How To Draw Op Art in Adobe Illustrator

What is Op Art, It stands for Optical Art, is a visual art of optical illusion. Today you will learn to create Op Art in Adobe Illustrator with the help of a few tools and effects.

Launch Adobe Illustrator and create a new document of size 500 pt X 500 pt. Now follow the below steps:

Step 1

In this step, we will create a check-board first. You can take the help of Rulers to create equal size squares. Press Ctrl + R shows the Rulers.

Now with the help of Pen Tool draw a square in the space created by the guides.

Now you can either use the Transform Effector the Pen Tool to create more squares.

Select the square drawn and press Shift + Ctrl + M to open the Move dialogue box. In that dialogue box, set the Horizontal Position and check the Preview before clicking on Copy.

Press Ctrl + D several times to repeat the transformation. Similarly, now move the squares vertically till the whole artboard is filled with the squares.

Now fill the squares with black and white color alternatively and hide/remove the guides.

Step 2

In this step, we will save the check-board as a symbol.

Press Ctrl + A to select all the squares and then press Ctrl + G to group them.

Now create a duplicate copy of the group and drag that duplicate copy out of the artboard.

Now press Shift + Ctrl + F11 to open Symbols Panel and drag the duplicate copy of the check-board inside the Symbols Panel to save it as a new symbol.

Step 3

In this step, we will create a 3D sphere for our Op Art.

Select the Ellipse Tool and draw a circle in the center of the artboard.

Now select the Direct Selection Tool and click on the left anchor point of the circle and hit backspace.

Let the semi-circle be selected and click on Effect in the Menu Bar. Place the cursor on 3D and select Revolve.

3D Revolve Optiondialogue box will appear on the artboard. In that dialogue box, put a checkmark on Preview and then click on the Map Art button. A new dialogue box will appear above the previous dialogue box.

In the Map Art dialogue box, put a checkmark on Invisible Geometry, and then select the symbol saved from the drop-down menu.

Place the symbol wisely over the map to create a perfect Op Art and then check the Preview and press OK.

Now apply the Outer Glow Effect to the sphere and your Op Art is created in Adobe Illustrator.

Effect > Stylize > Outer Glow

Now you know What is op art and how to draw Op art in adobe illustrator.

Practice this tutorial and you can choose a different color combination to make it more attractive. Also, share your views in the comment section.