Learning Adobe Illustrator from scratch. How to draw a depressed but fashionable guy in Adobe Illustrator? How to draw a cake in Adobe Illustrator

Since the birth of the most powerful Adobe Illustrator editor, the effectiveness of artists and designers around the world has increased to unprecedented heights. This amazing program has become a real flagship at sea digital painting. Thanks to the advanced capabilities of this amazing tool, fine art has reached a new level of development. But even the most advanced tool will not create a masterpiece without the skillful hand of a master with sufficient knowledge of its use. The following materials will help you in obtaining the necessary knowledge.

Adobe Illustrator tutorials for beginners

To familiarize yourself with the training format, we are posting the first 5 lessons. You can download the entire course using the links below.

Adobe Illustrator - Online course for stockers

Over the course of the 21st lesson, with a total duration of 21 hours and 50 minutes, you will learn how to use all the editor's tools, as well as master advanced drawing techniques. A very valuable course for serious immersion in Adobe Illustrator CC.

As usual, we are posting 5 lessons to evaluate the quality of the video and the presentation of information. Links to download the full training are below.

Adobe Illustrator is one of the recognized leaders among vector graphics programs (its latest versions also have tools for working with raster images, just as Photoshop can now work with vector objects) and is intended for creating and editing illustrations for printing, multimedia applications and the Internet.

Vector graphics are based on the simplest geometric shapes called primitives - rectangles, circles, ellipses, etc.; on figures built from primitives, and on various curves. Hence the freedom of transformation: a vector image can be rotated and scaled with virtually no loss of quality. Programs for working with vector graphics are indispensable in those areas of graphics where important

has the preservation of clear and distinct outlines, for example when creating graphic titles, logos, drawings, technical illustrations, diagrams, diagrams, etc.

The advantage of vector illustrations is that they take up less space than similar raster images, since it is not the image itself that is saved, but only some basic data, with the help of which the program creates the image anew each time. In addition, vector graphics work well with outlines of objects and groups of objects, allowing you to quickly make drastic changes. The Illustrator program interface is very similar to the interfaces of other Adobe products, primarily Photoshop, which simplifies the process of mastering it. There are similar tools here: Magic Wand (Magic wand) and Lasso (Lasso), Paintbrush (Regular brush) and Warp

(Distort Brush), etc., and similar command menus, and many of the familiar palettes, and there is also a context menu. The program implements many of the features that can be found in other graphics packages - customizable grids, layers, alignment and gradient fill tools. But much of all of the above is done somewhat differently; there are still many other possibilities focused specifically on the creation and processing of vector images.

Basic principles of working in Illustrator

Creating a new document Work on a picture begins with the creation of a new document, which occurs in the usual way by command File=>New (File=>New). At the same time, in the window(New document; Fig. 1) you need to immediately determine what the document is intended for - for publication on the Internet or for print. In the first case, RGB mode is selected, and in the second, CMYK. Then a document will appear on the screen, surrounded by a black frame (Fig. 2). Inside this frame there is usually (that is, when the printer is installed) there is an additional dotted frame that defines the working area of ​​the document, within which the drawing should be created. Anything outside the dotted frame will not be printed. Zooming in and out of an image, as in Photoshop, is done by pressing the key combination: Ctrl+« + » to zoom in, Ctrl+« – » to decrease.

Rice. 1. Create a new document for the Web

Rice. 2. New document

Toolbar

Illustrator's toolbar is very similar to that of Photoshop, and you select tools in the usual way. Under the currently visible tool there may be several more hidden, which can be easily reached by holding down the key Alt when choosing a tool (Fig. 3).

Rice. 3. A series of tools for drawing graphic primitives

Basic palettes

Illustrator has a whole series of specialized palettes that can be opened or closed and are called up from the list of palettes that opens when you activate the command Window(Window). Among the main color palette Color, color catalog palette Swatches and line palette Stroke.

In the palette Color(Fig. 4) first of all, you should pay attention to the two squares in the upper left corner of the palette: solid ( Fill) and hollow ( Stroke). Similar squares appear at the bottom of the tool palette: the first is responsible for the fill color, and the second for the object’s stroke color (Fig. 5). The square in front is considered active, and it is for it that the color will be determined if it is selected. Switching between squares is done with a regular mouse click. The fill or stroke color of an object can be selected from the palette Color, and on the toolbar. This is done by double-clicking on one of the squares and leads to the opening of a window Color Picker

(Color Selection), where you can select the desired color (Fig. 6).

Rice. 4. Color palette

Rice. 5. Example of an object with a border of a different color

Rice. 6. Selecting a color in the Color Picker window Color In addition, in the lower left corner of the palette there is a crossed out square, when clicked, the currently active color is deleted. For example, if the fill color is active, this will cause all objects created thereafter to have only borders.

Palette Swatches(Fig. 7) is a catalog of standard colors, gradients and patterns that can be edited, expanded and customized. Here you can not only select, but also store colors, gradients and patterns that you previously selected for specific images. This is very convenient, since, having selected a color for a specific object, the user immediately forgets about it and moves on to another color. In the future, to restore it, as a rule, you have to open the corresponding image and take a color sample with the tool Eyedropper Swatches(Pipette). But you can do it easier by keeping the desired colors in the palette Color(which, in fact, is what it is intended for) - just drag the active square with a color from the palette Swatches to the palette

(Fig. 8).

