Course Description

Learn how to use Adobe Illustrator to make graphics and drawings. This class will teach you the basic of digital imaging as well as the essentials of Illustrator needed to get you started on creating and editing your own graphics. Beginners welcome - can you draw a circle or a square? You will fit right in :) There are some new tools like the Multiple Artboard Tool and the Blob Tool and a few new ways to do things in Illustrator CS4. Users of CS3 who are thinking of or have currently upgraded will find it worth their effort. Looking to get into Web Design? Add this class to your studies. Looking for a refresher class to update your skills? It's more than likely you'll learn a few things about Illustrator that you never knew! Visit Arts class blog for frequent Illustrator updates. Follow Art on Twitter! This is a 5 week, self-paced, online course. If you need additional help understanding the material presented, you can communicate with the instructor and fellow classmates. The instructor will monitor and track your progress throughout the class. LVS Online offers many wonderful learning tools to help you get the most out of your online course, including an online portfolio service that manages all your course registrations, certificate of completion option, a class discussion board to interact with your instructor and fellow classmates, free hosting account, and a student upload area. LVS is a Corel Training Partner. LVS students may purchase Corel products at a significant savings. Follow this link for details. LVS students are eligible to receive software and hardware at a discount. Follow this link for details. Students are also eligible take advantage of special offers made available specifically for LVS by famous software developers such as Andromeda, AV Bros, Extensis, Harry Heim, namesuppressed, Nik Multimedia, and Ulead. Details are provided in the classinfo link found in the confirmation of registration. Show off your LVS Online spirit with an item from the LVS Store Visit the LVS Blog for updates. If you would like to receive more information regarding this course, click on the "Contact Us" link in the Information section and we'll try to answer any of your questions within the day.

Course Requirements

Illustrator CS4 software. Students with CS3 software will benefit from this class but will not be able to do exercises specific for CS4. Software up to 75% off for students, teachers, and schools at Academic Superstore! Students, parents, faculty! Journeyed.com has your lowest prices on software, hardware and more! There will be Zip files provided to complete many of the weekly exercises. WinZip, PKZip, Windows Compression or a similar program is required to unzip these files. Winzip Tutorial Here Windows Compression Students must have a working knowledge of their operating system, especially: How to create and name new folders How to locate files How to open and save files Here are a few free tutorials available at LVS which may be helpful to you: Free Windows Class Directory Structure Tutorial Homework must be reviewed by the instructor in order to earn a certificate. Students have the option of using either the Student Upload Area or free web hosting made available for LVS students. Details are provided in the classroom. If you prefer to use your own web space, you must know how to upload your files to a server. Free tutorials are available: Basic HTML Page WS_FTP SmartFTP All lessons are available in PDF format. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view/print the lessons.

Course Prerequisites

None

Course Syllabus

Lesson 1 Introduction Vector vs. Raster New Documents and File Formats Opening and Closing Documents Getting Started with the Interface, Palettes, and Tools Saving and Managing Workspaces Strokes and Fills Color Basics Swatches Modifier Keys Getting Help Saving Documents Using Save for Web Print and the Crop Area in CS3 Lesson 2 Setting Preferences Resetting Preferences Creating Custom Keyboard Shortcuts More with Color: Swatches Palette Color Palette Color Picker Why Multiple Artboards? The Artboard Tool Print and the Crop Area in CS4 Guides and Grids The Musical Clipping Masks Using the Gradient Tool & Gradient Palette Making a Custom Brush Lesson 3 The Lasso Tool Selection Tool Direct Selection Tool Using the Pen Tool The Ways of a Path Editing Paths Practicing with the Pen Tool Drawing with the Pen Tool What's a Filter and What's an Effect Using Undo Using Brushes as Strokes Lesson 4 Compound Paths Beware The Blob Tool Pathfinder Arrange, Align and sell, sell, sell Warp Tools Twirl, Bloat, Pucker, and Scallop Lesson 5 Take on Type Working with Type Tools Text on a Path Using a Path as a Type Holder Type on a Circle Outlining Create Outlines Gradient Text Pattern Filled Text Creating a Text Image Lesson 6 Return of Type: Leading Kerning Tracking Paragraph Alignment and Justification Using Symbols Symbolism Tools Saving Custom Symbols Document Cleanup Learning Live Paint Learning Live Trace

Course Excerpt

LESSON 1 You have to know the tools, to work with the tools, to produce artwork. Oh wait I think I said something about learning principles with the how and why already. Let's try this, those videos were 20 years old and talked about Illustrator as a brand new product. They talked about features like drawing lines, curves, circles and squares. They talked about changing colors and moving and editing shapes. Now Illustrator is on its 14th version (CS4) and while a number of things have changed or been added, it is still about drawing lines, curves, circles and squares. While changing colors and moving and editing shapes. Adobe has just built upon it base features, version after version until they had a frame with walls and it now has a roof and the house is now called the Adobe Creative Suite. Continued... Please note: Lessons provide step-by-step instructions with detailed screen captures.

Course Goals

At the end of the class, you should have a solid understanding of the basics of Illustrator as well as the new Muliple Art Board Tool and digital graphics in general that will allow you to make simple drawings and web graphics.

Course Reviews

New Course November 2009 More...