Adobe Illustrator is a program used by artists and graphic designers to create vector images.

Why do you need Adobe Illustrator?

It is used to create illustrations, diagrams, graphs, logos, diagrams, caricatures of real photos and much more.

In the future, the created images will serve as the basis for company logos, will be used for advertising purposes or even for personal work, both in print and electronic form.

At first glance, the program may seem difficult to understand and work with, but it’s worth putting at least a minimum of effort into learning the basics, and you will see for yourself how interesting and easy it is to work with.

It's safe to say that this program is one of the most popular editors for creating vectors.

Is vector art art?

Creating vector images allows you to create clean and beautiful works of art that can be scaled up and down indefinitely without losing its quality.

Have you ever had a time when you finished creating an image in Adobe Photoshop and realized that it should be three times larger than what you made? You go into the image options to increase the image size and... oops... the image is now pixelated and looks terrible. And you need to start all over again. And all this is because such an image was too small to be able to increase its size without losing quality.

You could avoid this problem by using a vector graphics editor such as Adobe Illustrator.

Why? The answer to this question is simple.

Unlike the images we are used to in GIF, JPEG, TIFF, etc. formats, i.e. images - known as raster images, vector images are not made up of pixels. Instead, they are composed of lines and/or curves that are described by mathematical objects called vectors, allowing them to be expanded and mathematically scaled to infinity.

This makes a vector editor a more ideal program for companies than Photoshop, as they can create images or logos that can be scaled down for icons or blown up to huge sizes for placement on billboards.

What can you do with Illustrator?

Many people are afraid of this program, believing that they do not have artistic skill and certain skills.

If you can't draw on paper, what makes you think that you can't draw on a computer?

First of all, this is a sign of your lack of confidence in yourself, as well as in your abilities.

Adobe Illustrator requires virtually no prior knowledge of drawing or painting. You can use it to create freehand drawings, and you can import a photo and use it as a base - a guide for further drawing, ultimately turning it into a piece of art that looks like you drew it by hand.

Do you want to draw a circle around a specific image or logo? No problem! It's not as difficult as you think.

Illustrator is not limited to use only by artists and graphic designers. Many webmasters use it in the process of creating website layouts, and the created vector can be used in a large number of different platforms.

Since Illustrator is an Adobe product, it easily works with its other programs.

So, after creating the original image, you can drag it into Photoshop for further editing and applying various filters, or into InDesign for flawless printing of digital booklets and magazines.

Want to turn your drawing into a game or animation? Import into Flash and watch it come to life!

You can even add your logo and illustrations to the video or bring them to life through After Effects.

The choice of possibilities is great! You just have to want to learn.

Universality of the program

Still not interested in creating and using vector? Okay, then I’ll give you more examples of the priority of this program over others.

For example, if you decide you no longer want your illustration to be a vector image, you can easily convert it to a JPEG raster image.

Unfortunately, illustrations created as raster images cannot be converted to vector format after the fact.

If you're not sure whether you'll actually need to resize the image later, it might make sense to create it as a vector, especially if the image will be used widely throughout the company or office.

Another feature is that vector files are much lighter in weight than their raster copies.

In addition, such images are created from various lines, curves, shapes and points, so you have almost unlimited possibilities for editing them.

Let's say you draw a heart in Adobe Photoshop and decide that the bottom of the heart is too narrow, but you can't fix it. What a pity! You'll have to start all over again.

Now, let's say you want to create the same heart, but in Adobe Illustrator. Since it's made up of several different points, you can go back to the base settings and make the bottom wider.

You can do this and much more without worrying about ruining the quality of the drawing.

These features of Adobe Illustrator make it easy to turn the entire drawing process into a creative one. And also you will not be limited in the process of making changes after saving.

Another bonus of the program is a transparent background. Unless you create a background for your image, it will always be transparent. This is useful in a variety of situations, such as when you just want to place a logo on top of something or just add it as a small illustration to the overall picture of the image.

Which is something that can't be done with bitmap images, since you would have to first separate the image from the background before attempting to change that background to another one. And this may take quite some time.

