Adobe Illustrator Scan / Trace / Vector
This week's tutorials look at Adobe Illustrator 10 working with the pen tool drawing and tracing Scans... maps, mapmaking, Logo Design, Drawing Curves, Pencil Tool Basics, Text Warping Tools, Vector Graphics, Turn Bitmap Images into Vector Art, and importing illustrator files, and desktop publishing
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- Creating a Sample Page in Illustrator
The basis for this site is basically to create a resume for a graphic artist. First the author goes over scanning and importing images as well as resizing them. He then goes on to setting up the page with the size in inches as well as megabytes. Next he reviews saving the images correcting before and after resizing them. After resizing the images the author displays how to link them. Finally the images are embeded and the file is resaved under a different name. Posted on Tue Nov 16 - create headlines that demand attention
due to the lack of resources I found involving desktop publisher, I decided to continue expanding my understanding of text and different tools to be used. in this tutorial they used the extrude tool on the font the added a bevel to make it more 3-dymentional. in this tutorial they used an already existing image to give the headline some emphasis. (here is the write up i did...i had made a copy of it.) Posted on Wed Nov 17 - Tips and Techniques: Keeping Color in Crosshatching
This tutorial demonstrates how to keep color in your crosshatching when you are in Illustrator. We begin simply by opening a color file and then posterizing it. A copy should be made on a new layer and then followed by filter > pen and ink > photo crosshatch. This will present the crosshatch on the image and will allow for values to be adjusted to enhance the final image. It is that easy. Posted on Tue Nov 16 - Logo Design: Adobe Illustrator Tutorial
This tutorial shows how to create what appears to be a quick line drawing from a photograph as a part of a logo. In the tutorial, the artist begins with a picture of a gecko and traces the body with the pen tool. He adds separate layers for the legs and then fills both layers with black. Finally he adds what is called a "cut-out layer" and it is filled with white to visually remove parts of the filled outline. You have to be sure that all of the layers are fills and not strokes, because strokes are deleted when the graphic is trimmed. I thought that the tutorial was simple, but it has a lot of potential and can be used to create a really neat effect. Posted on 11/9/2004 - Drawing Curves: Pencil Tool Basics (PDF)
This is a great tutorial for pen basics. The less anchors there are, the better other shape. Also the longer the arms are the steeper the curve becomes. Each arm, anchor. and even the path itself is easily changed. The Add anchor tool adds anchors, and the Delete anchor tool removes anchors. One thing that I was confused on was how they said that you should place the anchors on the ends of the curves and not on the top. Posted on 11/9/2004 - Warping Text using Illustrator Warping Tools
First off, you obviously have to create text in order to distort it. Next create a rectangle that fits exactly with the text box. Then selct both and go to Object>Envelope Distort>Make with Top Object. Now go to Object>Envelope Distort>Edit Contents. You should be able to distort the text now. But to finish it off go to Object>Envelope Distort>Make with Warp. In the warp options you can really change the text. Posted on 11/9/2004 - Making a figure using Adobe Illustrator
This was a very long, but extremely helpful tutorial in pdf format explaining how to use the tracing and scanning techniques in Illustrator to create a detailed map. The tutorial dealt with explaining vector images and layers and their importance to the bit map, as well an in-depth explaination for the uses of each individual tool. Posted on 11/9/2004 - Warping Text using Illustrator 10's Warping Tools
This is a site that shows a simple way to warp text in Illustrator 10. After typing all of the text, you just create a rectangle that is the same size as the text box and envelope the two together. This upper box is manipulated to warp the text. Fortunately, you can still edit the text after it has been warped. Posted on 11/9/2004 - Vector Graphics Course: Final Project (Trace Template)
This tutorial gave step-by-step instructions for project involving tracing a template. It was divided up into three major steps: scanning or converting your initial sketch to a template file, creating a new document using the template, and tracing the template. I found the instructions fairly easy to follow and the what-not-to-do's within each step were a big help. Posted on 11/9/2004 - Making a Map
This tutorial insturcts to begin with an aerial photograph. You then start with a new Illustrator file and under the file menu Place the photo. The next step would be to create a new layer to work on and locking the original photo layer. Then outline the roads, rivers, etc. and odd shapes using the pencil tool, and change colors of the roads, rivers, etc. To create recognizable shapes such as a building use the shape tool, more than one if necessary. After text has been added, unlock the photo layer and delete. Posted on 11/9/2004 - Turn Bitmap Images into Vector Art
This tutorial provides a basic overview of how to transform a conventional bitmap image into vector art through the use of the auto trace feature. This tool can be very effective for tracing detailed images because it allows you to select only one shape at a time. This tutorial recommends that you increase the contrast in order to make it easier to find edges. The paths created by the auto trace tool take on the fill and stroke set in the color palette. The auto trace tool also allows you to change settings to create more efficient paths. The eyedropper tool can then be used to select the colors from the original image and complete the piece. Posted on 11/9/2004 - Importing adobe illustrator files
In this tutorial they show a complicated way of making a logo three dimensional by using tools like a splinning tool, a welding tool, and a sub object mode. It all seems complicated and much harder then what we did in class but it seems to still work. Posted on 11/9/2004 - Creative Tools in Illustrator 9
This is great tutorial. The first page covers basic tools such as the pencil tool, the erase tool, and the smooth tool and their effects on paths. The second page goes much more indepth with creating paths with the pen tool; it covers everything from the polygonagal tools to using the up and down arrows to assist you in creating paths. Finally, the third page goes over the uses of the text tool and how it can be projected across paths. Posted on 11/9/2004 - Continue with more Illustrator pen and drawing
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