Description:
Illustrator is the industry leading drawing/vector program, and this course is designed to take beginning participants from knowing very little to creating quality artwork. Experienced Illustrator users will also benefit from the course, with opportunities to hone skills and acquire information, techniques, and valuable practice and guidance.
Online Module 1: Introduction and Overview
- Introduction to Illustrator
- Interface overview
- Creating and modifying basic shapes
- Introduction to color, fill and stroke
- Introduction to type, character and paragraph options
- Saving documents
Online Module 2: Illustrator Tools
- The type tool and differences between object type and type frames
- Character and paragraph options
- The pen tool and drawing vector shapes
- Modifying paths with the pen tool
- The brush and pencil tools
- New Illustrator CC features including live corners and the updated pencil tool
- Type on a path
Online Module 3: Creativity with Tools and Content
- Using the pathfinder tool to create complicated shapes from simple objects
- Creativity with the appearance and styles panels
- Multiple strokes with type
- The gradient panel and gradient tool
- Placing images into Illustrator
- Using the links panel to manage placed content
- creating custom borders and frames with the clipping mask function
Online Module 4: Executing Your Ideas
- Moving from bitmap image to vector art with image/live trace
- Applying fill and stroke color quickly with live paint
- Using the width tool to create unique strokes and save time on drawing
- Fast simple drawing with the blob brush tool
- Multiple-page documents with multiple artboards
- Making different file formats for different workflows with save as and export
- Printing your artwork
Course Structure
Extended Studies’ graphics courses are offered fully live online in four weekly modules to be completed during the week they are offered. Each course lasts four weeks, and students will spend about five to six hours per week engaged in the course. This synchronous course meets online at the specific dates and times outlined below. The program’s structure enables students to receive immediate personal feedback on their work from the instructor and allows students to interact with the instructor and other students via live online discussions, demonstrations and critiques.
Each weekly course module begins on Tuesday. Previous work can be accessed and viewed anytime, but assignments must be submitted for the week before the beginning of the next weekly course module. While course material will be available for continued reference up to four weeks after the class ends, assignments must be turned in by the scheduled course end date, and participants must receive at least a 70% in the course in order to meet the requirements for earning a certificate of completion. Participants must attend six of the eight live-online sessions to earn a certificate. Recording are available for review after each session.
Participation Requirements
Participation in the course requires high-speed internet access, the application installed on your computer and an email address. Courses are taught using the latest version of Adobe’s software. Students must have the latest version of Adobe CC installed on their computers. Please note: These live online courses are not optimized for access on mobile devices.
Certificate Requirements
Certificates of completion will be awarded at the conclusion of the course to participants who participate in all course modules, complete all required assignments by the course end date, and receive at least a 70% in the course. Participants must attend six of the eight live-online sessions to earn a certificate. Advanced courses require a working knowledge of software applications prior to enrollment.
See the Graphics Professional Series overview for links to more courses of interest to beginning and experienced graphic artists, web designers, photographers and students.