Hot Adobe Illustrator How-Tos


How To: Make swooshes & swirls in Illustrator
The first thing to do is open a new document with Adobe Illustrator. Inside the document, make a box, width 200 pt, height 20 pt. Click the bottom right corner with your mouse and hit delete. Then hold down the top right with shift, and tap the down arrow once. Then, click bottom left point, hold shift, join the objects by half. Go to brushes pallet and create a new brush. Click the spiral tool. Use the up and down with the mouse to select range you would like. Select the art brush, and click...

How To: Create a lens flare in Illustrator
Ever wondered about the flare hitting your eyes from reflective surfaces (vehicle mirrors)? Let's create one. Open Adobe Illustrator with an image and embed it. Take the flare tool from tool palette. Draw the first shape and then second shape. To change settings, go to flare options. You can change the brightness, opacity and diameter of the flare which will add life to the image(open sky). This will help bring out some cool effects as well as realism to the image.

How To: Create a skewed checkerboard pattern in Illustrator
Check out this simple Adobe Illustrator CS4 tutorial to learn how to create a skewed checkerboard pattern. This technique will save you the trouble of having to use the Option and Drag method multiple times. Veerle Pieters expertly takes you through this easy pattern technique. For more Adobe Illustrator tutorials, search for Illustrator on WonderHowTo.

How To: Use the Gradient Mesh Tool in Adobe Illustrator for Vector Portraits
Illustrator's gradient mesh tool is a powerful one for vector artists... if you know how to use it. This tool can help create beautiful and vivid mesh-based vector portraits, as long as your skills are up to par. If not, try out some of the beginner tutorials on WonderHowTo for using the mesh gradient tool in Adobe Illustrator, then move onto mastery...

How To: Create diagrams and flowcharts in Adobe Illustrator 5
If you need to make some diagrams for a school project or a flowchart for a business proposal, you can easily use Adobe Illustrator 5, part of the Creative Suite package, to create them. This tutorial shows you a few ways to create your own customized diagrams.

How To: Create a 3D sphere & reflection in Illustrator
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to create a 3D sphere and reflection in Adobe Illustrator. Begin by using the ellipse tool and create a circle. Select the black and white gradient, and drag the colors that you want into the gradient panel. Now hold the Alt key and draw a smaller circle inside. Fill it with white/transparent gradient. Select the sphere and go to Object/Group. Now go to Effect/Distort and Transform/Transform. Tick the Preview and Reflect Y, insert 1 copies box and sel...

How To: Create stylish blend curves in Illustrator
To do that, first select the pen tool, choose yellow stroke color and draw the path as showing in the video then deselect and choose pen tool again, pink color in stroke and draw the path again. Now you need to select the blend tool and click on both paths. Now go to object, blend and choose blend options. Now select the specified steps, put the value of 25 there and click on ok. Now open the blend in layer window and select the paths. Now set color to white

How To: Use the Warp tool in Adobe Illustrator CS4 or CS5
In this clip, you'll learn how to distort and otherwise distress an image with the Warp tool when doing design work in Adobe Illustrator CS4 or CS5. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular vector graphics editing software or a seasoned professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Use the Auto Trace tool in Adobe Illustrator CS4 or CS5
Looking for a quick guide on how to use the Auto Trace tool when working in Adobe Illustrator CS4 or CS5? This clip will teach you what you need to know. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular vector graphics editing software or a seasoned professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Create a cartoon cloud in Illustrator
A great free video training from tasktutorial on how to create a cartoon cloud in Adobe Illustrator. All the project files are available to download for free at the Adobe website. First create a background: select the rectangle tool then create a new layer and draw a rectangle across the canvas. Now select the path, go to gradient and edit the it a bit until it's a shade of blue. Lock the gradient and create a new layer. Select white fill color and 2 point black stroke and draw a few oval sha...

How To: Create a Twisted Wire in Illustrator
This Illustrator tutorial shows you a way to make a double helix or twisted wire. Using Illustrator and the powerful pattern brush, Bert takes us through the steps from a wavy line to a realistic wire effect or double helix.

How To: Vectorize graphics in Adobe Illustrator
Vectorizing your graphics will help improve the quality of your content. Task Tutorial helps you out in this Illustrator tutorial by showing you how to take a crappy jpeg image (a logo), clean it up and turn it into a vector graphic.