I am sure that you will be happy with the program and the fact that you settled on creating vector graphics when you begin to create more complex designs.

This is for you?

I would like to note that the licensed version of Adobe Illustrator is a rather expensive program, in principle, like all programs created by Adobe. This is because it is truly designed for professionals.

If you still have doubts or are not entirely sure if this program is really for you, Adobe offers a free 30-day trial. This time is enough for you to plunge into the wonderful world of creating vector graphics.

If you decide that you want to start learning how to work with Adobe Illustrator, subscribe to the newsletter to be among the first to know when new lessons on working with Illustrator appear.

Many people think about who draws pictures in children's books, and not only in books. What is the name of this mysterious profession and what is it eaten with? Now we will try to understand this issue.

Who is an illustrator?

First of all, an illustrator is an artist. And in the broadest sense of the word. Cartoons, commercials, drawings in books, graphics in computer games, films, desktop wallpapers, website designs, postcards - this is all the work of the illustrator. And although there is one profession, it is divided into many branches.

I would like to note that this is difficult work. In addition to the ability to draw, the artist must have his own style, understand the customer’s needs and provide him with several different options for the same task.

Where can an illustrator find work?

Despite the fact that illustrator is a rare and creative profession, it is not very common to see such an advertisement in the regular job market. The search for such work is carried out using a portfolio on specialized sites. Also, the illustrator profession is in great demand in book publishing houses and editorial offices, in design studios and advertising companies.

It's rare to see an artist on salary. Their salary is tied specifically to how much they make. Book illustrators get paid for a specific project. That is why it is difficult to say what the salary of a professional in this field of activity might be. According to some data, the average salary ranges from 20 to 70 thousand rubles. The scope precisely reflects the fact that artists are project workers.

Study and career growth

There are two opinions on the topic of education for illustrators. Some say that graduating from a higher educational institution is a mandatory requirement. After all, where else if not at a university can artists get an idea of ​​computer programs for drawing, techniques, methods and much more. Others, on the contrary, say that education for a talented person is a completely useless thing. And if you want to learn something, you can do it yourself or with the help of short courses.

Even popular artists, whose experience has been tested over the years, have not come to a consensus. Perhaps the profession of illustrator really does not require anything other than talent.

The career path of an illustrator is very varied. An artist can lead a creative team, open his own advertising company, become the head of an art agency, and even achieve worldwide fame. It all depends on talent, aspirations and ability to do business, as in any other profession.

Pros and cons of the profession

Like any other activity, being an illustrator has its pros and cons. The first include the following:

• No connection to the workplace. The illustrator does not need to go to the office every day, and he can not only work from home, but also travel without violating project deadlines.
• Opportunity to be creative. Any artist paints pictures with love and enjoyment.
• Vacation at any time of the year. There is no schedule, only the deadline for submitting the order and discussions along the way.
• You can start at any time. If you are no longer 20, this is not a reason to say goodbye to your illustrator career.

• Criticism. Not all creative people are able to tolerate criticism, even if it is constructive.
• Last minute deadlines. If inspiration does not strike the artist, there are times when, in a panic, you have to finish something. The same applies to those who find it difficult to organize their time.
• High competition. Despite the rarity of the profession, there are a lot of talented people who simply know how to draw well.
• Self-promotion. advertising oneself is also the responsibility of the artist.

Any disadvantages can be covered by hiring a person who could control time, keep a notebook, promote the artist and take care of his image. Novice specialists cannot always afford this, but, as we remember, career growth is possible, because this is the profession of illustrator.

Children's and adult artists

Often when we think of picture books, we think of children's books. But in fact, there are a large number of books for adults with stunning illustrations. These could be graphic novels, which are now at the top of their popularity, fairy tales for adults, publications with pictures by the author, and much more.

Children's artists come to mind much more often, because children are the main consumers of illustrators' talent. They love picture books regardless of age. Teenagers switch to comics, and adults are content only with rare copies of books, where the artist helps to imagine what they have read.