Rice. 7. Swatches palette

Rice. 8. Saving colors in the Swatches palette Swatches Palette can be replenished in other ways, since when installing the program, a whole library is automatically created color palettes Swatches, any of which can be added to the palette . To open a specific library, use the commands Window=>Swatch Libraries=>... (Window=>Library Collections=>...) or Window=>Swatch Libraries=>Other Library (Window=>Library Collections=>Other Libraries) and similarly drag(which, in fact, is what it is intended for) - just drag the active square with a color from the palette Swatches desired color

. The first command will open one of the default palettes, and the second will open the color library of one of the *.ai files you created earlier. To remove an unwanted color from the palette, just drag it to the trash can icon in the lower right corner of the palette. Stroke Palette (Fig. 9) determines the appearance of the object's outline. Here you can change the width of the stroke in the box Weight(Width) please note that fractional width values ​​are entered separated by commas. Enabling an option Dashed Line(Dotted line) makes three pairs of fields active Dash(Stroke length) and

Gap

(Distance between strokes), the values ​​​​of which determine the nature of the dotted line (Fig. 10).

Three values ​​of the Cap parameter of the Stroke palette define the boundaries of the line:

Selecting the first value causes the boundaries to coincide with the reference points;

Selecting the second value ensures the formation of rounded borders; When selecting the third value, the line boundaries go beyond the boundaries of the reference points (Fig. 11). determine the appearance of the internal points of a broken line: the first option ensures the formation of sharp points, the second - rounded, the third - straight. Therefore, rounded vertices will only be obtained when choosing average parameter values Cap And Join.

Rice. 9. Stroke Palette

Rice. 10. An example of an object with a dash-dotted line and the Stroke palette corresponding to this stroke

Rice. 11. Example of lines with different settings of the Cap and Join parameters

Selecting objects

Tools are used primarily to select objects. Selection(Emphasis), Direct Selection(Partial selection) and Group Selection(Group selection). Selection is responsible for selecting the entire object by enclosing it in a rectangular frame (in the so-called dimensional container) and is convenient for quickly selecting one or more adjacent or overlapping objects by forming a frame around them. When selecting one object, just click on the border of the object or inside the object if it has a fill. If we are talking about selecting several objects, then you need to form a rectangular frame around them (Fig. 12). In any case, the isolation of an object will be indicated by its enclosure in a large container (Fig. 13).

Rice. 12. The process of selecting a group of objects with the Selection tool

Rice. 13. Result of selecting a group of objects with the Selection tool

Tool Direct Selection is responsible for selecting one object without forming a rectangular frame (Fig. 14) and is most often used to select individual anchor points or segments of curves (but we will talk about this in one of the following lessons). Tool Group Selection is intended for selecting a group of objects (it can consist not only of graphic primitives, but also of individual reference points and curve segments), but also without placing them in a large container (Fig. 15).

Rice. 14. Result of selecting a star with the Direct Selection tool

Rice. 15. Result of selecting a group of objects with the Group Selection tool

To some extent, instruments Direct Selection And Group Selection duplicate each other, since you can select several objects using the tool Direct Selection, if you hold down the key Shift during the extraction process. The selection process itself is carried out by simply clicking the mouse inside the object or along its border. Using the above tools, you can move the selected images with the mouse or using the appropriate arrow keys.

In addition to the selection tools mentioned above, there are also The Illustrator program interface is very similar to the interfaces of other Adobe products, primarily Photoshop, which simplifies the process of mastering it. There are similar tools here:(Magic wand) and (Magic wand) and(Lasso). Yes, and in relation to the above-mentioned tools, there are a number of nuances, but it is impossible to grasp the immensity, and we will dwell on the issues of selection in more detail another time.

Grouping objects

If it is necessary to carry out the same transformations in relation to several objects, then it is more convenient to combine them into a group (however, this is not necessary - you can simply select all objects each time while pressing the key Shift). Selection The convenience of grouping is that after selecting several objects in a group, a single click with the tool

for any of these objects will lead to the selection of the entire group at once. Shift To create a group, select sequentially using the key Direct Selection several objects with a tool and use the command Object=>Group (Object=>Group). You can split objects using the reverse command Object=>Ungroup (Object=>Not Group). However, even if objects are grouped, it is possible to work with one of them without breaking the group. To do this, select the object with the tool

Group Selection

and perform the necessary transformations with it: moving, repainting, rotating, applying effects, etc.

Creating and converting graphic objects

So that our lesson is not purely theoretical, let's move on to creating graphic primitives in order to take advantage of the information received and take the first steps. Formation of graphic primitives Drawing simple shapes such as rectangles ( Rectangle), rounded rectangles ( Rounded Rectangle), ellipses ( Ellipse), polygons ( Polygon), stars ( Star) and glare ( Shift Flare ), is carried out in the program in the usual way - using the appropriate tools from the palette. Keystroke in the process of drawing, it leads to the formation of a square instead of a rectangle, and a circle instead of an ellipse. In addition, the parameters of a geometric figure can be adjusted from the menu, for which you need to click on the sheet and change the parameters (this is done before the object is formed). And if in the case of, for example, a rectangle, you can only change its width ( Width) and height ( Height), then for polygons you can change the radius ( Radius) and number of angles ( Sides), and for stars the number of vertices (

Points

), outer and inner radii. Fill and set the desired fill color for the shape. Then activate the square Stroke and define the border color. Select a tool from the palette Star(by default it is hidden under the tool Formation of graphic primitives, and can be found by holding down the key Alt) and form a star of the desired size (Fig. 16).

Rice. 16. Appearance stars

Activate the palette Stroke, increase the border width (for example, to 30 pixels) and set the parameters to medium values Cap And When selecting the third value, the line boundaries go beyond the boundaries of the reference points (Fig. 11). the tops of the star will take on a rounded shape (Fig. 17).

