adobe illustrator tutorial using pathfinder taco

Adobe Illustrator CC Tutorial using Pathfinder

In Adobe Illustrator, for Beginners by Jason Secrest

Adobe Illustrator Tutorial for Beginners using Pathfinder.

In this Adobe Illustrator Tutorial for Beginners, we will be using shapes to practice building using the shape tools and the pathfinder panel. Shapes are a great way of building your characters especially as you gain experience with blend, warp, shape builder, and pathfinder to create unique shapes. Shapes are an easy and effective way of building in Illustrator. Use the align panel to align to selection and the artboard to make symmetrical designs. This tutorial will focus on Building Tools, Editing Options, and Basic Coloring Techniques.

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ARTBOARDS: I recommend establishing a "Building Artboard" that you can use for your own artwork. The initial Artboard Size can be changed at any point without ruining your own artwork. LEARNING TARGET: Create a "Building Artboard" you can use for your own Artwork and Social Media Postings (ex. 1080px by 1080px, 300PPI, RGB).
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TEMPLATES: File - Place in your Resource Image (Drawing, Sketch, or Traced Photo). Keep Selected. In your Layers Panel, select the Menu in the Upper-Right Hand Corner. Drop down to Template. This will create a 50% Opacity and Lock the Layer. LEARNING TARGET: Create a Template Layer using your Resource Image. Create a New Layer above for "Building." 
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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. 
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SKETCH OR TRACED PHOTO: I recommend starting from a Clean Line Drawing or a simple Traced Stock Photo for your artwork and designs. Create a "Traceable Path" to align with the Building Tools in Adobe Illustrator. You can speed up your workflow by using a Quick Sketch when you become more advanced.
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TEMPLATES: File -Place in your own Drawing, Sketch, or Traced Stock Photo. 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".

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ARTBOARDS: I recommend establishing a "Building Artboard" that you can use for your own artwork. The initial Artboard Size can be changed at any point without ruining your own artwork. LEARNING TARGET: Create a "Building Artboard" you can use for your own Artwork and Social Media Postings (ex. 1080px by 1080px, 300PPI, RGB).
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TEMPLATES: File - Place in your Resource Image (Drawing, Sketch, or Traced Photo). Keep Selected. In your Layers Panel, select the Menu in the Upper-Right Hand Corner. Drop down to Template. This will create a 50% Opacity and Lock the Layer. LEARNING TARGET: Create a Template Layer using your Resource Image. Create a New Layer above for "Building." 
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BUILDING ARTBOARD: I recommend establishing an Artboard that you can use for all of your artwork. The initial Artboard Size can be changed at any point without ruining your own artwork. LEARNING TARGET: Create a "Building Template" that includes Artboards, Resources, and Template Layers.
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DOWNLOAD RESOURCES: In the Beginner Tutorials and Playlists, I will be using Resource Images, Brush Libraries, and Color Swatches to create my artwork. LEARNING TARGET: Download Photo References, Brush Libraries, and Color Swatches for your own Artwork and Designs. 
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DRAWING TEMPLATE: Use the Resource Type you intend to use for your artwork (Drawing, Sketch, or Traced Stock Photo). Give yourself a "Traceable Path" by using a Clean Line Drawing or Traced Photo. LEARNING TARGET: Create a "Drawing Template" that includes Reference Image and Layer Adjustments. 

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ARTBOARDS: I recommend establishing a "Building Artboard" that you can use for your own artwork. The initial Artboard Size can be changed at any point without ruining your own artwork. LEARNING TARGET: Create a "Building Artboard" you can use for your own Artwork and Social Media Postings (ex. 1080px by 1080px, 300PPI, RGB).
Image
TEMPLATES: File - Place in your Resource Image (Drawing, Sketch, or Traced Photo). Keep Selected. In your Layers Panel, select the Menu in the Upper-Right Hand Corner. Drop down to Template. This will create a 50% Opacity and Lock the Layer. LEARNING TARGET: Create a Template Layer using your Resource Image. Create a New Layer above for "Building." 
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STOCK PHOTOS: As I create my artwork, pay attention to the resources used throughout the workflow. Download Free Stock Photos (Unsplash / Pixabay / Pexels) to use as Drawing, Design, or Color References. BEGINNER: For your own artwork, I recommend starting from a Drawing, Sketch, or Traced Stock Photo. ADVANCED: Gather and organize resources within the same project folder (Stock Photos / Sketches / Thumbnails / Color Swatches). FREE RESOURCES GUIDE / RESOURCE GUIDES

RESOURCES: As I create my artwork, pay attention to the resources being used throughout the workflow. BEGINNER: For your own artwork, I recommend starting from a Drawing, Sketch, or Traced Stock Photo. ADVANCED: Gather and organize resources within the same project folder (Stock Photos / Sketches / Thumbnails / Color Swatches). 

