Adobe Illustrator

May 21, 2013

Great Gatsby Design

Using the Pathfinder Tool - http://www.bittbox.com/illustrator/pathfinder-explained

http://abduzeedo.com/great-gatsby-art-deco-style-illustrator-and-photoshop

April 2, 2013

Illustrator's Perspective Tool

Here is a quick link for looking at the features of the perspective tool.

March 21, 2013

Fun With Flags

Let's join Sheldon Cooper (of The Big Bang Theory) in celebrating the wonder of flags. To do so, you will create your own flag using the following guidelines:

• New document with 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches tall artboard dimensions
• Evidence of the following tools in your work:
  • Shape Builder tool used to either combine two or more shapes or cut away part of one shape by using another one
    • If you need a quick refresh on how the shape builder tool works, look HERE
  • A pattern created by using either the scale or rotate tools while holding the ALT key to set a transformation point other than the center of the shape, and then using the Edit --> Transform --> Transform Again command found in the menus. For an example of how to do this, see files just beneath this assignment.
  • Make use of at least one of the following tools: Warp, Crystalize, Pucker Bloat, Swirl. We haven't used them before, but you simply select a shape, select a tool, and then either click and hold on a part of your shape or click, hold down the mouse button, and move in a motion as if you're using a brush tool.
• If you don't want your country's name as part of the artboard, do this part of the design in the pasteboard/scratch area to the side of the artboard.
  • The Banned Fonts List applies to the following two bullets!
  • Write out the name of your country (no more than two words), then go to the menus at top and use the Type --> Create Outlines command to give your lettering that 'extra touch' of style via reshaping.
  • Beneath your country's name, give me a short phrase in a much smaller (the country name should be at least six times larger) font that will serve as your national motto. Pick an appropriate font size and tracking value (tracking is found on the Character panel) to make your motto exactly as wide as your country's name.
• Use other commands and explore other options that we've both used and not used! Go above and beyond!
  • The Effect Menu can get you into a fair bit of trouble if you're not careful, though, and result in your computer freezing up. Just a warning.
• Remember tricks such as the following:
  • Text on a Path
  • Simple, subtle Gradients involving the same hue (red to dark red, light blue to medium blue, etc)
  • Opacity of Shapes
  • The Alignment Panel
  • Different stroke widths and brush tips for the stroke of your shapes (the drop-downs at the top that say 'uniform' and 'basic.' Remember the double folder icons in the bottom left of these drop-down menus allow you to access even more options/libraries!)
• Save your file as Fun-with-flags-FirstName-LastName.ai

March 5, 2013

Prom Tickets Designs

You will be required to design a ticket for this year's prom. This is not open-ended, as are many projects, but has some rather very specific constraints.

• You may use Photoshop or Illustrator.
• Document size of 2 inches by 6 - 10 inches. It is your preference which is width and which is height.
• There can be no background color, as it will be printed on designer paper.
• Use of line must be incorporated, and must include lines of varying widths.
  • Do not forget the concept of pairing two lines together, whether they are of the same or different thicknesses.
• Ornate, floral/vine art is common but not required.
• Fonts should reflect the time period. A list will come soon.
• If a photo or artwork is used, it should be either relatively small with regard to the total space of the design, or a very faded "watermark." Photos may only be in grayscale. You might also consider using a 'sepia' Adjustment layer on a photo before using it. You can find the sepia adjustment under the photoshop presets for hue/saturation in the Adjustments panel.
• If a photo is used, there is to be NO evidence of its rectangular edges. To do so, you have several options, such as:
  • Use a clipping mask with, for example, an oval or circle shape.
  • Use the quick selection tool and a layer mask to hide the unwanted portions of the image.
  • Regardless, if you use this image in illustrator, you must export it from photoshop as a .PNG for the background to be transparent.
• The White Star Line logo must be present in your design.
• Area text must be used to fill at least one curved shape you created using some combination of the tools you have learned so far; you are also welcome to use the pen tool in this design.

