How to Easily Make an Endless Circle Loop in Illustrator

There are many different companies using artwork inspired by M.C. Escher. Figures like the impossible triangle or the Moebius Strip are some of the most common inspirations used today for logos and branding. The Endless Circle Loop you will make today in Illustrator isn't just inspired by Escher, but also very easy to make. We'll use only 4 ellipses and the Shape Builder Tool to create a base for the logo you want. You can even take it a step further and design more complex shapes using the techniques taught today.

Step 1

Open Illustrator and make a new file at any size you want. In this case, I will make mine at 1200 x 1200 px.

Step 2

Select the Ellipse Tool (L). Click once over the artboard, set the Ellipse Width and Height to 860 px and click OK.

Step 3

Again, click once over the artboard, set the Ellipse Width and Height to 550 pt and click OK.
Note: Be sure to have both circles aligned at the center.

Step 4

Select both circles and go to Window > Pathfinder. In the Pathfinder window, click on the Minus Front icon.

Step 5

Go to Edit > Copy and then to Edit > Paste in Front.

Step 6

Drag the second circle to the right until the outer part of the copied circle snaps to the inner part of the first one.
Note: I am changing the color of the copied circle for demostration purposes only, you do not need to change it.

Step 7

Again, select the Ellipse Tool (L). Click once over the artboard, set the Ellipse Width to 470 pt, the Height to 100 pt and click OK.
Note: Again, I am changing the color of the circle for demostration purposes only, you do not need to change it.

Step 8

Align the oval shape on top and between both circles as shown.

Step 9

With the oval shape selected, go to Edit > Copy and then to Edit > Paste in Front.

Step 10

Align the second oval shape at the bottom of both circles as shown.

Step 11

Select the Shape Builder Tool and go to Select > All.

Step 12

Click and drag over the following shapes to make a unique shape.

Step 13

Now click and drag over the remaining shapes with the Shape Builder Tool to form another unique shape.

Step 14

With all elements selected, pick the Selection Tool (V) and while holding the Alt key, drag the left side anchor point inside just a few pixels to get a more rounded shape.

Some Final Notes

With the endless circle already finished, you can color it as you like, using a solid color, a gradient, or even a freeform gradient like in the following samples.