RESOURCES: As I create my artwork, pay attention to the resources used throughout the workflow. BEGINNER: For your own artwork, start from a Drawing, Sketch, or Traced Stock Photo. ADVANCED: I recommend gathering and organizing resources within the same project folder (Stock Photos / Sketches / Thumbnails / Color Swatches). RESOURCE GUIDES

STOCK PHOTOS: Download Free Stock Photos (Unsplash) to use as Drawing, Design, or Color References. BEGINNER: For your own artwork, I recommend starting from a Drawing, Sketch, or Traced Stock Photo in Adobe Illustrator. ADVANCED: I recommend gathering and organizing resources within the same project folder (Stock Photos / Sketches / Thumbnails / Color Swatches). 

RESOURCES: As I create my artwork, pay attention to the resources being used throughout the workflow. BEGINNER: Download Free Stock Photos (Unsplash) to use as Drawing, Design, or Color References. BEGINNER: For your own artwork, I recommend starting from a Drawing, Sketch, or Traced Stock Photo. ADVANCED: I recommend gathering and organizing resources within the same project folder (Stock Photos / Sketches / Thumbnails / Color Swatches). 

REFERENCE IMAGES: For your own artwork, download Free Stock Photos (Unsplash) to use as Drawing, Design, and Color References. I recommend gathering and organizing resources within the same project folder (Stock Photos / Sketches / Thumbnails / Color Swatches).  BEGINNER/ADVANCED: For your own artwork, I recommend starting from a Drawing, Sketch, or Traced Stock Photo.

STOCK PHOTOS: For your own artwork, I recommend downloading Free Stock Photos (Unsplash) to use as Drawing, Design, or Color References. Start from a Drawing, Sketch, or Traced Stock Photo. BEGINNER: As I create my artwork, pay attention to the resources used throughout the workflow. ADVANCED: I recommend gathering and organizing resources within the same project folder (Stock Photos / Sketches / Thumbnails / Color Swatches). 

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DRAWING OR TRACED PHOTO: The easiest starting point for Adobe Illustrator is a Clean Line Drawing or Traced Stock Photo. BEGINNER: For your own artwork, create a "Traceable Path" to align with the Building Tools in Adobe Illustrator. ADVANCED: Prepare your drawings for Specific Tools (ex. Ellipse, Pen, or Pencil) or Steps in your Workflow (ex. Building, Brushes, or Values).  
DRAWING OR TRACED PHOTO: If you are a beginner to Adobe Illustrator I would try to avoid starting from a Blank Artboard, Full-Color Photo, or Super Sketchy Drawing. BEGINNER: For your own artwork, create a "Traceable Path" to align with the Building Tools in Adobe Illustrator. ADVANCED: Prepare your drawings for Specific Tools (ex. Ellipse, Pen, or Pencil) or Steps in your Workflow (ex. Building, Brushes, or Values).  DRAWING GUIDE / GETTING STARTED GUIDE
DRAWING OR TRACED PHOTO: If you are new to Adobe Illustrator, it's best to avoid starting from a blank artboard, a full-color photo, or a super sketchy drawing. BEGINNER: For your own artwork, create a "Traceable Path" to align with the Building Tools in Adobe Illustrator. ADVANCED: Prepare your drawings for Specific Tools (ex. Ellipse, Pen, or Pencil) or Steps in your Workflow (ex. Building, Brushes, or Values). DRAWING GUIDE
DRAWING OR TRACED PHOTO: The easiest starting point for Adobe Illustrator is a Clean Line Drawing or Traced Stock Photo. BEGINNER: Avoid starting from a Blank Artboard, Full-Color Photo, or Super Sketchy Rough Draft. BEGINNER: For your own artwork, create a "Traceable Path" to align with the Building Tools in Adobe Illustrator. ADVANCED: Prepare your drawings for Specific Tools (ex. Ellipse, Pen, or Pencil) or Steps in your Workflow (ex. Building, Brushes, or Values).
PRIMARY BUILDING: As I create my artwork, notice I am aligning the Building Tools to the Shapes and Lines within my Sketch or Drawing. Many of you will be using Shape, Pencil, and Pen Tools as your Primary Building Tools. BEGINNER: Understand the Building Tools and Options in Adobe Illustrator. ADVANCED: Align the Building Tools (Ellipse, Pen, and Curvature Tools) to the Design Elements (Shapes, Lines, and Curves) in your own drawing or sketch. 
PRIMARY BUILDING: As I create my artwork, notice I am aligning the Building Tools to the Shapes and Lines within my Sketch or Drawing. Many of you will be using Shape, Pencil, and Pen Tools as your Primary Building Tools. BEGINNER: Understand the Building Tools and Options in Adobe Illustrator. ADVANCED: Align the Building Tools (Ellipse, Pen, and Curvature Tools) to the Design Elements (Shapes, Lines, and Curves) in your own drawing or sketch. BEGINNER GUIDES / ILLUSTRATOR TUTORIALS
PRIMARY BUILDING: As I create my artwork, notice I am aligning the Building Tools to the Shapes and Lines within my Sketch or Drawing. Many of you will be using Shape, Pencil, and Pen Tools as your Primary Building Tools. BEGINNER: Understand the Building Tools and Options in Adobe Illustrator. ADVANCED: Align the Building Tools (Ellipse, Pen, and Curvature Tools) to the Design Elements (Shapes, Lines, and Curves) in your own drawing or sketch. BEGINNER GUIDES / ILLUSTRATOR TUTORIALS / RESOURCE GUIDES
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ADOBE COLOR. Adobe Color has a beautiful website for you to download your own Color Swatches and Themes for Free. Think about your own artwork, design, or character. Do you have a starting point? If you have a subject matter, you can Type the Subject directly into Adobe Color to find Color Themes. Another fun place to start is the Trends Tab.
DOWNLOAD SWATCHES.  You can save Color Themes for your own artwork and designs. If you have CC, click add to Library. If you don't have CC, look to download the .ASE file to Open Swatch Library in the Color Swatches Menu. If you have a Photo Reference, you can upload your photo to Extract Theme under the Create Tab.
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Learning Pathfinder in Illustrator

