Illustrationdan - Helping graphic designers grow

Adobe Illustrator tutorial - The Zoom tool

               

Part 8: The zoom tool The zoom tool is a really important tool in illustrator. Since Illustrator is vector it can become very precise and sometimes the normal 100% view just wont cut it. So you'll find yourself using the zoom tool every other second. Zooming in can be a scary thing as it shows you just how off your drawing is. Its important, especially if youre using Illustrator for print jobs, to zoom in and make sure things are aligned properly. Paper has a much higher resolution than your screen so what you see on your screen isnt as precise as what will be printed on paper. So zoom in and see what you can find!

Adobe Illustrator tutorial - The Gradient tool

               

Part 7: The gradient tool. So as you may have learned by now, Adobe Illustrator is a vector based drawing program so you're somewhat limited to solid colors. That is unless you are using the gradient tool! Gradients provide smooth transitions of color and I think they add much needed dimension and softness to flat vector drawings. It's the closest your going to get to airbrush-like shading. The only downside is that you're limited to linear and radial transitions, that is unless you are using the gradient mesh tool (Not important for a beginner but can be utilized more once you become familiar with all the tools.) A great link here that explains the gradient tool.

Adobe Illustrator tutorial- The Rectangle tool

               

Part 6: The rectangle tool. The rectangle tool is another one of the easiest tools in illustrator that you'll learn. The other options that are next to the rectangle tool is the rounded rectangle tool, the ellipse tool, the polygon tool, the star tool, and the solar flare tool. Since im trying to to teach the tools youll be using the most i left out the polygon, star tool, and solar flare tool since I never really use them. Now if you're thinking about using Illustrator for your web designs, which I would encourage, you should should definitely become familiar with the rectangle tool. A great link here that explains the rectangle tool, rounded rectangle tool, ellipse tool, polygon tool, star tool, and flare tool.

Adobe Illustrator tutorial - The Line tool

               

Part 5: The line tool The line tool is one of the easiest tools to learn. You probably wont be using the line tool in many illustrations but it definitely has it's place in web layouts or any kind of layouts where there is text. A couple of the other options like the arc tool and polar grid tool come in handy as well but not as much as the line tool. Some great links here that explain the line tool options in greater detail. - Adobe Help resource Center : Draw Arcs - Layers Magazine explains Spiral tool mysteries solved - Adobe Help resource Center : Draw Spirals - Northlite Designs explains the Rectangular grid tool - This site explains the Polar Grid tool in detail

Adobe Illustrator tutorial - The Type tool

               

Part 4: The type tool The type tool is pretty easy to use, and if you are using Illustrator for web design, which I recommend using over using Photoshop. You will need to become familiar with all the type tool options. Make sure you learn the type tool and type on path option. The others are usefull but these are the most important. Some great links here that explain the type tool in greater detail. - Working with type in Adobe Illustrator - Adobe Design Center Tutorial - Putting type on a path - This site explains all different options of the type tool - Brief explanation and picture gallery of the type tool options- Adobe type tool gallery

Adobe Illustrator tutorial - The Pen Tool

               

Part 3: The pen tool is a strange tool and its pretty confusing at first but once you get to know what its all about it becomes pretty easy to use. Become very familiar with this tool because without it you cant draw anything but squares or circles. The best way to practice is to trace photos or even cartoons. Practice practice practice. Some great links here that explain the pen tool in greater detail. - school.tatoland.com does a very good job in explaining the pen tool - Pretty nifty pen tool cheat sheet by Creative Techs - Adobe's help resource center drawing with the pen tool - Basic Drawing with Adobe Illustrator's Paths & Pen tool

Adobe Illustrator tutorial - The Direct Selection Tool

               

Part 2: The direct selection tool is a very important tool to master, learn everything you can about this tool for you will be using it the most. The direct selection tool is the second tool a beginner should master.

Adobe Illustrator tutorial -The selection tool

               

Part 1: The selection tool is the easiest to learn,  but it is definitely a tool to become familiar with. The selection tool is the first tool a beginner should master. I apologize for blowing into the mic, its gone in the rest of the tutorials.