Adobe Illustrator CS6 - Introduction

Two Day: Instructor-Led

Course Description

Adobe Illustrator has been an indispensable vector based editing software application for many years. As an aspiring graphic designer, you would like to delve deeper into image creation and editing using this software. Understanding the different tools and features available in Illustrator CS6 will help you to maximize your creative potential. In this course, you'll use the several advanced tools and the complex features of Illustrator CS6 to work with images and create complex vector graphics.

Course Objective

You will explore the Illustrator CS6 interface in great detail and be exposed to several tools for selecting parts of images, mastering shapes and advanced topics. You will learn to use layers and to apply layer effects and filters to create special effects. Additionally, you will use painting tools and blending modes to create shading effects and apply them. Finally, you will save images in print and web formats.

Target Student

This course is designed to cover advanced image editing features of Adobe Illustrator CS6. It is also designed as one in a series of courses for students pursuing the Adobe Certification Exam for Adobe Illustrator CS6 (ACE), and it is a prerequisite to taking more advanced courses in the Adobe Illustrator CS6 series.

Prerequisites

Before taking this course, students should be familiar with the basic functions of their computer's operating system, such as creating folders, launching programs, and working with windows. They should also have basic Windows application skills, such as copying and pasting objects, formatting text, saving files, etc. The students should also be familiar with the basic features/functions and terminology of image editing.

Adobe Illustrator CS6 - Introduction - 2 day class

Lesson 1 - Getting to Know the Work Area

• Working with the Tools Panel
• The Control Panel
• Working with Panels
• Resetting and saving Your Workspace
• Using panel menus
• Changing the view of Artwork
• Using the view commands
• Using the zoom tool
• Navigating multiple artboards
• Using the Navigator Panel
• Understanding rulers
• Arranging multiple documents

Lesson 2 - Selecting and Aligning

• Using the Selection Tool
• Using the Direct Selection Tool
• Creating selections with the Magic Wand tool
• Selecting similar objects
• Aligning Objects
• Aligning objects to each other
• Aligning to a key object
• Aligning points
• Distributing objects
• Aligning to the artboard
• Working with groups
• Group items
• Working in isolation mode
• Adding a group
• Object arrangement
• Arrange objects
• Selecting objects behind

Lesson 3 - Creating and Editing Shapes

• Creating a new document
• Working with basic shapes
• Understanding drawing modes
• Creating rectangles
• Creating rounded rectangles
• Creating ellipses
• Creating polygons
• Working with Draw Behind mode
• Creating Stars
• Changing stroke width and alignment
• Working with line segments
• Joining paths
• Using Width tool
• Outlining strokes
• Combining and editing shapes
• Working with the Shape Builder tool
• Working with Pathfinder effects
• Working with shape modes
• Using Draw Inside mode
• Editing content drawn inside
• Using the Eraser tool
• Using Image Trace to create shapes
• Cleaning up traced artwork

Lesson 4 - Transforming Objects

• Working with artboards
• Adding artboards to the document
• Editing artboards
• Renaming artboards
• Reordering artboards
• Transforming content
• Working with rulers and guides
• Scaling objects
• Reflecting objects
• Rotating objects
• Distorting objects
• Shearing object
• Positioning objects precisely
• Changing perspective
• Multiple Transformations
• Using the Free Distort effect

Lesson 5 - Drawing with the Pen Tool

• Creating Straight Lines
• Creating curved paths
• Building a curve
• Curves and corner points
• Creating the violin illustration
• Selecting a curve
• Drawing a curved shape
• Drawing different kinds of curve
• Splitting a path
• Adding arrowheads
• Creating a dashed line
• Editing curves
• Deleting and adding anchor points
• Convert between smooth points and corner points
• Drawing with the Pencil tool
• Editing with the Pencil tool
• Finishing the violin illustration
• Assembling the parts
• Painting the artwork

Lesson 6 - Color and Painting

• Color Modes
• Understanding the Color Controls
• Creating color
• Building and saving a custom color
• Editing a swatch
• Using Illustrator swatch libraries
• Creating a Spot Color
• Using the Color Picker
• Creating and saving a tint of a color

Lesson 7 - Working with Type and Layers

• Importing a Plain Text File
• Creating Columns of Text
• Understanding Text Flow
• Working with Overflow Text and Text Reflow
• Threading Text
• Resizing type objects
• Formatting type
• Changing the Font Color
• Changing additional text attributes
• Changing paragraph attributes
• Saving and using styles
• Creating and using a paragraph style
• Creating and using a character style
• Wrapping text around an object
• Creating text on open paths
• Creating text on closed paths
• Creating text outlines
• Creating Layers
• Moving Objects and Layers
• Locking Layers
• Viewing Layers
• Pasting Layers

Lesson 8 - Blending Colors and Shapes

• Working with gradients
• Creating and applying a linear gradient
• Adjusting the direction and angle of gradient blend
• Creating a radial gradient
• Changing colors and adjusting the gradient
• Applying gradient to multiple objects
• Adding transparency to gradients
• Working with blended objects
• Creating a blend with specified steps
• Modifying the blend
• Creating smooth color blends

Lesson 9 – Introduction to Brushes

• Using Calligraphic brushes
• Editing a brush
• Using a fill color with brushes
• Drawing with the Paintbrush tool
• Create an Art brush
• Edit an Art brush
• Using Bristle brushes
• Changing bristle brush options
• Painting with a Bristle brush
• Using Pattern brushes
• Changing the color attributes of brushes
• Working with the Blob Brush tool
• Using Bristle brushes
• Merging paths with the Blob Brush tool
• Painting with a Bristle brush
• Editing with the Eraser tool

Lesson 10 - Applying Effects

• Applying an effect
• Editing an effect
• Styling text with effects
• Editing shapes with a Pathfinder effect
• Offsetting paths
• Applying a Photoshop effect
• Creating a revolved object

Lesson 11 - Appearance Attributes and Graphic Styles

• Using appearance attributes
• Editing and adding appearance attributes
• Reordering appearance attributes
• Adding an additional stroke and fill
• Creating and saving a graphic style
• Applying a graphic style to an object
• Applying a graphic style to a layer
• Applying existing graphic styles
• Applying an appearance to a layer