How to create a Mirror Effect with Illustrator

This tutorial explains how to create the mirror effect of a round ball using Adobe Illustrator.

1. Let's start with a new document. Create a rectangle the size of the artboard, with a gradient grey-black (-90 degrees), then block the layer and create another layer inside which draw 2 circles 250px * 250px without stroke, using the fill color #C51B0E. Make sure they are aligned as below:

2. With the first circle selected, press Ctrl + C then Ctrl + F to duplicate it, then go to Object » Path » Offset Path, set the value to -7px and change the color of the circle to white (#FFFFFF).

3. Using the Pen Tool, draw a curve like in the image below.

4. With the curve and the white circle selected in the Pathfinder panel  click on Divide. Then, with the Direct Selection Tool (A) activated, select the bottom region of the circle and delete it.

5. With the top region selected, fill it with a gradient white to black fill and set in the Transparency tab the blending mode to Screen and the opacity to 90%.

6. For the reflection, select the bottom circle, and from the Transparency tab click on the arrow to the right and select Make Oacity Mask. The circle will disappear but a border is still visible. Click on the black rectangle that appeared in the Transparency tab.

7. The border will also disappear, and in the Layers panel we are now working with a layer named Opacity Mask. Draw a rectangle and fill it with a gradient white to black fill (direction -90) and position it right over the circle. Black areas hide the circle while white areas show the circle, the gradient fill of the rectangle revealing the circle just like gradient opacity.

8. To show only the top area of the circle, go to the Gradient tab, click on the second slider (black) and in the Color tab select RGB and (0.0.0). Go back to the Gradient tab and move the slider to 13%.

The final result!