HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
GETTING STARTED GUIDE
Download our BRUSHES + RESOURCES to follow along with our Step by Steps on the Website or the 100 Beginner Tutorials Playlist on YouTube.
STEP #1: DOWNLOAD ILLUSTRATOR BRUSHES + RESOURCES. Many of you are coming over from YouTube looking to Download our (updated) 200+ Adobe Illustrator Brushes to Follow Along with our Tutorials or use them with Your Own Artwork. Download the Adobe Illustrator Brushes + Tutorial Resources to Follow Along with the 50 Step by Steps on the Website or the 100 Beginner Tutorials Playlist on YouTube.
STEP #2: FOLLOW ALONG + GETTING STARTED. Our Tutorial Resources are included with the Brushes and Resources. I have included our Anchor Point and Tablet Friendly Guides to Follow Along with our 50 Step by Step Tutorials on the Website and YouTube. Our Tutorial Resources will come to you as a Zipped Folder. Follow Along with the Resource Guide (below) to Learn How to Download Resources, Place Guides, and Create Template Layers.
STEP #3: FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE + YOUTUBE. If you are Following Along on YouTube, I recommend starting with our 100 Adobe Illustrator Beginner Tutorials Playlist. This list will focus on the Building Tools, Editing Options, and Basic Coloring Techniques in Adobe Illustrator. I have included our Anchor Point + Tablet Friendly Guides with our 200 Adobe Illustrator Brushes to Follow Along with the 100 Beginner Tutorials Playlist on YouTube.
DOWNLOAD BRUSHES + RESOURCES
Anchor Point + Tablet Friendly Guides: Tablet Friendly Guides are simply the completed path without Anchor Points or Handles. You can use this with the Pencil Tool, Blob Brush, Paintbrush, or Pen Tools in Adobe Illustrator. Our Anchor Point Guides will have the anchors and handles to use with Pen, Shapes, and Curvature Tool Tutorials.
Placing Resource Images: Under File dropdown to Place. Find the Downloaded and Extracted Tutorial Resource Folder on your computer. The Tutorial Resource Folder is organized by the Tutorial, Challenge, or Workflow by the name. You can select the Anchor Point or Tablet Friendly Guide to Place into the Artboard.
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.
*I have included the Anchor Point and Tablet Friendly Guides (as a free bonus) with our 200 ILLUSTRATOR BRUSHES for our 100 Beginner Tutorials Playlist on YouTube and the 50 Step by Steps on the Website.
Creating a New Document: Open Adobe Illustrator. File - New. Create an Artboard 5" x 5" or 360px x 360px. All of our Tutorials, Challenges, and Workflow will follow along within this same size. You can modify the size of the artboard at any time using the Artboard Tool.
Placing Resource Images: Under File dropdown to Place. Find the Downloaded and Extracted Tutorial Resource Folder on your computer. The Tutorial Resource Folder is organized by the Tutorial, Challenge, or Workflow by the name. You can select the Anchor Point or Tablet Friendly Guide to Place into the Artboard.
Scale to Fit (Transform): Once you have placed it in the Tutorial Resource Image, the image automatically is selected. In the Transform section in the Control Panel enter 5" or 360px in the largest value. The Maintain Proportion (chainlink icon) should be selected. Click Enter. Align to Artboard (center).
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.
Quick Use (No Install): Open Brush Library through "Other Library" in your Brushes Panel. Under Window - Select Brushes. In the Brushes Menu, drop-down to Open Brush Library. Hover over it and select "Other Library." A Normal Open Dialogue Box will appear to select any Brush Library to use in Illustrator. Almost all of our step-by-step tutorials on YouTube use this method.
Saving Brush Libraries to User Defined (<5 Minutes): Open All of the Brushes Libraries in Adobe Illustrator. (File - Open). Have your Brushes Panel Open. Under Window - Brushes. Click on Each Illustrator Document and Open the Brushes Menu in the Brushes Panel. Scroll down to Click on Save Brush Library. Default Location = User Defined. Repeat for each (updated) Brush Library.
DOWNLOAD BRUSH LIBRARIES
(Updated) Adobe Illustrator Cartoon Brushes specifically designed for Cartoonists and Illustrators who are looking to speed up their workflows. Use Cartoon Illustrator Brushes with the Pen, Pencil or Paint Brush Tools to Apply different Line Variation to your Vector Artwork. Includes 70+ Cartoon Brushes (libraries include the Updated Cartoon, Cartoon 2, and Original Cartoon Brush Libraries).
Includes Hand Painted + Comic Strip Sets to get a lived in feel back into your Vector Art. Comic Strips and Hand Painted are painted based on some of my favorite artists and cartoonists. These brushes are designed to look ready for the Sunday Paper. Includes 100+ Brushes (libraries include the Updated Comic Strip, Hand-Painted, Paintbrush, and Fine Liner Brush Libraries).
Jittery Hand, Caffeinated Cartoonist + Rough Ink to Mimic Paper Bleed and Caffeine. Designed to be a little less stiff with your vector art. Use these Brush Libraries to get more of a distressed look or ink bleed back in your own Vector Artwork with heavy ink and a little more wobble. Includes 50+ Brushes (libraries include the updated Caffeinated Cartoonist, Rough Ink, and Jittery Hand Brush Libraries).
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR
BRUSHES + RESOURCES
DOWNLOAD BRUSHES
