Unlock the Glassmorphism Effect in Illustrator!

Dansky
27 Jan 202308:48

TLDRThis tutorial video provides a step-by-step guide on how to create a fully editable glass and blur effect in Adobe Illustrator. Starting with a new document, the presenter shows how to place an image, lock it in place, and create a centered rectangle with rounded corners. By using a clipping mask, the image is cropped to the shape of the rectangle. The blur effect is then applied using Gaussian blur, and the presenter explains how to move the blur independently from the crop. The glass effect is achieved by applying a gradient to the rectangle and adjusting its opacity for a realistic look. The presenter also demonstrates how to add a film grain effect for texture and how to save the glass effect as a reusable graphic style. Finally, the video shows how to change the underlying image without recreating the effects, making the design process more efficient and flexible.

Takeaways

  • 🎨 **Create a Blur Effect**: Learn how to move a blur effect around a design in Illustrator without affecting the background blur.
  • 🖼️ **Image Placement**: Place an image in a new document and ensure it's centered on the artboard by unlocking selection and using the Align panel.
  • 🔒 **Locking Layers**: Lock the background image to prevent accidental movement while working on other elements.
  • 📏 **Rectangle Tool Usage**: Use the rectangle tool to create a shape that will act as a frame for the blur effect, and round off the corners for a more aesthetic appeal.
  • 🖱️ **Clipping Mask Technique**: Utilize a clipping mask to crop the image to the frame of the rectangle.
  • 🔄 **Blur Effect Mobility**: Discover the technique to move the blur effect independently from the cropped image by selecting the sublayer of the rectangle.
  • 🔲 **Glass Effect Creation**: Apply a gradient to the rectangle to create a realistic glass effect that can be edited and customized.
  • 🌟 **Stroke Customization**: Adjust the stroke of the rectangle to enhance the glass effect, making it more prominent with the right opacity settings.
  • 📏 **Appearance Panel**: Use the appearance panel to add a new fill and apply effects like film grain for added texture and realism.
  • 🔄 **Editability**: Ensure all elements of the design are fully editable, allowing for easy adjustments and modifications.
  • 🔄 **Change Image Easily**: Re-link images in the Links panel to change the background without recreating the entire design.

Q & A

  • What is the main topic of the video?

    -The main topic of the video is teaching how to create and move a blur effect around a design in Adobe Illustrator, as well as how to create a fully editable realistic glass effect.

  • What is the resolution of the new document created in the video?

    -The resolution of the new document created is 3840x2160.

  • How do you ensure the box is in the center of the artboard?

    -You use the Align panel to ensure the box is centered in the artboard.

  • What is the purpose of using a clipping mask in this context?

    -The clipping mask is used to crop the image to the shape of the box, allowing only the part of the image within the box boundaries to be visible.

  • How can you adjust the blur effect after it has been applied?

    -You can adjust the blur effect by double-clicking on the clipping group to go inside, then going to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur, and changing the value.

  • How do you move the blur effect independently of the cropped image?

    -You select the rectangle layer by clicking the dot next to it in the Layers panel, which allows you to move, rotate, or resize the shape without moving the crop.

  • What is the advantage of creating the glass effect as shown in the video?

    -The advantage is that once created, the glass effect can be applied to any shape or text in just one click, making it a reusable and editable effect.

  • How can you change the gradient angle in the glass effect?

    -You can change the gradient angle by selecting the gradient in the Gradient panel and adjusting the angle slider.

  • What blending mode is suggested to be used with the film grain effect?

    -The blending modes suggested are Overlay or Soft Light.

  • How do you save the glass effect to reuse it later?

    -You can save the glass effect by dragging the glass object into the Graphic Styles panel.

  • How can you change the image used in the design without recreating the entire setup?

    -You can change the image by going to the Links panel, selecting the image, and re-linking it to a different image while keeping the design elements in the same position.

  • How do you edit the blur effect once the image has been changed?

    -You lock the glass object, double-click the blur layer to go inside, select the image, and adjust the blur effect to the desired value.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Creating a Blur and Glass Effect in Adobe Illustrator

This paragraph explains the process of moving a blur effect around a design in real-time using Adobe Illustrator. The user creates a new document, places an image, and uses a rectangle tool to create a centered box. The image is then cropped to the box using a clipping mask. To move the blur independently, the user works with the layers panel, selecting the rectangle layer and moving the frame without disturbing the crop. The paragraph also covers creating a fully editable realistic glass effect by applying a gradient to the rectangle, adjusting the opacity, and using the film grain effect for texture. The process concludes with saving the glass effect as a graphic style for easy reuse.

