Illustrator CS4Inspiration + basics + tutorial

viewing + thinking + discussingInspiration

By viewing artworks of artists, we get to know what we can do with techniques and skills. By thinking about other artworks, we get to know what we can do with our own artworks. By discussing other artworks, we get ideas from others to improve our thinking.

Artists and artworks

https://www.adobe.com/designcenter/gallery/swf/index.html#u_sContent=whitlam

https://www.adobe.com/designcenter/gallery/swf/index.html#u_sContent=futurefarmers

https://www.adobe.com/designcenter/gallery/swf/index.html#u_sContent=domanistudios

https://www.adobe.com/designcenter/gallery/swf/index.html#u_sContent=meomi

https://www.adobe.com/designcenter/gallery/swf/index.html#u_sContent=addikt

https://www.adobe.com/designcenter/gallery/swf/index.html#u_sContent=alwayshungry

Textbook

Lynda.com (in two weeks)

Or http://tv.adbe.com

The wikipedia of learning softwares: help document:(menu) help > (software name) help…

For adobe softwares, you can download the help pdfs or use it online.

Better search function for the online version

Listening + following +

personalizing

Basics + TutorialThe lecture is composed of a tutorial and some basics. The tutorial is composed of several steps. Every step gets involved with some basics. You should first follow steps, then pay attention to “how-to” basics of every step. You can make your own operations after then, like you want another color, font … etc.

Colorful Abstract Work

http://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/howto/

Pre step 1: general things

For mac and winWin has control, alt, shift

Mac has command, control, option (alt), shift

Sometimes command in mac serves some functions of ctrl in win.

If you want to right-click, better try hold ctrl to do that.

What the hell is ⌥ ?! ( It seriously bothers me for a long time)

Go to the top left corner of your screen to find the small apple; click it and choose system preference; choose keyboard; choose modifier keys.

For illustrator (even photoshop maybe)

Hotkeyshttp://help.adobe.com/en_US/Illustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7d304e7e07d0100196cbc5f-6426a.html

Double click (normally for setting)

When using the mouse, hold these function keys will give features: shift, alt, command

Pre step 2: workspace

Areas

View -> hide/show

(menu) Windows : call the functional window you want to see

Status bar

Control panel overview

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Illustrator/14.0/WS3021052C-107A-42bd-B64E-D658875592AF.html

Knowing most things of your working environment will absolutely boost your efficiency, like knowing where your palette is in real painting.

Step 1: Create a new Illustrator file

Help document:Create new documentshttp://help.adobe.com/en_US/Illustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7d304e7e07d0100196cbc5f-632fa.html

Document settingNew Document Profile

Number of Artboards

Size

Bleed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleed_%28printing%29

Step 2:Geometrical objects and their color

schemeRectangle tool

Pen tool

Pencil tool

Ellipse tool

Line tool

Spiral tool

Color and swatches panel

Color guide

Rectangle/Ellipse tool•Click and drag to choose your tool from the list

•Double click with the small cross to change the settings for the shape

•For rounded rectangle, click UP or DOWN keys for corners when dragging

•Drag and hold SHIFT for square or circle

Line/Spiral tool•Drag and choose from the list

•http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Illustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7d304e7e07d0100196cbc5f-625aa.html

Pen tool•Drag to draw handles of curve

• Single click for straight lines

•http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Illustrator/14.0/WS55B8A5DC-5496-494d-ADA8-FFE0FA5DAEA1.html

Pencil tool• freeform drawing

• smooth tool (have to select path first)

• path eraser tool (have to select path first)

Color and Swatches• stroke

• fill

Color guide• Windows -> color guide

•http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Illustrator/14.0/WS3B0DBDED-9FA7-47e9-B4BE-0D493E1034E2.html

Step 2 : Compound shapes

Pathfinder

Direct selection tool

Pathfinder•Window->pathfinder

•http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Illustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7d304e7e07d0100196cbc5f-645aa.html

Anchor points• Pen tool : (delete

point) will automatically close the path

• Direct selection tool and delete : will leave the path open

Direct selection tool• edit path

• convert anchor point

• view -> smart guide

Step 3: Create a new brush

First, define a shape

Brush list (on top)-> New Brush

You can also download brushes

Brush tool•http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Illustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7d304e7e07d0100196cbc5f-64f8a.html