Modern book illustrators

One of the most well-known foreign contemporary illustrators is Chris Riddell, whom you can recognize from Neil Gaiman’s books (“The Maiden and the Spindle,” “Coraline”) or his own (“Young Lady Goth” and others). The Russian-speaking public also knows the following artists: Kay Acedera (“Lisle and Poe”), R.V. Alley (“Paddington Bear”), Art Spiegelman (“Mouse”) and many other talented names.

Russian illustrators also do not lag behind their foreign colleagues. Igor Yulievich Oleynikov works not only with books, but also with films. This is a very popular artist both here and abroad. Known for the books “The Hobbit, or There and Back Again,” “Peter Pan” and “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.”

Evgeny Antonenkov has published many books together with Rosman. He can be recognized from the illustrations of books by Alan Milne, Boris Zakhoder and Korney Chukovsky.

Ukrainian colleagues from the publishing house “A-ba-ba-ga-la-ma-ga” - Vladislav Erko (“The Snow Queen”) and Evgenia Gapchinskaya (“Alice in Wonderland” and “Alice Through the Looking Glass”), as well as from the publishing house Clever - Galina Zinko (Andersen, Perrault, Pushkin) - also amazes with her sensual and heartfelt drawings.

There are a lot of names of great artists, so when choosing a profession as an illustrator, think about whether you can achieve the ideal in your drawings and compete with outstanding names by turning your hobby into a job.

Day 1: What is Illustrator?

Illustrator is a program for creating vector graphics. It is often used to create illustrations, cartoon graphics, diagrams, charts and logos. Unlike raster images, which store information in a grid of individual dots, Illustrator uses mathematical equations to create shapes. This allows you to resize vector images without losing resolution.

Benefits of Using Vector Graphics

Disadvantages of Vector Graphics

Where to Use Illustrator

1) Logo design

2) Map Creation

3) Creating Illustrations

4) Infographics

5) Photorealistic Images

6) Package Design

These are just a few of the many examples of what Illustrator is capable of. If you have experience with Photoshop, you can port your illustrations into Photoshop and improve them. This is how a professional works. Over the next few days, I'll cover the basics of working in Illustrator and get you creating your first vector image!

An illustrator is an artist who creates drawings for texts in books, newspapers, magazines and other printed publications. The image should be filled with emotions and meaning, and clearly convey the idea laid down by the author of the text. This is the main task of the illustrator - to briefly and succinctly convey the essence of what is written through a drawing.

A competent specialist knows how to create pictures, process photographs, and create sketches. To do this you need to have many techniques:

• Graphic illustration. The essence of the technique is to use simple elements to create a drawing. The main working tool is a black pencil.
• Botanical illustration is the art of creating images of plants. Specialists in this profile are in demand in the editorial offices of scientific journals, botanical publications, and when writing school textbooks.
• Technical illustration - a detailed image of an object with maximum detail. Used in technical literature, engineering documentation.

A professional illustrator knows all of the above techniques. Such a specialist is in demand in the labor market and can qualify for a decent salary.

Illustrators are required in many companies whose activities are related to printed products:

• advertising agencies;
• web studios;
• the field of printing services;
• press.

Responsibilities of the Illustrator

The work of a specialist is not standardized. Today, many professionals are looking for clients via the Internet, so the work is associated with deadlines and clear deadlines.

Let us note the main responsibilities of the illustrator:

• creation of illustrations, pictures, images;
• color correction, sketch processing;
• working with vector graphics.

Drawing is the main occupation of the illustrator profession. That is why a person must have artistic taste, be diligent and patient. In addition, the profession “loves” creative people with wild imagination.

The following requirements are put forward for the illustrator:

• have a good understanding of image editors: Splashup, Adobe Photoshop, GNU Image Manipulation Program, Sumo Paint;
• artistic taste.

Some companies put forward additional requirements, for example, the ability to draw by hand, work with photographs, special effects

Do not miss:

How to become an illustrator

If you have liked drawing since childhood, and you are a creative and creative person, you can safely start looking for small orders. Freelance exchanges are full of tasks for illustrators of different levels of professionalism. You shouldn’t count on a high salary at first, but over time, having filled your portfolio with work, you can increase the price.

