TUTORIALS: Our Adobe Illustrator Tutorials will focus on the core areas of your workflow: building, editing, and coloring. LEARNING TARGET (1): Understand the Building Tools and Options. LEARNING TARGET (2): Understand Line Variation along with Live and Expanded Editing Tools. LEARNING TARGET (3): Understand Color, Values, and Gradients using Advanced Coloring Techniques.
BEGINNER: In our Beginner Guides and Tutorials, you will see me give Prompts and Learning Targets. These directions will simplify the process of learning Adobe Illustrator. LEARNING TARGET: Understand the Primary Building Tools and Options in Adobe Illustrator.
ADVANCED: As I am creating my artwork, pay attention to the Sequence of Events, Resources, and Tool Options as it relates to building a "Workflow." LEARNING TARGET: Apply Building, Variation, Editing, and Advanced Color Techniques to your own Artwork.
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. BEGINNER GUIDE / GETTING STARTED GUIDE
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. BEGINNER GUIDE 1 / GETTING STARTED GUIDE
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". BEGINNER GUIDE 2 / GETTING STARTED GUIDE
ADJUSTMENT LAYERS: Once you have placed in your Photo Reference, you can add Adjustment Layers. This will assist you in looking at the Photo Reference. This is not required. I recommend adding Brightness/Contrast, Levels, Curves, and Black & White. BEGINNER GUIDE 3 / DRAWING GUIDE
EXPORTING FROM LAYERS: When you are all done with your Sketches, Drawings, or Traced Stock Photos, I recommend Exporting from the Layers Panel. Select All of your Drawing Layers. Click on Export As from the Layers Panel Menu. This will Export All of your Drawing Layers. BEGINNER GUIDE 4 / DRAWING GUIDE
DRAWING TEMPLATE: File - New. Create a Adobe Photoshop Document 2160px by 1080px. You can adjust the size to match your Export Size (1080px by 1080px). Select the Frame Tool. Create a Frame half of the size of the Document. File - Place Embedded to insert Photo. BEGINNER GUIDE 5 / DRAWING GUIDE
SAVING LIBRARIES: After downloading and extracting the Brushes Folder, I will recommend saving Brush Libraries to your 'User Defined." This will be for Quick Access to the Brush Libraries in New Documents. BEGINNER GUIDE / BRUSHES GUIDE
OPENING BRUSHES: Opening your Brushes in Adobe Illustrator will be through the Brushes Panel. Click on "Open Brush Library." Select "Other Library" or "User Defined." BEGINNER GUIDE 1 / BRUSHES GUIDE
EDITING BRUSHES: There are some different options for editing your Brushes in Adobe Illustrator. I will recommend using the Shape Builder Tool for Quick Editing of Expanded Brushes and Objects. BEGINNER GUIDE 3 / BRUSHES GUIDE
SAVING SWATCHES: Color Swatches are free on the internet. Go to Adobe Color. Select the Color Theme you would like to save. If you have CC, you can Add to your Library. If you have an older version, download as an ASE File. BEGINNER GUIDE 7 / COLORING GUIDE
OPENING LIBRARIES: Open your Library Panel. Select the Color Theme you would like to use. Right Click on the Color Theme to Add Theme to your Swatches Panel. BEGINNER GUIDE 10 / COLORING GUIDE
OPENING SWATCHES: Open your Swatches Panel. In the Swatches Menu, drop down to Open Swatch Library. Select "Other Library" to open an ASE File saved on your computer. BEGINNER GUIDE 11 / COLORING GUIDE
OPENING HALFTONES: Opening Halftones in Adobe Illustrator is as easy as Copying + Pasting them into your Working Artboard. Halftones will automatically populate into the Swatches Panel. BEGINNER GUIDE 2 / HALFTONES GUIDE
RESIZING PATTERNS: Depending on your artboard size, you might need to Resize Pattern Fills the Halftones in Adobe Illustrator. Simply use the Scale Tool to "Transform Patterns." BEGINNER GUIDE 6 / HALFTONES GUIDE
APPLYING HALFTONES: Halftones will behave just like any Color Swatch in Adobe Illustrator. If you are new to Adobe Illustrator, use the Blob Brush to paint in Comic Halftone Patterns. BEGINNER GUIDE 8 / HALFTONES GUIDE
FINDING FONTS: For those of you using Adobe Fonts, I recommend starting from the Browse All, Trending, and Recommendations. I do recommend testing out the new Variable Fonts. FREE RESOURCES GUIDE / GETTING STARTED GUIDE
SAVING FONTS: When you find a Font or Family you like, you can simply click the Add Family to your Account. The Fonts will be available across your Adobe Programs. FREE RESOURCES GUIDE / GETTING STARTED GUIDE
SORTING FONTS: Have an idea of what you are looking for before looking for Fonts. Use the Categories and Tabs to sort through the Font Families. FREE RESOURCES GUIDE / GETTING STARTED GUIDE
PLACING TEXTURES: To use BMP in Adobe Illustrator, go to File- Place. Select any of the BMP Textures to bring in to your working artboard. Most adjustments will be in the Transparency Panel. BEGINNER GUIDE 5 / TEXTURES GUIDE
OPACITY MASKS: Using Opacity Masks in Adobe Illustrator is extremely fun. Click on "Make Mask" in the Transparency Panel. This will be for your own original artwork for T-shirt Distressing. BEGINNER GUIDE 5 / TEXTURES GUIDE
CLIPPING MASKS: Using the "Draw Inside" feature is an easy way to use Clipping Masks in Adobe Illustrator. Simply File - Place in the BMP Texture into the selected "Draw Inside" Shape. BEGINNER GUIDE 5 / TEXTURES GUIDE