Adobe Illustrator for Creative Professionals

Adobe Illustrator for Creative Professionals

by Clint Balsar
Released June 2022
Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
ISBN: 9781800569256

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Book description

Build your own designs using vector shapes and apply design principles when creating projects in Adobe Illustrator with the help of this full-color guide

Key Features

  • Apply industry trends and methods and move from concept to completion of designs
  • Manipulate tools within the software to make your creative process smoother
  • Master the technique of using tools such as the Shaper Tool, Shape Builder Tool, and the Live Paint Bucket

Book Description

Adobe Illustrator is a vector-based art tool for visual creatives. It is an industry-standard tool that helps you take a design from concept to completion, including the process of peer collaboration and client feedback.

Complete with step-by-step explanations of essential concepts and practical examples, you'll begin to build confidence as you master the methods of successful illustrators in the industry by exploring crucial tools and techniques of Adobe Illustrator. You'll learn how to create objects using different tools and methods while assigning varied attributes and appearances. Throughout the book, you'll strengthen your skills in developing structures for maintaining organization as your illustration grows.

By the end of this Adobe Illustrator book, you'll have gained the confidence you need to not only create content in the desired format and for the right audience but also build eye-catching vector art based on solid design principles.

What you will learn

  • Master a wide variety of methods for developing objects
  • Control files using layers and groups
  • Enhance content using data-supported infographics
  • Use multiple artboards for better efficiency and asset management
  • Understand the use of layers and objects in Illustrator
  • Build professional systems for final presentation to clients

Who this book is for

This book is for creative illustrators with basic to intermediate-level experience with vector-based software who want to take their existing skills to the next level. Prior knowledge of vector-based illustration concepts will help you get the most out of this Adobe Illustrator software book and produce impressive results.

Table of contents

  1. Adobe Illustrator for Creative Professionals
  2. Contributors
  3. About the author
  4. About the reviewers
  5. Preface
    1. Who this book is for
    2. What this book covers
    3. To get the most out of this book
    4. Download the color images
    5. Conventions used
    6. Get in touch
    7. Share Your Thoughts
  6. Part 1 – Reviewing the Necessary Knowledge
  7. Chapter 1: Building a Foundation beyond the Basics
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Creating a file
    3. Workspaces and preferences
      1. Workspaces
      2. Custom workspaces
      3. Custom preferences
      4. Contextual menus
      5. Object attributes
    4. Tools and the Control panel
      1. The Bezier curve
      2. Control panel
    5. Additional panels and shortcuts
      1. Appearance panel
      2. Properties panel
    6. The grid and guides
      1. Grid
      2. Rulers
      3. Guides
    7. What's new in Adobe Illustrator 26.3.1?
      1. Adobe Sensei
      2. Illustrator on desktop
      3. Illustrator on the iPad
    8. Summary
  8. Chapter 2: Prepping for Illustrator
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Developing a plan
    3. Utilizing resources
    4. Media types
    5. Artboards
      1. View options
      2. Multiple artboards within one file
      3. Combination of different-sized artboards in a single file
      4. Combination of Landscape and Portrait mode artboards in a single file
    6. Bleeds
    7. RAM, scratch disks, and GPU performance
    8. Digital asset management plan for organization and computer maintenance
    9. Summary
  9. Part 2 – Advanced Illustrator Methods
  10. Chapter 3: Developing and Organizing Objects
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Groups and compound paths
      1. Groups
      2. Compound paths
    3. Layers and selecting
      1. Layers
      2. Selecting
    4. Migrating objects into other layers or sublayers
    5. Summary
  11. Chapter 4: Drawing with the Pencil, Paintbrush, Pen, and Shape Tools
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Making the Pencil tool work for you
    3. Loading and creating brush profiles
      1. Loading brush profiles
      2. Creating brush profiles
      3. Blob Brush tool
    4. Advanced training on the Pen tool and anchor point editing
      1. Advanced training on the Pen tool
      2. Advanced training on anchor point editing
    5. Exploring simple shape tools and the Shaper tool to develop more advanced objects
      1. Shape tools
      2. Shaper tool
      3. Combining shapes with the Shape Builder tool
    6. The Pathfinder panel for heavy lifting
      1. Compound paths
      2. Compound shapes
    7. Summary
  12. Chapter 5: Editing and Transforming Objects
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Anchor-level editing
    3. Transformations and their options panels
    4. The Effect panel and its options
    5. Summary
  13. Chapter 6: Advanced Attribute Design
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Fill options and color control
    3. Multiple fills and strokes through the Appearance panel
    4. Variable width profiles and vector pack brushes for strokes
      1. Variable width profiles
      2. Vector pack brushes
    5. Dynamic tools for greater options
      1. Shaper Tool
      2. Live shape options
      3. Dynamic Symbols
    6. Summary
  14. Chapter 7: Powerful Typography Options in Adobe Illustrator
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Exploring font structure and personality
    3. Using ligatures and alternatives
    4. Designing with text on a path
    5. Drawing using Snap to Glyph
    6. Summary
  15. Part 3 – Real-World Applications
  16. Chapter 8: Preparing Artwork for Presentation
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Starting with the end in mind
    3. Creating industry-standard presentations
      1. Brand style guides
      2. Comp cards
    4. Output methods for more media options
      1. Mobile, Web, Print, Film & Video, and Art & Illustration
      2. Asset Export
      3. Export for Screens
    5. Summary
  17. Chapter 9: Utilizing Multiple Artboards
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Setting up a document with an appropriate preset or template
    3. Adding additional artboards
    4. Labeling, arrangement, and additional options
    5. Summary
  18. Chapter 10: Advanced Layer Development and Organization
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Using the Artboards panel to your advantage
    3. Organizing layers with objects, documents, and artboards in mind
    4. Using groups, nested groups, and Isolation Mode for improved workflow
    5. Summary
  19. Chapter 11: Extending Illustrator Through Third-Party Tools and the iPad
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Adobe Stock & Marketplace in your Creative Cloud app
      1. Adobe Stock
      2. Adobe Fonts
      3. Adobe Exchange
      4. Substance 3D
      5. Creative Cloud libraries
    3. Powerful and creative plugins from Astute Graphics
      1. Variety
      2. Methods of use
    4. Cineware by Maxon for 3D objects
    5. Substance 3D in Illustrator
    6. Illustrator for iPad
    7. Summary
  20. Chapter 12: Illustrator Mastery – Advanced Techniques and Shortcuts
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Logo development using the Outline view and Shape Builder
    3. Mood board development using Pattern and Repeat for background fills
      1. Pattern
      2. Repeat
      3. Astute Graphics – MirrorMe
    4. Comp card with advanced typography settings
    5. Illustration with texture fills
      1. Applying texture with a pattern swatch
      2. Applying texture using a raster-based image
      3. Applying texture using Astute Graphics – Texturino
    6. Summary
    7. Why subscribe?
  21. Other Books You May Enjoy
    1. Packt is searching for authors like you
    2. Share Your Thoughts

Product information

  • Title: Adobe Illustrator for Creative Professionals
  • Author(s): Clint Balsar
  • Release date: June 2022
  • Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
  • ISBN: 9781800569256