First, why use a program like Illustrator instead of Photoshop? Each is very good at different things. Illustrator is a drawing program and makes images out of lines, angles, and curves, while Photoshop is a photography based program that creates images made out of pixels (little squares on the screen).. © UNT in partnership with TEA1IT: Digital & Interactive Media Create a Mascot

© UNT in partnership with TEAIT: Digital & Interactive Media Create a Mascot2 Pixel based, or RASTER images are good for providing lots of detail, such as the kind you need for photographs. A VECTOR program creates images mathematically with lines, and this allows you to have more control over shapes and also allows you to increase the size of the image without any loss of resolution

Vector vs. Bitmap © UNT in partnership with TEAIT: Digital & Interactive Media Create a Mascot3

Create a Mascot Using Adobe Illustrator

Draw/Find an Image Sketch your image on paper,and then scan it into the computer as a black and white image. If you cannot draw, download this image. Just click to select, right click and select save picture as. © UNT in partnership with TEA5IT: Digital & Interactive Media Create a Mascot

Create the Artboard Start Adobe Illustrator and choose Print Document from the Welcome Screen. In the New Document dialog box, name the document and set the dimensions for the Artboard as shown. Click OK. © UNT in partnership with TEA6IT: Digital & Interactive Media Create a Mascot

Set up the Workspace Use File  Place to import your image. Select the Template Box and place the image on the center of the artboard. Unlock the template layer to resize it and align the image. lock the template again If necessary, reset your workspace to Painting. Use Window  Workspace  Painting Make sure the Layers panel and the Brushes panel is open while we trace the sketch of your mascot © UNT in partnership with TEA7IT: Digital & Interactive Media Create a Mascot

Set Up Your Brush Use the available brush stroke or create a new brush © UNT in partnership with TEA8IT: Digital & Interactive Media Create a Mascot

Start Tracing Double click on layer 1 in the layers panel and rename as mascot. Use this layer to begin tracing the outside lines of the mascot Once you have outlined the mascot, zoom in to get a better look to be sure all of the lines are connected. Notice the stroke does not look solid. Clean up your lines where necessary with the eraser tool, or select the line with the Direct Selection tool and delete it so you can draw it again, or change the width of various strokes. © UNT in partnership with TEA9IT: Digital & Interactive Media Create a Mascot

Use the Pen tool Duplicate the mascot you just did your tracing on. Name duplicate layer as Color. Lock the Mascot layer, and select the Color Layer. Trace the mascot with the Pen tool. Choose a Fill Color of your choice for the body of the mascot. You can also use the Live Bucket Tool to color various path For a thicker outline you may use the Blob brush © UNT in partnership with TEA10IT: Digital & Interactive Media Create a Mascot

Example of Coloring Body © UNT in partnership with TEAIT: Digital & Interactive Media Create a Mascot11

Example of Colored Eagle © UNT in partnership with TEAIT: Digital & Interactive Media Create a Mascot12