Details
Included:
A link to video reviews of major topics. The class files, which are yours to take home, contain tons of reminder information as well!
prerequisites
If you are completely new to professional Desktop Publishing software, or if your experience is limited to Microsoft Office products, you should be familiar with the basic concepts and vocabulary covered in our Desktop Publishing Overview. If the topics outlined for that class are familiar, you're ready for this one!
Very helpful for graphic creation, but not required before tackling Illustrator, is the Digital Drawing Workshop (to gain experience with the Adobe Pen Tool).
If you take both of these half-day classes, we will automatically refund 1/3 of their cost! They're almost always offered on the same day!
what we cover
recommended text:
Who uses Illustrator? Architects, artists, designers, engineers, and Photoshop divas who need some vector graphics power tools. Illustrator's ability to create graphics in a freeform way or with incredible precision appeals to all these users. Learn to utilize this amazing tool to design logos, create detailed maps, illustrate products and more.
(always customized for the students in attendance):
- Create both basic and complex shapes
- create simple, "logo-esque" shapes
- secrets of the "basic" shape tools
- know when to edit and when to redraw
- Bend and twist graphics with powerful transformation tools
- the Scale, Rotate, and Reflect tools
- the Liquify tools: Warp, Twirl, Pucker, Bloat, and friends
- Free Transform
- the Bounding Box
- point by point editing
- adjust line weight variably for gorgeous, custom calligraphic effects
- Control your illustrations with Layers
- control stacking order of your illustration's parts
- organize complex illustrations (like maps)
- selecting objects from the Layers panel
- hiding, locking, and more
- Create and control color swatches
- the power and pitfalls of Illustrator swatches
- using color libraries (like Pantone®)
- the joys of Live Color: recolor whole illustrations elegantly
- Use Gradients effectively
- surprising ways to add depth to objects
- shading and subtlety
- Using Type
- the Adobe type engine
- font choices
- controlling typographic features
- converting type to graphics
- flowing text along a path
- flowing text inside a path
- getting text from other applications
- Adding images from other programs to your illustrations
- take advantage of Photoshop features in Illustrator
- linking vs embedding
- Tracing scanned images: pros and cons
- line drawing to vector paths
- photos to vector forms
- taming the Live Trace feature
- Working intuitively: Live Paint
- from vector shape quilting to drawing the way you want
- mind the gap: pitfalls in Live Paint
- Transparency
- transparency risks made clear (puns intended)
- opacity, blending modes, and output
- transparency effects vs overprinting
- Combining Shapes
- shape modes
- using shapes as tools on other shapes
- using the shape builder tool
- Basics of Blends
- morphing of objects
- using blends to create subtle shading
- Graphic Styles
- saving appearance attributes for later use
- make major changes globally and efficiently
- Saving and Exporting
- saving for older versions of Illustrator
- PDF and EPS
Steve presented the materials in such a way as to excite and intrigue, rather than frighten and overwhelm. The hands on experience is wonderful! There's no other way to really learn a software program. I definitely learned way more than anticipated...practical tools, tips and tricks that I will use in my daily work as a graphic designer. The fun "test" on the second day made me realize that I had retained what I was learning. Perfect! My only regret is that my other co workers were not able to attend.
- Illustrator Essentials student
Illustrator CS6 Essentials—two days— $525
To register, click on a starting date
At Luminous Works, you get . . .
- Free class refresher within 12 months...
- Take it again! Within 12 months of any class that is still offered in that time, just get in touch and let us know when you want to audit. If there's a seat available, it's yours. Please read the full details
- Bring home your work...
- Bring home your class files so you can practice what you learn with us. These training files often contain valuable tips and procedures, as well as what you may have created during class. Whether you want to show off the images from your photography class, the chapter you built in your InDesign training class, or you want to explore those features we covered in your Illustrator training class, or perhaps you want to post the site you built in your Dreamweaver training class, you'll have the resources to review and cherish your hard work..
- Mac OS or Windows...
- All of our computers can run your operating system of choice.
- Small class sizes—by design...
- We pride ourselves on our ability to tailor training examples and emphases on the fly. Since we strictly limit class size, you will not be just another head to count, but rather a learner with whom we're communicating.
- Carefully crafted curricula...
- Constantly updated and refined, and never canned. Here, you'll never be subjected to a mass-produced workbook that is geared for the lowest common denominator. Instead, each class exercise is evaluated and tweaked to be effective and often fun.
We teach the bulk of the Adobe Creative Suite, but that's not the whole story. We also teach classes in photographic workflows, and several classes on "the basics" to get you started in web or desktop publishing. And since we have intentionally small class sizes, we can adapt a course's curriculum on the fly to accommodate that day's attendees. We teach people, not workstations. - Convenient & comfortable location...
- From the lighting to the full kitchen for lunch and breaks; from your choice of operating system to the expansive deck for catching your breath, you'll feel right at home while you learn. Students even ask us where they can buy our chairs! We're easily accessible from anywhere in the Seattle region.
- Adobe Certified Expert instruction
- Luminous Works classes focusing on Adobe software are taught by Adobe Certified Experts; those who've both mastered the applications they teach and pass rigorous exams to prove it.
We've all heard of knowledgeable experts who haven't the ability to impart their knowledge. You won't encounter that here.