Look at Me, I Can Draw in 3D

This semester I am teaching my computer graphics class on Monday nights. We start at 7:00 and usually get out until a bit before 10:00. It makes for a long night of illustrating. Tonight we cover one of my favorite subjects: three dimensional objects. The first part of the semester we spend on the basics--setting preferences, making selections, drawing basic shapes and learning to use the dreaded Pen Tool. That's the meat and potato part of Illustrator, but we're in dessert now! All the fun stuff comes at the end of the semester, and the most fun of all is revolving and extruding objects. With the revolving effect, you can draw very simple lines and turn them into beautifully shadowed 3d objects. You can add the power of the symbols palette to the process and map designs and labels on your objects. Extrude and Bevel works great for creating boxes, tables, and pop-out text. Tonight in class we will be starting out with basic 3d effects: creating a ball, a cylinder and a box .

The half circle and green rectangle were treated to a basic Effect>3d >Revolve, while the blue square got the Effect>3d>Bevel and Extrude treatment. The Bevel and Extrude works quite well with text also. I used the default choices for the text below, except I rotated the one on the right so we could see the text from a different viewpoint.


Once we have covered the basics, the students will be creating 2 vases sitting on a tabletop, Using the steps below. My results are at the top of the page here. I hope to publish their results next week. If you have Illustrator and a little time on your hands (and it really is quick), give it a try.

Making Vases

• Start a New File
• Turn on your rulers (Ctrl R) and show your grid.
• Draw one ½ of a vase. Make it approximately 3 inches tall. Give it a fill color, but no stroke.

• Draw a rectangle that is slightly taller than and about twice as wide as the shape.
• Move the vase object out of the way for the time being.
• Create a design/pattern in the rectangle. You can use basic shapes, draw objects with the pen and pencil, uses brushes on lines, or even add symbols (if you use a symbol, make sure you UNLINK it.) You can also use effects and filters. Fix it up fancy. After the decoration in complete, delete the original rectangle. It was just for limiting the size of your design.
• Select the entire design and drag it to the symbols palette. Double-click on the symbol to name it.
• Delete the design from the page.
• Draw a black (or very dark colored) circle. Make it about 1 inch in diameter. Drag it into the Symbols palette and name it “top.”
• Reselect your vase shape.
• Choose Effect>3d>Revolve
• Click Preview
• If you should happen to see a cylinder instead of a vase, don't sweat it, you just need to change the offset from left edge to right edge.
• Choose Map Art.
• Scroll through the surfaces until you see the circular top.
• Look in the symbols list and choose the circle symbol you created.
• Click Scale to Fit (bottom left side)
• Scroll through surfaces again until you see the one for the side of the vase.
  In the symbols list, find your design.
• Adjust the design so it looks nice on the vase. (as long as you have Preview checked, you can see exactly what you are getting.)
  Click OK.

2nd Vase

• Select the first vase and Alt-drag a copy of it.

Change the fill color of the copy and adjust its size.

Double-click on its 3d effect in the Appearance palette. Change the angle of the new vase.

Table top

• Draw a rectangle approximately 5 inches wide/1 in height.
• Choose Effect>3d>Extrude and Bevel
• Click the Preview box.
• Increase the Extrude depth.

Finishing Touches

• Arrange the vases on the table.
• Try applying a drop shadow on the objects.
• Stand back and give yourself a few oohs and ahhs.
  

Doing 3d is so easy and very addictive. Have fun with it. Here is a site with lots of tutorial specifically for 3d. Tutorials