If you cannot see all the surface and lighting settings, click the More Options button to reveal them.Ĭlick the More Options button to reveal all the surface and lighting options Now that we know the different surface shading types, select Plastic Shading from this menu and move swiftly on to the Light Sphere directly below it. So in this case, our person icon looks silhouetted.Īdding Lights and Creating an Ultra-shiny Effect This makes the 3D object look completely flat. No Shading does not have any lighting options and paints all surfaces of the 3D object the same color as the 2D object. This is especially useful for a technical or blueprint look. Wireframe completely ignores the fill color and renders the 3D object as transparent, with lots of black thin lines outlining its geometry. Plastic Shading is very shiny and is the only surface type that has highlights, so it is suitable for illustrating objects that have a glossy or reflective surface.ĭiffuse Shading has a soft matte look since it has no highlights, so it is great for cardboard or wood.

The surface dropdown menu has four different surface shading types In the 3D Revolve Options dialog box that pops up, simply select a surface type from the Surface dropdown menu. Do this by clicking on the menu Effect > 3D > Revolve. Select them and turn these 2D shapes into 3D objects by applying the 3D Revolve effect. Next, give them a nice cyan fill from the Swatches panel.

Here’s how to create a little person icon using these different surface types:įirst, draw with the Pen tool shape 1 for the head and body, and then shape 2 for the arms. There are four types to choose from, and each has a distinct look, as illustrated below.

Surface Shading Types The first setting that has a big impact on your 3D object’s appearance is the surface shading type. In this tutorial, we’ll explore these 3D lighting and shading effects. Understanding how to use these settings can help you to recreate realistic materials such as plastic and gold, and achieve some interesting “ultra-shiny” lighting effects fairly quickly. Adobe Illustrator’s 3D effects have some sophisticated settings that allow you to add lighting and adjust surface properties of 3D vector objects.

Illustrator 3d objects