Illustrator for Beginners

Aspyn Lim’s Blog Post #3

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

[Figma]
  🌱 Figma - 30 Time-saving Tricks from Figma Experts
[Photoshop]
  🌱 Envato Tuts+ - Photoshop for Beginners
[Illustrator]
  🌱 Envato Tuts+ - Illustrator for Beginners (CURRENT)

🌱 Illustrator Tutorial by Envato Tuts+ on YouTube.

Table of Contents

1) How to Draw in Illustrator
2) Color
3) Type and Fonts
4) Effects and Patterns in Illustrator
5) Cropping & Resizing
6) Exporting

[ Shortcuts ]

• Zoom In : Z or Ctrl + +
• Zoom Out : Hold Alt + Z or Ctrl + -
• Move around : Hold Space
• Selection Tool : V
• Rectangular Tool : M
• Ellipse Tool : L
• Fit Artboard in Window : Ctrl + 0
• Outline : Ctrl + Y

[ 0. Workspace Settings ]

[ 1. How to Draw in Illustrator ]

1.1 Setting Up Our Document

File > Place

1.2 Drawing With Shapes and Lines

[ PART 1 ]

Properties > Appearance > Right click “Stroke”

[ PART 2 ]

1.3 Grouping and Arranging

Under “Properties”

Unchecked vs Checked “Scale Corners” & “Scale Strokes & Effects”

1.4 Drawing With the Shape Builder Tool

Default is “+”. To switch to “-”, hold down the “Alt” key.

• With “+”, we can add a different color to the area we select. Also, by dragging, we can combine shapes.
• With “-”, we can delete the area we select.

1.5 Exercise: Draw a Custom Logo

1.6 How to Use the Curvature Tool in Illustrator

[PART 1]

Click once for curves

Refine curves in more detail

[PART 2]

When clicking once, curves are created.

When clicking twice, straight lines are created. (For the last step, click only ONCE to close creating the shape.)

[PART 3]

Double clicking — corners
Clicking once — curves

[PART 4]

1.7 How to Use the Pen Tool in Illustrator

Curvature Tool vs Pen Tool

1.8 How to Use the Pencil Tool in Illustrator

Double click the Pencil Tool to bring up the Options window

#1

#2

#3

#4

Top #1 / Middle #2(left) #3(right) / Bottom #4

1.9 Using Brushes

[ 2. Color ]

2.1 Working With Color

[Part 1]

[Part 2]

2.2 How to Use the Gradient Tool in Illustrator

Grab yourself a gradient

[ 3. Type & Fonts ]

3.1 How to Use Type and Fonts in Illustrator

Explore Typekit webfonts | Adobe Fonts

Search fonts | Adobe Fonts

[ 4. Effects and Patterns in Illustrator ]

4.1 Liquifying and Distorting in Illustrator

4.2 Bending and Warping Shapes and Text

Object > Expand Appearance

• After applying “Expand Appearance” to the text, you can no longer edit the text.

4.3 How to Make a Pattern in Illustrator

[PART 1]

Window > Pattern Options

[PART 2]

Switch back & forth until we make what we want

[PART 3]

Spoonflower

We can print patterns on fabrics!

4.4 How to Vectorize an Image in Illustrator

[PART 1]

Under “Properties” Panel

Original

9 Colors vs 3 Colors

Under “Properties”

Now we can edit individual elements!

[PART 2]

Original vs Black & White Logo

Let’s open the document in Photoshop.

Original vs Threshold 128 vs Threshold 87

[ 5. Exporting ]

5.1 Exporting for Print and Web

[ PART 1 : Print ]

[ PART 2 : Web]

File > Export > Export for Screens

[ PART 3 : Individual Exports ]

To select multiple elements at once, hold SHIFT & select them.

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