As a marketer, you might find yourself very regularly outsourcing a range of different jobs. That might mean hiring a web developer, a marketer, a programmer, a writer… you name it!
And this is fine. In fact, there is a lot of value in outsourcing if it means the job will be done better and it will reflect on your brand better.
But if you can do everything yourself, then you become the one that is in demand and people will start outsourcing to you!
Not only that, but you will be able to stay leaner and more agile. You can quickly create a logo, a new website, or a new graphical element based on whatever idea you have in your head. And that’s powerful.
So, with that in mind, one of the skills that you should definitely learn is illustrator. Here is how to get into it.
1. The Basics.
Illustrator is a drawing program from Adobe, but the difference is that it is used to create ‘vector files’, whereas something like Paint or Photoshop is used to create raster files. A vector file is an image that works by following instructions – angles, distances, curves etc. That means that the image can be zoomed into or out of without losing any detail. And that means that you don’t need to create a new image every single time display sizes increase!
This is handled by drawing lines, connecting them, changing their angles etc.
These lines are known as ‘paths’ and they have nodes on them which are known as anchors. You can then rotate, stretch, or deform those lines at their anchor points by clicking on them and dragging them, or you can draw new lines and connect them. Select more than one intersecting line and click ‘join’ to turn them into a single, fillable, shape.
You can draw lines, curves or free hand images and these will all be saved as paths. The great thing is that if you draw a squiggle that looks rough and free hand and that would appear terrible in MSPaint, then Illustrator will turn that into a perfectly smooth and well defined curve that you’ll also be able to manipulate freely.
2. Path Finder and Shapes.
The other thing to learn to use is the path-finder window along with shapes. Draw a shape, whether that’s a square or a triangle and this will be made of paths too. The good news is that you can then combine, divide or subtract shapes.
So, put two triangles over the top of each other and you have a star shape. Select both and choose combine and these become a star. Or draw a line across them, select that along with the shapes themselves, and click ‘divide’. That way, you can cut chunks straight out of your work.
These are the fundamentals. There is a lot more to learn but as you get to grips, you’ll find that you can create highly professional looking designs to use as logos, icons, mock-ups of digital products and more!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NJhR8nZfWs
http://syndlab.tudothatsu.com/illustrator-for-internet-marketers/
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