How To: Create custom shapes in Adobe Illustrator CS5 with the Shape Builder tool
In this clip, you'll learn how to make use of the ever-useful Shape Builder tool when doing design work in Adobe Illustrator CS4 or CS5. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular vector graphics editing software or a seasoned professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Create text outlines in Adobe Illustrator CS4 or CS5
This quick guide shows how to create outlines from text so you can manipulate letters as objects. It also allows other computers to open your files with out having any issues because a particular font is not loaded. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular vector editor or a seasoned graphic arts professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detaile...

How To: Create a vector folder icon in Adobe Illustrator CS4
See how to create fully vector folder icons using Adobe Illustrator CS4. This tutorial is compatible with older versions of Adobe Illustrator as well. Learn about using gradients and subtle shadows to create the illusion of depth in an illustration as well as masking different effects to get both a neat little text effect and a shiny surface on the folder.

How To: Draw flames using Illustrator
If your graphic requires a little fire, check out this tutorial and learn how to draw very cool looking flames in Illustrator.

How To: Improve your text by using Illustrator text effects
In this video, we learn how to do basic text effects in Adobe Illustrator. First, open up Adobe Illustrator and make a new document. Now, type in your desired text and change your font to one that you prefer. To make your text turn into a radiant, you will click "file" then "type" then "create outline". Now you will click on your text then click your radiant swatch. Then, go to "gradient" and adjust your colors to which you prefer. You can now put a stroke on it using the "stroke" tool and ch...

How To: Create your own fonts & types in Illustrator
In this tutorial, user CollegeTut shows you how to customize the shapes of various fonts and text, essentially creating your own custom fonts, by converting the text of any font to outlines and then editing those outlines (bezier paths/strokes). You can modify the points on the path to create different shapes for the letters in your text, or you can manipulate the strokes of the text. You'll create some cool text effects such as text that looks like it's made of bricks, by converting the stro...

How To: Arrange paths in Illustrator
Objects used in the tutorial are available free at the website preceding this description. The project here involves two groups of paths. You will be shown three ways to change the order of these groups. Go to one of the groups and right click on the mouse, in the menu that comes up choose Arrange, and within the next box choose bring forward. This works with either group. Go to the other group, right click, choose Arrange, then choose bring forward and now this group will appear ahead other ...

How To: Apply a clipping mask in Illustrator CS4
If you need to know how to apply clipping mask in Illustrator, the quickest way is to go to the object tab in Illustrator. This gives you with the click of a button an easy way to apply a clipping mask.

How To: Create a 3D star in Illustrator
Do you have interest in creating 3D objects? Open illustrator and draw a star tool with gradient fill in it. Then go to effects>3D>Extrude/Bevel. Select preview to view the star in 3D while changing its settings. One can rotate the star in any angle as well as change the thickness of the star. Then go to object>expand appearance and then click on the gradient. Our star is ready. It will help in creating 3D objects and shapes.

How To: Create a glossy sphere in Illustrator
Do you want to add some 3D effects in your 2D designs? Open illustrator and draw an oval tool holding shift key. Then draw an ellipse with a different color and place it on the oval. Take blend tool,then click on ellipse shape and then oval one for a gradient effect. Draw another oval with a gradient and give it screen. Your glossy sphere is ready. Adding gloss, specular highlights as well as shadows adds some realism to one's art work.

How To: Create sparkles in Illustrator
Want to create some cool effects in illustrator? Create a new layer. Draw the ellipse tool and add radial gradient, then go to transparency and select screen. Then create the star tool and deselect stroke. Drag and place the star shape on ellipse and group them. Then duplicate that layer to make multiple sparkles on different layers. Resize other sparkles by holding down shift key. One can change colors of other sparkles. This will help you in making a good background.

How To: Create a 3d lego brick in Illustrator
This video demonstrates how to create a 3D Lego brick using the Illustrator. In this, first a circle is made and then, by using the "transform‚" mode, another circle is made. Then by the 3D command it is converted into a 3D image. Further you can copy these circles and make them 3D just like there are in Lego bricks. You can also use the 3D mode to do the same thing to the rectangle frame on which the circles were made. So this is how a 3 D Lego brick is made. This video is useful to people w...

