Start New Illustrator Project
· Choose File then New
· Choose Print, choose your size and orientation
Save your work for the first time
· Click File then Save
· Ensure the Illustrator AI option is selected as the type of file before clicking save
Enable Smart guides
· Select View and ensure Smart guides is ticked. This will help you to align the shapes you create
Rectangle Tool
· Right clicking the rectangle tool allows you to choose different shapes
· When selecting the polygon shape, you can use the diamond shaped widget on the edge to change the amount of sides
· Use the outside square widgets to resize the shape and rotate it
· Make sure you hold down shift when resizing to keep the proportions locked
· Use the inside widget to round the corners if desired
· Use Objects then Arrange to send the shapes forward or back
· Select Object and then arrange to bring shapes forward and back
· To curve only select corners of a shape select the area with the direct selection tool and drag the widget to curve those corners
Ellipse Tool
· Hold down shift to make it a perfect circle
· Select the center point of the circle and then alt to create a circle within a circle. If you don’t press alt it will just create the circle from the center
Line Tool
· Used to create lines
· Can edit the thickness and qualities of the line using the stroke editing tools on the top control panel
· Use Stroke Panel on the right control panel and choose Show Options to experiment with arrow head options
Stroke and Fill
· You can remove the fill to see through the shape
· You can change the colour for both stroke and fill by selecting an object and choosing the colour on the top task bar
· You can make the line thicker for stroke by clicking the drop down menu in the top task bar
· Fill can be patterns, gradients or solid colour
Selection Tool (black arrow)
· Enables you to pick up an object and move it around
· Selection tool can also be used to resize the object
· Drag your curser over multiple shapes to select them together
Direct Selection Tool (white arrow)
· Enables you to manipulate a part of that object or shape
· Drag your curser over the section of the shape you want to manipulate
Align Function
· Use selection to select all the shapes you want to align
· Use the align tool to align the way you want
Shape Builder Tool
· Use the selection tool to select all the shapes
· Select the shape builder tool
· Drag from one shape to the other to join to shapes
· To cut out a shape use the same shape builder tool but press alt at the same time
Image Trace
· Select the Window menu in the control panel
· Click on Image Trace
· Choosing Low Fidelity Trace will trace the pixel image to make it into a vector image
· You can experiment with all the different options such as grey scale, line art, 3 colours etc.
· Selecting Silhouette then Expand will allow you to change the colour of the new formed vector shape
Use Image Trace to create a Pattern
· Once you have your vector shape Press Object, Pattern and the Make
· You can move, rotate, lower the opacity and change the colour of the shape and it will update the pattern
· Select Done and it will be added to your swatches
· You can then put the pattern onto a shape
Add another Artboard
· Select Window then Artboard
· You can also select how many artboards you want when you open a new file
Finalizing and Uploading your work to your blog
· When you are finished and want to upload you work to your blog click File, Save and choose Adobe Illustrator Ai from the drop down menu. (Important: Always keep an illustrator file format saved in case we need it for later use.)
· Then click File, Export and choose JPEG from the drop down menu. Click okay to the standard settings
