Vector paths, control handles,
beizer curves, clipping masks...
What are they?
How do you make art with them?
Adobe Illustrator CS features a rich assortment of tools that any artist
can use to create stunning visual art. At first glance, these tools might seem intimidating,
but with these tutorials and a little practice you’ll be creating beautiful graphics
for print, web, advertising, or 3D applications.
Adobe Illustrator is a vector-based drawing program that relies on
mathematical descriptions of points, lines, and colors instead of pixel values like
a bitmap-based program such as Photoshop. Vectors are paths consisting of anchor points,
segments, and applied strokes and fills. Creating art with these tools requires some
practice and an understanding of the strengths and limitations of the process. T
hat’s where the Illustrator Lab comes in: to guide you through the major tools and
basic workflow so that you gain a practical understanding of this powerful application.
This two-disk set of tutorials covers such topics as:
Anatomy of a path - understanding vector-based artwork
Placing artwork into Illustrator
Working with layers
Strokes & Fills
RGB vs. CMYK colorspace
Using the Selection tools
Understanding the Pathfinder pallet
Working with Paths & Shapes
Working with Rulers & Guides
Grouping/Ungrouping Shapes
Linear & Radial Gradients
And much, much, more...
Featuring over six hours of video demonstrations and detailed, step-by-step
project instructions, Illustrator Lab is loaded with insights, expert advice, and tips
from an outstanding artist of new media.
Sample project files are included plus an additional Bonus tutorial: “Introduction
to Paths”. Everything* you need to gain a basic understanding of the application is
included on these disks.
*A demo version of Illustrator is not included. You can download one
from Adobe.
The expert for this disk is Eric C. Carter. In 1997, after working for
more than 10 years in various aspects of media from underground comics to 3D, Eric joined
United Airlines in the Culture & Corporate Education Dept. There he became Lead Art
Director for the Training Division, where he developed a variety of multimedia training
applications. In 2001 he joined Toast Productions Inc. as a New Media Evangelist, promoting
the benefits of new media to anyone who would listen. Expanding on his multimedia experience
he created rich e-learning web applications as well as CD-ROM based training applications.
In 2002 he moved with his wife to sunny California where he started his own company,
Dizzy Pixel.
PRODUCTS
Adobe Illustrator is a vector-based drawing program that relies on
mathematical descriptions of points, lines, and colors instead of pixel values like
a bitmap-based program such as Photoshop. Vectors are paths consisting of anchor points,
segments, and applied strokes and fills. Creating art with these tools requires some
practice and an understanding of the strengths and limitations of the process. T
hat’s where the Illustrator Lab comes in: to guide you through the major tools and
basic workflow so that you gain a practical understanding of this powerful application.
This two-disk set of tutorials covers such topics as:
Featuring over six hours of video demonstrations and detailed, step-by-step
project instructions, Illustrator Lab is loaded with insights, expert advice, and tips
from an outstanding artist of new media.