Lynda.com Illustrator CS4 One-On-One Advanced

Author: Deke McClelland | Duration (hr:min): 12:54 | Language: English | 1DVD | Released on: 7/9/2009 | Exercise files: Yes | Size ( Compressed ): 1.04GB | Size ( After Extraction ): 1.24GB

Description
Knowing the fundamentals of drawing and reshaping paths is only part of the story. In Illustrator CS4 One-on-One: Advanced, the second of the popular One-on-One series, computer graphics expert Deke McClelland covers some of Illustrator's most powerful and least understood features. He shows how to merge simple shapes to create complex ones with the Pathfinder palette, as well as align paths to create schematic illustrations. Deke explains how to paint fluid, multicolor fills with blends, and the new and improved gradient tool. He explores seamlessly repeating tile patterns, blobs and brushes, and imported images. He also dives into one of the deepest features in all of Illustrator, transparency. Exercise files accompany the tutorial.

Recommended prerequisite: Illustrator CS4 One-on-One: Fundamentals.

Download Deke's customized keyboard layouts and color settings for Illustrator from the Exercise Files tab.
Topics include:

* Working with compound shapes in the Pathfinder palette
* Ghosting shapes with Fill Opacity
* Understanding gradients and the gradient tools
* Cloning and coloring a blended path
* Saving tile patterns and applying them to a shape
* Importing and linking images from other applications


Table Of Contents
Introduction
Welcome
Installing the dekeKeys keyboard shortcuts
Resetting the Function keys on a Mac
Installing the CS4 color settings
Loading the CS4 color settings in Illustrator
Loading the CS4 color settings in Bridge CS4

13. Pathfinder Operations
From the simple emerges the complex
Introducing Pathfinder operations
Editing a compound shape
Adding to a compound shape
Inserting a subpath into a compound shape
Expanding a compound shape
Assembling primitives
Preparing a template in Photoshop
Uniting paths permanently
Minus Front vs. Minus Back
Working with compound paths
When in doubt, divide
Divide and Unite
Open path pitfalls
Strokes bad, fills good
Advanced Divide and Unite
Using the Crop operation
Expert Divide and Unite
"Ghosting" shapes with Fill Opacity
Anticipating and troubleshooting
Exclude and Intersect

14. Align and Distribute
Familiar one moment, different the next
Snapping to anchor points
Aligning a group to the artboard
Distributing objects on the artboard
Setting the key object
Distributing objects by space
Distributing objects by selections
Aligning point text
Aligning live text vs. using outlines
Aligning key letters
Aligning to key objects

15. Gradients and the Gradient Tool
CS4’s gradient renaissance
Applying a gradient
Dragging and dropping color swatches
Using the Gradient palette
Designing a shaded gradient
Saving a gradient swatch and adding a texture
Introducing the new Gradient tool
Editing color stops inside a shape
Setting multiple gradients to the same angle
Adding and adjusting radial gradients
Making a transparent gradient
Adding drop shadows (a kind of gradient)
Blends vs. blend modes

16. Gradient Mesh
Creating freeform color flows
The power of CS4's transparent gradients
Creating a gradient mesh
Expanding a gradient to a gradient mesh
Adding and deleting rows and columns
Selecting and coloring points
Assigning colors with the Eyedropper tool
Cool mesh editing techniques
Warping and puckering a mesh
Applying precise finishing touches
Gradient strokes
Gradient text

17. Blends and Masks
The first of the dynamic functions
Making a blend automatically
Fixing problem blends
Making a blend with the Blend tool
Cloning and coloring a blended path
Creating a mask
Blending between translucent shapes
Blending along a curve
Adjusting the speed of a blend
Filling and stroking a mask
Creating a compound clipping mask
Nesting one clipping mask inside another
Ghosting nested masks and blends

18. Seamlessly Repeating Tile Patterns
Patterns that repeat forever and ever
Introducing tile patterns
Beginning a core design
Building an interlocking element
Achieving precise radial symmetry
Rotating duplicates around a common center
Determining how a pattern repeats
Coloring the core objects
Identifying the rectangular tile
Saving tile patterns
Applying tile patterns to a shape
Protecting patterns from transformations
Moving patterns without paths

19. Calligraphy, Blobs, and Art Brushes
Illustrator gets natural
Introducing the vector painting tools
Calligraphic brush options
Pressure sensitivity
Editing a calligraphic brush
Repainting and smoothing paths
Making the paintbrush behave
Erasing stroked paths
Painting with the new Blob brush
Refining filled paths with the Eraser
Painting independent paths
The Selection Limits Merge options
Applying and scaling an art brush
Snipping a brushed path
Colorizing an art brush
Heaping a stroke on an art brush effect
Creating a custom art brush

20. Importing and Linking Images
The computer art world’s dynamic duo
Copying and pasting pixels from Photoshop
Linking is efficient, embedding is not
Editing an image in Illustrator
Filtering an image in Photoshop
Adding a filter mask in Photoshop
Masking a woman from the background
Creating a sepia effect
Adding a second gradient map layer
Achieving a graphic effect with Levels
Preparing an image for use in Illustrator
The importance of image resolution
Placing and linking images
Managing linked images
Integrating an image into a design
A better way to wrap text
Previewing the trim size
Layer comps and editable text

21. Using Transparency
Transparency is safe and fun
Introducing the translucent composition
Assigning opacity to an Appearance attribute
Creating a knockout group
Defining an opacity mask
Using the Clip checkbox
Opacity mask tips and tricks
The Multiply blend mode
Adding to an existing opacity mask
Blending between parallel groups
Creating a gradient opacity mask
Employing an opposing gradient mask
Combining Multiply and Screen
Blend mode roundup
Mixing blend modes inside a single path
Blend mode and transparent gradient
Masking an entire layer
Combining Screen with 100K Black
Knocking out a drop shadow
But will it print?
Working with the Flattener preview
Rasterizing an illustration in Photoshop
Super-rich blacks and raster effects
Exporting TIFF artwork from Illustrator

Conclusion
Until next time


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