Create Mind-Blowing Cylinder Illusion

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Setting up the Artboard
3. Creating the Symbols
   1. Making the First Symbol
   2. Making the Second Symbol
4. Building the Cylinder
   1. Drawing the Rectangle
   2. Applying 3D Revolve Effect
   3. Mapping the Symbols
   4. Adjusting the Surfaces
   5. Removing Unwanted Shapes
5. Finalizing the Shape
   1. Cleaning up the Lines
   2. Grouping and Clipping
   3. Deleting Unwanted Shapes
6. Conclusion

Creating a 3D Optical Illusion of a Cylinder in Adobe Illustrator

In this tutorial, I will guide You through the process of creating a 3D optical illusion of a cylinder using Adobe Illustrator. This illusion creates the illusion of a hollow cylinder with intricate Patterns on its surface.

Introduction

Optical illusions are fascinating visual phenomena that trick our minds into perceiving something that may not necessarily exist. In this tutorial, we will explore how to Create a 3D optical illusion of a cylinder using Adobe Illustrator.

Setting up the Artboard

To begin, open Adobe Illustrator and create a new document with an artboard size of 1920 x 1080 pixels. This will provide an optimal canvas for creating the illusion.

Creating the Symbols

Before we start building the cylinder, we need to create two symbols that will be used to create the intricate pattern on its surface.

Making the First Symbol

1. Select the Line Segment Tool and click to create a line that is approximately 200 pixels in width.
2. Set the stroke of the line to 20 pixels.
3. Duplicate the line by holding Alt and Shift while dragging it approximately 40 pixels away.
4. Press Ctrl + D to duplicate the line multiple times until you have around seven to eight lines.
5. Select all the lines and open the Symbols toolbar.
6. Drag the selected lines into the Symbols toolbar until you see a plus sign, then click "OK" to create the symbol.

Making the Second Symbol

1. Select the Ellipse Tool and click to create a small circle while holding Shift.
2. Switch to the Scale Tool by pressing "S" and click on the edge of the circle while holding Alt and Shift to scale it outwards.
3. Adjust the size of the circle to create the desired shape for the second symbol.
4. Select both shapes and go to Object > Blend > Blend Options.
5. Set the blend to a specified distance of around 60 pixels.
6. Click "OK" to create the blend.

Building the Cylinder

Now we can start building the cylinder shape and Apply the 3D effect to create the illusion.

Drawing the Rectangle

1. Select the Rectangle Tool and click to create a rectangle that is approximately 50 pixels by 200 pixels in size.
2. Ensure that the rectangle has a fill color other than black for better visibility.
3. Zoom in on the rectangle to get a clearer view.

Applying 3D Revolve Effect

1. Select the rectangle and go to Effect > 3D > Revolve.
2. In the 3D Revolve options, set the angles to 0 degrees for all three axes.
3. Adjust the offset to around 50 pixels to create the desired shape and perspective.

Mapping the Symbols

1. Go to Map Art in the 3D Revolve options.
2. Select the first surface, which represents the inside of the cylinder.
3. Choose the symbol that represents the intricate pattern and click "Scale to Fit." Adjust the position of the symbol to create a gap between the lines and the edge of the surface.
4. Move to the next surface, representing the top of the cylinder. Select the circular pattern symbol and click "Scale to Fit." Adjust the position to create a gap and ensure it is slightly off the edge.
5. Move to the last surface, representing the outside of the cylinder. Select the symbol and click "Scale to Fit." Adjust the position to create a gap.
6. Enable "Invisible Geometry" to remove any unwanted elements in the background.

Adjusting the Surfaces

1. Select the entire shape and go to Object > Expand Appearance.
2. Zoom in on the shape, and start deleting unnecessary shapes and lines.
3. Ungroup the shape and release any clipping masks to access all the individual shapes.
4. Delete shapes and lines that are not part of the final illusion.
5. Fine-tune the gaps between the lines and edges to ensure the illusion is properly formed.

Finalizing the Shape

Clean up the remaining lines and perform the necessary grouping and clipping to achieve the final shape.

Cleaning up the Lines

1. Right-click and ungroup the remaining shapes.
2. Remove any intersecting lines and unnecessary shapes.
3. Release any clipping masks and ungroup again to access the individual shapes.

Grouping and Clipping

1. Group the shapes that need to be kept together.
2. Delete any remaining unwanted shapes.
3. Right-click and select "Release Clipping Mask" to remove any remaining masks.

Deleting Unwanted Shapes

1. Delete the remaining unnecessary shapes individually.
2. Make sure only the desired shape remains.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully created a 3D optical illusion of a cylinder using Adobe Illustrator. With some creativity and experimentation, you can apply this technique to create various other mesmerizing illusions. Have fun exploring and don't forget to share your creations with us.