ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR
BEGINNER TUTORIALS
CREATE ARTBOARDS. If you are New to the Website, this list will focus on our Build Tools, Illustrator Brushes, Editing Tools and Basic Coloring Techniques. Each of our Tutorials and Challenges (below) are in our Step by Step Format. As you are following along, I recommend establishing a "Building Artboard" that you can use for all of your own artwork.
PLACING RESOURCES + TEMPLATE LAYERS. I have provided the Tutorial Resources to follow along with the 50 Step by Steps and 100 Tutorials Playlist on YouTube. I do recommend going through the process of Downloading Brushes and Extracting the Folder before you Start a Tutorial. (Each Tutorial will assume you already have the Folder and are ready to Follow Along.)
BEGINNER BASICS. The Beginner Guide Monkey is a good Tutorial to start on for some of the Basic Tools in Adobe Illustrator. 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.
Create a "Building" Artboard: 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.
Tutorial Resources + Progression: I have provided you with the Tutorial Resources to follow along with our 100 Tutorials Playlist on YouTube and 50 Steps by Steps on the Website. The progression I would like you to take is to remove the resources as fast as possible to mirror the resource you intend on using for your own artwork: photo, trace, or sketch.
Creating a Basic Template Layer: 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 Preferences: All of our initial preferences are designed to gain more control over what you are clicking on. The more you can zoom in and see your anchors and handles the better. You can adjust the size of your Anchors and Handles under Selection and Anchor Display. Under your General Settings, make sure that Disable Auto Add/Delete is Selected.
Smart Guides: Under View make sure you have your smart guides turned on. Under your Preferences (smart guides) you should definitely have your anchor/ path labels, Object Highlighting Selected. I do not recommend having them all on unless you are building a symmetrical design from scratch.
Selection Tools: The Direct Selection Tool can grab and adjust the Anchors, Handles, and Paths. It is worth having your Smart Guides Path Labels Turned On so you know what the tool is selecting before dragging. The Selection Tool will move and select objects. If you like using the Transform Tools, Turn On your Bounding Box under View.
Creating a Template Layer: The idea behind the Template Layer is to see the Reference Image while not becoming too distracting when building in Adobe Illustrator. There are a few ways to modify the Transparency of the Resources and Lock Out the Layer. Do this step after you have placed, scaled, and centered the tutorial resource image.
Creating a Basic Template Layer: Have your Resource Layer Selected. (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 working in Adobe Illustrator. (It will give you an error message (no sign) if you try to draw on the Template Layer)
Using Transparency Panel or Properties Panel: The Transparency Panel can be found in multiple locations. Have your Resource Image selected, and use the Opacity Slider to manually adjust the Opacity or Transparency. My personal settings are between 10-25%. Lockout the Layer and Create a New Layer above to start working in Adobe Illustrator.
Align to Selection
Always think what you are aligning to and then do a double check of your settings. We will typically align objects (to selection) and then group them to maintain.
Thought Process
Most of you will actually choose the correct Align Button without any trouble, the issue is not checking if it is Aligning to artboard or selection. It will crash into the middle of the artboard so it is pretty obvious when Align to Artboard is Selected.
Align to Artboard
If you are building in the center of an artboard this is extremely helpful or it can be frustrating. The main trick is to Group Objects and then Align them to Artboard. Again, they will crash into the middle to let you know they are not grouped.
Group Objects
Easiest way to think about grouping is when you have two objects aligned on opposite sites of the center line. These will be the objects that will crash into the center when Aligning to Artboard.
Pathfinder Minus Front
1. Have 2 overlapping shapes selected. One shape will be in the front and this is the cut away shape. (I colored this one garbage green since it will be trashed after we click minus front). (Use fills only)
Shape Builder (alt/option) Delete
2. Have 2 overlapping shapes selected and click the Shape Builder tool. Hold down alt/option and click on areas you wish to be deleted. Wait for the shape to grey out. (Use fills only)
Pathfinder Unite
3. Have 2 or more overlapping shapes selected and click on the pathfinder unite button. The 2 shapes will merge together. (Use fills only)
Shape Builder- Combine Shapes
4. Have 2 or more shapes selected and then click on the shape builder tool. Click, Hold and drag across the shapes you wish to combine. Do NOT hold down alt/option.
Opening Color Swatches
Open the Swatch Window. On the bottom left hand corner you will see the Open Swatch Libraries icon. At the bottom of the drop-down menu you will see Open Other Library. Go to our resource folder in the Color Palettes folder to Open ASE files. The ASE files have been created to make your life easier while going through the Challenge Series. Once you open the Library- click on the folder icon next to the swatches to move them from the library to the swatches.
Coloring with Fills
One of the easiest and fastest ways of filling in your color is through using Fills. The main thing to look for is enclosed shaped. We have done nothing but build with Shapes so coloring is super easy. Keep this in mind as you are going through the other tutorials where we don't have any shapes.
Gradient Panel
Select each color using the Magic Wand Tool (Adjust to Tolerance 5) each color. Add on a Radial Gradient to the frosting layers (3). Use the lightest and Darkest Color Swatch from the color set of 3. Adjust the slider to control where the values hit. Troubleshooting: Double check your fill is in front and not your stroke.
Gradient Tool
You can use the Gradient Tool to gain some control over where the gradient hits on your shapes. The tool will control the same features that are in the panel. I use the tool when I don't want to guess and check angle degrees or aspect ratio percentages.
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR
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Top notch video as usual man. Cheers!Made by Mighty
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your tutorials. It's one think to draw on paper, yet another to create artwork directly in Illustrator and yet again a completely different game to take hand drawn work into Illustrator. You've managed to make this process make sense and again, I thank you for your video tutorials, they've been a real godsend.jeremy rozen
First time dive into Illustrator. This was great, learned a ton! ThanksPhilippe Lachenal
awesome tutorial.I have finally completed my first illustrator project!!!Thank you.Pirata Loco
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
THANK YOU THIS IS MY FIRST DRAW THANK YOU FOR EXPLANING VERY WELL :DJonathan Juarez
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
Very clear and easy tutorial, indeed. Thank you so much! I've learned a lot through this clip.Hailie Burgess
thanks dude your tutorials really helped a beginner like me, keep up the awesome work!!!Giovani Linton
Love your video thanks so much. you blow Lynda.com out of the water!!!!Steve Yensel
A hero amongst artists 🙂 perfect. Thank you!Payton Pellitteri
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
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
Wow and wow. Your tutorials are just fantastic. Thank you so much for sharing these. I had always wondered how someone got such lovely inked lines for a drawing in illustrator. Keep up the great workJason Crawford
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
Jason, thank you for the amazing tutorials. Very elegant and rational art style and workflow! I'll probably go and watch every single tutorial. Also thank you for sharing your brushes and sketches. Very useful resources!Riste Sekuloski
keep it buddy, u make good tutorial for a beginner like me. so pls. make more of it. thks its so helpfullDORMAN
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