Adobe Illustrator - Intensive Course (AIL1)

Graphics, Adobe

This intensive Adobe Illustrator course trains you to produce professional vector graphics using industry-standard tools and workflows. You will learn both basic and advanced techniques to create scalable art for print, web and interfaces.

During the course you will practice drawing paths and shapes, working with text styles, color, gradient and pattern workflows, using masks and effects, bitmap tracing, layers, brushes, plugins and automation, and exporting to PDF, SVG and web for production-ready results.

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The course:

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• Introduction
1. Getting to know Adobe Illustrator
2. Comparison with CorelDRAW
3. Key features and workflows in both programs
4. BONUS - rendering 3D graphics from 3DS MAX

• Interface and controls
1. User interface and workspace
2. Rulers, guides, grid and snapping
3. Layers versus groups
4. Editing in isolation mode
5. BONUS - scene configuration for web design

• Document and object types
1. Creating and setting up a document
2. Vectors and bitmap images
3. Text frames
4. Special Illustrator objects
5. BONUS - setup for multi-page documents

• Drawing vector paths
1. Pen drawing tools
2. Pencil tool
3. Smoothing
4. Principles of Bézier curves
5. Stroke panel
6. Converting vectors to different stroke types
7. Brush tool
8. Four types of brushes
9. BONUS - predefined brush libraries

• Drawing simple shapes
1. Rectangle, ellipse, polygon, star
2. Keyboard shortcuts
3. Editing options with the Pen tool
4. Knife tool
5. Simplify
6. Offset path
7. Convert stroke to fill
8. BONUS - demo of AGL VectorScribe plugin (dynamic corners and curves)

• Pathfinder, manual distortion and transforms
1. Add and subtract shapes
2. Intersections and dividing objects
3. Manual distortion — twist
4. Wrinkle and other warps
5. Envelope, mesh and preset object warps
6. Manual warp adjustments
7. Classic transforms
8. Release to basic shapes
9. BONUS - highlight/gloss tool

• Colors, gradients and the Appearance panel
1. Color panel
2. Assigning fill and stroke
3. Global colors
4. Creating and editing gradients
5. Multiple fills and strokes
6. Transparency
7. Pattern fills
8. Live Paint tool
9. BONUS - recoloring artwork to specified swatches

• Working with text
1. Creating text frames
2. Threading text frames
3. Font and paragraph options
4. Character panel
5. Type on a path
6. Splitting and flowing text
7. Editable text distortions
8. Setting tabs
9. BONUS - left and right tabs in one paragraph

• Effects, masks and advanced manipulation
1. Applying effects to different fills
2. 3D effects
3. Using vector masks
4. Blend modes
5. Aligning on the artboard and between objects
6. Advanced selection techniques
7. BONUS - demo of Phantasm CS Designer plugin (contrast, curves, levels, saturation)

• Tracing bitmap images
1. Placing bitmaps — linked and embedded
2. Preparing bitmaps for tracing
3. Tracing modes
4. Best practices for different uses
5. Practical examples

• Other special objects
1. Bitmap mesh for non-uniform color blends
2. Creating and dynamically applying symbols
3. Symbols with non-distorting scaling
4. Dynamic graphs
5. Drawing in perspective
6. BONUS - creating a 3D chart

• Outputs — PDF, bitmaps and vector formats
1. Prepress setup and export to PDF
2. Exporting for the web
3. SVG and EPS options and special Illustrator objects for those formats

• Actions and automation
1. Creating, recording and running actions (macros) with the mouse
2. Predefined actions for special uses — tiles and guilloches
3. Resources: sites for plugins and scripts

Assumed knowledge:

A Windows or Mac computer; prior experience with any graphics program (Adobe or similar) is helpful.

Schedule:

2 days (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM )

Language: