Adobe Illustrator

haffajappa
haffajappa British Columbia Posts: 5,955
edited November 2008 in All Encompassing Trip
it frustrates me.
i always cheat, and use Photoshop for my projects.

i've just been using Photoshop so long, i don't know where to begin with Illustrator... I haven't used it since high school and even that was very limited.

Can anyone recommend me good books or tutorials on Illustrator?
live pearl jam is best pearl jam
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Comments

  • BUFFALO
    BUFFALO Posts: 760
    wow you sound like me ... i just started school this fall and i am completly lost in my cs3 illustrator class ... my last project i had to redue because it was to photoshopy ....
    Buffalo 96,Barrie 98,Tampa 00,Orlando HOB 03,Buffalo 03,London 05,Hamilton 05 ,Toronto 06,
    MSG 2 08, Buffalo 10, Hamilton 11


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  • haffajappa
    haffajappa British Columbia Posts: 5,955
    BUFFALO wrote:
    wow you sound like me ... i just started school this fall and i am completly lost in my cs3 illustrator class ... my last project i had to redue because it was to photoshopy ....
    I know right?
    Hopefully someone on your educational end TEACHES you because my prof does a pretty piss poor job if you ask me. They don't teach anything just say DO this so i automatically just turn to Photoshop...

    It's just overwhelming...
    live pearl jam is best pearl jam
  • PissBottleMan
    PissBottleMan Union City, TN Posts: 4,155
    I have to use vector files in order to use my 3D program at work. Illustrator frustrates the hell out of me.

    There's probably a shorter way to trace an object (without using live trace), but I'm really slow at using it.

    Good program, but I haven't been properly checked out on the software.

    If all else fails...and you don't need vector files, use Photoshop.

    PBM
    "We paced ourselves and we didn't rush through it and we tried to be as creative as our collective minds would let us be over some course of time instead of just trying to rush through a record"

    Wishlist Foundation: http://wishlistfoundation.org
  • PissBottleMan
    PissBottleMan Union City, TN Posts: 4,155
    Check out Creative Cow for help.

    They have great video tutorials and a message board with folks who love to help.

    PBM
    "We paced ourselves and we didn't rush through it and we tried to be as creative as our collective minds would let us be over some course of time instead of just trying to rush through a record"

    Wishlist Foundation: http://wishlistfoundation.org
  • BUFFALO
    BUFFALO Posts: 760
    doin'the-evolution wrote:
    I know right?
    Hopefully someone on your educational end TEACHES you because my prof does a pretty piss poor job if you ask me. They don't teach anything just say DO this so i automatically just turn to Photoshop...

    It's just overwhelming...

    my instrustor is the same way .. most of the class has a good handle on the program so thats even more frustrating
    Buffalo 96,Barrie 98,Tampa 00,Orlando HOB 03,Buffalo 03,London 05,Hamilton 05 ,Toronto 06,
    MSG 2 08, Buffalo 10, Hamilton 11


    _____________________________
    KEEP OUR COUNTRY ....COUNTRY
  • haffajappa
    haffajappa British Columbia Posts: 5,955
    PissBottleMan wrote:
    Check out Creative Cow for help.

    They have great video tutorials and a message board with folks who love to help.

    PBM
    awesome thanks, i'll book mark it.

    right now i'm in between semesters so it's just for some personal use but this will most def help next semester :):)
    live pearl jam is best pearl jam
  • haffajappa
    haffajappa British Columbia Posts: 5,955
    BUFFALO wrote:
    my instrustor is the same way .. most of the class has a good handle on the program so thats even more frustrating
    yeah makes me feel really great about paying all this money for higher education :rolleyes:
    live pearl jam is best pearl jam
  • PissBottleMan
    PissBottleMan Union City, TN Posts: 4,155
    doin'the-evolution wrote:
    yeah makes me feel really great about paying all this money for higher education :rolleyes:

    Wait until you get into the work-a-day world and your employer buys the software and doesn't offer any training.

    It's sink or swim.

    That Creative Cow website is very helpful. If you have the money and are interested in really learning Adobe products, they have great tutorial DVD's. You may be able to have your university look into buying them...they are a great learning tool.

    I've used the After Effects DVD's quite a bit and use it almost exclusively for my editing.

    PBM
    "We paced ourselves and we didn't rush through it and we tried to be as creative as our collective minds would let us be over some course of time instead of just trying to rush through a record"

    Wishlist Foundation: http://wishlistfoundation.org
  • corduroid
    corduroid Posts: 293
    doin'the-evolution wrote:
    Can anyone recommend me good books or tutorials on Illustrator?
    Illustrator is a steep, steep curve. I bought it for our business and ended up using ACD Canvas, an excellent and more useful (to me) illustration/graphics program. For whatever reason, Adobe stuff and Illustrator in particular is just non-intuitive to me.