Rice. 17. Star after adjusting the border in the Stroke palette

After that, open the palette Swatches and fill the star with a suitable gradient or pattern, for example as in fig. 18.

Rice. 18. The appearance of the star after painting with a gradient from the Swatches palette

It is quite possible that the range of products available in the palette Swatches gradients will not suit you, you can slightly adjust it. In this case, the command Window=>Gradient(Window=>Gradient) open the palette Gradient and drag the gradient handles (they are placed in the form of squares under the gradient color change bar) in the right way(Fig. 19). The presented option for setting up the gradient turned out to be so easy and simple only because initially in the palette Swatches the gradient was well chosen. Fully setting up the gradient takes a longer time.

Rice. 19. Result of adjusting the gradient

Now try to create a star in a new document with big amount vertices and paint it with a manually selected gradient. Set option there is a crossed out square for both the fill color and the border color. Select a tool Polygon and click on the sheet a menu for setting star parameters will appear, in which you need to define the desired settings, for example as in Fig. 20. You will get a star that has not yet been painted over (Fig. 21).

Rice. 20. Setting star parameters

Rice. 21. Initial view of the star

Team Window=>Gradient(Window=>Gradient) open the Gradient palette. By default, a linear black-and-white gradient is configured here, which can be easily replaced with a radial one (Fig. 22). After that, click on the white square in the lower left corner of the palette Gradient(Fig. 23), then double-click on the Fill square in the tool palette and set the desired color. Then click on the black square in the lower right corner of the palette Gradient and set the second color in the same way. The result will be approximately the same as in Fig. 24.

Rice. 22. Replacing a linear gradient with a radial one

Rice. 23. Click on the bottom border of the color in the Gradient palette

Rice. 24. The appearance of the star after setting up the gradient and the Gradient palette corresponding to the fill

It should be kept in mind that there are very convenient ways to control the process of drawing graphic primitives. For example, when creating a polygon, star or highlight, you can use the arrow keys, which will allow you to increase or decrease the number of vertices of the polygon and star and the number of turns of the spiral right as you draw. Pressed key Shift When drawing, it will allow you to align the created object horizontally and vertically. Pressing a key Space when drawing, you can immediately move the object to the desired location, and the key Ctrl allows you to change the degree of sharpness of the star's rays.

The simplest actions on objects

Please note that any action is performed only on one or several selected objects, and entire groups of objects can be simultaneously moved, resized, recolored at the same time, and various filters can be applied to them. For example, repainting will be carried out instantly for all selected objects when the fill color is changed Fill(Fig. 25).

Rice. 25. Simultaneously repainting two selected objects

Transforming an Object with the Direct Selection Tool

Draw a rectangle and make a second copy of it next to it (for example) in the usual way via the clipboard (commands Edit=>Copy Editing=>Copy and Edit=>Paste Editing=>Insert), then deselect the resulting copy with the command Select=>Deselect(Selection=>Nothing selected) or simply by clicking on an empty area of ​​the work area. Select a tool Direct Selection, bring it to one of the corners of the rectangle and pull it, turning it into a trapezoid (Fig. 26).

Rice. 26. Transforming a rectangle with the Direct Selection tool

Scaling and Rotations

Unlike Photoshop, the scaling and rotation tools are placed directly on the toolbar in Illustrator, so working with them is easy and simple. For example, let's make a copy of the star shown in Fig. Edit=>Copy 27, teams Edit=>Paste(Edit=>Copy) and (Edit=>Insert), reduce it in size and move it to the center of the large star. To reduce the size (given that the copied star is selected), select the tool on the toolbar Scale (Edit=>Insert), reduce it in size and move it to the center of the large star. To reduce the size (given that the copied star is selected), select the tool on the toolbar(Scale), double-clicking on the tool will open the scaling window. Let's turn it on in the window Direct Selection and drag it to the center of the big star. It is quite difficult to ideally position objects relative to each other (although in practice such operations have to be performed very often), so you need to select both stars. Let's open the palette Windows=>Align(Window => Alignment; Fig. 29) and center them relative to each other by successively clicking on the buttons Horizontal Align Center(Horizontal alignment to center) and Vertical Align Center(Vertical alignment relative to center). The result is shown in Fig. thirty.

Rice. 27. Original image

Rice. 28. Changing the scale of the selected object

Rice. 29. Align palette

Rice. 30. Result of star centering

Then, without deselecting the objects, double-click on the tool Rotate(Rotate), which will open the rotation settings window. Enable checkbox Preview(Preview) and begin to rotate the stars little by little, gradually bringing them to the desired position (Fig. 31). You can rotate objects in other ways by selecting the tool Rotate with one click (no settings window will open in this case, but the center of rotation will be indicated in the figure) and starting to rotate the object with the mouse (Fig. 32).

Rice. 31. Rotate objects by defining settings in the Rotate window

Rice. 32. Rotating objects with the mouse

Scaling can be done in other ways: either by simply single-clicking by selecting the tool (Edit=>Insert), reduce it in size and move it to the center of the large star. To reduce the size (given that the copied star is selected), select the tool on the toolbar and moving one of the vertices of the object, or placing the object in an overall rectangle, selecting it with the tool Selection and moving the markers of the outline rectangle. In this case, moving the side markers provides scaling only horizontally or vertically, and moving the corner markers provides both horizontal and vertical scaling (Fig. 33). To scale while maintaining proportions, hold down the key Shift; Alt key

allows you to scale from the center of the object.

Rice. 33. Scaling a group of objects based on an outline rectangle

Free Transformation There is another option for scaling and rotating, implemented with just one button on the tool palette -(Free transformation). When you select this tool, the selected objects are automatically enclosed in a dimensional container that can be scaled and rotated.

