Illustrator is a vector based graphic program. It creates images using mathematical equations rather that pixels like Photoshop. Another vector-based program is Adobe Flash. (See Links: Example Vector Images)
1. Vector - can be any size
2. Live Color & Live Paint - Colors can be changed in seconds
3. Use gradients and patterns
4. Integrate with Adobe Flash, Photoshop, InDesign, and Acrobat
5. Drawing tools
6. Easy to readjust strokes/lines
7. Cropping tool
8. Text fields, text wrapping
9. Click-and-drag font sizing
10. Create Outlines - customizable lettering
11. Typically "flat" looking
Ethics & Image Sources
2. Do not even consider anything near this symbol: ©
3. Create your own using photography (convert into vector art)
4. Create your own using sketches (manually convert into lines and fills)
5. If you must use outside imagery, go to a stock photo website to get royalty-free images (buy images or use with watermark)
Illustrator & Education
Adobe® Illustrator® CS3 software is an essential design tool for students and educators who need to express ideas visually — in print, on the web, and in any other medium. Illustrator CS3 — which includes the same industry-standard drawing and typographical tools used by top creative professionals — helps students create powerful, compelling vector graphics for websites, posters, presentations, brochures, school yearbooks, magazines, and much more. Learning on industry-standard tools gives students a valuable head start in their academic and professional design careers. Educators can also use Illustrator CS3 to enhance course materials and enliven in-class activities. From http://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/
Unfortunately, not many professional educators go public with how they use Illustrator as a teaching tool. Nearly all published materials (books, blogs, etc.) relating Adobe Illustrator and "education," "teach(ing)," and "class(room)" refer only to how to teach students to use the program itself.
While Illustrator is an incredible tool, it is not appropriate for all ages of students. I would assert that the average student cannot develop a independent competency in Illustrator before high school age.
Therefore, I have invented some ways I could envision using Illustrator as a teaching aide rather than a subject. The lessons go by age appropriateness from youngest to oldest.
Lessons & Activities
Example activity: Landscape
1. Draw landscape on paper
2. Scan into computer
OR Download my pre-drawn file & right-click to save
Warning: advertisements on this site can be risque
3. Open in Adobe Illustrator
4. Go to File/Document Setup... to change the file to ~8 by 11 inches
5. "Save As" new file Illustrator file (like "landscape2.ai") - it is always good to keep original digital copies
6. Trace in Illustrator to make vector objects
7. Save! And, be sure to save each project offshoot as a new file and re-save regularly
8. Continue with age-appropriate activities like those listed below
Possible Lesson Plans (Youngest-Oldest):
1. Wildlife studies- Students draw in appropriate forest wildlife, etc. (Science, Art)
2. Seasons studies- Students draw/color as appropriate for designated season. (Science, Art)
3. Media/tool interaction- Students draw in crayon first, then cover with marker. (Science, Art)
Example: Students use white crayon to draw animals that hibernate in Winter (blank image). Then they color the grass and sky with marker to see who comes back out to play in Spring...
4. Clues from reading- Students draw scene and color in objects as described in a story. (Language Arts, Art)
Example: Students are given an outline of a dog. They are instructed to color the dog as described in a story (polka dotted, striped purple ears, et cetera). Next, they draw his blue dog house in the background...5. Puppets- Students color in template of a storybook character. Next, they cut them out and glue them to popsicle sticks. They can act out scenes from the story and problem-solve with the new puppets. (Language Arts, Drama, Art, Social/Personal Development)
6. Flyer/newsletter/poster (History, Art, Journalism, English)
Example: Make a poster to recruit men into the Union Army. Include (replications of) real photos and time-appropriate text and language.7. Present a poem in a visual/decorative manner. (English, Writing, Art, Computer Skills)
8. Use Illustrator to create a school art/literary magazine or broadsheet. (English, Design, Journalism, Art, Computer Skills)
9. Use Illustrator to create a poster for a science project. (Science, English, Art, Design, Computer Skills)
10. Use Illustrator to make manga comic book images. Color on computer or by hand. (Art, Design, Computer Skills, Cultural Studies, History)
11. Make the school/class yearbook. (Design, Art, Computer Skills)
12. Design for design's sake- websites, posters, presentations, brochures, school yearbooks, magazines. (Art, Design, Computer Skills)
13. Digital or physical collage- Prepare images for collage work and print & make or assemble digitally. (Art, Computer Skills)
14. Prepare artwork to be screen printed. (Art, Computer Skills)
15. Make digital artwork. (Art, Computer Skills, Design- can be used to teach color theory, composition, et cetera)
Example: Illustrator Portrait Project
Links
1. Official product information
2. Product datasheet (PDF)
3. Example vector images
a. Illustrator #1
b. Illustrator #2
c. Illustrator #3
d. Flash #1
e. Flash #2
f. Flash #3
g. Advanced flash websites: Favourite Website Awards
h. Illustrator + Photoshop #1
i. Illustrator + Photoshop #2
j. Spoon Graphics- vector-centric blog with fantastic logo
4. Stock photo sites
a. Drawing for Live Paint (video)
b. Layouts (in place of InDesign to make fun flyers, etc.; video)
c. Live Color manipulation (including color schemes; video)
d. Hidden but helpful tricks (starting ~2:30/4:45; video)
e. Using symbols (starting ~11:40; video)
f. More tutorials (preview or subscribe; video)
b. Layouts (in place of InDesign to make fun flyers, etc.; video)
c. Live Color manipulation (including color schemes; video)
d. Hidden but helpful tricks (starting ~2:30/4:45; video)
e. Using symbols (starting ~11:40; video)
f. More tutorials (preview or subscribe; video)
g. Add-ons (scripts- very advanced; article)
6. Practice files
a. Original landscape drawing .JPEG
b. Landscape with drawing .AI
Entry last updated Monday, September 22, 2008
Great footwork. I have never used illustrator but you provide a good foundation for experimentation. I have seen that kind of illustration but not known how it was created before. Ahh, it is starting to become a little clearer now... Great stock images links too.
ReplyDeleteI am interested in how long it took you to master Illustrator. I wanted to learn from an expert friend of mine once before and he said,"There's so much to learn and it's the most difficult program, there's no way you can learn from a book." That comment really scared me so I haven't really used it for anything since I was first exposed to it almost 7 years ago. Can you share some images you have created for past jobs or project where Illustrator was the primary tool you used? Do you recommend mastering certain tools/techniques first?
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