A guide to Abobe Illustrator for beginners: Part Two.

A guide to Adobe Illustrator for Beginners: Part Two

Adobe illustrator is such a massive software that the things to learn are countless. This is why it is such great software and amazing to learn the basics of it as it can improve your skillset massively. In part 2 we will cover Brushes, The shape tool, The pen tool, The text tools and Stroke vs Fill vs Gradient.

Check out part 1 here. If you haven’t already, you can install the most recent version of Adobe Illustrator by clicking on the Creative Cloud icon in your computer’s toolbar, or by downloading a 7-day free trial here. https://www.adobe.com/uk/products/illustrator.html?mv=search&sdid=KCJMVLF6&ef_id=Cj0KCQjwsLWDBhCmARIsAPSL3_0BZTSbV2wTa_g2dKfvxk4rVUX-2sMdzc7e-ewQ9C0haJ99sfs_J7kaAi9hEALw_wcB:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!3085!3!441704131411!e!!g!!illustrator!1426208085!56320331672&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsLWDBhCmARIsAPSL3_0BZTSbV2wTa_g2dKfvxk4rVUX-2sMdzc7e-ewQ9C0haJ99sfs_J7kaAi9hEALw_wcB

1. Brushes

When it comes to the paintbrush tool, which is easily one of the most important tools in Illustrator, there are numerous options. Create a shape using the previously described shape tool. Next, click V and select the shape’s outline, then click the brush symbol on the right side of the window. This opens the brush presents menu (you can also navigate this menu by clicking Window – Brushes), select a brush, and notice how the stroke has now changed for the brush you chose. This gives your shapes a more authentic appearance.

To see more brush options, select the small arrow at the bottom of the panel and click brush library from the brush present menu. This displays various brush libraries. Experiment with different brush styles.

You can change the colour of the stroke, opacity, width, and size of the brush, just like you can with shapes. These can be found at the top of the window, next to the shape tools.

You can also free draw with the paintbrush tool. Notice how Illustrator’s smoothing functionality applies to the brush stroke when drawing a line and letting go of the mouse click (or moving the pen away from the nifty new tablet you bought).

2. Shape Tools

Illustrator, like Photoshop and InDesign, has a prepared shape function. This can be found in the Tools panel. To reveal the hidden shapes, simply long click the shape tool. When the shape tool is selected at the top of the window, notice the various options such as stroke, fill, opacity, and so on. The stroke option draws a coloured border around the shape. Click this to bring up the swatch panel, from which you can select the stroke colour. Simply press the enter/return key to close the swatch.

By holding shift while drawing a shape, the proportions are kept in check. (Keyboard shortcut V for the selection tool to change the colour of the stroke and fill after the shape has been drawn.) Of course, you don’t have to have a stroke or even a fill; simply select the symbol with a diagonal red line to turn off the colour.

3. The Pen Tool

The simplest path you can draw with the Pen tool is a straight line, made by clicking the Pen tool to create two anchor points. By continuing to click, you create a path made of straight-line segments connected by corner points. 

To use the pen tool select it on the side menu and your mouse will change to a pen icon.

The first segment you draw will not be available until a second anchor point is clicked.

If you see path lines, you’ve unintentionally dragged the Pen tool; select Edit > Undo and press again.

Select where you want the segment to end (Shift-click to limit the segment’s angle to a multiple of 45°).

Continue to click to add anchor points to additional straight segments.

The last anchor point you add is often shown as a solid square, indicating that it has been picked. As you add more anchor points, previously established anchor points become hollow and deselected.

Completing the route requires you to do one of the following:

Place the Pen tool over the first anchor point to close the road. When the Pen tool is correctly placed, a small circle appears next to the pointer. To close the road, click or drag it.

Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (MacOS) anywhere away from all objects to keep the route open.

Curved Lines:

You make a curve by dragging the direction lines that form the curve and adding an anchor point where the curve changes direction. The form of the curve is determined by the length and slope of the direction lines.