You can master the profession of illustrator and gain additional knowledge at one of the art schools or take short-term online courses.

As for stable work on the staff of a large company, things are somewhat more complicated here. Such vacancies do not appear very often, and competition for positions is quite high. The decisive factor in choosing a candidate is the portfolio.

After the first interview, you will receive a technical assignment, which most likely requires you to create an illustration for some description. You need to understand that similar tasks will be distributed to all applicants. The likelihood of employment largely depends on the quality and speed of work completion.

A person involved in computer design needs at least two editors: one for raster images (for example, Adobe Photoshop), and the second for vector ones (CorelDRAW, Adobe Illustrator and others).

Adobe Illustrator is a program designed for professional illustrators and providing ample opportunities for creating high-quality images for printing and publishing on the Web.

The vector graphics program Adobe Illustrator was developed by the well-known manufacturer of graphic and software products Adobe systems. It is intended for creating layouts of graphic documents for the purpose of their subsequent publication, both electronically and on paper.

Adobe Illustrator is a mixed editor because it allows you to create and edit vector images, as well as use pixel images and photographs. This feature is characteristic of almost all modern vector editors. But it is in Adobe Illustrator that this ideology is brought to perfection, largely thanks to the specific policies of Adobe.

The manufacturer is steadily striving to integrate all of its software products into a single production environment with free exchange at the level of files and entire projects. Therefore, Illustrator interacts completely correctly and naturally with Photoshop by simply dragging a fragment from the window of one application to the page of another.

Adobe Illustrator is a professional graphics package for quickly creating and editing vector graphics. Adobe Illustrator is an indispensable tool for creative workers, web designers, printers and other computer graphics specialists who need to translate their ideas into printed materials or publish images on web pages.

New features of Adobe Illustrator are the creation of web graphics. The program contains special tools for creating high-quality web graphics, both vector and raster. The user can now create sample graphic elements and save them as symbols, with each occurrence of that element in the graphic file associated with the same definition. This has a positive effect on the file size - it becomes smaller, and it should also be noted that this document structure greatly facilitates the manipulation of image objects.

The new image slicing tool allows you to create object-specific “slices” of a large image and optimize elements of the resulting web image in different ways.

If a site contains a large number of similarly formatted graphics (such as maps, charts, or banners), a developer can take advantage of Adobe Illustrator's dynamic, context-sensitive graphics capabilities to create unique variations of the image using the Template Designer. adobe.com. http://www.parta.com.ua/referats/informatics/page_3/]

Basic functions Adobe Illustrator CS5 allows you to:

• · Create shapes using original brushes, customization options and advanced path control.
• · Apply gradients to objects and edit the transparency of the entire gradient, or individual colors and transitions.
• · Change object properties directly from the Appearance panel without having to open the Fill, Stroke, or Effects palettes.
• · Work with graphic files of a wide variety of formats, such as EPS, FXG, PSD, DWG, SWF, SVG, TIFF, JPEG, PDF, DXF, GIF and many others.
• · Create multi-page files that preserve information about Illustrator layers.
• · Place text in any environment, with support for OpenType fonts, manage character and paragraph styles.
• · Easily work on the file in other Adobee design programs thanks to compatibility.
• · Draw vector objects.
• · Create three-dimensional special effects, apply special effects (for example, the Scribble effect, when vector objects look like hand-drawn sketches), create free-form objects. This opportunity is appreciated by artists who are accustomed to drawing with a pencil on a piece of paper. http://www.render.ru/books/show_book.php?book_id=455&start=2

Layers in Illustrator correspond to layers in Photoshop, so when you open *.ai files in Photoshop, you can still work on the image at the layer level.

The Art brush allows you to stretch any image along the entire contour of the curve, and the Scatter brush allows you to control the placement of copies of the image along the selected path. This provides great opportunities for creativity, while at the same time eliminating painstaking work.

The method of moving around a document used in Illustrator is interesting. Using its Navigator palette, you can display any area of ​​the image by moving the mouse.

When it comes to working with color, Illustrator allows you to quickly edit the colors of objects. http://www.interface.ru/home.asp?artId=1217