Why You Don’t Need To Be Good At Art To Master Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator was first introduced to big, bulky screens back in 1986 as graphic design software. It can now be found on thousands of computers around the world, for beginners learning the ropes or for big businesses and corporations.
Adobe Illustrator can be used for various projects. Whether it’s building a web page or creating a logo, Illustrator’s many features make it accessible to people of all experience with Adobe – so whether you’re an experienced Photoshopper, or have never used Adobe before in your life, this program does not discriminate.
So, why should I use Illustrator, and do I need to be good at art to do so?
Firstly, it’s great for personalised graphics for your business, whether that be logos, brochures, websites, business cards or what have you. The professional finish that you get with Illustrator can really make your image-based output stand out from the rest when using it to promote and market your business.
Secondly, you certainly don’t have to go on a book spree and start learning the history of aboriginal art or the abstract expressionism movement to start getting great results from Illustrator. Nor do you have to take up a class in drawing (you can if you want, but it’s really not necessary). In fact, what Illustrator is brilliant at is perfecting your imperfections. For instance, try drawing a perfect circle free hand. Not so easy, right? In fact, it’s pretty much impossible. But when you draw a circle with Illustrator’s built-in shape drawing tool, it will come out perfect every time – as will your squares, stars, triangles, or any other shape that you can think of.
It’s important to know that Illustrator draws lines and shapes using mathematical equations known as vectors. This format induces clean, crisp lines (or paths, as more commonly known), and can be printed as big as you like without the pixilation or jagged lines of raster/pixel based images Lie you get when using Photoshop.
Furthermore, don’t let the word ‘Illustrator’ put you off. In fact, drawing – or illustrating – free hand is not necessary (so no, you really don’t have to be good at art to use Adobe Illustrator), as there are many simple tools that can be utilised in this vastly expansive program, some of which this article will reveal.
Shapes
Start by getting to know the working area. On the left hand side of your screen, notice the tools panel running vertically down the workspace.
The Shape Tool is located just below the T symbol. Select this, choose your shape (see screenshot below), long click on the page (artboard), and drag the cursor across the screen.
You have made your first shape. To constrain the proportions of the shape, hold down the alt button on the keyboard.
This tutorial of a Happy sunshine is easy to follow and demonstrates the simplicity of using shapes to create an image worthy for logos or infographics. It involves no drawing whatsoever, just the basic principles of shapes and the gradient tool for added depth.
Tracing Images
Open up a photo in Illustrator. On the right hand side of the workspace, notice the panel running down the side, here you can locate the Layers Tab near the bottom. Create a new layer by clicking on the page symbol, and then name this layer ‘Sketch’.
Making sure Layer 1 is selected and highlighted, click on the Transparency Tab (two circles symbol) and lower the opacity to around 60, then navigate back to the Layers Tab and click on Sketch.
On the Tools Panel (left hand side), select the Pencil Tool and start to trace the image – you can see your progress by turning the eye symbol on and off on Layer 1.
Once you’re done, discard Layer 1 by dragging it to the Trash Can symbol and take a look at your new illustration.
Pen Tool
The Pen Tool takes time and dedication to even be able to produce a simple circle, but stick with it and it can be a nifty little tool to have.
First, click on the Pen Tool on the Tools Panel. Click anywhere on the page, then choose a second spot and click again. You will see that a line has been formed from the first point to the second.
But what if you want to bend the line? Simple. Click on a point anywhere along the line, and then, without letting go of the cursor, drag the Pen away from the line. Notice the handles that appear when dragging. The further you drag the Pen, the deeper the curve you will create.
In the image above, I have used short drags to create compact curved lines. A good way of practicing is by uploading an image to Illustrator and drawing around it. I won’t lie – it’s tricky at first, but keep practicing and soon you’ll get the hang of it.
There you have three simple things that can be done using Illustrator without having the knowledge of a professional artist (or even an unprofessional one!)
Want to learn more? Courses are available for Illustrator and more. Book yours today!
Graphic Drawing Tablet for Adobe Illustrator: Simple ways to spark your creativity
Graphic Drawing Tablet for Adobe Illustrator: Simple ways to spark your creativity
Vector graphics are typically completed using digital software like the Adobe Illustrator, corel draw, Affinity Designer or the Inkscape ( free).