In this case, you should be guided by the appearance of the marker: if it is a curved arrow, then when you move the mouse, objects will rotate, and if the marker looks like a straight arrow, then the size of the shape will change.

Using filters to form more complex objects The initial number of graphic primitives, alas, is small, and it is impossible to get by only with them when creating the desired image. However, Illustrator provides a lot of options for changing the original shapes, and the resulting images will be far from the usual rectangles, polygons and stars. Yes, filter Pucker & Bloat (Wrinkle and Blow) creates convex or concave curves based on the original image, which is very suitable for drawing flowers, heraldic signs, etc. Filter Twist

(Curve) twists the object in the center more than at the edges, creating spectacular vortices from ordinary polygons, etc. Direct Selection Let's use the star created in the previous example (Fig. 34). Let's select it with the tool , and then apply one of the many deformation options to it with the command Effect=>Distort & Transform=>Pucker & Bloat Preview(Effect=>Distort and Transform=>Shrink and Bloat). Depending on the deformation settings, you can get a variety of shapes - from the sun (Fig. 35) to the daisy (Fig. 36). Please note that the checkbox

(Preview) must be turned on, otherwise you will not be able to watch the image transform as the parameter changes.

Rice. 34. Original image

Rice. 35. Sunshine (Pucker & Bloat settings indicated)

Rice. 36. Chamomile (Pucker & Bloat settings indicated) No less original effects can be obtained if you take other graphic primitives as a basis. In particular, from an octagon you can get spectacular color options (Fig. 37, 38), and from a circle - interesting symbol

, which can be used, for example, when creating a logo (Fig. 39).

Rice. 37. First flower option (Pucker & Bloat settings are indicated)

Rice. 38. Second flower option (Pucker & Bloat settings are indicated)

Rice. 39. Possible logo fragment (Pucker & Bloat settings are indicated) Distort & Transform(Distortion and Transformation). The original image looks like Fig. 40, and the result of using the command Effect=>Distort & Transform=>Twist(Effect=>Distortion and Transformation=>Curve) can resemble a spectacular curl (Fig. 41).

Rice. 40. Original image

Rice. 41. Twist (Twist filter settings are indicated)

Recolor the original star with a bluish gradient, more suitable for snowflakes, and try using the filter ZigZag called by the command Effect=>Distort & Transform=>ZigZag(Effect=>Distortion and Transformation=>Zigzag). In this case, an incredible variety of different snowflakes can be obtained (Fig. 42).

Rice. 42. Snowflakes (ZigZag filter settings are indicated)

Now, in a new document, draw a series of circles, as shown in Fig. 43, select them with the tool Direct Selection and turn them into intricate ink blots with the command Effect=>Distort & Transform=>Roughen(Effect=>Distortion and Transformation=>Spikes; Fig. 44, 45).

Rice. 43. Original image

Rice. 44. Setting up the Roughen filter

Rice. 45. Ink blots

Creating complex objects by cutting out component parts of graphic primitives

Let's look at one of the simplest examples of cutting objects to form a rather spectacular pattern. Create a polygon and a star lying on it, filled with a gradient, something like in Fig. 46. ​​Place them symmetrically by clicking on the buttons Horizontal Align Center(Horizontal alignment to center) and Vertical Align Center(Vertical alignment to center) in the palette Align(Alignment) by opening the last command Windows=>Align(Window=>Alignment). Direct Selection Select both objects with the tool Shift when the key is pressed . Open the palette Pathfinder (Pathfinder) team Window=>Pathfinder (Window=>Pathfinder) and click on the button Divide Select=>Deselect(Cut; Fig. 47) As a result, cuts will be made at the intersections of overlapping shapes.

Refuse selection by command

(Selection=>Nothing selected) and select only those parts of the image that are shown in Fig. 48.

Rice. 46. ​​Original image

Rice. 47. Cutting the original image (Edit=>Insert), reduce it in size and move it to the center of the large star. To reduce the size (given that the copied star is selected), select the tool on the toolbar Rice. 48. Selecting cut out parts of the image for the first scaling

Double click on the tool

and adjust the scaling parameters (Fig. 49) - the result may resemble the image in Fig. 50. After this, select the fragments (Fig. 51) and carry out the same scaling option (Fig. 52).

Rice. 51. Selecting cut out parts of the image for the second scaling

Rice. 52. Appearance of the image after the second scaling

As a finishing touch, select all parts of the image and apply a filter twist, using the command Effect=>Distort & Transform=>Twist(Effect=>Distort and Transform=>Bend) with a rotation angle of 150. The resulting image will resemble Fig. 53.

Rice. 53. Final image

Program icon-link Adobe Illustrator is the ideal tool for creating vector graphics. Its popularity is due to the enormous possibilities thanks to which anyone can learn how to create icons, drawings, graphics, infographics, basics for video or animation, character development and much more. Moreover, the program developers regularly add even more tools that provide amazing opportunities. Now you can create fantastic illustrations and design elements, and today's video lessons will help you with this.

How to draw a little fox?
How to draw a girl?
How to draw a hipster?
How to draw a fashionable dude?
How to draw icons and characters?
How to draw a New Year's illustration?
How to draw a rabbit?
How to create a flat illustration?
We analyze remote sensing using a video course
How to draw a rocket?
How to draw icons for a website (Part 1)?
How to draw icons for a website (Part 2)?
How to draw an illustration for a sale?
How to draw a cat on a cloud?
How to depict a house on an island?
How to draw a cat in Adobe Illustrator?
How to draw a fashionable girl?
How to draw a tea picker?
How to draw a girl with a cat?
How to draw a boy with noodles?
How to portray Matilda?
How to draw a cake?
How to draw a girl with space hair?
How to draw a girl with pink hair?
How to portray a bored girl?
How to draw a sheep with noise?
How to draw a cat in a pool?
How to draw a depressed but fashionable guy?

