Adobe Illustrator: Getting Past The Blank Canvas

Adobe Illustrator is often the least used member of the graphic design trinity which also includes InDesign (or QuarkXPress) and Photoshop. Its main use is the creation of print graphics, anything from a corporate logo or a map of directions to your office. It can also be used to build website layouts and web graphics include Flash animations. There are also several functions relating to page layout, such as the ability to link paragraphs of text and run text around images.

We often find that delegates attending our Adobe Illustrator training courses have difficulty in getting to grips with the program, finding applications for it and incorporating it into their workflows. One of the main reasons for this is what we sometimes refer to as "Blank Canvas Syndrome". The thing is: at first glance, Adobe Illustrator often seems a lot less enticing and inviting than, say, Photoshop. To many new users, Photoshop is like a big city with bright lights and lots of exciting things to do and places to go. By contrast, Illustrator can seem like a wasteland; there's just nothing there when you create a new document; it's up to you to create everything from scratch.

As Illustrator trainers, we take on board the fact that running an Illustrator training course involves more than just tuition of the use to tools and techniques. To get delegates feeling enthusiastic about using the program, we also need to rid them of their fear of the stark blank canvas facing them every time they create a new file. We have identified four main techniques for ridding new users of "Blank Canvas Syndrome". Firstly, it is important to clearly identify the type of artwork you want Illustrator to create for you. Secondly, use Illustrator's Live Trace facility to create vector elements which can become a starting point for your own artwork. Thirdly, use background images as guides as you create your own drawings. And, fourthly, copy, reuse and modify elements that already exist within your own drawings.

Getting started with Illustrator becomes a lot easier once you have a clear idea of what type of artwork you need to produce. When often run courses for companies who will be using Illustrator in a very specific way, such as fashion companies, architects or cartographers. This type of training tends to be very successful because it's just a case of showing people which tools and techniques they need to use to create the necessary output.

For those users who are not using the program in a very pointed fashion, we always try to emphasise that creating Illustrator artwork doesn't have to mean originating every single stroke from scratch. We show users how they can use imported graphics as a starting point for their own artwork. For example, keeping scanned images on a background layer and drawing over them using the pen tool or converting bitmapped images into vectors with Illustrator's Live Trace utility.

Illustrator's Live Trace function is a powerful built-in utility which converts bitmapped images into editable Illustrator vector images. It contains a series of presets for tracing specific types of image, such as colour or black and white logos, line art, charts or technical drawings. As well as these presets it is also possible to create your own customised settings. The artwork produced by the Live Trace function will almost always need to be cleaned up and modified before becoming useable as Illustrator artwork. However, it can be a huge time saver and can be a welcome alternative to drawing elements from scratch.

Bitmapped images can also provide useful visual reference points as you create your own artwork. You place the image on a background layer and, optionally reduce its opacity down to around 45%, so it doesn't clash with the elements you are creating. As you draw, you can then make constant comparisons between your own art and the content of the background reference images.

Almost all drawings you create will contain elements that either repeat or are variations on the same theme. Naturally, you will not create such elements from scratch each time you need them. Illustrator contains a wide variety of useful techniques for duplication and transformed duplication of existing elements within your drawing. It also allows you to apply multiple attributes such as fills and strokes to the same object. Thus, for example, you can create the appearance of several concentric circles simply by adding several strokes to one circle (using the Offset Path effect to get the right position).

The fact of the matter is that "Blank Canvas Syndrome" will just disappear once you formulate a clear idea of what you achieve learn to avoid creating all your elements from scratch. Start using the Live Trace facility to generate useable vector artwork. Use background images as guides to help you draw your own artwork and, wherever possible, reuse and modify elements that you have already created.

Article Source: http://www.search4allinfo.com

The author is a trainer and developer with Macresource Computer Solutions, an independent computer training company offering Adobe Illustrator Classes in London and throughout the UK.

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