This class is about finding inspiration. Together, we will trace a geometric pencil sketch in Adobe Illustrator and build a beautiful vector poster. Along the way, we will practice Illustrator core tools and, most importantly, awaken your sleeping creativity.

As designers, our clients pay for originality, but we all get stuck. This class gets you back to the basics, triggering a part of your brain that lies dormant when we only work on the computer on paid projects. By the end, you will enjoy a renewed, personal connection with your work through sketching and tracing while also enjoying your new confidence with the Pen Tool.

Most Illustrator classes try to cover everything. As a result, students can quickly get lost and overwhelmed, which is not the best way to be creative. This steep learning curve is a shame because I believe that Adobe Illustrator is the best tool for graphic designers to find inspiration, explore concepts and innovate. If iteration is how you work (like me), there's no better way to jump from idea to idea quickly than in the vector graphics space. But again, it can get overwhelming for someone who does not use Illustrator daily. It is very tempting to go down the filters and effects rabbit hole.

So instead of starting in Illustrator, we will begin with a geometric sketch on graph paper and transform it into a beautiful poster in Adobe Illustrator. Like many, I believe the best ideas come when we are away from the computer. Those are the ideas that come from the voice inside us. It is hard to hear that voice will a screen screaming options at you. While making shapes instantly on the computer is easy, I have found that drawing speed syncs up with my brain function. Suddenly, thinking and execution are in stride, and I feel maximum control, a mindset that leads to good ideas.

Once we've drafted our basic design on paper, we'll scan the sketch, import it into Illustrator and learn how to line up our drawing with the grid system on the computer. Then focusing on the pen tool, we'll trace those lines, turning them into live shapes. Once you've outlined all the forms with the pen tool, we'll hide our sketch and start working with color. Upon completion, you will have an 18x24" poster ready for printing and framing.

What Will I Learn? 

1. Unlocking your creativity 
2. Geometric sketching
3. Scanning drawings
4. Importing scans into Illustrator
5. Tracing with the pen tool
6. Using snap to grid and smart guides
7. Creating color palettes with Adobe Color
8. Sharing assets with Adobe library