Visual step-by-step drawing instructions are intended for beginners and intermediate users. The latest versions of Illustrator CC are used for the demonstration. In total, you will create a minimum of 28 graphic elements under the guidance of a designer with 8 years of experience from the Pixel school, thanks to which you can develop and consolidate skills, practice new features and styles, as well as create and design a portfolio. In the process, the author of the videos also gives advice to novice designers and illustrators, including how to use the program and design their works. And these are not all the advantages of the course.

See also:

Advertising

From today's lessons you will also learn why it is so important to use sources and examples from the Web, where to get inspiration, and how to make a drawing even more original and interesting. The course is aimed at gaining and consolidating skills in using the program, as well as familiarizing yourself with various tools. Using simple and clear instructions in video format, you will learn how to draw funny characters in vector graphics. Each lesson explains in detail the features and functions of the tools, including 3D, the capabilities of Adobe Illustrator and much more.

How to draw a little fox in Adobe Illustrator?

It may seem that working in Adobe Illustrator is a very complex and time-consuming process. From the very first lesson you will learn that this is far from true. We will dispel this myth using the example of creating a character image. Thanks to the lesson you will master working with such a tool as a pen. Despite its apparent complexity, the pen is one of the most convenient tools in the program. Its capabilities are simply amazing!

You will learn how to create curved lines and draw sharp angles using this tool. In addition, you will also become familiar with shading and learn how to change or adjust outlines. The topic of creating simple geometric shapes and working with a brush will also be touched upon. The instructions will allow you to practice the skills of creating volume and shadows, character detailing - and all this without complex tools.

How to draw a girl in Adobe Illustrator?

The lesson is aimed at users of the program with an average level of knowledge, and offers an image of a person for consideration. You will get to know the possibilities of using a gradient, work on your character’s poses and silhouette. You will also learn how to raise and lower objects in a hierarchy, work with refs from the Web, and draw based on photos, drawings and sketches.

Detailed, step-by-step instructions with explanations, as well as answers to questions from the author of the course, for example, how to divide an object into several parts and much more. Particular attention is paid to the development of character details.

How to draw a hipster in Adobe Illustrator?

If you don’t know where to look for inspiration, what to do when you need to create an illustration from scratch, this lesson will allow you to find answers to many questions. In particular, the instructions discuss in detail working with refs, that is, sources from the Internet. Based on several such images, you will learn to draw a human character, or rather, work out the face and hairstyle in detail. The image is based on simple geometric objects and conventional tools, and therefore will be interesting to beginners.

The author does not use brushes or other complex tools; he starts with the basics and describes each action in detail, gradually adding colors and details. In addition, during the process the author answers questions about the program, namely how to display the panels on the right, customize the program to suit your needs, and more.

How to draw a fashionable dude in Adobe Illustrator?

In this lesson we complicate the task - we use several refs and a sketch as a basis, which we previously sketched on paper and opened in Adobe Illustrator. We also use a sketch, which we make directly in the program window based on available materials. We take the sketch step by step, which we then turn into an illustration using simple geometric shapes and a pen.

The author will show you how to work with color schemes, including those found on the Internet. You will also work with strokes and learn how to turn them into fills, add highlights and volume to your drawing, and play with detail.

How to draw icons and characters in Adobe Illustrator?

This time you'll be introduced to outline style images using icons as an example, which require only lines and wrappings to draw. We depict the Eiffel Tower and some other famous landmarks using refs. You can use both photographs and drawings by other authors as a basis, and then we work with the sketches directly in the program window using the mouse.

We work with the selection tool (black arrow), stroke, geometric shapes, and automate the process using “hot” keys. We use the so-called solo mode. Add details and move on to the character image. As a result, you will get cute icons that can be used in animation or web design, as well as bright character for any purpose.

How to draw a New Year's illustration in Adobe Illustrator?

If you want more details and small drawn elements, this tutorial will definitely suit your taste! After completing the lesson, a new work will appear in your portfolio - new year illustration with a chubby cat surrounded by Christmas tree decorations, garlands, lanterns and confetti. To make the cat as lively and bright as possible, the author recommends using several refs.

In the process, you will practice a tool such as a pen, learn how to rename a layer, group several parts for transfer or copy, how to add shadows and much more. Particular attention is paid to a more creative (compared to the usual construction of a drawing) component, namely detailing.

How to draw a rabbit in Adobe Illustrator?

Let's draw a new funny animal - a rabbit - based on a photograph of a sketch integrated into Illustrator. Thanks to the lesson, you will learn how and why to lock a layer, how to work with simple geometric objects and draw a perfect circle without violating the proportions, how to change the colors of shapes, how to change the stroke and switch between stroke and fill modes.

In addition, the author will show you how to draw sharp and obtuse angles with a pen and teach you how to use the Anchor Point tool in the Pen+ menu (related tools). Using simple tips and step-by-step instructions, you will strengthen the basic skills and also add new work to your portfolio!

How to create a flat illustration in Adobe Illustrator?

Flat illustration is a variation of such a direction as flat design. A characteristic feature of flat design is minimalism when designing websites, printed publications, and applications. The goal of the approach is to create aesthetically pleasing and lightweight products. The areas of application of flat design are very diverse. They are used when developing a website - to design landing pages, interface elements, and visually indicate product properties or functions.

