ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR

ADVANCED TUTORIALS

GETTING STARTED: Welcome to our website if you are a visitor or a new subscriber. My name is Jason and I am an Illustrator and Teacher (BFA). (Nerd Alert) My Master's Degree is in Education, specifically in Curriculum and Instruction. I have organized tutorials based on Workflow Units: Building, Editing, and Coloring. LEARNING TARGET (1): Understand the Building Tools and Options. LEARNING TARGET (2): Apply Line Variation along with Live and Expanded Editing Tools. LEARNING TARGET (3): Apply Color, Values, and Gradients using Advanced Coloring Techniques.
"BUILDING" ARTBOARD: I recommend establishing a "Standardized Approach" 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 Template" that includes Artboards, Resources, and Template Layers.
RESOURCE IMAGE: If you are a Beginner, I am going to recommend starting from a Resource Image. Give yourself a "Traceable Path" by using a Clean Line Drawing or Traced Photo. LEARNING TARGET: Start with the Resource you intend on using for your artwork (Sketch, Drawing, or Traced Stock Photo).
TEMPLATE LAYER: Have your Drawing, Sketch, or Traced Photo Selected. In your Layers Panel, select the Menu in the Upper-Right Hand Corner. Drop down to Template. This will create 50% Opacity and Lock the Layer. LEARNING TARGET: Create a Template Layer so you can see the Resource Image and new Paths.
RESOURCE IMAGES: If you are a Beginner, I am going to recommend starting from a Resource Image. Give yourself a "Traceable Path" by using a Clean Line Drawing or Traced Stock Photo. LEARNING TARGET: Download Resource Images to use for your artwork and designs.
COLOR SWATCHES: I highly recommend using Adobe Color for your Themes to add to your Library or download .ASE Files to Open. In most Tutorials, we will be applying Flat Colors using Live Paint. LEARNING TARGET: Download or Save Color Themes to use with your own artwork and designs.
BRUSH LIBRARIES: Many of our Tutorials will go through a process of applying and editing our Brush Libraries. Brush Libraries will come as Zipped Folders, Extract All before using in Adobe Illustrator. LEARNING TARGET: Download Brush Libraries to use with your own artwork or designs.
ILLUSTRATOR TUTORIALS: As I create my artwork, pay attention to the core areas of my Workflow: Building, Editing, and Coloring. LEARNING TARGET (1): Understand the Building Tools and Options. LEARNING TARGET (2): Apply Line Variation along with Live and Expanded Editing Tools. LEARNING TARGET (3): Apply 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.
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COLOR SWATCHES: Use Color Swatches from your Library or save them from Adobe Color as an .ASE File. Open Swatch Library from the “Other Library” Option. Most Color Themes will use Hues as the Base Color. We will be using Live Paint to create our Basic Fills or Flat Color Layer.
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LIVE PAINT: Coloring will be extremely easy using Live Paint Bucket. The goal of Live Paint is to create Shapes that we can color using Fills. Once you have completed the Live Paint Group, it is important to Expand and Upgroup. We will leverage these shapes for our Values and Gradients.
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KNIFE TOOL: After using Live Paint, Expand and Ungroup. Use a Duplicated Flat Color Layer for your Value Layers. The Knife Tool will cut Shapes. I recommend cutting out all of the shapes first before deleting them. You can use this technique for Highlights, Shadows, or Cast Shadows.
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ADVANCED: Understand the Building, Variation, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW MUMMY TUTORIAL
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ADVANCED: Understand the Building, Variation, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW GATOR TUTORIAL
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ADVANCED: Understand the Building, Variation, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW KID TUTORIAL
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ADVANCED: Understand Variation, Editing, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW ELF TUTORIAL
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ADVANCED: Understand Variation, Editing, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW BUNNY TUTORIAL
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ADVANCED: Understand Variation, Editing, and Coloring Methods. VIEW CAT TUTORIAL
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ADVANCED: Understand Variation, Editing, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW GHOST TUTORIAL
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ADVANCED: Understand Variation, Editing, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW PUPPY TUTORIAL
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ADVANCED: Understand Variation, Editing, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW MONKEY TUTORIAL
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ADVANCED: Understand Variation, Editing, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW MONSTER TUTORIAL
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ADVANCED: Understand Variation, Editing, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW SLIME TUTORIAL
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ADVANCED: Understand the Building, Variation, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW FROG TUTORIAL
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ADVANCED: Understand the Building, Variation, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW CANDY TUTORIAL
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ADVANCED: Understand Variation, Editing, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW BUTCHER TUTORIAL
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ADVANCED: Understand the Building, Variation, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW ZOMBIE TUTORIAL
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR

GETTING STARTED

GETTING STARTED GUIDE
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GETTING STARTED

GETTING STARTED GUIDE
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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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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