FOLLOW ALONG

GETTING STARTED GUIDE

Download our ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR BRUSHES + RESOURCES to Follow Along with our Tutorials or use them with Your Own Vector Artwork.

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STEP #1: DOWNLOAD RESOURCES. Many of you are jumping over from YouTube looking to download our Adobe Illustrator Resources. You can download our Brushes + Halftones + Textures to follow along with the Tutorials or use them with Your Own Vector Artwork. You can just download our Brushes or add on Halftones + Textures to save on our Adobe Illustrator Resource Bundle.
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STEP #2: EXTRACT FOLDERS. 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 and Tutorials to practice applying and editing Brushes + Halftones + Textures.
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STEP #3: FOLLOW ALONG. If you are following along on YouTube, I recommend starting with our 100 Adobe Illustrator Beginner Tutorials Playlists. This playlist will focus on Building Tools, Applying Brushes, Editing Options, and Basic Coloring Techniques. *I have included our Resources to follow along with the 100 Tutorials Playlist on YouTube and 50 Step by Steps on the Website. 
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR

BRUSHES + RESOURCES

VIEW BRUSHES + RESOURCES

HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG

Each Tutorial will start by Creating a New Artboard and Placing in the Resource before creating a Template Layer. 

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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.
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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. 
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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".
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Pick Ratio or Format: Format Square or Rectangle. Select a ratio that works for Instagram, your Website, and Thumbnails.
Size: Pixel Size or Dimensions. Pick the Exact Size or a Smaller Scale ⅓ or ¼ of the Largest Export Size. (Scale before Exporting)
Color Mode: Basic Rule for Exporting Your Own Artwork: RGB for Web + Social Media Apps, CMYK for Print. Check Requirements.
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BONUS: ILLUSTRATOR BRUSHES, TEXTURES + RESOURCES. Our Active Learning Curriculum on Teachable includes all of our Anchor Point Guides, Tablet Friendly Guides, 200 Illustrator Brushes and 400 Textures to Follow Along to our 100 Full-Length Adobe Illustrator Learning Modules on Teachable.

PREFERENCES

Adjust to My Preferences or Simply Use Default
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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.
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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.
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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.
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BONUS: ILLUSTRATOR BRUSHES, TEXTURES + RESOURCES. Our Active Learning Curriculum on Teachable includes all of our Anchor Point Guides, Tablet Friendly Guides, 200 Illustrator Brushes and 400 Textures to Follow Along to our 100 Full-Length Adobe Illustrator Learning Modules on Teachable.

SAVING BRUSH LIBRARIES

Use our No Install Method or Save to "User Defined" for Quick Access.

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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.
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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.
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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.
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR

BRUSHES + RESOURCES

VIEW BRUSHES GUIDE

Tablet Settings: My Personal Settings

If you are still learning Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, I would keep the settings and options on your Tablet as simple as possible. I have most of my Express Keys turned OFF or DISABLED since I use the program's Keyboard Shortcuts. While you are learning a program, focus on applying the different tools using best practices.
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  • Firm Pressure Setting 
  • Disable Tip Double Click (Mouse)
  • Brush Size Up and Down ( ] [ )
  • Normal Tilt Sensitivity (or Off)
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  • Use Keyboard Shortcuts
  • DISABLE Express Keys
  • DISABLE Touch Strip
  • DISABLE Pop-Up Menu

NEW? START HERE

Follow along with our Popular Adobe Illustrator Tutorials
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ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR

STEP BY STEPS

VIEW MORE TUTORIALS
Top notch video as usual man. Cheers!Made by Mighty
I really love your channel, thanx for your tutorial really helpful 🙂 Sara Abdalla • 1 year ago
First time dive into Illustrator. This was great, learned a ton! ThanksPhilippe Lachenal
Such a cool drawing ! My favorite in this series !!!! Espermaschine • 1 year ago
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
Great job Jason, you make it look so easy. And it actually was. Thumbs up!Little Richard • 5 months ago
That was a fun tutorial. I really enjoyed it. Thanks for such a detailed, easy to follow tutorial! Daniel Huckabay • 1 year ago
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 • 1 year ago
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
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
Top notch video as usual man. Cheers!Made by Mighty
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
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 • 1 year ago
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
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