Adobe Illustrator Overview

Adobe Illustrator is a sophisticated graphics program capable of creating complex and attractive illustrations and type effects. Designed to work primarily with vector graphics, Illustrator is perfectly suited for creating logos, advertisements and other vector-based illustrations. If you have little or no experience with Illustrator, it can be overwhelming to start creating complex illustrations. With the assistance of this course, you will get jump start on using the tools in Illustrator to create advanced graphic designs.

Illustrator, Day 1

Topic 1 – Getting to Know the Work Area

  • Understanding the Workspace
  • Working with the Tools panel
  • Using Panel menus
  • Resetting and saving your workspace
  • Using the View commands
  • Using the Zoom tool
  • Navigating multiple artboards
  • Arranging documents
  • Document groups
  • Using the Navigator panel

Topic 2 – Selecting and Aligning

  • Using the Selection tool
  • Using the Direct Selection tool
  • Creating selections with a marquee
  • Creating selections with the Magic Wand
  • Grouping items
  • Working in isolation mode
  • Selecting similar objects
  • Applying the selection techniques
  • Aligning objects
  • Aligning to a key object
  • Aligning points
  • Distributing objects

Topic 3 – Creating and Editing Shapes

  • Creating a document with multiple artboards
  • Working with basic shapes
  • Accessing the basic shape tools
  • Creating with shapes
  • Outlining strokes
  • Working with line segments
  • Joining paths
  • Using the Eraser tool
  • Combining objects
  • Working with Pathfinder effects
  • Working with shape modes
  • Using Live Trace

Topic 4 – Transforming Objects

  • Working with artboards
  • Transforming content
  • Working with rulers and guides
  • Scaling objects
  • Reflecting objects
  • Rotating objects
  • Distorting objects
  • Shearing objects
  • Positioning objects precisely
  • Changing perspective
  • Using Free Distort
  • Making multiple transformations

Topic 5 – Drawing with the Pen and Pencil Tools

  • Creating straight lines
  • Creating curved paths
  • Building a curve
  • Converting curved points to corner points
  • Creating the apple illustration
  • Creating the arrow
  • Splitting a path
  • Adding arrowheads
  • Drawing curves
  • Selecting a curve
  • Drawing the leaf
  • Drawing different kinds of curves
  • Convert between smooth points and corner points
  • Drawing the apple shape
  • Editing curves
  • Deleting and adding anchor points
  • Drawing with the Pencil tool
  • Editing with the Pencil tool
  • Finishing the apple illustration
  • Painting the artwork

Topic 6 – Color and Painting

  • Understanding color
  • Color modes
  • Understanding the color controls
  • Creating color
  • Building and saving a custom color
  • Editing a swatch
  • Using Illustrator swatch libraries
  • Creating a spot color
  • Using the Color Picker
  • Creating and saving a tint of a color
  • Copying attributes
  • Creating color groups
  • Working with the Color Guide panel
  • Editing a color group
  • Editing colors in artwork
  • Assigning colors to your artwork
  • Adjusting colors
  • Painting with gradients and patterns
  • Creating your own pattern
  • Applying a pattern
  • Editing a pattern
  • Working with Live Paint
  • Editing Live Paint regions

 

Illustrator, Day 2

Topic 1 – Working with type

  • Creating point type
  • Creating area type
  • Importing a plain text file
  • Creating columns of text
  • Understanding text flow
  • Working with overflow text and text reflow
  • Threading text
  • Resizing type objects
  • Formatting type
  • Changing thefont size
  • Changing the font color
  • Changing additional text attributes
  • Changing paragraph attributes
  • Saving and using styles
  • Creating and using a Paragraph style
  • Creating and using Character styles
  • Sampling text
  • Reshaping text with an envelope warp
  • Wrapping text around an object
  • Creating text on paths and shapes
  • Creating text outlines

Topic 2 – Working with Layers

  • Creating layers
  • Moving objects and layers
  • Locking layers
  • Viewing layers
  • Pasting layers
  • Creating clipping masks
  • Merging layers
  • Applying appearance attributes to layers
  • Isolating layers

Topic 3 – Blending Shapes and Colors

  • Creating and applying a linear gradient
  • Adjusting the direction and angle of a gradient lbend
  • Creating a radial gradient
  • Changing colors and adjusting the gradient
  • Applying gradients to multiple objects
  • Adding transparency to gradients
  • Working with blended objects
  • Creating a blend with specified steps
  • Modifying the blend
  • Creating smooth color blends

Topic 4 – Working with Brushes

  • Working with the Blob Brush tool
  • Drawing with the Blob Brush tool
  • Editing with the Blob Brush and Eraser tools
  • Merge paths with the Blob Brush tool
  • Using Art brushes
  • Drawing with the Paintbrush tool
  • Editing paths with the Paintbrush tool
  • Using Scatter brushes
  • Changing brush options
  • Applying a Scatter brush to paths
  • Changing the color attributes of brushes
  • Changing brush color using Hue Shift colorization
  • Changing brush color using Tints colorization
  • Using a fill color with brushes
  • Using Calligraphic brushes
  • Using Pattern brushes
  • Creating brushes
  • Creating swatches for a Pattern brush
  • Creating a Pattern brush from swatches
  • Painting with the Pattern brush
  • Applying the Scribble Effect

Topic 5 – Applying Effects

  • Using live effects
  • Applying an effect
  • Editing an effect
  • Creating a banner log with the Warp effect
  • Creating the logotype
  • Stylizing the banner and logotype
  • Creating the 3D cylinder
  • Using the 3D Extrude & Bevel effect
  • Applying a symbol as mapped artwork
  • Creating a revolved object
  • Changing the lighting
  • Mapping a Photoshop image
  • Adjusting the lighting