The tutorial will allow you to create a character in a "flat style" that you can then use in animation. The instructions are designed for beginners, and to implement the idea you will only need a pen and simple geometric shapes! In the future, increasing your level of knowledge, you can easily improve the character, for example, by making it part of a GIF or video.

We analyze remote sensing using a video course

The video will be interesting to those who want to learn even more within the course and learn from other people's mistakes and examples. Course author is viewing homework students of the course (2 illustrations from each) and disassembles typical mistakes beginner designers and illustrators with specific examples, points out inaccuracies in images, and also gives advice on using tools and work.

How to draw a rocket in Adobe Illustrator?

A course with a bonus, thanks to which you will learn not only how to draw a rocket, but also stylish icons for the site menu. Don't worry - there's nothing complicated here! The lesson is structured in such a way that it is designed for beginner users of Adobe Illustrator.

You will learn how to create simple icons from scratch, without preparation or searching for refs, learn how to work with associations using the example of icons that characterize menu items on a website, and also understand the settings of the working panel in the program. To create icons you will need a pen and a little imagination. Then the author moves on to depicting a rocket, using the simplest and most understandable Adobe tools Illustrator.

How to draw icons for a website in Adobe Illustrator (Part 1)?

If you have always been attracted to graphic design elements, and you dream of adding such elements to your portfolio, we recommend that you pay attention to this lesson, which is entirely devoted to the design and creation of icons for the site. The lesson consists of two parts and includes the most detailed, step-by-step instructions for creating them in Adobe Illustrator.

In the first part you will learn how to create icons from scratch and what tools to use for this. After completing the lesson, you will have 10 examples of work done in the same style. To realize your plan, you will only need geometric shapes as a basis and simple contours. We will work on the image using a pen.

How to draw icons for a website in Adobe Illustrator (Part 2)?

We create the second part of the icons for the site, focusing on the technical specifications of the potential client. This time we depict icons in the form of a palette, brush, pen and some others. From this lesson you will learn how to interact with a potential customer, what a technical specification or brief might look like, and how ideas for creating icons are generated.

The author creates icons using simple but functional tools, comments on each stage, and talks about the tricks of working with the tools. The lesson is based on working with a regular pen, as in the previous instructions. We also use geometric shapes as a basis.

How to draw an illustration for a sale?

Thanks to the previous lessons, you will learn how to create illustrations on a free theme. In this lesson, anyone who wants to get closer to such a field as commercial illustration. The author will show and tell you how to create a sale announcement - using the example of a message about sales in honor of Black Friday. Do not forget that the illustration must fully correspond to the information topic and reflect its essence, so that at the first glance at the image it is clear what it is about we're talking about. This is why you should carefully approach the search and selection of referrals. You can also use your own sketch or a combination of sketch and refs.

To create the illustration we use the most simple tools, so the lesson will be interesting not only for experienced users, but also for beginners. As a result, you will get a stylish picture that can be used for announcements on the website or social networks.

How to draw a cat on a cloud in Adobe Illustrator?

The peculiarity of this lesson is the absence of a sketch. Thanks to this approach, you will learn more about why it is important to use as many refs as possible, especially if you have to work with complex pattern with many details. The author selects several drawings and illustrations from the Internet, one of which is the main one and helps to imagine the position in which the cat will sit on a cloud.

A sketch will also be used to demonstrate on specific example, how exactly you should work with illustrations from scratch. To complete the work, you will need the simplest but most convenient tools, and therefore both a novice and an experienced user of the program can handle the process.

How to draw a house on an island in Adobe Illustrator?

Thanks to the lesson, you will get acquainted with isometrics, and will also be able to diversify your portfolio with new works made using original technology. Isometric projection is often used to create technical illustrations. This technique allows the designer to quickly and accurately draw objects without using perspective. Now you'll learn how to work with projections in Illustrator by creating some simple but colorful objects on an isometric grid.

You'll also learn some technical illustration techniques that are easy to put into practice. The lesson is designed for beginners, but will also be interesting for more advanced users. Once completed, you will have a complete isometric illustration of the house to add to your portfolio.

How to draw a cat in Adobe Illustrator?

For this tutorial, you will need a sketch created by hand on a tablet or on a piece of paper, which you then transfer to your computer and open in Adobe Illustrator. The peculiarity of the course is to spend time on a sketch, on the basis of which we will create an illustration, without searching or using references.

The lesson will help you draw fresh and beautiful illustrations for your portfolio, as well as develop and strengthen various skills in working with the program and using tools. At the same time, the author gives advice on filling out a portfolio and promoting a designer.

How to draw a fashionable girl in Adobe Illustrator?

From the lesson you will learn how to select references (examples) from the Internet for posing a model and develop ideas used in the illustration, and as a result you will get an illustration with a girl. The lesson will be useful for both beginners and advanced users of the graphics editor. While working on an illustration, you will use the simplest tools of the program, and using the example of a pen, you will also adjust color, work with layers, and adjust contours.

The theoretical knowledge and practical skills gained will help you create your own drawings, icons and illustrations from scratch. Plus, by the end of the lesson, you'll have a complete piece of work to add to your portfolio.

How to draw a tea picker in Adobe Illustrator?

To create an illustration of a girl picking tea, the author uses a vintage poster, as well as thematic illustrations and photographs. You will need several different examples and references, and therefore we recommend preparing materials in advance before starting work.

It is also worth looking at various drawings, art and sketches to determine the pose of the model, various parts, light, shadows and much more. The author will tell you step by step how to put all the refs together to turn them into an original illustration, unlike all the others. Thanks to the lesson, you will learn about why details and improvisation are important in illustration - the author of the instructions will answer your questions.

