Expert: Amy - 1/17/2012

Question
Hi Amy, please can you offer advice on the following:
I am in the process of designing new graphics for my Motocross bike, creating each set of graphics on a template which fits each panel of the bike. As I am getting close to completion I would like to see very roughly how they look on the bike. I will either take a photo of my bike or google a standard bike and look to overlay each panel from the side view.

In CorelDraw there is a perspective tool which gives the ability to mildly warp the artwork to look realistic, how could I look to do this within illustrator? Again I'm not looking for a perfect vehicle wrap just something good enough to give me a rough idea of what the finish product will look like

Kind regards
Lee

Answer
Hi Lee,

To add perspective in Illustrator, use the Perspective grid tool.

Watch this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5z56sKJ4dQ The first few minutes describe how to drag objects onto the Perspective Grid to give them dimension. Watch carefully how he switches tools - he doesn't tell you that he is using certain tools.

I really don't know if this is the type of perspective you want, though. This is like architectural perspective.

If you're just doing it for you, you might want to do this in PhotoShop instead.
Copy the shape into your PhotoShop doc of a bike photo. Reduce the new layer's opacity so you can see the bike through it.  Ctrl+T to transform. Then hold the Ctrl Key and drag each anchor point independently and (very) roughly overlay the parts of the bike. Then you might even want to add some shading to the overlay to help.

Depending on the complexity of the shapes and the photo of the bike... this could work well enough for you to see what your graphics will look like on the real thing.

Neither PhotoShop or Illustrator is a modeling/rendering program, which is really what you are trying to emulate. I think the PhotoShop method will help you!

-Amy