Illustrator CS6: Beginning

This lesson introduces Illustrator's shape tools, which are the first step on your gentle journey toward using the all-important Pen tool. Get ready to draw shapes and combine them to form illustrations.

Now that you have learned to create shapes, it's time to start playing with color. In this lesson, you will discover how to create your own colors, save them, and apply them. You will also learn about the fabulous Recolor Artwork command and see how you can create and save color harmonies.

Illustrator's magic comes from the anchor points that control all the shapes in an image. In this lesson, you will learn to alter the anchor points on geometric objects and previously created shapes, so you can mold the results into something new.

The Pen tool is the basic instrument for creating vector art, and this lesson will teach you how to use it. You already know what corner points and smooth points are and how to edit them. Now, this lesson will show you how to create the different points with the Pen tool as you trace over a template.

Now that you know how to trace and flip symmetrical objects, it's time to try your new skills with more challenging images. Not all images consist of only one object, nor are they all symmetrical. This lesson focuses on tracing multiple objects in one image and managing the Layers panel.

The Appearance panel is your central monitoring station for making changes to fills, strokes, and effects. In this lesson, you'll learn to create strokes that look hand-drawn or have varying widths—even when you're using a mouse. You'll apply multiple strokes and fills to objects and create Illustrator effects that you can change at any time.

Gradients are Illustrator's version of an airbrush that can lay down smooth blends of color. You can use gradients on objects (shapes) for backgrounds or for shading. Once you know how to create your own gradients, you can add realism to any image.

One of the key problems for Illustrator users is getting realistic shading into vector objects. The Gradient tool helps, but it has limitations. In the lesson, you will create realistic blends, use a gradient mesh, and use gradients on strokes rather than on objects to create some amazing effects.

Did you know that you can change any set of objects (even an embedded raster image) into a symbol? In this lesson, you will create stroke gradient curls to finish the work from Lesson 9. You will also learn about how turning the object into a symbol can speed up Illustrator's performance.

Patterns are everywhere you look. Illustrator makes it easy to create complex patterns without detailed knowledge of pattern design. You will also practice using the patterns as the basis for pattern brushes.

Did you know that you create fonts for specific images? This lesson explores the basics of typography while you learn to use the Type tool. You will discover how to fill a shape with text and how to flow text along paths and around shapes.