See the following links for some design inspiration:

http://factfile.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/titanic_facts_titanic_tickets1.jpg

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/archive/graphics/large/titanic_ticket.jpg

http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Titanic-ticket.jpg

http://www.papertrove.com/rr92512x22.jpg

http://www.papertrove.com/rr92512x23.jpg

http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/4511/6063366_1.jpg?v=8C8BB647E9B10D0

The following is a list of possible fonts, though you are not limited to these:

Aparajita

Arabic Typesetting

Birch STD

Bell

Blackoak STD

Bodoni MT

Book Antiqua

Bookman Old Style

Brittanic Bold

Goudy Old Style

Garamond

Elephant

March 4, 2013

Illustrator Live Trace

Very simply go to the following website: http://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/tracing-artwork-live-trace-or.html - and read up on the livetrace procedure. You will then need to do the following:

• Live Trace 3 different photos in 3 different files, using the following types of settings on each:
  • Use a simple trace command on one photo for black-and-white only results
  • Use a greyscale trace preset on another photo
  • Use a Photo: high fidelity preset on another photo with 256 colors and min area of 1 pixel
    • FOR THIS ONE, be sure to use a 'MEDIUM' or "SMALL" size photo you find on google images; large size photos will take a very long time and possibly freeze your computer up.

March 1, 2013

Illustrator Line Art Videos pt 6

Video 0417 - Watch the video and do as he does, but remember the following key points:

• While drawing, you can press the space bar and re-position the spiral
• While drawing, hold the CTRL key to adjust the spacing between each rotation of the spiral
• While drawing, use the Up and Down arrow keys to add more or take away length from the spiral

Video 0418 - Follow along and complete the work done in the video

Video 0419 - Complete the work in the video, but make special note of the following:

• The instructor mentions something about the word in the left side of the 'Control Panel.' Be sure that you realize its significance (you can look here to determine what type of object you have selected).

Video 0420 - Simply complete the work as you go along.

Video 0421 - Make note of the power of the Select Similar tool as you do this video. It doesn't seem super useful at this point, but imagine how useful it will be when you make an extremely complicated illustration if you need to change, for example, all the green lines with 2-point stroke weights.

February 27, 2013

Illustrator Line Art Videos pt 5

Video 0414 - Skip the video, and do the following:

• Make a copy of the arrow's "feathers" on the top half of the arrow shaft using a horizontal reflection.
• use the regular Selection tool (black arrow) to select the outer edges of the arrow feathers (everything but the two stripes on the inside).
• Use the Join command to join these segments.
• Select the two dividers/stripes in the middle of the feathers (four segments in all, as the top and bottoms are separate segments) and join them as well.
• There will possibly be an additional segment that appears hidden underneath the outline of the feathers as a result of the join. If this is the case, that is perfectly okay.

Video 0415 - Do as he does in the video.

Video 0416 - If you do the following, you can skip to 2:15 in the video. Instead of using the artboard dialog box, you may simply use the Artboard tool on the Tools panel along with the options that appear at the top of the page on the Control panel to simply resize the artboard to a height of 620 pt as well.

February 23, 2013

Illustrator Line Art Videos pt 4

Video 0411, 0412, and 0413 - Simply do as the instructor does.

• NOTE: In video 0413, be very sure you hear what he says at about 4:05 about the care he takes with making the selection.

When you are done, be aware of the following manner for what I see as a much easier way to make a clipping mask with two existing objects (his way works better for actually drawing an object inside of an existing one):

• place the object that will serve as the mask on object that will go on the inside
• select both objects
• right-click and select make clipping mask

February 22, 2013

Illustrator Line Art Videos pt 3

Video 0408 - Simply do as the instructor does.

Video 0409 - You do not need to watch this video. Simply use the reflect tool (hidden under the rotate tool) to reflect it across a vertical axis. To do so, do the following:

• With the reflect tool selected, hold the ALT key and click on the top end point of the half-heart.
• Make sure the "Preview" box is checked on the dialog box that appears.
• Click in the 'horizontal' option, note that it flips it upside down, and then click on the vertical option for the correct reflection.
• Click Copy.
• Use the Join command you learned in video 8.

Video 0410 - Do as the instructor does in this video.

February 21, 2013

Illustrator Line Art Videos pt 2

Video 0405, 0406, 0407 - Follow along as the instructor does what he does in the video. Use the "True Romance.ai" file that is in the files section of the bottom of this page.

