Illustrator CS4 Inspiration + basics + tutorial

Inspiration 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 sContent=whitlam sContent=futurefarmers sContent=domanistudios sContent=meomi sContent=addikt sContent=alwayshungry

Textbook Lynda.com (in two weeks) Or 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

Basics + Tutorial The 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

Pre step 1: general things For mac and win Win 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) Hotkeys ustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7d30 4e7e07d cbc5f-6426a.html ustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7d30 4e7e07d cbc5f-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 ustrator/14.0/WS C-107A- 42bd-B64E-D AF.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 documents en_US/Illustrator/14.0 /WS714a382cdf7d304e 7e07d cbc5f- 632fa.html en_US/Illustrator/14.0 /WS714a382cdf7d304e 7e07d cbc5f- 632fa.html

Document setting New Document Profile Number of Artboards Size Bleed: ed_%28printing%29 ed_%28printing%29

Step 2:Geometrical objects and their color scheme Rectangle tool Pen tool Pencil tool Ellipse tool Line tool Spiral tool Color and swatches panel Color guide

Rectangle/Ellip se 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 Illustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7 d304e7e07d cbc5f- 625aa.html Illustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7 d304e7e07d cbc5f- 625aa.html

Pen tool Drag to draw handles of curve Single click for straight lines Illustrator/14.0/WS55B8A5DC d-ADA8- FFE0FA5DAEA1.html Illustrator/14.0/WS55B8A5DC d-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 Illustrator/14.0/WS3B0DBDED- 9FA7-47e9-B4BE- 0D493E1034E2.html Illustrator/14.0/WS3B0DBDED- 9FA7-47e9-B4BE- 0D493E1034E2.html

Step 2 : Compound shapes Pathfinder Direct selection tool

Pathfinder Window->pathfinder Illustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7 d304e7e07d cbc5f- 645aa.html Illustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7 d304e7e07d cbc5f- 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 4e7e07d cbc5f-64f8a.html 4e7e07d cbc5f-64f8a.html Brush panel Brush libraries 48ab-B16A-A270EBFFDC3Aa.html 48ab-B16A-A270EBFFDC3Aa.html

Blob brush Illustrator/14.0/WS4E460ED4- 933D A55C03D9.html Illustrator/14.0/WS4E460ED4- 933D A55C03D9.html Can merge same color paintings

Step 4: Gradient Color n_US/Illustrator/14.0/W S714a382cdf7d304e7e07d cbc5f-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 Technique Create 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: Blend Create 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 Illustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7 d304e7e07d cbc5f- 643ea.html Illustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7 d304e7e07d cbc5f- 643ea.html

Clipping mask Illustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7 d304e7e07d cbc5f- 644aa.html Illustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7 d304e7e07d cbc5f- 644aa.html

Step 7: work with imported picture (menu) File -> place Live trace Live 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 panel Blending mode ustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7d30 4e7e07d cbc5f-64e0a.html ustrator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7d30 4e7e07d cbc5f-64e0a.html View > smart guide Appearance panel rator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7d304e7e0 7d cbc5f-61f9a.html rator/14.0/WS714a382cdf7d304e7e0 7d cbc5f-61f9a.html

Assignment 1 1.Choose 1 to read on this website: 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. )

How to combine computer technique with traditional art skills e-art-skills-part-5-traditional-media-techniques/

Resource Recommended Tutorials: (on course/ course/ artwork-in-illustrator/ ( Lecture refers to this one ) artwork-in-illustrator/ illustration-thats-not-so-simple/ illustration-thats-not-so-simple/ Help documents:

Resource Videos: CA796D1800C4.html CA796D1800C4.html Artworks: Readings: