Creating interesting text effects in Illustrator is straightforward and fun. We show you how in our Adobe Illustrator courses. 
To create the top example, firstly type some text > make it 100 pts high > and choose a pale colour. Then go to: Effect > Warp > Arc > and punch in the following values: 10, -30, 0. Alternatively you could use the Make Envelope button on the top Control panel.
Then go to: Effect > 3D > Extrude & Bevel > and use the values: -18, -26, 8, 0, 20 > OK. Go to: Object > Expand Appearance. Then: Object > Ungroup – you may need to do this 3-5 times in order to break the shapes apart. Next select the Direct Selection tool (the white arrow) > and select the front shapes > right-click > Group. Finally, add a gradient fill > and adjust its appearance with the Gradient tool.
In the second example of text effects we have created circular text for a logo. To do this we first need to change our keyboard increments, as follows: Edit > Preferences (or Illustrator >Preferences on the Mac) > General > Keyboard Increments: 20 mm. Then create an Ellipse > 20 x 20 mm. Press Alt (Mac: Option) & use the arrows on your keyboard to copy the shape a few times. Move some to one side, leaving two side by side (for the letter A in the example above). Next use the Direct Selection tool (the white arrow) to delete some points. Bring two more across for the letter Q. Repeat this process for U and O. Then change the Keyboard Increment to 10mm to adjust their positions with the arrow keys. To tweak the shapes further, change the Increment to the default of 0.35mm & move them.
Next select all shapes & change the stroke value to Red > 15pt > Round caps. To add a gradient to a stroke: Object > Path > Outline Stroke. Delete middle pieces with White Arrow. Add a gradient fill. Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow > 1,1,1.
Whether you’re a complete beginner or self-taught, our courses will help you gain self-confidence in your Illustrator workflow, as well as adding to your professional skill-set. See many examples of our Illustrator clients’ work on our Facebook page.
Other related Illustrator Blog Posts:
Illustrator workspace
Illustrator basics
Illustrator clipping masks
Illustrator live trace
Illustrator brushes