    I know that doesn't help you any, just sharing your pain ;)
  • SoapMakesUTaller
    SoapMakesUTaller Posts: 230
    Guys....it takes a while to just be intermediate.

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/DaBadGuy82/HerreraH-wk07-pr01-1.jpg

    I recently finished this up in Illustrator. It REALLY has to do with how your teacher explains this stuff....because it's easy to make shapes that look like what you want them to resemble, but it's the content that makes up the shapes that puts a stamp on how "good" it looks. (IE, gradients, shadows, color)

    Much like photoshop, it takes a lot of time to get down even decently. But unlike photoshop, you have to start from scratch, no builiding on a foundation, you have to literally build a "new house" every single project. So, I guess it comes down to your patience and attention to detail.
  • SoapMakesUTaller
    SoapMakesUTaller Posts: 230
    And a really good book with great images and colored examples is The Illustrator CS3 WOW! Book.
  • haffajappa
    haffajappa British Columbia Posts: 5,955
    SoapMakesUTaller wrote:
    And a really good book with great images and colored examples is The Illustrator CS3 WOW! Book.
    Wow! for photoshop was what my high school teacher used in my graphics courses... it was a great stepping stone.

    i'm pretty comfortable in photoshop, mainly cause i have been using it regularly for about 4 or 5 years now. i want to be at this level in illustrator.

    that hendrix is AMAZING by the way... i wanna be that great!
    i'll hafto stop avoiding it...
    live pearl jam is best pearl jam
  • EquallyWorthless
    EquallyWorthless Posts: 3,993
    classroom in a book.
    {if (work != 0) {
    work = work + 1;
    sleep = sleep - work * 10;}
    else if (work >= 0) {
    reality.equals(false);
    work = work +1;
    }system("pause");
    return 0;}
  • pjoasisrule
    pjoasisrule Posts: 3,412
    I was this way once too but now I now I use illustrator for everything and forgot how to use photoshop well. Basically you need to learn to use the pen tool well and everything else will come after that.
    Alpine Valley 2000
    Summerfest 2006

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  • dunkman
    dunkman Posts: 19,646
    i understand why people might prefer photoshop.. but if your course/job requires vector graphics then PS aint the way to go.

    you must learn Illustrator.. i've used it for 8 or 9 years and i dont know what each command does still.. its a vast program!
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • Trailer
    Trailer Posts: 1,431
    The book that helped me out the most was the Adobe Illustrator Bible.
    Whoa, chill bro... you know you can't raise your voice like that when the lion's here.
  • haffajappa
    haffajappa British Columbia Posts: 5,955
    ahh. i know illustrator is an amazing program, and i've put off learning it for so long.... guilty as charged!
    live pearl jam is best pearl jam
  • Hinny
    Hinny Posts: 1,610
    Sometimes I forget that you do actual things other than gossip about the weird people you come across.
    Binary solo..000000100000111100001110
  • DeLukin
    DeLukin Posts: 2,757
    Illustrator is a great app. If you're used to Photoshop, though, there is a HUGE learning curve - not necessarily in a bad way either (there are lots of things that Illustrator does that I wish Photoshop did, or did better). As far as vector-editing apps go, though, Illustrator is the best there is IMO. I would highly recommend Lynda.com for tutorials - they aren't free but that's an amazing site, especially if you can get your boss to foot the bill. Also, Adobe has a great site for tutorials:

    http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/video_workshop/

    Good luck! Once you get used to its diocincracies , it really is a great app and worth the time it takes to get to know.
    I smile, but who am I kidding...
  • haffajappa
    haffajappa British Columbia Posts: 5,955
    DeLukin wrote:
    Illustrator is a great app. If you're used to Photoshop, though, there is a HUGE learning curve - not necessarily in a bad way either (there are lots of things that Illustrator does that I wish Photoshop did, or did better). As far as vector-editing apps go, though, Illustrator is the best there is IMO. I would highly recommend Lynda.com for tutorials - they aren't free but that's an amazing site, especially if you can get your boss to foot the bill. Also, Adobe has a great site for tutorials:

    http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/video_workshop/

    Good luck! Once you get used to its diocincracies , it really is a great app and worth the time it takes to get to know.
    i go to uni and they suck enough money out of us for useless textbooks and programs. :rolleyes:

    thanks for the info :):)
    live pearl jam is best pearl jam

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