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BEGINNER: If you are a Beginner to Adobe Illustrator, I will recommend creating clean Contour Line Drawing. This can be accomplished by tracing a stock photo or simplifying your own Sketches.
INTERMEDIATE: The next phase will be to prepare your drawings for the Initial Building Phase in Adobe Illustrator. Many of you will be using Ellipse, Pen, and Curvature Tools as your Primary Building Tools.
ADVANCED: As you become more aware of the Tools and Options in Adobe Illustrator, you can save time in your workflow by using quick sketches. Use either Paper or Digital Methods.
REFERENCE IMAGES: Look for Free Stock Photos to use as Drawing References for Proportions, Details, and Values. I recommend gathering a few different options based on the subject matter you are drawing. For your own artwork, I recommend gathering and organizing resources within the same project folder (Stock Photos / Sketches / Color Swatches). LEARNING TARGET: For your own artwork, I recommend starting from a Drawing, Sketch, or Traced Stock Photo. LEARNING TARGET: Use either Paper or Digital Drawing Methods.
DRAWING TEMPLATE: I have created a Drawing Template of 2160px by 1080px in Adobe Photoshop. This will allow me to Export my Drawing or Sketch from Layers at 1080px by 1080px. I have created a Frame of 1080px by 1080px. File - Place in your Photo Reference. You can add Adjustment Layers to assist your drawings and sketches. DIGITAL: Create a New Document 2160px by 1080px. PAPER: For those of you using Paper Methods, download any Free Scanning App on your phone to digitize your paper sketches and drawings.
BASIC TRACE: I will recommend to new users to Adobe Illustrator a Breakdown Process so you can see the Design Elements within the subject. This will allow you to quickly assess the Building Tools that align with the Elements (Lines + Shapes). There will be some of you who will be asking: 'Why don't we just go directly from the Stock Photo?" If you chose to go directly off of a photo, there is a breaking point with the transparency of the photo layer and being able to see your new paths. At this point the Photo Details become challenging to see and your eyeballs will explode. LEARNING TARGET: Breakdown your image into Design Elements (shapes and lines) before moving to Adobe Illustrator.
DESIGN ELEMENTS: Look for obvious shapes first ie. Circles. This will align directly with the Ellipse Tool. You can quickly create an "Anchor Point Guide" by adding markers for Center of Circles, Corners, and the Ends of Lines. This step is a "Connect the Dots" Approach for the Ellipse, Pen, and Curvature Tools to drop down your lines. LEARNING TARGET (1): Look for obvious Shapes/Circles. LEARNING TARGET (2): Look for the Start/End/Corners of each Line Segment. LEARNING TARGET: Look for elements of your design that can "repeat" or "mirror" to save time.
