (approx. to the middle diagonal guide). Change the fill up colour to 50% of the groundwork color (C:fifteen, Y:5).

Stride 7d

With the "ONWARD" lettering selected, in the Transparency palette, simply change the blending mode to Multiply. That's it, a simple, vintage looking 3D effect.

Draw and Multiply

Next, we tackle a slightly more complicated issue. This volition have more cartoon of shapes, and uses the same blending way as the previous arroyo, but with a different 3-Dimensional effect. The basic thought is that by drawing shapes that overlap and applying the Multiply blending mode, it will create a darker third color to achieve the 3D effect. The trick is getting the hang of how to draw the shapes. Its difficult to explicate exactly the procedure of how to draw the shapes, but seeing it help will help. Hither we go!

Stride 8a

With the "AND" lettering selected, alter it to an orangish fill up (Yard: 35, Y: 85).

Footstep 8b

Making sure Smart Guides is active, first drawing inside the shapes of the "AND" letterform using the Pen Tool. These shapes should have a darker orangish fill color (K: 75, Y:100). Y'all should first to see the 3D effect.

Step 8c

To complete the interior shape of the "D" inside the discussion "AND," select the ii right bezier points and Re-create, Deselect all and Paste in Front. Then go along drawing the shape.

Pace 8d

With the "AND" interior shapes drawn the 3D effect is apparent.

Step 8e

To really make the upshot 'pop,' aforementioned equally higher up, alter the blending mode of the "AND" lettering to Multiply.

Fatigued Traditional Colour

The third 3D effect uses a more than traditional approach of drawing the 3D shapes, extruding from the existing lettering. These letterforms will accept a overnice, thick 3D effect, achieved through drawing three shades of a colour.

Step 9

Change the colour of the "UPWARD" lettering to a light brownish (C:25, M:twoscore, Y:65).

Pace 10a

Again, make certain Smart Guides is active. Offset by using the existing points, apply the Copy + Paste in Front method, and then draw exterior the shapes of the "Upwardly" letterform using the Pen Tool. Colour with a medium brown (C: 30, K: fifty, Y: 75, K:10).

Step 10b

To keep the 3D consistency, and with the magic of Smart Guides, use a 45 degree angle for the 3D shapes.

Stride 10c

Keep coinciding with the outside groundwork shape and go along hammering out the medium brown shapes.

Step 10d

Here is shown the medium brown shapes finished.

Step 11a

To finish this off information technology should exist fairly obvious, we need to describe the darkest shade of brown (C: 35, Chiliad: lx, Y: 80, M:25) for the letterforms. In many areas you may be able to just draw dark brown shapes over the gap of existing shapes.

Step 11b

Use copies of the existing light chocolate-brown shapes and the Subtract from shape expanse option in the pathfinder palette to create the medium brown shapes.

Step 11c

The dark chocolate-brown 3D shapes are at present consummate, as well as the complete 3D lettering issue.

Drawn Traditional Color

Now, to tie this all together and make it look like a real poster. We'll employ a few more shapes, textures and colour effects to brand it look similar a vintage poster.

Step 12a

Starting time, you may notice that there could be a few areas on the "ONWARD" lettering that might have the dark brown color. Permit's integrate some textures. Offset, Copy and Paste in Front the existing medium brownish shape you lot want to integrate texture within.

Step 12b

Using textures from my previous tutorial "How to Create a Vector Texture From Scratch," paste the texture into position.

Step 12c

In one case the position is finalized (Tip: check the position with a simple clipping mask), select both the texture and copy of the medium dark-brown shape. Use the Intersect shapes areas option in the Pathfinder palette.

Footstep 12d

Striking expand in the pathfinder palette and you have texture shades!

Step 13

Apply that process to any other areas that make sense. There are some questionable areas that could apply texture simply information technology'due south a judgment call.

Step 14a

Draw a shape that follows the diagonal guides and make full information technology with a lighter pinkish color (Thousand: 35, Y: 21). Add a betoken on the center diagonal guide and make the light pinkish shape wait similar a banner shape.

Step 14b

Change the color of the original "AND" lettering to white and scale the banner shape upward (so it doesn't get lost in the other lettering).

Step 15

Next, lets brand this a flake more fun. Depict an quondam biplane flight through the messages, with a white string connecting the banner and a dotted white line coming from the imprint.

Footstep 16

And finally, to really requite it that vintage, muted tone. Draw a light yellow (Y:6) rectangle over the entire document and change the blending mode to Saturation. Print!

Final Image

Some of this info is fairly straightforward, but hopefully at that place were a few $.25 in there that yous could learn from. The final paradigm is beneath. You can view the large version here. Thank you!

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Source: https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/create-a-variety-of-3d-lettering-effects-for-poster-design--vector-4305