After that duplicate the symbol and move it down and left. So copy the symbol and paste in the same place. To create the shadows we will use the Blend Tool (W). You will have to change some values depending on the complexity of the symbol you will be using. For the Lighting use the values in the image below. Use Front of the Position, 50pt for the Extrude & Bevel, 20pt for the Height and classic for the Bevel type. Select the black outer circle and then go to Effect>3D>Extrude & Bevel. Select the logo or symbol you want to apply the effect.

Open Illustrator and create a new document. We will also use the 3D features to create some subtle 3D effects. So in this tutorial, I will show you how to create a simple soft shadow effect using the Blend Tool in Illustrator. With that in mind, I decided to give it a try in Illustrator and recreate this effect. You can also try to mix both styles, there are a lot of people actually doing that and the results are quite beautiful. We all know that hyperrealist icons are over, the new trend now is flat and either hard shadows or super soft and subtle ones.

3d illustrator tutorial