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Video Tutorial: 3D Letters & Effects

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

Moderators: Ron Percell, Mike Jackson, Danny Baronian

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Chuck Davis
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2013 9:09 pm

Video Tutorial: 3D Letters & Effects

Post by Chuck Davis »

Corey Lewis and I just completed our tutorial series on creating a monogram logo design.
We used Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop to create the following design:

Image

While Photoshop allows you to create bevel effects, it doesn't do the best job (especially in the corners).
So we elected to manually draw the prismatic pieces for the letters in Illustrator.

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Part 1 explains how to draw these 3 dimensional prismatic (or convex) shapes using Adobe Illustrator.
The techniques used in Part 1 can be used in any vector program.
You would just need to figure out how to punch shapes into other shapes, using your vector program of choice.
The Illustrator files Corey used are offered for download too.

Part 1 shows you how to...
  • Create a 3 letter monogram using the LHF Monogram Oval font set
  • Draw the prismatic shapes using the pen tool
  • Remove the excess areas so that they match curves of the letters
View Part 1 here:
http://www.letterheadfonts.com/tutorial ... /index.php

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Part 2 is where the magic really happens. Corey brings the vector
design into Adobe Photoshop to add depth and realism.
As with Part 1, we included the files for download.

Part 2 shows you how to...
  • to create, expand and contract masks
  • How to remove portions of a design by inverting the mask
  • How to use the LHF Monogram Oval font to create monograms
  • How to add a texture to a layer and then bevel it
  • How to paint inside of a mask
  • How to use the "Curves" function to adjust the contrast and make it appear metallic
  • How to create highlights and reflective light
View Part 2 here:
http://www.letterheadfonts.com/tutorial ... /index.php

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As with all our tutorials, we strived to go slow and explain everything in detail so that even the novice user can follow along.
But if something isn't clear enough, let me know and I'll be happy to answer any questions.

--Chuck
Letterhead Fonts
Mike Jackson
Site Admin
Posts: 1705
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2004 11:02 pm
Location: Jackson Hole, WY
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Re: Video Tutorial: 3D Letters & Effects

Post by Mike Jackson »

Hey Chuck!
Thanks for posting this tutorial link here! I watched a few minutes of it and the videos are well done.
Anyone using Illustrator can learn a lot in a short period of time.

Keep 'em coming!

Mike Jackson
Mike Jackson / co-administrator
Golden Era Studios
Vintage Ornamental Clip art
Jackson Hole, WY

Photography site:
Teton Images
Jackson Hole photography blog:
Best of the Tetons
Doug Bernhardt
Posts: 1077
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 9:29 am
Location: Ottawa Canada
Contact:

Re: Video Tutorial: 3D Letters & Effects

Post by Doug Bernhardt »

Chuck....checked out the tutorial and enjoyed. Although over the past year or so I've begun a familiarity with illustrator it's so great to watch someone at work who actually knows what he/she is doing!
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