Directions
- Download the file archive linked above. Double-click on the file to decompress it.
- Inside the archive, you'll find a PDF file and separate folders for each project.
- Read through the handouts at the beginning of the PDF. They are designed to supplement the material in the lectures.
- There are three hands-on projects that are part of this assignment. You will find step-by-step instructions for building these files in the PDF document. Sample files showing you the completed project are also supplied in each project folder.
- One project in this assignment is a Challenge Project where I will give you only minimal instructions. This will be a great test of your mastery of the material from this section.
- When you have completed this assignment return to this week's Module. Read through the Summary and head over to the Discussion forum with any questions you might have.
Turning in your Work
Follow these steps to upload your completed projects directly to Canvas:
- Place all the completed files into a single enclosing folder
- Name the folder LastNameFirstName_Illustrator1.2
- Compress the folder into a .zip archive. In the Finder, target the folder and go to File > Compress...
Vector Graphics: Drawing Tools V I S U A L M E D I A D E S I G N 10 5 PROJECT: DRAWING FREEFORM PATHS This project will introduce you to the Pen and Pencil, drawing tools that are useful in generating more freeform organic shapes. We will also look at layers, and at the brush system in Illustrator. Scenario: You have been asked to design a series of icons for print and screern, that have a rough organic feel. You will deliver vector files that can easily be scaled deoending on the project. GETTING STARTED £ Locate and open the file StarLogo_Start.ai. The files we have built so far have tapped into Illustrator's power to generate clean geometry. But Illustrator can do rough and organic too! EXAMINE THE FILE £ Go to Window > Layers to open the Layers Panel. You will see a locked layer in this file called Template. The template layer contains a sketch that will serve as a guide as you build this project. £ Use the icons at the bottom of the lanel to add 3 new layers to the file: Star, Lines and Border. Layers in Illustrator work mostly the same as they do in Photoshop. As you build this file, it might be useful to toggle these layers on and off. DRAW THE STAR £ Target the Star layer and equip the Pen Tool [P]. £ In Properties, set your fill to None and your stroke to 1 point £ Start at the top and click around the star shape, generating points at each point in the star. When you get back to the top, click on your first point to close the shape. £ Save your file 114 Visual Media Design 105 > Digital Skills for Visual Media DRAW THE LINES The Pencil and Brush tools allow you to generate freeform vector shapes, much like the Paintbrush in Photoshop. £ Target the Lines layer. Equip the Pencil tool. £ Double-coick on the Pencil tool icon to configure it. Move the "Fidelity" slider all the way to the right towards Smooth. £ In Properties, set your stroke to 16 points wide £ Trace over the lines in the sketch with separate brush strokes. If you make a mistake, type Cmd-Z to undo your last move. £ You should now have the sketch traced completely. Toggle the Template layer on and off to make sure you haven't missed anything. £ Save your file. ADD A BORDER £ Target the Border Layer. £ Equip the Elipse Tool and drag out a circle big enough to enclose the other elerments in the file. £ Position the border so that it frames the illustration. £ Save your file. ADD BRUSH EFFECTS The Brush system in Illustrator allows you to add rough organic effects to smooth vector paths. £ Go to Window > Brushes £ The lower-left icon at the bottom of the panel gives you access to brush presets. Go to Artistic > Artistic_ ChalkCharcoalPencil. These brushes wil appear in a separate panel. £ Select all the lines in the file by clicking on the small circle on the far right of the Lines layer. £ Click on the third brush in the panel to apply the brush setting. £ You can apply the same brush for the rest of the elements, or experiment with other presets. FINISH UP! Adding freeform tools to your toolbox really expands what you can do with Illustrator. When you're happy with your file, save and move on! 115 Visual Media Design 105 > Digital Skills for Visual Media PROJECT: DRAWING CURVED SHAPES This project will introduce you to the Curvature Tool, a great way to reproduce curvy shapes in Illustrator. Scenario: Your son has decided that it's Batman or bust for Halloween this year! The first step in creating his costume is to recreate the logo. You have a rough scan that you want to trace and perfect in Illustrator. GETTING STARTED £ Create a new docuent that is 1000 x 1000 pixels. £ Locate the file BatmanLogo.png. £ Go to File > Place and navigate to the scanned logo file. £ Click on your artboard to place the file in your working document. £ Roughly center the logo in your file. £ Save the file. Name it Lastname_Firstname_Batman.ai CREATE THE TEMPLATE Illustrator supports special template layers that make these kind of tracing jobs much easier. Let's set one up. £ Open the Layers Panel. You'll see that Illustrator has already created a Layer 1 in the file. £ Double-click on the icon for the layer and set the options for Layer 1 as you see in the screenshot. £ After you click OK, the layer will be locked and dimmed. £ Save the file. TRACE THE LOGO Now, you'll use the Curvature tool to trace around the logo £ Equip the Curvature Tool [4th tool from the top of the Tool Panel]. £ Set your fill to None. Set the stroke to 1 point. £ Add a new layer called Trace and be sure it is targeted. £ Hold down option and click at the top of all the curves in the logo. £ Make your way all around the shape until you create a closed path. Take off Option for the final click. Your initial path might not be perfect but that's OK. 116 Visual Media Design 105 > Digital Skills for Visual Media REFINE THE TRACE £ With the Curvature Tool still selected, click in the middle of each line segment and drag it until the curve lines up with the shape in the template. £ The curves along the bottom of the logo will be more accurate if you double-click on those points £ The top 2 curves in the logo might require 2 points to accurately render the curve. See the screenshot at left. £ Don't worry about minor imperfections. Do marvel at how easy this tool is to use! FINISH UP! £ Add fills, strokes, other shapes and even other elements. £ When you're happy with the file, save and move on. 117 Visual Media Design 105 > Digital Skills for Visual Media LOGO CHALLENGE! The challenge project in this section will ask you to recreate a simple illustration without explicit step-by-step instructions. This project will tap into all the Illustrator skills we've learned so far. Scenario: You've been asked to design a logo for the company PurePower. They've provided you a sketch and some type, but the rest is up to you! GETTING STARTED £ Look through the assets that are provided for this project. You have a sample file and some type to use. £ Strategize. Look at the sample and think about the steps required to recreate it. It might even be helpful to write them down! £ When you're ready to begin, jump into Illustrator and make a new document that is 900 x 750 pixels. Build your logo in this file. REQUIREMENTS • Recreate the battery shape. Match all the shapes, fills, and strokes as closely as possible. • Add the type to the file. See if you can figure out how to generate the drop shadow! • Add the horizontal rules using the line tool. FINISH UP AND SUBMIT! You are free to make additions or changes to the logo, provided that all the core elements are in place. Once your happy with your file, save it one last time and move on. 118 Visual Media Design 105 > Digital Skills for Visual Media