GETTING STARTED
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR
FOCUS: Our Getting Started Guide will walk you through the process of downloading, saving, and gathering resources. LEARNING TARGET (1): Bookmark Resource Links or Webpages to a Folder in your Internet Browser for Quick Access. LEARNING TARGET (2): Download Resource Images, Color Swatches, and Font Families to use with your own artwork and designs.
RESOURCE IMAGES: Use your own stock photo, traced photo, drawing, or sketch. If you are new, I recommend creating a "Traceable Path" by using a Clean Line Drawing or Traced Stock Photo. LEARNING TARGET: Download Stock Photos 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. 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.
FONT FAMILIES: I recommend using Adobe Fonts for Commercial Use. If you are New, look for Font Families to use for your Primary Business or Marketing (Headers + Sub Headers). LEARNING TARGET: Download or Save Fonts to use with your own artwork and designs.
ARTBOARD: I will recommend a (1080px by 1080px, 300PPI, RGB) as your Initial or Base Artboard Size. The Initial Artboard Size can be changed at any point without ruining your own artwork. Use the Properties Panel to Scale Artwork and Artboards. LEARNING TARGET (1): Create a "Building Template" that includes Artboard Size, Resource Images, and Template Layers. LEARNING TARGET (2): Pick a "Building" Artboard Size you can use for your own Artwork and Social Media Postings. Example: Instagram uses 1080px as its base size to modify for Landscape, Square, or Portrait.
GENERAL 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.
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. I like using the Bounding Box for my Transform Tools, Turn On under View. I recommend this for Quick Scaling.
STOCK PHOTOS: For your artwork, type the Subject Matter into the Search Bar. I recommend finding different stock photos for design, character, and color references. Open each link in a New Tab. Bookmark each Website for Free Stock Photos. Download Free Stock Photos for your Designs, Drawings, and Sketches. UNSPLASH / PEXELS / PIXABAY
PHOTO REFERENCES: For your own artwork, look for photos to use as drawing, design, or color references. I recommend gathering and organizing images based on the same subject matter for your character or logo designs. LEARNING TARGET (1): For your own artwork, start from a Drawing, Sketch, or Traced Stock Photo.
DRAWING TEMPLATE: I have created a Drawing Template of 2160px by 1080px in Adobe Photoshop. This will allow me to Export my Drawing or Sketch from Layers at 1080px by 1080px. I have created a Frame of 1080px by 1080px. File - Place in your Photo Reference. You can add Adjustment Layers to assist your drawings and sketches. LEARNING TARGET (1): Create a New Document 2160px by 1080px. LEARNING TARGET (2): Add Adjustment Layers to your Photo Layer.
DRAWING OR TRACED PHOTO: The easiest starting point for Adobe Illustrator is a Clean Line Drawing or Traced Stock Photo. LEARNING TARGET (1): For your artwork, create a "Traceable Path" to align with the Building Tools in Adobe Illustrator. LEARNING TARGET (2): As you become more advanced, prepare your drawings for Specific Tools or Steps in your Workflow (ex. Pen Tool, Blend Tool, Repeat-Mirror, or Values).
TEMPLATE LAYER: File-Place in your Resource Image (Traced Stock Photo, Drawing, or Sketch). Scale to Fit Artboard Size. 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. LEARNING TARGET (1): Create a Template Layer. Add a new Layer above for "Building."
PRIMARY BUILDING: Many of you will be using Shapes, Pencil, and Pen Tools as your Primary Building Tools. As I am creating my artwork, notice I am aligning the Tools to the Shapes and Lines within my Drawing. For your own artwork, look at your Resource Image, Drawing, or Sketch for obvious Shapes or Lines to align with the Building Tools. LEARNING TARGET (1): Understand the Building Tool and Options in Adobe Illustrator.
DOWNLOAD BRUSHES: Brushes are my go-to brushes for Professional Logos, Cartoons, Mascots, and Branding. Brush Libraries will come as Zipped Folders through our friends at Teachable. Once you have Downloaded and Extracted the Folders, the Brushes are ready to be used in Adobe Illustrator. Download our Updated 70 Cartoon, 100 Comic Strip, and 50 Vintage Mascot Brushes. DOWNLOAD BRUSHES / DIGITAL DOWNLOADS
COLOR SWATCHES: Adobe Color has a beautiful website that is full of Free Color Swatches and Themes. I recommend starting by typing in the Subject Matter using the Explore Tab. You can also use the Extract Theme feature on Adobe Color or Canva to create a Color Theme based on your Photo Reference. Open each link in a New Tab. Bookmark these Websites for Free Color Swatches. Add the Color Themes to your Library (CC) or download them as ASE files. ADOBE COLOR / COLORKIT / CANVA
EXTRACT THEME: When looking for Stock Photos for your artwork, look for Images you can use as Color References. You can upload your Photo to create a New Theme by using the Extract Theme Tab. Save to your Library or download it as an ASE File. Add the Color Themes to your Library (CC) or download them as ASE files.
SAVING + OPENING: If you have CC, simply click Add To Library. I recommend creating a Color Swatches Folder as a New Group. If you don't have CC, download Color Swatches as an ASE File. Open Swatch Libraries from the “Other Library” Option in the Color Swatches Panel. Most Color Themes will use Hues as the Base Color. In the Beginner Tutorials, will be using Live Paint to create our Basic Fills or Flat Color Layer. LEARNING TARGET (1): Save or Download Color Swatches for your own artwork and designs. LEARNING TARGET (2): Open through the Swatches Panel or Library.
LIVE PAINT: In our Beginner to Advanced Coloring Tutorials, we will be using Live Paint to create our Basic Fills or Flat Color Layer before moving on to Values and Gradients. LEARNING TARGET: Apply Color, Values, and Gradients using Advanced Coloring Techniques to your own artwork or designs.
FONTS: If you have CC, Fonts can be easily downloaded or installed from Adobe Fonts. I recommend installing some of the new Variable Fonts. Here are some Font Sites that I have used in the past. Check the Free Fonts Sites for Personal Use or Commercial Use Restrictions. Open each link in a New Tab. Bookmark these Websites for Free Fonts. Download or Save Fonts for your own artwork and designs. ADOBE FONTS / DAFONT FREE FONTS / FONT SQUIRREL FREE FONTS / GOOGLE FREE FONTS
RESOURCE GUIDES: Digital Downloads will come as Zipped Folders. Once you have Downloaded and Extracted the Resource Folders, they are ready to be used in Adobe Illustrator. Follow along with our Resource Guides and Tutorials to learn how to Apply Brushes + Halftones + Textures. BRUSHES GUIDE / HALFTONES GUIDE / TEXTURES GUIDE
BEGINNER: Understand the Building, Variation, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW BEGINNER GUIDE
BEGINNER: Understand the Building, Variation, and Advanced Coloring Methods. VIEW BEGINNER GUIDE
BEGINNER: Understand the Building, Variation, and Coloring Methods VIEW BEGINNER GUIDE
BEGINNER: Understand the Building, Variation, and Coloring Methods using Shapes. VIEW BEGINNER GUIDE
BEGINNER: Understand Building, Variation, Editing, and Basic Coloring Methods. VIEW BEGINNER GUIDE
ILLUSTRATOR