Adobe Illustrator CC (2014 Release)

To meet the demands of individuals and organizations for flexible, reusable, and easily modified visual content, Adobe Systems has created a cadre of applications that collectively provide a scalable, end-to-end solution for nearly every type of visual design project one can contemplate. Called Creative Cloud™ (CC), the collection of applications perform specialized design tasks while interoperating among each other to deliver superlative content.

This course focuses on Adobe® Illustrator® CC (2014), the component within CC used to create “drawn” graphics, while enabling its users to integrate content from other domains (such as photo-oriented graphics and animation, which belong to Adobe® Photoshop® and Flash®). With Illustrator's many, easily used tools, you will discover that not only can you unlock the same creative impulses you've always had as you've picked up a pencil to sketch out an idea, but also capture those multiple ideas and “what ifs” during the creative process in ways that you never imagined. And for those of you who are just embarking on building your creative skills, you will be surprised at “how good” your work will appear, even at the outset of your exploration of the world of graphic design.

This course covers the Graphic Design & Illustration Using Adobe Illustrator CC objectives to help students prepare for the Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) exam. This course is also designed to cover the Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) exam objectives.

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to use Adobe Illustrator CC (2014) to create illustrations that include graphics and text. You will:

• Identify the components and capabilities of Illustrator CC (2014).
• Create basic shapes.
• Create custom paths.
• Create graphics that contain custom text.
• Customize objects.
• Customize basic shapes.
• Prepare documents for deployment.

Target Student: This course is intended for designers, publishers, pre-press professionals, marketing communications professionals, or people switching to a design job or taking on design responsibilities and who need to use Illustrator to create illustrations, logos, advertisements, or other graphic documents.

Prerequisites: To ensure your success in this course, you should be familiar with the basic functions of your computer’s operating system, such as creating folders, launching programs, and working with windows. You should also have basic Windows application skills, such as copying and pasting objects, formatting text, saving files, and so on. Familiarity with basic design terminology, such as palettes, color modes, shapes, text, and paths, is highly recommended.

Course Content

1 Getting to Know the Work Area

• Understanding the Workspace
• Working with the Tools Panel
• Working and Editing Panels
• Using View Commands
• Using the Navigator panel

2 Techniques for Selecting Artwork

• Selecting Objects
• Aligning Object
• Working with Groups
• Arranging Objects

3 Using Shapes to Create Artwork for a Postcard

• Creating a New Document
• Creating a Shape and Editing Corners of a Live Shape
• Creating Rectangles, Rounded Rectangles, Ellipse, Polygons, and Stars
• Working with Lines
• Working with Shape Builder tool
• Working with the Pathfinder panel
• Working with Draw Modes

4 Transforming Artwork

• Working with Artboards
• Transforming Content
• Positioning, Scaling, Reflecting, Rotating, and Shearing Objects
• Transforming with the Free Transform Tool
• Creating a PDF

5 Creating an Illustration with the Drawing Tools

• Getting Started with Pen tool
• Selecting Paths, Curved Paths
• Creating Illustrations
• Deleting and Anchoring Points
• Using Scissor, Knife, and Pencil Tool

6 Using Color and Patterns to Enhance Signage

• Understanding the Main Color Controls
• Creating and Saving a Custom Color
• Working with Swatches
• Using Patterns, Creating, and Editing Patterns
• Working with Live Paint

7 Adding Type to a Poster

• Adding Text and Area Type
• Working with Overflow Text and Text Reflow
• Formatting Type
• Working with Type on a Path
• Creating Text Outlines

8 Organizing Your Artwork with Layers

• Understanding, Creating, Editing Layers
• Duplicating, Merging, and Pasting Layers
• Changing Layer Order
• Creating a Clipping Mask

9 Blending Colors and Shapes

• Working with Gradients
• Adding Transparency
• Working with Blended Objects
• Creating, Modifying, and Finishing a Blend

10 Using Brushes to Create a Poster

• Using and Applying Calligraphic Brushes
• Drawing and Editing with Paintbrush
• Using Art Brushes, Pattern Brushes, Bristle Brushes, and Blob Brushes

11 Exploring Creative Uses of Effects and Graphic Styles

• Using the Appearance Panel
• Using Live Effects
• Using and Applying Graphic Styles

12 Creating a Product Mockup in Perspective

• Understanding and Working with the Perspective Grid
• Using a Preset Grid
• Bringing Content into Perspective
• Adding and Editing Symbols in the Perspective Grid

13 Using Symbols to Create a Map

• Working with Symbols
• Creating, Duplicating and, Replacing Symbols
• Working with the Symbolism Tools

14 Using Illustrator CC with Other Adobe Applications

• Combining Artwork
• Placing Image Files and Multiple Images
• Masking Images
• Working with Image Links
• Packaging a File

15 Preparing Content for the Web

• Saving Content for Web
• Slicing Content
• Using the Save for Web Command
• Creating CSS Code

Note: This class is taught on PC running Windows.