Paper Cut Out Layer Art in Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator offers a variety of tools and techniques that allow you to create engaging and visually appealing cut-out shapes in your designs. With these tools at your disposal, you can achieve a unique paper cutout effect that adds depth and interest to your artwork.

One of the key tools in Illustrator for creating cut-out shapes is the Pen Tool. This versatile tool enables you to draw custom shapes and paths, allowing you to create intricate and detailed cut-out designs. By combining straight and curved lines, you can craft shapes that resemble the look and feel of paper cutouts.

To enhance the paper cutout effect, you can use the Pathfinder panel in Illustrator. This panel provides a set of powerful operations, such as Unite, Minus Front, and Intersect, which allow you to combine or subtract shapes to create complex cut-out compositions. These operations enable you to achieve the desired cutout shape and arrangement.

Additionally, you can leverage the Appearance panel in Illustrator to apply various effects and styles to your cut-out shapes. By adding gradients, textures, or even drop shadows, you can enhance the three-dimensional illusion and depth of your paper cutouts.

Illustrator also provides options for working with layers, allowing you to organize and manage your cut-out shapes effectively. By arranging shapes on different layers and adjusting their stacking order, you can create multi-layered cutout designs with varying depths and perspectives.

With the range of tools, operations, and effects available in Adobe Illustrator, you have the flexibility to explore different approaches and styles when creating cut-out shapes. Whether you’re designing illustrations, posters, or other visual materials, incorporating paper cutout effects can give your artwork a unique and tactile feel.

Adobe Illustrator offers a wealth of tools and features that enable you to create captivating cut-out shapes with a paper cutout effect. By utilizing the Pen Tool, Pathfinder panel, Appearance panel, and layer management, you can design intricate and visually appealing cutout compositions that stand out in your designs. Unleash your creativity and explore the possibilities of cut-out shapes in Illustrator.

 

 

This layered artwork also helps in creating an illusion effect. This we will learn in the next tutorial.

 

We will start by creating a new document in Adobe Illustrator.

 

(I have created this shape with the help of the Ellipse Tool and Bloat effect. If you want to know the steps then write them in the comment section.)

 

Now select the shape and click on Object in the Menu Bar. Place the cursor on Path and click on Offset Path.

 

 

The Offset Path dialogue box will appear when you will click on Offset Path. In that dialogue box, enter the value of Offset.

If the shape which you have created is small in size then the value of Offset will be positive and if the size of the shape is large then enter a negative value in Offset.

 

I have set the Offset value as -25 pt.

 

You can put a checkmark on Preview to see the result.

 

 

In this step, we will create more layers similarly as we have created in Step 1.

 

Select the inner layer, created with the help of Offset Path, and again go to the Menu Bar and click on Object. Place the cursor on Path and select Offset Path.

If you want to have similar gaps between the layers then enter the same value of Offset which you had entered earlier.

 

 

Repeat the above process as many times as much layer you want to create.

 

 

In this step, we will fill colors in the layers.

 

After creating the layers, we will color them.

While filling colors in the layers, we have to keep one thing in mind that the innermost layer will have a dark color filling and the shade of the color will become lighter in each layer.

 

 

Color Guide will be useful in selecting the shades for the layers.

 

We have created the layers and filled colors in them but still, the artwork is missing something.?

It is missing the effect, which will make it look like a Layered Artwork.

 

We will use the Inner Glow Effect.

Select the whole artwork by pressing Ctrl + A. Then click on Effect in the Menu Bar. Place the cursor on Stylize and select Inner Glow.

 

 

In the Inner Glow dialogue box, you can change the color of the glow and other settings if required. After that, click on OK to apply the effect.

 

 

So these are easy steps with the help of which you can create Layered Artwork in Adobe Illustrator.

In the next tutorial, we will go a step further in this process to create an illusion effect.

 

Practice this Illustrator tutorial and write your views in the comment section. Also, share this tutorial with others.