How to draw a girl with a cat in Adobe Illustrator?

This lesson is good example the fact that when working with illustrations you can use a wide variety of images, art and sketches. For example, in order to draw a girl with a cat, the author suggests using retro pictures reminiscent of old postcards, as well as drawings in an original style. Thanks to this variety, with the help of the lesson, you will get an original and beautiful picture. The lesson will be useful for both experienced users and beginners.

How to draw a noodle boy in Adobe Illustrator?

Another example of commercial illustration that you will learn to draw as part of the Adobe Illustrator course. The author will show how to portray a boy with noodles, carefully work out the character's poses, as well as details and other nuances. The illustration will be an excellent example of how to work with commercial drawings, and will also be a great help if you want to create projects for various entertainment or gastronomic establishments.

Similar works can be drawn for a website or social networks, or used in a concept corporate identity, menu design and much more. The author will carefully work out the image, talk in detail about each stage, and pay a lot of attention to detail (shadows, volume, drawing, etc.).

How to draw Matilda in Adobe Illustrator?

Let's portray a famous character cult film"Leon". We place the main emphasis on the image of a person, and therefore we take several drawings by various designers and artists as a basis and as a guide, paying special attention to poses and details. In addition, in order for the drawing to be of the highest quality, it is worth using a still from the film with the character. Based on it, we work out the characteristic external features of the girl, her image, details of clothing, objects around her and much more.

A feature of the lesson will also be the use of so-called “noise” in the image - one of the most trendy techniques last year in design. The lesson is aimed more at experienced users, as it involves the use of brushes, as well as working with a human image.

How to draw a cake in Adobe Illustrator?

The lesson combines two “tricks”, separately developed and shown in detail in previous lessons. First, you will review the material on isometric illustration. Secondly, the image will be relevant for commercial projects, as it can be used on a website or social networks as an icon, illustration, etc. An ideal option for decorating cafes, restaurants, and other entertainment venues.

In our work we will use the so-called SSR method (SSR-method) and more complex instruments with a simple and step-by-step explanation. The lesson is more focused on advanced users, but it allows beginners to evaluate working with the tools and learn more about the program’s capabilities.

How to draw a girl with space hair in Adobe Illustrator?

The peculiarity of the lesson is the elaboration of textures and small details that make up the model’s hair. In addition, the character is holding a rather unusual object in his hands, which means that careful elaboration of the drawing and preparation for drawing is required. This is exactly what you will do in this lesson!

The author will begin by selecting illustrations and photographs as a basis with girls and girls in various poses, with a telescope in their hands. You'll then create your illustration step-by-step, working through each step in detail to create a portfolio-worthy piece.

How to draw a girl with pink hair in Adobe Illustrator?

Let's draw a simple drawing, thanks to which we can practice the skills and abilities acquired in all previous lessons. First of all, you will, as before, use a pen, as well as geometric shapes if necessary. In addition, thanks to the lesson you will learn to draw from scratch, without a base and sketches, training your imagination and using your ideas. Great way get rid of the “fear of a white sheet”, and also practice using the program’s tools.

How to draw a bored girl in Adobe Illustrator?

More advanced lesson. Firstly, you draw from scratch, without references or preparation. Secondly, you will be using a brush during the process. Third, you will need to create a brush yourself. From this lesson you will learn how to create brushes in Adobe Illustrator, how to customize them for specific tasks, and also how to apply noise using the created brush. Of course, everything will be explained clearly and in detail, so you won’t miss anything.

Moreover, the author will show how to work with illustrations in Photoshop, and you can clearly see that this program can be used for many tasks, including creating illustrations. To sketch out the basics of the drawing, the author works with already familiar geometric shapes.

How to draw a sheep with noise in Adobe Illustrator?

The lesson is interesting because it will help you figure out and understand how to depict complex textures, for example, lamb's wool, how not to overload an object with unnecessary details and make the character light, weightless and harmonious. You will also work on the background, adding details to it.

In addition, in this lesson the author will continue the topic of noise or so-called grainy textures in Illustrator, point out errors and inaccuracies during work and talk about ways to eliminate them. Pay attention to the light and shadows in a cartoon illustration.

How to draw a cat in a pool in Adobe Illustrator?

A cool drawing that is created very simply - based on a geometric shape and very simple sketches based on lines. The result is a chubby and cute cat. The peculiarity of the lesson is that you will learn to work out textures and depict clear water, as well as shadows, reflections and everything connected with it. You will pay a lot of attention to the volume and glare on the cat from the imaginary sun outside the illustration. And don't forget about the glass and fish swimming in the water!

How to draw a depressed but fashionable guy in Adobe Illustrator?

The lesson is complex, but it is perfect for practicing skills for all those who have completed previous lessons, as well as for users with average knowledge of the program. The author will once again tell you in detail about the main tools of the program, their capabilities and functions and will help you build a human figure from scratch and without a preliminary sketch.

Adobe Illustrator is a program used by artists and graphic designers to create vector images.

Why do you need Adobe Illustrator?

It is used to create illustrations, diagrams, graphs, logos, diagrams, caricatures of real photos and much more.

In the future, the created images will serve as the basis for company logos, will be used for advertising purposes or even for personal work, both in print and electronic form.

At first glance, the program may seem difficult to understand and work with, but it’s worth putting at least a minimum of effort into learning the basics, and you will see for yourself how interesting and easy it is to work with.

It's safe to say that this program is one of the most popular editors for creating vectors.

Is vector art art?

Creating vector images allows you to create clean and beautiful works of art that can be scaled up and down indefinitely without losing its quality.

