LEARN + APPLY + CREATE
LEARN ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR
LEARN ILLUSTRATOR
Welcome to our website if you are a visitor or a new subscriber. My name is Jason and I am a Illustrator and Cartoonist who also is a teacher (BFA). (Nerd Alert) My Master's Degree is in Education, specifically in Curriculum and Instruction, so I will do my best to encourage you to follow along with our tutorials. We have (100+) Tutorials, Challenges and Workflows on the Website, YouTube, and Teachable for you to Follow Along and Learn Adobe Illustrator.
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
On the Website, YouTube and Teachable, you will see organized lists of Tutorials based on the main Building Tool we are using in Adobe Illustrator. Our Step by Step page is designed like a Denny's Menu, find a tutorial that looks like the most amount of fun and follow along. You can click on any thumbnail on our Step by Step page to Start on a Tutorial. I recommend starting from the top of the list for easier or more beginner-level tutorials.
STEP BY STEPS
If you are New to the Website from YouTube, we do have more Step by Step Tutorials and Challenges for you to go through to Learn Adobe Illustrator. If you are new to Adobe Illustrator (Beginner), our Beginner 50 List of Tutorials is also on YouTube in our 100 Beginner Tutorials Playlist. Follow Along to the 100 Beginner Tutorials Playlist on YouTube to Learn the Basic Building Tools, Editing Options, Applying Brushes, and Coloring Techniques.
POPULAR QUICK LINKS
DOWNLOAD RESOURCES. Many of you are jumping over from YouTube looking to download our Adobe Illustrator Brushes and Resource Folders. Download our Brush Libraries or add on Halftones + Textures to save on our Adobe Illustrator Resource Bundle. You can download Brush Libraries, Comic Halftones, and BMP Textures to follow along or use with Your Own Artwork.
RESOURCE GUIDES. The first step will be to download and extract the Resource Folders. The Folders will come as a Zipped Folder on Teachable. Once you have Downloaded and Extracted the Folders, they are ready to be used in Adobe Illustrator. Follow Along with our Resource Guides, Tutorials, and Challenges to apply and edit Brushes + Halftones + Textures.
FOLLOW ALONG. Tutorials are designed to build up time within the program to apply the Tools and Settings. If you are looking to follow along on YouTube, start with our 100 Adobe Illustrator Tutorials Playlist. If you are new to the Website, follow along with our 50 Step by Steps. Tutorials will focus on Building Tools, Applying Brushes, Editing Options, and Basic Coloring Techniques.
ILLUSTRATOR RESOURCES
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR BRUSHES. Our (Updated) 200 Adobe Illustrator Brushes are specifically designed for Illustrators and Cartoonists to speed up their workflow. I have recently added more brushes and updated the Brush Libraries to allow for Pressure Sensitivity. Follow Along with the Tutorials or Use them with Your Own Artwork. Brush Libraries include our 70 Cartoon, 100 Comic Strip, and 50 Vintage Mascot Brushes.
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR HALFTONES. Our Halftones and Patterns Fills are designed for easy application even if you are new to Adobe Illustrator. Halftone Fills behave the same as a Color Swatch so you can apply them quickly using the Blob Brush, Live Paint, or Basic Fills. Simply Paint in Halftones into your own Illustrations and Comics. Halftones include our Comic Strip Halftone Fills, Pattern Fills, and Halftone Value Scales.
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR BMP TEXTURES. Our BMP Textures are extremely easy to use even if you are a beginner to Adobe Illustrator. Simply File-Place the Textures over your finished artwork to use with the Transparency Panel for soft overlays. Use BMP Textures along with Opacity Masks for T-Shirt Distressing. BMP Textures include our 145 Cracks, 120 Grunge Distressing, 75 Paper, and 77 Paint Splatter Textures.
