Illustrator perspective and bend?

Sandra,

In addition to what has been said already, as I read this,

"how to approach an illustration such as shown below."

to mean that you just wish to make something similar.

In this connexion I believe it is worth considering a few things.

I see the cityscape as a willfully cartoonish/sketchy free style with some exaggerations (such as buildings/structures leaning here and there and much more).

Correspondingly, the foreground appears to be a spiral(ly) shape rather than circular, and further the boxes with content are increasingly skewed from the top left to the lower right as can be seen by the sides being horizontal there whereas the curves are not vertical, and this skewing of the boxes is in contrast to the contents (such as the numbers) which are perpendicular to the curves; in other words, the contents and the boxes are made in different ways.

All this means that the whole appearance is lively and messy rather than regular, and made in a customized complex set of ways.

It ought to be mentioned that the borders of the cityscape basically follow the spiral(ly) shape of the foreground, including the upper left curve of the top borde, and the curve of the river is similar; you could also say that the foreground is curved to match the cityscape.

You may go for creating something similar, and/or or look for other (additional) sources of inspiration.

Depending on your choice of approach/style, quite different ways may be relevant to achieve it.

The houses in the example are not drawn in perspective. Some of them are just drawn eyeballing it. Others are isometric. The perspective grid cannot do that.

Hi @sandraj42711665,

Welcome to the forum! The design you’re referencing combines perspective and circular warping techniques, which you can recreate in Adobe Illustrator. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

1. Set up the Perspective (for the Background Scene)

• Use the Perspective Grid Tool (Shift+P) in Illustrator to create the 3D perspective for the city and bridge elements.

• Adjust the grid to match the angle and depth you want for your background.

• Draw or place your objects (e.g., buildings, trees, bridge) on the grid planes to ensure they align with the perspective.

2. Create the Circular Warp (for the Wheel)

• Draw your content (e.g., numbers, blocks, or text) in a straight horizontal layout first.

• Once your design is ready:

a. Select all the elements.

b. Go to Effect > Warp > Arc or Arc Upper.

c. Adjust the settings to create a curve matching the circular shape.

3. Bend the Wheel into a Full Circle

• After warping, to complete the circular design:

a. Use the Envelope Distort Tool. Select all your warped elements, then go to Object > Envelope Distort > Make with Warp.

b. Choose the Bulge or Arc option and tweak the settings to create the full circular layout.

4. Add Depth with Shading

• For the shading effect that gives depth to the circular elements:

• Use Gradient Fills or Blending Modes (e.g., Multiply) to add highlights and shadows.

• You can also use the Mesh Tool (U) for more advanced shading.

Tips to Keep in Mind:

• Start with simple shapes and build the design step by step.

• Use Align tools to ensure elements are evenly distributed around the circle.

• Lock different layers (e.g., perspective grid, wheel) to focus on individual parts of the design.

Let us know if you’d like more help with any specific step!

Best,

Anshul Saini