Tips on Starting with Illustration Design?

[hbixler03]

Ok so I downloaded the free trial of Adobe Illustrator in hopes of learning how to design Vector/Illustrated images myself.

So my question is, do ya'll have any tips on how to do this? I know it would be impossilbe to give me a full step by step run down of how to actually do this, but if you could give me some insight as to how to create iullustrated images then that would be great!

For example: do these people hand draw these images via the software or do they draw it on paper then upload it to the software and color it in?

Thanks in advance to any help you all can give! :)

[Kelly Creative]

The Adobe tutorials are quite handy

[KenOath]

Photoshop Tutorials and Flash Tutorials

If you want some nice quick tutorials to work through, most of them don't take very long at all, some of them are a bit cheesy but gives you a really good idea of how to use Illustrator.

[Zaoris]

Illustrator Tutorials
Have fun

tutorials

[Mack]

if you want to pony up some cash for some GREAT video tutorials.
Check out Learning @ Your Own Pace® - lynda.com

a year subscription came with my registration to Flash Forward, and I am telling you these video tutorials are the best out there.

[Miss Leona]

Sketching and scanning stuff in, then trying to draw vector is a great way to learn, also try tutorials on the gradient mesh tool, it's very handy to know

[Cwilk]

For example: do these people hand draw these images via the software or do they draw it on paper then upload it to the software and color it in?

First of all, it can take years to master Illustrator. When I hear someone say they're an expert, I cringe. Mainly because there are probably a very small handful of designers who can use Illy to it's full potential.

When you first start out with Illy it takes lots and lots of time and practice. Don't think that you'll learn it overnight. Practice with the bezier tool and then graduate to other things as you feel comfortable.

As for your question, I draw and scan art sometimes and other times I draw from scratch.

[Toon]

This is how the pro's do it..

Illustration of Leica Camera © - by Yukio Miyamoto



Zoom

[dannynosleeves]

Originally Posted by Mack

if you want to pony up some cash for some GREAT video tutorials.
Check out Learning @ Your Own Pace® - lynda.com

a year subscription came with my registration to Flash Forward, and I am telling you these video tutorials are the best out there.

Yes the lydna tutorials are great. I have a year subscription, but its kind of pricey.

I just did a blog post with links to over 100 illustrator tutorials...