BEGINNER GUIDES
CREATING NEW ARTBOARDS: File-New. Use a size or ratio that you can use for all of your own artwork. I recommend a 1080px by 1080px artboard for websites and social postings. Many of you will be looking to export your own artwork to Instagram. You can modify the size of the artwork or artboard with the Artboard Tool or Properties Panel.
CREATING YOUR OWN RESOURCES: I would like you to mirror the resource you intend on using for your own artwork: photo, trace, or sketch. The easiest method that I will recommend for New or Advanced Users is to create a Basic Line Drawing. Building Tools will use a "Path" so you can literally trace with the Pen, Pencil, Blob Brush, or Paintbrush.
CREATING TEMPLATE LAYERS: File -Place in your own Drawing, Sketch, Photo, or Trace. Select your Resource Layer. (It will usually be your only layer). In your Layers Panel, select the Menu in the Upper-Right Hand Corner. Drop down to Template. This will create a 50% Opacity and Lockout the Layer. Create a New Layer above to start "Building".
BEGINNER GUIDE (PEN TOOL): If you are frustrated with the Pen Tool, a simple tip is to break down the process into 2 Steps. The first step is to just apply Achor Points to the start-curve-end of a line or path. The second step is to adjust the Curves with the Anchor Point Tool or Smooth Curve Button in the Control Panel.
BEGINNER GUIDE (SHAPE TOOL): A good place to start if you are new to Adobe Illustrator is our Beginner Guide (Shapes). We will be going through Building with Shapes, Align Panel, Pathfinder, and Basic Color Fills. There are Beginner Guides for the Pen Tool and Tablet if you are new to the website or Adobe Illustrator.
BEGINNER GUIDE (PENCIL TOOL): Many of you are looking to use your Tablet with Adobe Illustrator. I am going to recommend breaking down your current tablet workflow into multiple steps. I do see a lot of mistakes when people try to combine too many steps all at once with their new tablets.
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ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR
STEP BY STEPS
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Top notch video as usual man. Cheers!Made by Mighty
First time dive into Illustrator. This was great, learned a ton! ThanksPhilippe Lachenal
I appreciate your videos. I have been an illustrator user for years and have my own ways of doing things. It's great to see other ways of using tools and learning tricks I didn't know were available! It's also good to see you doing the same thing as me in other instances, confirming I'm on the right track!Andy Zenz
Awesome tutorial! I don't think I've picked up something so easily from someone who knows what they are doing. I managed to draw my first vector art and it was a joy! Great work keep it up!blitz145
Thank you so much man, I loved the way you explain this, I spent days looking for a good tutorial vid, thanks a lot, gonna keep watching your videos!!!Karel Marccenaro
Great job Jason, you make it look so easy. And it actually was. Thumbs up!Little Richard
That was a fun tutorial. I really enjoyed it. Thanks for such a detailed, easy to follow tutorial! Daniel Huckabay
Love your video thanks so much. you blow Lynda.com out of the water!!!!Steve Yensel
Brilliant video. So much great info packed in here. I'm just getting started drawing cartoons with my Wacom tablet, and this was a huge help. Thumbs up and thanks!Dorian Staten
Wow Thanks Jason...was really struggling with making images with basic shapes. Your tutorial is helping me out!!Kishor Rajani
thanks a lot you are really one of my favorites, I like the steps you give us, and I'm so thankful for that effort you do for helping us :)Wessam Lotfi
Keep up the good work Jason. I’ve been doing Lynda.com tutorials for a few months now and I got more out of your videos than what I’ve received at Lynda. Keep it up and Thank You!!bobby jacobs
These tutorials are amazing. Just started using illustrator and really glad I found your channel. The only videos that explain everything step by stepAida Stan
You are definitely one of the best teachers I've found dealing with start to finish creative process. Great work!!!Jasen Fisher
Thank you loads! Compared to other tutorials, yours are just really well-explained and easy-to-follow. Can totally see that you've got a passion for what you're doing and that's just wonderful! 🙂 Keep it up, you're doing an amazing job. Yulia Kachurova