IllustrationClass.com

I’m happy to announce a new plugin for Adobe Illustrator called VectorScribe. Developed by Astute Graphics out of the UK I was happy to be part of the beta testing and was tasked with creating the branding for the new plugin.

In my book Vector Basic Training I talk about the BetterHandles plugin, Astute Graphics bought the IP for BetterHandles, renamed it, and created a new more powerful set of tools that make vector creation more flexible, easier, faster, and with more precision. It’s a game changer and I highly recommend it.

Get a FREE 7 day trial and view video examples of use at AstuteGraphics.com.

Keywords: VBT, VectorScribe, Vector, Plugin, Tools

I’ve been brainstorming this book for well over a year and have been in production mode writing, editing, re-writing, editing more, creating content, and recording screencasts for the past six months. Needless to say a lot of time and energy has been invested in this exhaustive tome that thoroughly takes you through a systematic creative process for building precise vector graphics.

If you like IllustrationClass.com (Over three million of you do) you’ll love this book. I document creative methods that anyone can learn in order to bolster their own creative potential and improve their skills. The book is filled with hundreds of full color images and a wealth of information that will inspire, and equip you for creative success.

The book also comes with a DVD filled with over four hours of screencasts covering the methods documented in the book.

So if you’ve ever struggled creating precise vector graphics in Illustrator, or wanted to improve your process for taking your design from drawing to final vector form than this book is for you. It doesn’t cover ever feature bloat tool Adobe has stuffed into Ai, rather it focuses only on the tools you need to build excellent vector shapes.

For more information about Vector Basic Training and to order visit Amazon.com.

Keywords: VBT, Book, Peachpit, Vector, DVD, Screencast

This creative exercise isn’t anything new, it’s actually a test often done in creativity courses. It forces you to look at the mundane “Two Circles” and see what you can visually make from them. There is no right or wrong approach to this, cut loose and push yourself.

Keywords: Circles, Exercise, Doodle

File Size: 244 KB

IllustrationClass.com would like to congratulate the winners of our first annual “U Post Poster Contest!” brought to you by uprinting.com.

U Post Poster Winners

Artist: Anthony Wartinger
Title: “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”

Artist: Rob McClurkan
Title: “ABC’s”

Artist: Kiril Tchangav
Title: “Gypsy”

Attention Winners
To receive your FREE poster print I’ll need each winner to email us the following information so I can get it to uprinting.com, who’ll ship out your print to you directly.

- Your Complete Name
- Shipping Address and Phone Number (Non-US residents pay their own shipping)
- Direct URL Link to Download Final Art (18×24 + bleed, 300dpi, CMYK tiff image)
- Print Coating Preference Semi-Gloss or High-Gloss?

This helpful PDF produced by “The Creative Group” contains “20″ cost-effective ways to keep you creatively focused and inspired in an uncertain economy.

Several of Illustrationclass.com creative exercises are included in the PDF under “Drawing People Together”, along with other fun practical content to help you push yourself creatively.

Keywords: Creative, Exercise, PDF, Group

File Size: 3.1 MB

Just like physical exercise, creative exercise will help you develop and strengthen your illustrative and design ability over time. If you make a habit of doing small simple daily exercises you’ll see a remarkable improvement in your work as you progress through your creative career.

Knowing your lighting sources when illustrating is a must. This simple exercise provides a blank canvas “the faces” and you have to draw in how the shading would look on each face based off the light source defined for each. The more you can train your mind and eye to think through lighting and the resulting shading the easier it gets to handle it on your own projects regardless of the theme or style.

Keywords: Shading, Exercise, Drawing, Creative

File Size: 320KB

We’ve all done this at some point. Laying on our back in the grass looking up into the sky trying to see things in the clouds. The art of being able to take an abstract shape and use it to see what it was not intended to be. This exercise works off the same principle. Using the negative spaces provided on the templete sheet, you’ll draw what isn’t there. Be creative, push yourself and have fun.

Note: These exercises were developed for a class setting but can easily work for the individual. If you use this for a group of people make sure to share everyones work at the end, it fun to see how each others character comes out and is usually good for a few laughs as well.

Keywords: Creative, Exercise, See, Hidden, Doodle, Shapes

File Size: 720KB

At times when I work or just go about doing something non-creative I stumble upon something that sparks my creative curiosity. This usually ends up being an artistic rabbit trail of sorts as I pursue it to see where it might lead.

Such was the case with this creative exercise. It was birthed from mere happenstance and led to a fun little side project.

(Tutorial Includes Notes in both ‘English’ and ‘Español’.)

Keywords: Doodle, Book, Worm, Creative Exercise

File Size: 13.5 MB

Sometimes I get inspired on the spur of the moment. When this happens I tend to put aside what ever I am working on and just pursue the creative rabbit trail to see where it leads.

This creative exercise captures this momentary inspiration and shows you how you can build your creative muscle and have some unique fun doing so.

(Tutorial Includes Notes in both ‘English’ and ‘Español’.)

Keywords: Doodle, Creative, Exercise, Dog

File Size: 5 MB

Same as ‘Doodle Sheet 1, 2 & 3′ just a new template and sample images included.

Exercise your creative muscle. There are eight wiggly lines in the ‘Doodle_Sheet4.pdf’ included in this download. Your assignment is to draw a doodle incorporating the pre-existing line into your doodle. What you’ll end up with is eight individual doodles in all. There is no right or wrong, good or bad just have fun and allow yourself to be creative.

Don’t look for the easy way out, force your mind to explore other possibilities. Any orientation whether vertical, horizontal, upside down or side ways is acceptable.

Note: These exercises were developed for a class setting but can easily work for the individual. If you use this for a group of people make sure to share everyones work at the end, it fun to see how everyone interpreted the same themes and is usually good for a few laughs as well.

Keywords: Creative, Exercise, Doodle, Wiggly

File Size: 1 MB