Introduction to Illustrator CS6 (Self-Paced Tutorial)

Details

In this course, you will learn to apply color, create shading effects and painterly brushstrokes, and add special effects such as 3D to your drawings. You can also easily move designs back and forth between Photoshop and Illustrator to take advantage of the strengths of both programs.

Each lesson contains an assignment that challenges both your creativity and your growing skill. The course is designed to let you work at your own level, whether you're just getting started or looking to refresh your Illustrator skills.

Enrollment Options:

Self-Paced
3 Months Access Course Code: T9257
No Instructor, Start Anytime

$129.99

USD

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Syllabus

Building an Image

Even if you're a beginner, you will feel right at home after you take a tour of Adobe Illustrator CS6's work area, toolbox, and panels. This lesson introduces some of Illustrator's fun features like auto-tracing, Live Paint Object, and recoloring.

Precise Layout Skills and Tools

This lesson introduces Illustrator's shape tools, which are the first step on your gentle journey toward using the all-important Pen tool. Get ready to draw shapes and combine them to form illustrations.

Using Color

Now that you have learned to create shapes, it's time to start playing with color. In this lesson, you will discover how to create your own colors, save them, and apply them. You will also learn about the fabulous Recolor Artwork command and see how you can create and save color harmonies.

Editing Anchor Points

Illustrator's magic comes from the anchor points that control all the shapes in an image. In this lesson, you will learn to alter the anchor points on geometric objects and previously created shapes, so you can mold the results into something new.

Introducing the Pen Tool

The Pen tool is the basic instrument for creating vector art, and this lesson will teach you how to use it. You already know what corner points and smooth points are and how to edit them. Now, this lesson will show you how to create the different points with the Pen tool as you trace over a template.

Advanced Drawing With the Pen Tool

Now that you know how to trace and flip symmetrical objects, it's time to try your new skills with more challenging images. Not all images consist of only one object, nor are they all symmetrical. This lesson focuses on tracing multiple objects in one image and managing the Layers panel.

Effects, Strokes, and the Appearance Panel

The Appearance panel is your central monitoring station for making changes to fills, strokes, and effects. In this lesson, you will learn to create strokes that look hand-drawn or have varying widths. You will also learn how apply multiple strokes and fills to objects and how to create Illustrator effects.

Working With Shape Gradients

Gradients are Illustrator's version of an airbrush that can lay down smooth blends of color. You can use gradients on objects (shapes) for backgrounds or for shading. Once you know how to create your own gradients, you can add realism to any image.

Shading in Illustrator

One of the key problems for Illustrator users is getting realistic shading into vector objects. The Gradient tool helps, but it has limitations. In the lesson, you will create realistic blends, use a gradient mesh, and use gradients on strokes rather than on objects to create some amazing effects.

Spirals, Symbols, and 3-D

Did you know that you can change any set of objects (even an embedded raster image) into a symbol? In this lesson, you will create stroke gradient curls to finish the work from Lesson 9. You will also learn about how turning the object into a symbol can speed up Illustrator's performance.

Patterns and Pattern Brushes

Patterns are everywhere you look. Illustrator makes it easy to create complex patterns without detailed knowledge of pattern design. You will also practice using the patterns as the basis for pattern brushes.

Typography and Design

Did you know that you create fonts for specific images? This lesson explores the basics of typography while you learn to use the Type tool. You will discover how to fill a shape with text and how to flow text along paths and around shapes.

Requirements

Hardware Requirements:

  • This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

  • PC: Windows 8 or newer.
  • Mac: OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 or later.
  • Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.

Other:

  • Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites to take this course.

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