Lynda.COM Illustrator CS4 One-on-One: Advanced

Deke McClelland

Software works on:

Mac and Windows

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

Introduction
Welcome           01:07
Installing the dekeKeys keyboard shortcuts           08:59
Resetting the Function keys on a Mac           04:47
Installing the CS4 color settings           04:20
Loading the CS4 color settings in Illustrator           06:03
Loading the CS4 color settings in Bridge CS4           03:25
01:53:30 13. Pathfinder Operations
From the simple emerges the complex           00:42
Introducing Pathfinder operations           04:17
Editing a compound shape           04:39
Adding to a compound shape           03:11
Inserting a subpath into a compound shape           03:56
Expanding a compound shape           04:53
Assembling primitives           04:42
Preparing a template in Photoshop           07:00
Uniting paths permanently           05:40
Minus Front vs. Minus Back           01:55
Working with compound paths           06:49
When in doubt, divide           03:54
Divide and Unite           03:02
Open path pitfalls           05:35
Strokes bad, fills good           04:38
Advanced Divide and Unite           08:59
Using the Crop operation           08:30
Expert Divide and Unite           08:45
"Ghosting" shapes with Fill Opacity           06:44
Anticipating and troubleshooting           08:15
Exclude and Intersect           07:24
44:59 14. Align and Distribute
Familiar one moment, different the next           01:03
Snapping to anchor points           05:41
Aligning a group to the artboard           03:34
Distributing objects on the artboard           04:16
Setting the key object           04:54
Distributing objects by space           03:06
Distributing objects by selections           03:19
Aligning point text           06:07
Aligning live text vs. using outlines           04:58
Aligning key letters           03:35
Aligning to key objects           04:26
01:04:15 15. Gradients and the Gradient Tool
CS4’s gradient renaissance           01:07
Applying a gradient           06:00
Dragging and dropping color swatches           02:55
Using the Gradient palette           06:27
Designing a shaded gradient           05:09
Saving a gradient swatch and adding a texture           04:02
Introducing the new Gradient tool           04:39
Editing color stops inside a shape           03:26
Setting multiple gradients to the same angle           05:00
Adding and adjusting radial gradients           07:20
Making a transparent gradient           07:06
Adding drop shadows (a kind of gradient)           06:27
Blends vs. blend modes           04:37
01:17:18 16. Gradient Mesh
Creating freeform color flows           01:00
The power of CS4's transparent gradients           10:25
Creating a gradient mesh           04:30
Expanding a gradient to a gradient mesh           07:40
Adding and deleting rows and columns           06:13
Selecting and coloring points           06:05
Assigning colors with the Eyedropper tool           07:42
Cool mesh editing techniques           03:56
Warping and puckering a mesh           07:24
Applying precise finishing touches           05:48
Gradient strokes           09:45
Gradient text           06:50
55:35 17. Blends and Masks
The first of the dynamic functions           01:04
Making a blend automatically           05:48
Fixing problem blends           03:56
Making a blend with the Blend tool           03:06
Cloning and coloring a blended path           04:37
Creating a mask           03:53
Blending between translucent shapes           05:30
Blending along a curve           04:34
Adjusting the speed of a blend           02:58
Filling and stroking a mask           04:36
Creating a compound clipping mask           06:03
Nesting one clipping mask inside another           06:07
Ghosting nested masks and blends           03:23
01:13:11 18. Seamlessly Repeating Tile Patterns
Patterns that repeat forever and ever           00:51
Introducing tile patterns           06:36
Beginning a core design           05:06
Building an interlocking element           06:24
Achieving precise radial symmetry           04:46
Rotating duplicates around a common center           03:10
Determining how a pattern repeats           09:54
Coloring the core objects           05:00
Identifying the rectangular tile           07:14
Saving tile patterns           07:18
Applying tile patterns to a shape           03:25
Protecting patterns from transformations           07:36
Moving patterns without paths           05:51
01:19:28 19. Calligraphy, Blobs, and Art Brushes
Illustrator gets natural           01:15
Introducing the vector painting tools           03:16
Calligraphic brush options           04:03
Pressure sensitivity           05:17
Editing a calligraphic brush           05:53
Repainting and smoothing paths           05:30
Making the paintbrush behave           06:16
Erasing stroked paths           03:17
Painting with the new Blob brush           06:24
Refining filled paths with the Eraser           04:14
Painting independent paths           03:53
The Selection Limits Merge options           03:20
Applying and scaling an art brush           06:23
Snipping a brushed path           04:55
Colorizing an art brush           04:09
Heaping a stroke on an art brush effect           04:32
Creating a custom art brush           06:51
01:44:46 20. Importing and Linking Images
The computer art world’s dynamic duo           01:07
Copying and pasting pixels from Photoshop           07:21
Linking is efficient, embedding is not           02:47
Editing an image in Illustrator           07:30
Filtering an image in Photoshop           06:34
Adding a filter mask in Photoshop           06:25
Masking a woman from the background           03:49
Creating a sepia effect           06:37
Adding a second gradient map layer           02:13
Achieving a graphic effect with Levels           08:09
Preparing an image for use in Illustrator           05:46
The importance of image resolution           09:40
Placing and linking images           04:43
Managing linked images           06:18
Integrating an image into a design           05:12
A better way to wrap text           07:28
Previewing the trim size           04:25
Layer comps and editable text           08:42
02:11:50 21. Using Transparency
Transparency is safe and fun           01:27
Introducing the translucent composition           04:39
Assigning opacity to an Appearance attribute           03:41
Creating a knockout group           05:07
Defining an opacity mask           07:15
Using the Clip checkbox           02:41
Opacity mask tips and tricks           03:20
The Multiply blend mode           06:08
Adding to an existing opacity mask           07:53
Blending between parallel groups           07:27
Creating a gradient opacity mask           04:54
Employing an opposing gradient mask           07:57
Combining Multiply and Screen           03:49
Blend mode roundup           05:24
Mixing blend modes inside a single path           03:48
Blend mode and transparent gradient           03:49
Masking an entire layer           07:00
Combining Screen with 100K Black           07:43
Knocking out a drop shadow           05:18
But will it print?           03:08
Working with the Flattener preview           08:44
Rasterizing an illustration in Photoshop           09:16
Super-rich blacks and raster effects           03:34
Exporting TIFF artwork from Illustrator           07:48
00:57 Conclusion
Until next time           00:57