05:01

🔄 Changing the Image While Preserving Effects in Illustrator

The second paragraph focuses on how to change the image within the design without recreating the blur and glass effects. The user is guided to lock the glass object and use the Links panel to relink the image to a different one while maintaining the design's structure. Adjustments to the blur effect are also covered, where the user can double-click the blur layer, make changes to the Gaussian blur value, and exit the clipping group to update the effect. The paragraph concludes with the user being directed to another video for more advanced text effects in Illustrator.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Glassmorphism Effect

Glassmorphism is a design effect that mimics the translucent and reflective properties of glass. In the video, it is used to create a realistic glass effect on a shape or text in Adobe Illustrator. The effect is achieved by applying a gradient and a film grain texture to give the appearance of light passing through a glass surface.

💡Gaussian Blur

Gaussian Blur is a blur effect used in graphic design to create a smooth, out-of-focus area in an image. In the context of the video, it is applied to a background image to create a blurred effect that can be moved independently of the cropped image, allowing for dynamic and realistic background blurring.

💡Clipping Mask

A clipping mask in Illustrator is a technique used to hide parts of an image or shape that lie outside the boundaries of another shape. In the video, the background image is cropped to the dimensions of a rectangle using a clipping mask, which allows the designer to control the visible area of the image.

💡Layer Selection

Layer selection is the process of choosing specific layers within a design to manipulate them individually. The video demonstrates how to select and manipulate different sublayers within a clipping group to move the blur effect independently from the cropped image.

💡Gradient

A gradient in design is a smooth transition between two or more colors or shades. The video uses a gradient to simulate the effect of light reflecting on the surface of the glass, creating a more realistic and visually appealing glass effect.

💡Opacity

Opacity refers to the degree to which a surface or material allows light to pass through it. In the video, adjusting the opacity of the gradient swatches helps to create the illusion of transparency in the glass effect, making it appear more lifelike.

💡Film Grain

Film grain is a textural effect that replicates the random noise visible in traditional film photography. In the context of the video, applying a film grain effect to the glass shape adds a subtle texture, enhancing the realism of the glass material.

💡Graphic Styles

Graphic styles in Illustrator allow designers to save and apply a set of attributes to multiple objects, making it easier to maintain consistency across a design. The video demonstrates how to save the glass effect as a graphic style for quick and easy application to other shapes or text.

💡Links Panel

The Links panel in Illustrator is used to manage and manipulate linked images within a document. By using the Links panel, the video shows how to change the source image of a design without disrupting the overall layout or effects applied to the image.

💡Editable Text Effects

Editable text effects refer to the ability to modify the appearance of text in a design while maintaining the ability to edit the text content. The video hints at a technique for creating text effects that are both visually appealing and easily adjustable.

💡Appearance Panel

The Appearance panel in Illustrator is a tool that allows users to manage and edit the visual attributes of an object, such as fill, stroke, and effects. In the video, the Appearance panel is used to add and adjust the film grain effect on the glass shape, as well as to control the opacity of different elements.

Highlights

The video reveals a hidden technique to move a blur effect around a design in real-time in Illustrator.

A fully editable realistic glass effect can be created and applied to any shape or text with a single click.

The process begins with creating a new document and placing an image, ensuring to uncheck the link box.

Using the Align panel ensures the box is centered, and corner widgets are used to round off the corners.

A clipping mask is created to crop the image to the box shape.

The blur effect is applied using Gaussian Blur from the Effects menu.

The layers panel is used to separate the blur effect from the crop, allowing independent movement.

The blur effect can be moved, rotated, and resized in real-time without affecting the crop.

Adjusting the corner radius of the rectangle updates the blur effect accordingly.

The technique is useful for UI design, allowing for dynamic resizing and positioning of elements.

A gradient is applied to the rectangle for the glass effect, using white and transparent swatches.

The gradient's angle is adjustable, allowing for a customized light source direction.

The stroke of the shape is modified with a gradient to create a double stroke effect.

Film grain effect is added for texture, with customization options available.

The opacity and blending mode of the film grain effect can be adjusted for a subtle look.

Graphic Styles panel allows for saving and reusing the glass effect on other shapes.

The Links panel is used to change the image without recreating the entire design.

The blur effect can be adjusted even after the design is completed by entering the clipping group.