Illustrator CS6 Fundamentals

Picture of Illustrator CS6 Fundamentals
Quick Facts
  • Delivery Method Online
  • Professional Certificate
  • 24hrs Suggested Study Time
  • 3 Months Access
  • Tutor Support
  • Study On Any Device
  • 1214 Students

Learn to design and draw vector art, work with shape gradients, and manipulate color images using Adobe Illustrator CS6.

If you want to get a job as a graphic artist, you need to learn Adobe Illustrator. In this course, you'll see how Adobe Illustrator CS6 can give you the power to design, draw, and color images quickly and easily.

From drawing objects with the shape tools to mastering the all-important Pen tool to working with shape gradients, you'll gain the techniques you need to produce stunning vector graphics. You'll learn to apply and work with color, create shading effects and painterly brushstrokes, and add special effects such as 3D to your drawings that will set your work apart. You can also easily move designs back and forth between Photoshop and Illustrator to take advantage of the strengths of both programs.

Each lesson contains an assignment that challenges both your creativity and your growing skill with the program. The course is designed to let you work at your own level, whether you're just getting started with Illustrator or looking to refresh your Illustrator skills. Come experience the fun of Adobe Illustrator!

Courses are delivered to you through expertly executed lessons, online instruction and interaction with like-minded students. Our courses are designed to deliver all of the benefits of studying in a classroom whilst giving you the flexibility to study at a time and place to suit your needs. You can access your classroom 24/7 from any device with an internet connection.

This course has a 3 month duration. You'll complete comprehensive lessons, quizzes and assignments before submitting your final exam at the end of the course to achieve your certificate. Courses must be completed within the 3 month access period.

Even if you're an absolute beginner, you'll feel right at home after we spend this first lesson touring Adobe Illustrator CS6's work area, toolbox, and panels. We'll jump right into some of Illustrator's fun features by auto-tracing a drawing, turning parts of it into a Live Paint Object (think of a digital coloring book), and recoloring it. As you meet each new feature, you'll learn more about what it is and what it does.

Today you'll discover 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've learned to create shapes, it's time to start playing with color. In today's lesson, you'll discover how to create your own colors, save them, and apply them. You'll also learn about the fabulous Recolor Artwork command and see how you can create and save color harmonies. After this lesson, you'll have a consultant that's always there to advise you on what colors work together.

Illustrator's magic comes from the anchor points that control all the shapes in an image. Today you'll 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 today you'll learn to use it. You already know what corner points and smooth points are and how to edit them; now you'll learn how to create them with the Pen tool as you trace over a template. You can do all your editing with the Pen tool once you understand its features . . . and you'll discover all the tricks today.

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 are symmetrical, and not all images consist of only one object. You need to learn how to trace multiple objects in one image and manage the Layers panel as you lock and unlock layers. You'll also learn a suggested workflow for tracing and simplifying photographic content in Illustrator.

The Appearance panel is your central monitoring station for making changes to fills, strokes, and effects. Today 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'll 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? And once you have a symbol, you can apply it to any drawing you want with a single click. This process makes your image reusable and saves storage space. Today you'll create stroke gradient curls to finish the work from Lesson 9, which will show you how turning the object into a symbol can speed up Illustrator's performance. You'll also use symbols to decorate 3-D objects.

Patterns are everywhere you look—from the tissue box on your desk to your favorite flannel pj's. And Illustrator CS6's pattern design engine is its most exciting new feature. Now Illustrator makes it easy to create complex patterns without detailed knowledge of pattern design. And even more important—it's incredibly fun! Just like when you're eating peanuts, you won't want to stop. You'll continue the fun by using the patterns as the basis for pattern brushes.

What font would you use to create type that looks like it belongs to Marilyn Monroe? Today you'll explore the basics of typography while you learn to use the Type tool. You'll discover how to fill a shape with text and how to flow text along paths and around shapes.

Sherry London

Sherry London

Sherry London is a noted Photoshop and Illustrator expert, an artist, a writer, and a teacher. Her fiber art has been featured in magazines and exhibitions. Her published works include Photoshop CS2 Gone Wild, Photoshop Magic, Photoshop Effects Ma... Read more

Read Sherry London's Profile

Frequently Asked Questions

Once you've made the payment, we'll send you a confirmation email with a link to start your course. Feel free to get started whenever you're ready!

You'll have 3 months access to your course. In that time you are free to study at your own pace. The course duration is 24 hours.

Online learning is a flexible way to study that fits around your schedule, giving you the freedom to learn at your own pace from anywhere in the world. You'll have 3 months to complete the course and can take the multiple-choice questions and final exam whenever it suits you.

If you need help, you can contact us anytime. You can also join the discussion area where you can interact with other students. The discussion area for each lesson is open for the entire duration of the course.

Of course! We offer a 10-day money back guarantee. As long as you haven't completed the course, you can get a full refund within 10 days of enrolling.

We do not offer extensions or transfers for this self-paced course. However, you will have 3 months to complete the course, and if you need to cancel within the first 10 days of enrolment, we offer a money back guarantee.

The Learning Environment

From the moment that you enrol in the Illustrator CS6 Fundamentals you will become an integral part of our learning community. You'll find yourself with the freedom to learn at a speed that suits you, on any device, from anywhere in the world. Achieving your career goals no longer has to mean compromising family and work commitments.

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