Illustrator One-on-One: Advanced

Follow industry pro Deke McClelland as he teaches you the advanced features in Illustrator 2021, the powerful vector-based drawing software from Adobe.

Introduction

• Welcome to One-on-One
• Previously on Illustrator One-on-One

16. Tracing a Pixel-Based Image

• Auto-tracing in Illustrator
• Embedding an image by opening it
• Linking an image by placing it
• Auto-tracing and resolution
• Upsample in Photoshop for better results
• Adjusting the Threshold value
• The advanced tracing options
• Expanding and simplifying traced paths
• Scaling your vector-based tracing
• Tracing lines with uniform strokes
• Tracing both strokes and color fills

17. Pathfinder Operations

• The world of complex path interactions
• Introducing the four shape modes
• Building dynamic compound shapes
• Exclude vs. Compound Path
• Mixing and matching shape modes
• Adding paths to a compound shape
• The six static Pathfinder operations
• Working with unfilled and open paths
• Additional Pathfinder options
• Repeating the last Pathfinder operation

18. Layers and Stacking Order

• The legend that is the Layers panel
• Hiding, showing, and creating layers
• Moving and copy objects between layers
• Lock, isolate, and preview a layer
• Selectively unlocking on canvas
• Adjusting the stacking order
• Expanding the contents of a layer
• Naming and arranging objects
• Containers: Compound paths vs. groups
• Targeting and formatting a group
• Targeting an entire layer

19. The Appearance Panel

• It's like a Layers panel for fills and strokes
• Assigning multiple fills and strokes
• Transforming fills and strokes
• Clearing and duplicating appearances
• Creating a transform sequence
• Appearance panel tricks
• Applying appearances to editable type
• Assigning patterns to fills and strokes
• Turning hexagons into honeycomb
• Stacking attributes and effects
• Building up depth with offset strokes
• Drop Shadow and Gaussian Blur

20. Scaling and Rotating

• The benefits of static transformations
• Introducing the Scale tool
• Setting the transformation origin
• Global Edit
• Introducing the Rotate tool
• Creating transformation guides
• Using the Scale tool to create primitives
• Uniting and rotating the primitives
• Introducing the Shear tool
• Skewing one path to match another
• Power-duplicating the petals of the star logo
• Offset Path: A different way to scale
• Adding skewed gradient shadows
• Transforming partial path outlines
• Using the Reflect tool
• Using the Reshape tool
• The Transform Each command

21. Align and Distribute

• How alignment and distribution work
• Snapping and Smart Guides
• Aligning a group to the artboard
• Distributing objects across the artboard
• Aligning to a fixed key object
• Distributing by a specified amount of space
• Using the Align options as positioning tools
• Adding extruded edges to your artwork
• Aligning the backs of your extruded letters
• Casting shadows from faux 3D objects

22. Gradients and the Gradient Tool

• The joy of custom gradients
• Assigning and modifying a gradient
• Lifting a color from a pixel-based image
• Designing and saving linear gradients
• Using the Gradient tool and Annotator
• Working with radial gradients
• Offsetting the center of a radial gradient
• Combining gradients with clipping masks
• Adjusting the opacity of gradients
• Working with freeform gradients
• Painting lines of freeform gradients
• Painting gradient hair
• Assigning a gradient to an entire layer
• Assigning gradient strokes
• Combining multiple gradient fills
• Exporting your emoji to use with a device

23. Object Blends and Clipping Masks

• Illustrator’s oldest dynamic functions
• Creating a dynamic object blend
• Redirecting a blend by editing its spine
• Creating a custom shape gradient
• Adding texture to your custom gradient
• Meet the Reverse Front to Back command
• Creating a clipping mask
• Masking the contents of an entire layer
• Fixing problems with the Blend tool
• Aligning your intervals to the spine
• Moving objects into a clipping mask
• Blending between groups
• Blending the colors of sequential paths

24. Live Paint and Interwoven Objects

• Coloring overlapping areas
• Introducing Live Paint
• Modifying Live Paint strokes
• Using the Live Paint Selection tool
• Coloring traced or freeform line art
• Automatic gap detection
• Merging live paint objects
• Filling a region with a gradient
• Introducing the false Möbius strip
• Drawing a ribbon using an object blend
• Violating all laws of stacking order
• Sneak peek: Recolor Artwork
• Shading a Live Paint object with gradients
• Tailoring your gradients to fit your art

25. Placing Photographs

• Introducing the pixel-based image
• Placing a photograph into your artwork
• Working with linked images
• Scaling and cropping with the bounding box
• Drawing a border around an image
• Cropping an image using a clipping mask
• Using the Mask and Crop Image buttons
• Creating dynamic crop marks around your art
• Placing an image with transparency
• Placing a photograph into editable type
• Adding stroke effects behind photo type
• Packaging all linked images and fonts

26. The Color Guide Panel

• Generating colors using harmony rules
• Introducing the Color Guide panel
• The color models: RGB, CMKY, and Lab
• The 23 color harmony rules
• Mixing and matching color harmonies
• Using a color group as a harmony rule
• Loading a predefined swatch library
• Introducing the Edit Colors dialog box
• Mastering the Edit Colors controls
• Constraining colors to a swatch library
• Sharing swatches between documents
• Making your swatch libraries persistent

27. Recoloring Your Artwork

• Changing lots of colors all at once
• Introducing the Recolor Artwork command
• Editing colors with the Lab Color Wheel
• Locating specific colors in your artwork
• Recoloring artwork using a color group
• Reducing your art to three spot colors
• The five color reduction methods
• Recoloring all varieties of gradients
• Recoloring a repeating tile pattern

28. Dynamic Effects

• My favorite features in all of Illustrator
• Applying and expanding a dynamic effect
• Drawing an orthogonal cube
• Creating a dynamic cube of cubes
• Busting up and coloring the cubes
• Adding glows and shadows with Outer Glow
• Targeting the contents of a group
• Clipping effects inside objects
• Creating flower petals with Pucker & Bloat
• Scale, rotate, and duplicate in one operation
• Document Raster Effects settings
• Alternating the colors of repeated objects
• Creating an origami effect with Zig Zag
• Duplicating effects between fills
• Swapping out colors in dynamic art
• Dynamic repeats: Mirror and Radial

29. Saving Effects as Graphic Styles

• Saving attributes and effects
• Introducing the Graphic Styles panel
• Creating your own graphic style
• Assigning a style to an entire layer
• Updating graphic styles
• Experiment freely without penalty
• Combining multiple styles
• Utterly mastering graphic styles
• Refining a Pucker & Bloat effect

30. Printing Your Document

• Illustrator’s elaborate Print Engine
• Printing to colored paper stock
• Adding a bleed for borderless printing
• The Separations Preview panel
• Working with Pantone spot colors
• Troubleshooting and overprinting
• Introducing the Print command
• Adding trim and printer’s marks
• Exporting color separations

Conclusion

• Until we next meet