•Brush panel

•Brush librarieshttp://help.adobe.com/en_US/Illustrator/14.0/WS62B42987-7610-48ab-B16A-A270EBFFDC3Aa.html

Blob brush•http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Illustrator/14.0/WS4E460ED4-933D-4214-9735-4197A55C03D9.html

•Can merge same color paintings

Step 4: Gradient Color

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Illustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7d304e7e07d0100196cbc5f-64dca.html

Linear Gradient• change colors

• change direction, radius and origin

• add and delete midpoints

Radical Gradient• change direction in 2 dimensions

•Technique for outer shading:

•Create a circle.•Duplicate the created circle. Add a Radial Gradient.•Lower the Opacity to something around 50%.

Step 4: Lighting Technique

Draw a line with the Line Tool.

Duplicate the line, put the stroke color on white and lower the stroke width to the half of what it was.

Go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur… The amount of pixels depends on the width of the stroke.

Scale the blurred white line and move it a little up or down. Optionally you can lower the Opacity to 75%.

Some additional examples shown below

Effect•Gaussian Blur

•Effect -> stylize -> drop shadow

•Lighting TechniqueCreate a circle.

Duplicate the circle, give it a black fill color, place it underneath the original circle and move it a little.

Go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur… The amount of pixels depends on the size this time. Lower the Opacity to 50%.

Step 5: inner shading• Create a shape.

• Duplicate the shape and switch the fill-color to black. Go to Window > Transparency. Create a mask by clicking the empty spot next to the thumbnail of the shape twice.

• Draw a rectangle inside the mask and give it a black to white gradient. Click back on the thumbnail of the shape and lower the opacity.

Step 6: BlendCreate two lines with a different width.

Use the Blend Tool.

Press enter while the blended lines and the Blend Tool are selected, so that you can change the preferences. Choose Specified Steps for the Spacing, and put the number on around 20.

Draw a circle on top of the blended lines.

Select the circle and the Blend, go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make. Or press Command + 7.

Press the Clipping Mask path and change its color.

Blend•http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Illustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7d304e7e07d0100196cbc5f-643ea.html

Clipping mask•http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Illustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7d304e7e07d0100196cbc5f-644aa.html

Step 7: work with imported picture

(menu) File -> place

Live traceLive trace: convert bitmap to vector

Settings: threshold

expand

Live paint (live paint tool)

Gap

expand

Step 8: work with text

Effect > 3d Area text, point text, path text

Other highlights

Transform:Rotate (flip)

Scale

Free transformation

Layer panel Isolate

Object>path

Transparency panelBlending modehttp://help.adobe.com/en_US/Illustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7d304e7e07d0100196cbc5f-64e0a.html

View > smart guide

Appearance panel http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Illustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7d304e7e07d0100196cbc5f-61f9a.html

Explore + CreateAssignment 1

1.Choose 1 to read on this website:http://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/howto/The important thing about this reading is not about how to use some specific tool. It is about how to combine your idea/theory with skill/technique. For an example, in “Blue mirror” (one of your choices), the artist mentions how can a specific brush helps him achieve the German expressionists’ effect. So the important thing for you is what kind of idea/theory ( like expressionism ) you want to achieve and which tools are important for you to practice to achieve your idea/theory. 2.Using Illustrator to create your own artwork.( 3. During critique class, you are required to talk about the part 1 issue. )

Recommended

How to combine computer technique with traditional art skillshttp://vector.tutsplus.com/articles/theory/core-art-skills-part-5-traditional-media-techniques/

Resource•Recommended Tutorials: (on http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/illustration)

•http://vector.tutsplus.com/articles/theory/core-art-skills-part-1-welcome-to-the-course/•http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/illustration/how-to-create-colorful-abstract-artwork-in-illustrator/ ( Lecture refers to this one )•http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/illustration/from-sketch-to-vector-simple-illustration-thats-not-so-simple/

•Help documents: •http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Illustrator/14.0/

Resource•Videos:

•http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Illustrator/14.0/WSA062795C-1C55-4549-8F48-CA796D1800C4.html•http://tv.adobe.com/show/learn-illustrator-cs4/

•Artworks: •http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/gallery/

•Readings: •http://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/howto/•http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/thinktank/