When you draw curves with as few anchor points as possible, they are easier to edit, and your machine can view and print them faster. Using too many points may also result in undesirable bumps in a curve. Draw widely spaced anchor points instead, and practise forming curves by varying the length and angles of the direction lines.

Keep down the mouse button when positioning the Pen tool where you want the curve to begin. The Pen tool pointer switches to an arrowhead when the first anchor point appears.

Drag to adjust the slope of the curve segment you’re making, then let go of the mouse button.

In general, stretch the direction line approximately one-third of the distance to the next anchor point you want to draw. (You can later change either or both sides of the direction line.)

Holding down the shift makes the direction alter to multiple 45 degrees.

Position the Pen tool where you want the curve segment to end, and do the following:

• To create a C‑shaped curve, drag in a direction opposite to the previous direction line. Then release the mouse button. 

Drawing the second point in a curve

4. Text Tool

The text tool on Adobe Illustrator can be found on the side menu and is represented as a little T. The shortcut is also T.

In the box there is a little white arrow which shows you the different text options you can use. The text can be changed in many ways with the fill and stroke to thicker, patterns and different colours. You can change the font and the placement of the text with moving it with the grey arrow.

In this picture you can see that this is where you change all the properties of the text. The size, fill, stroke and its size, the opacity. Also, you can change the font and font style, positioning and the alignment of the text as well.

You can use letterforms as graphic objects, add a single line of type to your artwork, create columns and rows of text, flow text into a shape or along a direction, and work with letterforms as graphic objects. Fonts and Illustrator settings for leading, kerning, and spacing before and after paragraphs are examples of choices you can make regarding the appearance of text in your artwork.

5. Fill vs Stroke vs Gradient

Fill and Strokes:

A fill is a colour, pattern, or gradient that is applied to the inside of an item. Fills may be applied to open and closed items, as well as the faces of Live Paint classes.

The recognisable outline of an entity, a road, or the edge of a Live Paint group can all be represented by a stroke. A stroke’s width and colour can be adjusted. You can also use Path options to produce dashed strokes and brushes to paint stylized strokes. The current fill and stroke colours appear in the Tools panel, the Control panel, and the Properties panel.

A. An object with a fill colour B.An object with a stroke colour C. An object with a fill colour and stroke colour 

This is a quick diagram to show you how the fill and stokes work.

Apply a Fill colour:

You can use Live Paint groups to apply different colours to different faces within an object, or you can apply a single colour, pattern, or gradient to the entire object.

• Select the object using the Selection tool or the Direct Selection tool.
• Click the Fill box in the Tools panel, the Properties panel, or the Colour panel to indicate that you want to apply a fill rather than a stroke.

Fill in the gaps with a different hue.

Choose a fill colour by one of the following methods:

• In the Control panel, Colour panel, Swatches panel, Gradient panel, or a swatch library, choose a colour.
• Select a colour from the Colour Picker by double-clicking the Fill box.
• Select the Eyedropper tool and Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) an object to add its current attributes, including its fill and stroke.
• Click the None button to remove the object’s current fill.

Apply a Stroke Colour:

• Choose the piece. (Use the Live Paint Selection tool to pick an edge in a Live Paint group.)
• In the Tools panel, the Properties panel, the Colour panel, or the Control panel, check the Stroke box. This means that you want to use a stroke instead of a fill.
• Choose a colour from the Colour panel, or a swatch from the Swatches, Properties, or Control panels. Alternatively, you can use the Colour Picker to choose a colour by double-clicking the Stroke box.

Summary

Adobe Illustrator is a huge system, and it will take some practice to get used to it. This two-part blog will give you a helping hand and be a guide whilst learning to use Adobe illustrator. Hopefully it provides you with the help that you need to get started and begin creating.

The only way you will learn is if you give it a go. So, open up illustrator, let your ideas run wild and create something special. Start your Illustrator career with these simple techniques and experiment with the various tools it has to offer.