Adobe Creative Suite is, by far, the industry champion when it comes to graphic design software. Illustrator has become the industry standard for creating vector graphics. It's practically used by everyone who wants to (and actually dabbles in) graphic design.
Adobe Illustrator uses mathematical constructs to create vector graphics. It is used by both graphic designers and artists to draw vector images.
Generally, professional illustrators used it to create illustrations, diagrams, logos, graphs, charts, and more. If you ever need to share files with other creative professionals (including printers), things will go smoother if you're using the most common software.
Since Illustrator is made by Adobe, things work generally pretty well when you need to go back and forth with other Adobe products, such as Photoshop or InDesign.
Adobe illustrator is more user friendly & offers the most precise Pen tool for creating Bézier curves. Which is boon for digital artists & illustrators.
Creative output depends on your mastery on tool. If you have mastered Illustrator then it's good for you. If you're a budding graphic designer, you need to learn how to draw in Illustrator with the tablet.
The scale factor can play an essential role in measuring distances, but it isn't very easy. There are specific designs and figures that you can't figure out quickly. Hence, you would need to know how to use a tablet to draw on a computer.
Here's how you can draw in Illustrator with a tablet
It is extremely necessary to choose a tablet that supports the advanced version of Illustrator. Not every device can support the advanced version owing to technical difficulties. The compatibility between Illustrator and tablet will depend on the Operating system version.
Once you have the tablet, make sure to connect it to the pen. If you are using a tablet to draw on Illustrator, make sure that the device is connected to the pen and system respectively. The compatibility between the tools helps to create a seamless design.
It is advisable to use the shortcut keys for creating straight lines and filling colours. The shortcut keys can make it easy for you to draw on the tablet.
Once you have connected and have an idea, make sure to download the driver. The driver download enables you to create designs and further allows you to store the same on the cloud. Hence, the risk of losing the file will be reduced.
You're all set to create beautiful graphic designs.
When you draw in Adobe illustrator, it becomes essential to proceed accordingly. Adobe illustrator is indeed one of the best designing tools and can perfectly serve the needs of professional designers. With Illustrator, you can easily create anything you want.
The Adobe Illustrator has come a long way, thanks to the presence of so many creative tools. With Adobe software, you can create a wide range of designs and illustrations that will capture your attention in no time. Some of the most commendable features of Adobe Illustrator include path editing and point alignment.
Swapping Pen and Paper for Stylus and Screen
If you know how to draw in Illustrator, you shouldn't be having a problem using the graphic tablet. A stylus only helps to make things easy. The pressure-sensitive digital pens offer more flexibility than that of a mouse for drawing. The digital drawing tools are incredibly convenient and can help with refilling the supplies.
If you're drawing digitally, all you will need is a digital stylus and tablet. Each of the digital drawing tools is extremely beneficial. With the help of a display tablet, you can quickly draw on it and get the final view on your screen. You can easily connect the tablet with your computer through a USB cable. The display tablets make drawing very easy.
Rather than going out of your budget, you should prefer staying within your budget and working with what you have. Digital drawing has gradually improved over the past few years. Even beginners can have a significant role in improving functionality. Some of the popular tablets that can digitise painting and sketchings include XP-Pen Tablets. As a result, you get complete flexibility to maintain drawings and notes digitally.
The XP-Pen tablet and Illustrator combination is ideal for creating great works of art. Take your drawings to the next level with a powerful drawing tablet with screen, the XPPen Artist series tablet .
Using Adobe editing software like Adobe Illustrator on your XPPen digital art pad you can create logos, typography, drawings, and more for print, video, web, and mobile.
How to draw in Illustrator With a Tablet?
The Paintbrush Tool and Bob Brush Tool are some of the essential parts of Adobe Illustrator. Each of them has its benefits.
The Paintbrush Tool
You can easily create vector drawings with the help of Adobe illustrator. You can apply the paintbrush Tool to get the perfect appearance. You can create different designs using tools such as the Line tool and Rectangle tool. With the help of this tool, you can make any brush strokes you want.
The Blob Brush Tool
The blob brush is one of the best exceptions if you want to create paths. Using the blob brush tool, you can easily make the outlines and eventually fill colours in those shapes as you keep drawing. The Blob Brush tool acts very similarly to a paintbrush tool. However, it is necessary to understand the unique features of the blob brush tool. You can also adjust the shapes and colours accordingly.
