The first in a four-part series by industry-pro Deke McClelland on creating elegant, optimized graphics with the tools in Illustrator CS6.
- Hi, this is Deke McClelland. Welcome to Illustrator CS6 One-on-One Fundamentals. Part one in a series of four video courses devoted to your ultimate mastery of the world's most powerful vector-based drawing software. Adobe Illustrator recently turned 25 years old. I began using the program when it first came out, back when I was 25 years old. I like to joke, that makes Illustrator and I about the same age. But the truth is I've been using the program, writing books about it and recording videos about it for more than half my life.
Which is why I feel uniquely suited to make you this promise. Give me your time and attention, and I'll mentor you through every facet of the software you need to know in the order you need to know it. No crowded classroom and no scheduling conflicts. It's just you and me, one on one, any time that's it's convenient for you to learn. This course is devoted to project-based learning, meaning, you're gonna make stuff. You'll create professional quality art work from scratch, using nothing more than a Line and shape Tools.
You'll trace a piece of scan line art and scale it to any size you like. You'll paint an elaborate mosaic design, again from scratch using some of Illustrator's simplest tools. You'll create a beautifully formatted text document, and you'll experience the unbridled power of the Pen tool. The result is a contextualized learning program. Illustrator's features will make sense because you'll apply them to a clearly defined task. And you'll leave each chapter with a sense of accomplishment.
I really hope there are moments where you feel, I rule, I did this and I can do more. I'll start by showing you how to open a file in Illustrator by double clicking on it, first in Windows and then on the Mac. Then I'll show you how to make a new document, add a few text elements and save your changes. This may not be the most exciting stuff we'll do, but it's stuff that you have to know. And it's how you get to work in Illustrator immediately.
Author
Released
6/1/2012This installment covers subjects such as working with shapes and closed paths, including painting, grouping, and coloring, and placing and adjusting type. Deke shows you how to select fonts, create hanging indents, and tweak the kerning and leading of your text. Additional chapters cover drawing and editing paths (and their points) and moving and transforming objects in your artwork.
- Rotating and duplicating objects
- Grouping and stacking
- Erasing and painting selected paths
- Using the Shape Builder tool
- Reflecting across an angled axis
- Simulating beveled edges
- Creating a network of interlocking paths
- Placing and flowing text
- Creating page margins
- Adjusting type size
- Creating and applying paragraph styles
- Using the Glyphs panel
- Inserting and removing anchor points
Skill Level Beginner
Duration
Views
Q: I'm following along with Chapter 5 movie, "Creating compound paths." Why can't I get the second shape to compound properly? The Object menu doesn't seem to work.
A: This problem is due to a bug in Illustrator that has developed since this movie was recorded. To work around it, click off the Object menu (or press the Escape key); take another action, such as opening and closing the drawing layer; and revisit the Object menu.
Related Courses
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Deke's Techniques
with Deke McClelland156h 54m Intermediate
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Introduction
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Welcome to One-on-One2m 13s
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1. Making a Document
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Creating a new document4m 50s
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Advanced document controls4m 43s
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Modifying your document3m 6s
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Saving changes6m 4s
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2. Working with Artboards
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Auto-arranging artboards3m 25s
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Artboards and rulers4m 35s
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3. Getting Around
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Panels and workspaces5m 17s
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Cycling through screen modes3m 25s
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4. Making Line Art
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Meet the line tools2m 8s
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Creating custom guides4m 13s
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Adjusting control handles4m 35s
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Using the Spiral tool3m 29s
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Tracing existing spirals5m 2s
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Now, we draw39s
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5. Drawing Geometric Shapes
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Meet the shape tools2m 8s
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Using the Ellipse tool6m 33s
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Creating compound paths7m 5s
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Drawing a multi-point star7m 28s
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Drawing rounded rectangles7m 35s
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Reflecting across an axis5m 29s
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Using the Flare tool6m 25s
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6. Tracing an Image
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Opening an image to embed it3m 49s
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Auto-tracing and resolution5m 48s
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Adjusting layer previews3m 3s
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Flipping and fusing shapes5m 54s
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7. Scaling and Rotating
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Creating a tracing template4m 50s
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Dragging and duplicating2m 55s
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Using the Scale tool6m 50s
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Using the Rotate tool5m 6s
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Rotating and duplicating5m 52s
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The realm of transformations1m 24s
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8. Painting Freeform Shapes
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Using the Shape Builder tool6m 16s
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Simulating beveled edges7m 34s
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The best tools for painting1m 12s
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9. Working with Type
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Creating page margins6m 1s
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Placing and flowing text5m 39s
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Working with point text4m 53s
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Redefining paragraph styles6m 16s
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Using the Glyphs panel8m 37s
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Spell-checking your text4m 41s
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10. Using the Pen Tool
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Faking simple spline curves6m 49s
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Conclusion
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See ya46s
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Video: Welcome to One-on-One