How To: Convert an image to mosaic in Illustrator
Illustrator is a great tool for creating individual artwork. Creative and clever, it has many functions, one of which is mosaic. If you want to make your illustration or design appear to have a myriad of tiny 'squares' like a Roman mosaic, this guy can help you do it. The short clip explains clearly how to bring the chosen effect to your design. You can see on screen exactly how to do it, so you're not left in the dark, searching every menu for the right tool.

How To: Create a photo realistic mesh shape in Illustrator
This software tutorial shows you how to create a photorealistic mesh shape in Illustrator. You should have a good understanding of Adobe Illustrator since the tutorial is visual only with no text or verbal instruction. If you want to use the mesh shape tool in Illustrator to give your objects realism, this tutorial will help.

How To: Create a 3D pyramid in Illustrator CS3
Corey shows you how to create a 3D pyramid using Illustrator CS3. Create a 3D pyramid in Illustrator CS3.

How To: Use vector smart objects in Illustrator
Using a Vector Smart Object made in Illustrator allows you to keep your type layer fully editable and updating automatically from Photoshop. Use vector smart objects in Illustrator.

How To: Change your default settings for Illustrator
Tired of readjusting your settings everytime you start a project? In this video tutorial Dave Cross shows you how to make and save changes to the default settings of your design menus in Illustrator. Change your default settings for Illustrator.

How To: Scale, skew, and rotate objects in Illustrator CS3
Like to draw in Illustrator? This video shows you how to use the Scale, Shear, and Free Transform tools in Illustrator CS3. You also learn how to use the options and modifiers for these tools. Scale, skew, and rotate objects in Illustrator CS3.

How To: Create gradient editable text in Illustrator CS2
Adobe InDesign CS2 has a great feature in that you can fill text with a gradient. However, if you try to do that in Illustrator CS2 it might appear that you can't. In this video you'll see just how easy you can do it and keep the text editable.

How to Criar Action: Cortar Pattern Swatch
Dicas de como criar ations para illustrator. Neste video: Criando action para cortar pattern e clippingMask.

How To: Gravar Action No Illustrator - Fill + Stroke & Fill - Stroke (In Portuguese)
Ação de unir o preenchimento e contorto & usar o contorno como borracha para o preenchimento. Tutorial em Português.

How To: Gravar Action No Illustrator - Espelho (In Portuguese)
Nesta aula mostro como fiz minha ação de espelhar meio objeto, criando um objeto inteir. o. Tutorial em Português.

How To: Make your own celebrity meme t-shirts
Would you like to make your own t-shirts? Learn how to make great t-shirt designs on your computer using Adobe Illustrator. You can apply the lessons from this video to any design you like and wear the shirts you want to wear.

How To: Place and crop images with Adobe Illustrator
If you're using Adobe Illustrator CS4, you know that cropping an image can be less than a simple task. This how-to walks you through the steps, not only showing how to place and move the image, but also how to crop it to the desired sized. Unlike Photoshop which allows you to work directly with pixels, Illustrator treats all images as whole objects. SO, watch this video and end the frustration that Adobe Illustrator can bring when you're cropping an image.

How To: Use the Eraser, Scissors and Knife tools in Adobe Illustrator
This is a quick little tutorial that will show you how to use these three versatile tools in Adobe Illustrator. They all involve getting rid of some part of the image you're working with, but each one goes about it in a different way. To get the most out of your Illustrator project, you'll need to be aware of the differences between these tools so you make sure that you always use the right one for the job at hand.

How To: Create a reflective glass button in Adobe Illustrator
Whether you're a web developer or a blogger trying to get your name out there in the vast world of fashion design, creating an aesthetically pleasing website is indispensible these days - sort of like making your virtual resume. While fabricating a nice site may seem time-consuming, with a few easy Photoshop tricks you can have it up and looking sexy as hell.

How To: Create a reflective glass text effect on Adobe Illustrator Cs4
It's a well-known, time-honored interior design rule that putting things under glass makes them look more precious and special. Just like adding a spotlight to feature the soloist in a choir, placing a glass cloche or dome on top of a group of ornaments or a floral arrangement instantly adds fashionable curiosity.

How To: Trace an image in Adobe Illustrator 5 without using live trace
This tutorial shows you how to use vector graphics to trace images in Adobe Illustrator 5 without using live trace. Do a manual trace, which will give you a little more creative control over the image you're working on in Creative Suite 5.