How to Set up a Pen for Adobe Illustrator?
If you want to draw in Adobe Illustrator, you need to set up the pen and tablet with the software. Make sure that they are connected to the system so that you can easily create the drawings.
Open the tablet you are to connect and choose how you want to customise. Make sure to analyse the properties of the tablet. Next, you need to select the tool that is to be set. When the application row dialogue box appears, click on Illustrator, and you can customise it accordingly. If you want to customise it, you need to keep the software open and run it in the background. Make sure to click on the plus sign, then choose Illustrator and click on OK.
The hand tool is one of the most commonly used tools. As a result, you can switch to any pen depending on your requirement. The Grip Pen and Adobe Illustrator are some of the best properties, and depending on the tablet you're connecting, you can get the best results.
Digital Drawing
If you want to learn how to draw in Illustrator with a tablet, you might check out YouTube. However, it is advisable to first try it on your own. If you keep trying it on your own, you will eventually learn. The hardest part, however, is to sync your tablet with the computer.
Once the devices are connected, you are all set to go. Compared to a PC, you should prefer using adobe illustrator with a tablet. Most of the tablets come with a stylus, which makes drawing pretty easy.
If you do not have Adobe illustrator on your tablet, you will need to install it. While you can get a crack of Adobe Illustrator from the internet, you might as well purchase the premium version of Adobe Illustrator for advanced features.
You can easily create a design using the stylus on the tablet, and it will appear on your computer. However, the steps would vary if you draw in Illustrator using a drawing tablet.
Drawing on Adobe Illustrator software with a Drawing Tablet
Make sure that your system, computer or laptop is connected to the drawing tablet. Open the software and start creating the design you want. It will appear on the screen.
You can also select the tools and fill colours in your design to suit your requirements. Eventually, you're all good to go.
Becoming Acquainted With Digital Drawing Tools
Digital drawing tools have come a long way. If you want to know how these digital drawing tools work, you need to experiment independently. As the saying goes, “Experiment is the best teacher,” you will never get to know how a particular tool works if you don't know about its features.
Experts have always recommended handling to learn more. This eventually helps you become familiar with the medium you're the most comfortable with. Start with experimentation and then take it to the next step.
Graphic design is continually evolving, and it is time that you switch from traditional to advanced. It is necessary to understand that these tools are more than what you see. It is better to analyse what suits you the best so that you can be productive.
Digital Illustration
The free-form illustration is indeed one of the best forms of drawing. If you are taking up digital illustration, you need to switch from a mouse to a tablet. Using a tablet can play an essential role in developing connection withdrawal. Moreover, with tablets' help, you can create sensitive designs such as strokes of different widths.
Takeaway
Digital drawing tools are in no way meant to hold you back. Several platforms can help your designing career. But, Adobe Photoshop is one of the most preferred platforms by experts. You can easily create different designs and customise them to suit your needs. Adobe provides you with a range of brushes. Hence, you no longer need to stay limited to the designs.
You can quickly draw in Adobe illustrator. A few experiments and research on YouTube can play an essential role in making you familiar with the platform.
Happy Drawing!
Sketch vs Adobe Illustrator: Detailed Comparison (2022)
Hey! I’m June. I’ve been using Adobe Illustrator for more than ten years. I decided to try out Sketch not long ago because I heard good words about this software and wanted to see it for myself.
I saw a lot of questions about whether Sketch can replace Adobe Illustrator, or asking which software is better. I personally don’t think that Sketch can replace Adobe Illustrator, but there are things to consider, for example, what type of design you do, what your budget is, etc.
In this article, I’m going to share with you my thoughts about Sketch and Adobe Illustrator, including a quick sum of their pros & cons, detailed comparisons of features, ease of use, interface, compatibility, and price.
I assume most of you are more familiar with Adobe Illustrator than Sketch. Let’s quickly go over what each program does and its pros & cons.
What is Sketch
Sketch is a vector-based digital design tool mainly used by UI/UX designers. It’s commonly used for creating web icons, concept pages, etc. As of this writing, it’s for macOS only.
A lot of designers switch from Photoshop to Sketch because Sketch is vector-based, meaning it allows you to create scalable designs for web and applications. Another convenient point is that Sketch reads CSS (aka codes).
In short, Sketch is a great tool for UI and UX design.
Sketch Pro & Cons
Here’s my quick sum-up of Sketch’s pros and cons.