  • Order: What's in front?

    Minus Front and Intersect are the easiest to understand when the shape you are cutting is in front so you can see it.

  • What shape am I looking to create?

    This will determine which option of minus front, intersect, or divide you will choose. Divide allows more control over what you are deleting and is a great alternative to intersect and minus front.

  • Do I want to keep any shapes before cutting?

    Note that one of the shapes disappears after using pathfinder. If you want to keep a shape copy - paste in front/back.

RESOURCE GUIDES: Digital Downloads will come as Zipped Folders. Once you have downloaded and extracted the Resource Folders, they are ready to be used in Adobe Illustrator. Start with our Resource Guides and Illustrator Tutorials to learn how to Apply Brush Libraries, Comic Halftones, and T-Shirt Textures.
RESOURCE GUIDES: Digital Downloads will come as Zipped Folders. Once you have downloaded and extracted the Resource Folders, they are ready to be used in Adobe Illustrator. Start with our Resource Guides and Illustrator Tutorials to learn how to Apply Brush Libraries, Comic Halftones, and T-Shirt Textures. BRUSHES GUIDE / HALFTONES GUIDE / TEXTURES GUIDE
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FILE + PLACE. Place a BMP Texture over your finished vector artwork. Simple File-Place. I recommend scaling the texture to fit over your completed artwork before you export or save. Simply scale the texture file using the Bounding Box or the Properties Panel. You can scale the texture to fit over the asset or the entire artboard.
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TRANSPARENCY PANEL. Adjustments to the texture file can be made in the Transparency Panel in Adobe Illustrator. Blend the Pattern toward your Background Color, you can simply click on a Color Swatch to Change the Color of the BMP Texture. Use the Transparency Slider to adjust the opacity for subtle texture overlays.

How to Color in Adobe Illustrator

One of the easiest and fastest ways of filling in your color is through Live Paint. Live Paint Bucket is a part of the Shape Builder Tools which builds the shapes in the exact shape you need it. Select All. Go up to Object - Live Paint - Make. If you have a grayed out Make it simply means you didn't have anything selected. I do recommend Deselecting by clicking on your artboard before clicking on a Color Swatch. *Remember Everything is still Selected so it will Color the Full Selection if you click on a Color Swatch with everything selected. Click on the Live Paint Bucket (K) and Click to Dump Color. It will feel like the Paint Bucket in Adobe Photoshop. 

BEGINNER GUIDES

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beginner adobe illustrator tutorial ice cream
BEGINNER: Understand the Building, Variation, and Basic Coloring Methods. VIEW BEGINNER GUIDE 
beginner adobe illustrator tutorial ice cream
BEGINNER: Understand the Building, Variation, and Basic Coloring Methods. VIEW BEGINNER GUIDE
beginner adobe illustrator tutorial posicle
BEGINNER: Understand the Building, Variation, and Basic Coloring Methods. VIEW BEGINNER GUIDE
beginner adobe illustrator tutorial duck
BEGINNER: Understand the Building, Variation, and Basic Coloring Methods. VIEW BEGINNER GUIDE
beginner adobe illustrator tutorial duck
BEGINNER: Understand the Building, Variation, and Basic Coloring Methods. VIEW BEGINNER GUIDE
beginner adobe illustrator tutorial ice cream
BEGINNER: Understand the Building, Variation, and Basic Coloring Methods. VIEW BEGINNER GUIDE
beginner adobe illustrator tutorial ice cream
BEGINNER: Understand the Building, Variation, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW BEGINNER GUIDE
beginner adobe illustrator tutorial ice cream
BEGINNER: Understand the Building, Variation, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW BEGINNER GUIDE
beginner adobe illustrator tutorial ice cream
BEGINNER: Understand the Building, Variation, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW BEGINNER GUIDE
beginner adobe illustrator tutorial whale
BEGINNER: Understand the Building, Variation, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW BEGINNER GUIDE
beginner adobe illustrator tutorial ice cream
BEGINNER: Understand Building, Variation, Editing, and Basic Coloring Methods. VIEW BEGINNER GUIDE
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BEGINNER: Understand the Building, Variation, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW BEGINNER GUIDE

*Older Content (<2018) was originally recorded for my in-class students (children). You are all adults, it has gotten weird.