Have you ever had such cases when, having finished creating an image in Adobe Photoshop, realized that it should be three times larger than what you made? You go into the image options to increase the image size and... oops... the image is now pixelated and looks terrible. And you need to start all over again. And all this is because such an image was too small to be able to increase its size without losing quality.

You could avoid this problem by using a vector graphics editor such as Adobe Illustrator.

Why? The answer to this question is simple.

Unlike the images we are used to in GIF, JPEG, TIFF, etc. formats, i.e. images - known as raster images, vector images are not made up of pixels. Instead, they are composed of lines and/or curves that are described by mathematical objects called vectors, allowing them to be expanded and mathematically scaled to infinity.

It does vector editor more ideal program for companies than Photoshop, as they can create images or logos that can be shrunk down for icons or blown up to huge sizes for placement on billboards.

What can you do with Illustrator?

Many people are afraid of this program, believing that they do not have artistic skill and certain skills.

If you can't draw on paper, what makes you think that you can't draw on a computer?

First of all, this is a sign of your lack of confidence in yourself, as well as in your abilities.

Adobe Illustrator requires virtually no prior knowledge of drawing or painting. You can use it to create freehand drawings, and you can import a photo and use it as a base - a guide for further drawing, ultimately turning it into a piece of art that looks like you drew it by hand.

Do you want to draw a circle around a specific image or logo? No problem! It's not as difficult as you think.

Illustrator is not limited to use only by artists and graphic designers. Many webmasters use it in the process of creating website layouts, and the created vector can be used in a large number of different platforms.

Since Illustrator is an Adobe product, it easily works with its other programs.

So, after creating the original image, you can drag it into Photoshop for further editing and applying various filters, or into InDesign for flawless printing of digital booklets and magazines.

Want to turn your drawing into a game or animation? Import into Flash and watch it come to life!

You can even add your logo and illustrations to the video or bring them to life through After Effects.

The choice of possibilities is great! You just have to want to learn.

Universality of the program

Still not interested in creating and using vector? Okay, then I’ll give you more examples of the priority of this program over others.

For example, if you decide you no longer want your illustration to be a vector image, you can easily convert it to a JPEG raster image.

Unfortunately, illustrations created as raster images cannot be converted to vector format after the fact.

If you're not sure whether you'll actually need to resize the image later, it might make sense to create it as a vector, especially if the image will be used widely throughout the company or office.

Another feature is that vector files are much lighter in weight than their raster copies.

In addition, these images are created from various lines, curves, shapes and points, so you have almost unlimited possibilities for editing them.

Let's say you draw a heart in Adobe Photoshop and decide that the bottom of the heart is too narrow, but you can't fix it. What a pity! You'll have to start all over again.

Now, let's say you want to create the same heart, but in Adobe Illustrator. Since it's made up of several different points, you can go back to the base settings and make the bottom wider.

You can do this and much more without worrying about ruining the quality of the drawing.

These features of Adobe Illustrator make it easy to turn the entire drawing process into a creative one. And also you will not be limited in the process of making changes after saving.

Another bonus of the program is a transparent background. Unless you create a background for your image, it will always be transparent. This is useful in a variety of situations, such as when you just want to put a logo on top of something or just add it as a small illustration to big picture Images.

Which is something that can't be done with bitmap images, since you would have to first separate the image from the background before attempting to change that background to another one. And this may take quite some time.

I am sure that you will be happy with the program and the fact that you settled on creating vector graphics when you begin to create more complex designs.

This is for you?

I would like to note that the licensed version of Adobe Illustrator is a rather expensive program, in principle, like all programs created by Adobe. This is because it is truly designed for professionals.

If you still have doubts or are not entirely sure if this program is really for you, Adobe offers a free 30-day trial. This time is quite enough for you to plunge into beautiful world creating vector graphics.

If you decide that you want to start learning how to work with Adobe Illustrator, subscribe to the newsletter to be among the first to know when new lessons on working with Illustrator appear.

"Live and learn". So Adobe Illustrator users are constantly developing and improving their skills. To help them, we have prepared a selection of excellent lessons that will not hurt even professional designers, not to mention those who are just starting to master this editor.

Adobe Illustrator is a multifunctional program with a lot of tools for creating and editing vector graphics. The same result can be achieved in several ways, and the one you already know is not always the simplest. This is why you should never stop learning something new and improving your level!

The lessons in this collection will expand your knowledge of vector graphics and inspire you to use new tricks and techniques. And for dessert - an analysis of several cool works created in Adobe Illustrator.

For those who are just starting to master Adobe Illustrator, a special guide to the main tools of the resource: part 1, part 2, part 3.

Now let's move on to the lessons themselves.

1. Inscriptions

A unique inscription will be useful everywhere: in a logo, postcard, book cover design, packaging or website.

And Anna Volkova shares with everyone some of the secrets of creating vector ornaments. We recommend you watch it.

3. Infographics

If you don't want to use the templates that many infographic creation tools offer, create your own. Adobe Illustrator is like no other.

4. Effects

Adding various effects to photos is perhaps a favorite pastime not only of professional photographers, but also of ordinary users. Here are some tutorials on how to create vibrant effects.

To get started, you can familiarize yourself with the list of basic effects and lessons on them.

5. Polygonal graphics

Polygons look cool. Moreover, they are very popular in digital graphics. And Adobe Illustrator is one of the main tools for creating polygons.

6. Miscellaneous

Examples of cool images created in Adobe Illustrator with step-by-step explanations

Let's take a separate look at various cool images and tutorials on them created in Adobe Illustrator.

7. Houses and buildings

8. Nature