The good:
Clean user interface
Easy to learn and use
Reads codes (ideal for UI/UX design)
Affordable
The so-so:
The text tool isn’t great
Lack of freehand drawing tools
Not available on PCs
What is Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is the most popular software for both graphic designers and illustrators. It’s great for creating vector graphics, typography, illustrations, infographics, making print posters, and other visual content.
This design software also is the top choice for branding design because you can have different versions of your design in various formats, and it supports different color modes. You can publish your design online and print them out in good quality.
In short, Adobe Illustrator is best for professional graphic design and illustration work.
Adobe Illustrator Pros & Cons
Now let’s look at a quick sum-up of what I like and dislike about Adobe Illustrator.
The good:
Full features and tools for graphic design and illustration
Integrate with other Adobe software
Support different file formats
Cloud storage and file recovering work great
The so-so:
Heavy program (takes up a lot of space)
Steep learning curve
Can be expensive for some users
Sketch vs Adobe Illustrator: Detailed Comparison
In the comparison review below, you will see the differences and similarities in features & tools, compatibility, ease of use, interface, and pricing between the two programs.
Features
Since both software is vector-based, let’s talk about their vector design tools, to begin with.
The simple shapes tools like rectangle, ellipse, polygon, etc are pretty similar in both software, and they both have shape builder tools like unite, subtract, intersect, etc, which are useful for creating icons.
Many UI/UX designers even prefer using Sketch because of its prototyping capabilities that allow you to preview your designs and navigate between Artboards with animated interactions.
Besides that, Adobe Illustrator’s pen tool and Sketch’s vector tool are good for editing paths. It allows you to edit the anchor points on a pencil path or shapes, so you can create any vector shapes you like.
The second feature I’d like to mention is the drawing tools, because they are also important for designers.
Looking at its name, Sketch sounds like a drawing app, but it’s actually not. The only drawing tool it has is the pencil tool.
You can use it to draw, but I don’t like how I can’t change the stroke weight freely as I draw, and it doesn’t have any stroke style to choose from (at least I didn’t find it). Also, I found that sometimes couldn’t draw smoothly or the edges show different as I drew.
For example, when I tried to draw the point parts, they came out rounded.
Adobe Illustrator has the pencil tool as well, and it works similar to the pencil tool in Sketch, but the brush tool in Illustrator is better for drawing, as you can adjust the style and size freely.
Another important tool to compare is the text tool or type tool because is something that you use as a designer in almost every project. Adobe Illustrator is great for typography and it’s so easy to manipulate text.
On the other hand, Sketch is probably not the best software for typography. Its text tool isn’t sophisticated enough. Let me put it this way, when I tried to use the text tool, I felt like I was editing text on a word document.
See what I mean?
Winner: Adobe Illustrator. To be honest, if it’s only to compare their features for creating vectors, I would say it’s a tie. However, for overall features and tools, Adobe Illustrator wins because Sketch lacks advanced tools and it doesn’t work great with text or freehand drawing.
Interface
Sketch has a huge canvas, and it’s unlimited. It has a clean interface and layout. Beautiful white space, but maybe it’s too empty. My first thought was: where are the tools?
I’ll be honest with you, it took me quite a moment to figure out where things are at first. The default toolbar is extremely simple, but you can customize it. Simply right-click on the toolbar area to open the customize toolbar window, and drag the tools you want to the toolbar.
I prefer how Adobe Illustrator has most of the tools on the toolbar already and the side panels make it convenient for editing objects. Sometimes it can get messy when you open more panels, but you can always organize them or close the ones you’re not using at the moment.
Winner: Tie. Sketch has a cleaner layout and unlimited canvas, but Adobe Illustrator has more tools on the document handy to use. It’s hard to pick a winner, plus the interface is customizable.
Ease of Use
Adobe Illustrator has a steeper learning curve than Sketch because there are more features and tools to learn in Adobe Illustrator.
Even though some tools are similar, Sketch is more beginner-friendly because the tools are more intuitive, there isn’t much to “figure out”. If you already know how to other design software like Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw, or Inkscape, it should take you no time to learn Sketch.
On the other hand, if you know how to use Sketch and switch to a more sophisticated program, you’ll need to take some time to learn some advanced features and tools.
I feel like it requires more “thinking” to use Adobe Illustrator, as the tools give you more freedom to explore. Some people are afraid of “freedom” because they might have no clue where to begin with.