February 20, 2013

Illustrator Line Art Videos

Video 0402 – Open “Love Adobian Style” and Re-name the guides in the layers panel

Change the Row Size for this file in the layers panel options to 70 pixels.

Video 0403 – Browse the print profiles and then copy the path to the profiles. Set the row size to your choosing, but use somewhere between 45 and 70 pixels.

Video 0404 – Use the grid tool to create a set of guides that shows the true center of the artboard. Be sure you don't just draw a grid, but that you also make it into an actual guide. I will need to watch you show/hide the guide in the Layers panel as well. Either save this file or keep it open if you are moving to the 0405 video for the next day's lessons.

February 18, 2013

Check for Understanding - Text on a Path/Area Text

Using the Type on a Path tool, add type on a path to a shape other than a square/rectangle. It must be at the bottom of the shape, but also must be right-side-up and beneath/outside the shape. Achieve this using the Baseline Shift on the character panel.

Also, use the Type tool's ability to add area/fill text to the interior of a shape other than a square/rectangle.

February 11, 2013

Basic Tools in Illustrator

Using the textbook and the sample file "Basic Shapes5" at the bottom of the page, complete the walkthroughs for lessons 7,8, and 9 in the textbook (pages 1-48 through 1-74). You will also need the Illustrator sample files we loaded on to your USB's/documents before Christmas.

February 8, 2013

Basic Tools in Illustrator

Using the Adobe Illustrator sample file "Chapter 1" at the bottom of the page, complete the following:

1. Make sure that smart guides and 'snap to point' options are turned on.
2. Draw a square that is 2 inches by 2 inches, and color it with a light brown fill and dark brown stroke.
3. Draw a square that is 4 inches by 4 inches, and color it dark blue with a light blue stroke.
4. Draw a circle using the ellipse tool that is a perfect 2 inches in diameter. It should be an empty/no color fill, and a dark green stroke.
5. Place the large square in the center of the page, the small square in the bottom right corner, and the circle in the top right corner.
6. Drag and drop a copy of the circle to the top left corner of the page using the shift key to drag it pefectly straight across from the other circle, and then lock it.
   1. Drag out a guide that runs through the circles' centers to prove the circles are straight across from each other.
7. Drag and crop a copy of the large square off onto the pasteboard, and then hide it. you will need to know how to un-hide the object when I come to grade your work.
8. Drag the small square to where part of it overlaps the large square. It will go behind the large one.
9. Copy the square, then go to edit --> paste in front. Drag that new, second square to where it overlaps the original small square. Notice that it is in front of the original small square.
10. Copy either small square, and then select the larger square. Now go to edit --> Paste in front. Notice that paste in front bases itself off of whatever object is selected currently.
11. Grab the type tool, and then type on the page the answer to the following: "The __ key is used to quickly switch between stroke and fill on the Tools panel."
12. Make sure that the fill is active on your tools panel (use the x key as you just answered in question 11). Select the big square, and then click on, drag, and drop an orange swatch from the swatches panel onto one of the smaller squares.
13. Switch to make the stroke active, and then drag and drop a purple swatch onto the smaller square.
    • Note that this is a great way to change colors of objects in Photoshop without having to switch to the selection tool and pick swatches.
14. Save your work as 'Chapter 1 Lessons 1-5' and then get my attention. Be ready to show me how to un-hide objects via the Object menu (object --> Show All).

February 5, 2013

Alignment in Illustrator

Don't forget that, in order to access the Alignment panel, you will need to go to Window --> Align.

Also, you will need to turn on the Panel Options for the Alignment panel in order to get to the "Fit To" options.

Fit To Artboard/Selection will be in the bottom right corner of these options.

REMEMBER: Text has two alignments: how it is aligned on itself, and how it is aligned on the page.

Once you understand how to align text, you will need to use the 'Aragorn.ai' sample below to align copies of the paragraph in the following way on the page:

Left aligned on the page, right aligned on itself

Right aligned on the page, left aligned on itself.

Centered on the page, centered on itself.

Centered on the page, left aligned on itself.

Uncentered (centered on self but not on page), both left and right on the page.