Basics with Illustrator

[madanchi 18]

I thought this might come in handy for some people, especially for logo/ icon making for projects.

If you find this helpful then be sure to give me a +1 rep, appreciated.

 

What I will cover:

• Creating a Document
  
• Basic pre-made shapes.
  
• Basic Lines.
  
• Making custom shapes.
  
• Fill-colour shapes.
  

 

Two basic but primary tools are the 'Selection Tool' and 'Direct Selection Tool'.

• Selection Tool allows you to select anything and move it around.
  
• Direct Selection Tool allows you to select an object and then move each individual point. You can adjust curves in lines when using the Arc Tool for example.
  

 

 

Creating A Document:

 

So to begin with we need to create a new document. There's a few options you could choose, some standard formats some cusotm to what you need. We will create a standard document, see image below.

 

 

Leave all these settings as they are, but chnage the 'Width' and 'Height' to whatever resolution you desire. I've elft mine as 1920x1080 as that's my screen resolution.

 

Click 'OK' and you're done.

 

 

Layers:

 

Layers are one of the most valuable aspects to both Illustrator and Photoshop, they give you freedom to edit seperate layers that contain seperate work so everything sin't merged into one layer.

 

For starters, to show the Layers option either press F7 or click 'Windows' and select the 'Layers' option.

 

Now move to your Panels bar, it should be located to the far right. You 'Layers' tab should be located in this Panel. See image below.

 

 

 

That icon of the two squares overlaying each other is the 'Layers' tab. Once clicked a small window should open besides it. At the bottom of this window, there should be three very small icons, the first creates a sub layer (leave it alone for now), the second creates a new layer and the third deletes the selected layer.

 

 

 

 

Placing Shapes:

Placeing shapes is as easy as 1-2-98. Click the star icon on the afr left panel. Click and hold down to bring up different shapes. Once selected simply clikc and drag shapes on your document.

 

 

 

 

 

Custom Lines:

 

Select the line icon on the far left panel, this is the line tool. Simialr to the Shapes tool, click and hold down to bring up more options such as the 'Arc Tool' which allows you to create curved lines.

 

 

Select the Direct Selection Tool and you can adjust the curves of any curved line.

 

 

Creating New Shapes:

Use the Selection Tool, make sure all lines are touch each other for this to work! Drag and select all lines that you want as a shape, right click and select 'Join'. This now makes the selected lines a shape.

 

Collour Fill Shapes:

Select a shape with the Select Tool, click Swatch to the far right panel (If not available select 'Window' at the top and select Swatches). Choose whatever colour you wish and bam! the shape is now coloured.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading, I may go over in detail and improve this quick guide at a alater date, right now I'm a little tired but I wnated to get it out. jokes aside, thanks for reading!