Winner: Sketch. The most confusing part about Sketch can be learning about the panels and finding where the tools are. Once you know where everything is, it’s easy to get started.
Integration & Compatibility
As I mentioned earlier, Sketch only has a Mac version, while Adobe Illustrator runs on both Windows and Mac. I would see it as an advantage because there are still a lot of designers who use the Windows operating system.
Although the saving and exporting options are quite similar (png, jpeg, svg, pdf, etc), Illustrator supports more formats than Sketch. Some common Adobe Illustrator supported file formats are CorelDraw, AutoCAD Drawing, Photoshop, Pixar, etc.
Sketch does integrate with some extension apps but speaking of app integration, there’s no doubt that Adobe Illustrator wins. If you are using the Illustrator CC version, you can work on your projects in other Adobe software like InDesign, Photoshop, and After Effects.
Adobe Illustrator CC also integrates with Behance, the world’s famous creative networking platform, so you can share your awesome work easily.
Winner: Adobe Illustrator. Adobe Illustrator works on both Mac and Windows, but Sketch only runs on Mac. Can’t say it’s a down point but it limits a lot of users.
The fact that Illustrator supports more file formats than Sketch is also the reason I chose Adobe Illustrator as the winner.
Price
Adobe Illustrator is a subscription design program, which means there isn’t a one-time purchase option. Among all the price & plan options, you can get it at as low as $19.99/month with an annual plan (if you’re a student), or as an individual like me, it’d be $20.99/month.
Sketch is more affordable than Adobe Illustrator. If you’re choosing the standard plan, it only costs $9/month or $99/year.
Adobe Illustrator offers a 7-day free trial to try it out if you can’t decide right away. Sketch also has a free trial and it’s 30 days, which gives you more time to explore the software.
Winner: Sketch. Sketch is definitely cheaper than Adobe Illustrator and the free trial is longer. I do think Adobe Illustrator should have a longer free trial for users to get to know more about the software considering it’s quite expensive.
Sketch or Adobe Illustrator: Which One Should You Use?
After comparing the features and tools, it’s pretty clear what each software is best for.
Adobe Illustrator is best for graphic design professionals who work on multiple projects and Sketch is best for UI/UX design.
If you’re looking for a graphic design job, Adobe Illustrator is definitely the go-to, because it’s the industry standard. Sketch is becoming more popular, so knowing how to use it can be a plus. However, only knowing Sketch isn’t going to qualify you as a graphic designer.
Same rule for UI/UX designers. Just because Sketch is great for creating app icons or layouts, doesn’t mean that it’s the only tool you’ll need. It’s always a good idea to learn the industry standard and use it together with different tools (like Sketch).
FAQs
Got more questions about Sketch and Adobe Illustrator? Hope you can find the answers below.
Is it better to Sketch on Photoshop or Illustrator?
Sketch beats both Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop when it comes to UX/UI design. However, for image manipulation, Photoshop is definitely the go-to, and for graphic design in general, Adobe Illustrator is a more sophisticated program.
Can you edit photos in Sketch?
Sketch isn’t the software of choice for image editing but technically yes, you can edit photos in Sketch. I wouldn’t recommend it but if you only need to do slight adjustments like hue, saturation, contrasts, etc, that’s fine.
Is there a free version of Sketch?
You can get a 30-days free trial of Sketch, but there’s no legal way to use it for free forever.
Can I use Sketch for graphic design?
Yes, you can use Sketch for some graphic design work. It works great for designing icons and app layouts. However, it’s not the industry-standard software for graphic design, so if you’re applying for a job as a graphic designer, only knowing Sketch wouldn’t secure a job position.
Is Illustrator a good drawing software?
Yes, Adobe Illustrator is one of the most popular drawing software for graphic designers and illustrators. Just a tip: A good graphic tablet and stylus will definitely optimize your digital drawing.
Conclusion
For me as a graphic designer, Adobe Illustrator is the winner because I create more than just vectors and layouts. Typography and Illustrations are important too. However, I understand that a lot of web designers like Sketch because it’s literally made for UX/UI design.
So, back to the questions from the Intro that I mentioned earlier, deciding which one is better really depends on what you do.
Actually, why not try both?
Do you use Sketch or Adobe Illustrator? Which one do you prefer?
