How to get this logo and effects in Illustrator?

Question

Hi Guys,
I would like to design a logo that has similar effects (3D, bevel, shape, stroke, ...) effects like the "Circus Baroness" on the poster below. How do I get this in Illustrator?
Many thanks!
Bob

Answer 1

It can be done. The basic warped shapes of the text can easily be done in Illustrator with Envelope Distort.
1.) Type out "BARONESS" in a circus-like font. Then draw a rectangle that is a bit larger than that. Use the Anchor Point Tool to pull in the top and bottom of the rectangle a bit to form a concave shape. Align the "BARONESS" text and the concave rectangle shape so they are centered vertically and horizontally, the shape should be overlapping the text. With both items selected, go to Object > Envelope Distort > Make With Top Object. That will warp the text to the rectangle shape. You can release the text from this shape at any time by going back under Envelope Distort and choosing Release. Or you can choose Object > Expand to make the warp permanent.
2.) For the "CIRCUS" part, draw a rectangle approximately the length of the "BARONESS" text. Type out the "CIRCUS" text and center it over top of the rectangle. Draw two stars with the Star Tool and position them to the left and right of "CIRCUS". Select all of these and group them. Then go under Object > Envelope Distort > Make With Warp > and choose "Arc". You can adjust the Arc settings to your liking. Similarly, you can choose Object > Expand to make these permanent.
From there, you would just need to play around with the Appearance Panel to add a stroke and fill color, and play with the Shadow & Glow effects to approximate a beveled look. I would look up some tutorials on how to achieve a beveled look using the Appearance Panel. It's kind of like equivalent of Layer Styles in Photoshop, but it also functions a little differently. Some effects you could do more easily in Photoshop take a few more steps in Illustrator.