Certified Graphic Designer Track Beginner level

Lesson 1: Getting Started

• Restoring default preferences
• Delete or save the current Illustrator preferences file.
• Additional resources

Lesson 2: Getting to Know the Work Area

• Introducing Adobe Illustrator
• Starting Illustrator and opening a file
• Exploring the workspace
• Getting to Know the Tool panel
• Working with the Control panel
• Working with panels
• Working with panel groups
• Resetting and saving your workspace
• Using panel menus
• Changing the view of artwork
• Using view commands
• Using the Zoom tool
• Scrolling through a document
• Viewing artwork
• Navigating art boards
• Using the Artboards panel
• Arranging multiple documents
• Finding resources for using Illustrator

Lesson 3: Techniques for Selecting Artwork

• Selecting objects
• Using the Selection tool
• Using the Direct Selection tool
• Creating selections with a marquee
• Hiding and locking objects
• Selecting similar objects
• Selecting in Outline mode
• Aligning objects
• Aligning objects to each other
• Aligning to a key object
• Aligning anchor points
• Distributing objects
• Aligning to the artboard
• Working with groups
• Grouping items
• Editing a group in Isolation mode
• Creating a nested group
• Exploring object arrangement
• Arranging objects
• Selecting objects behind

Lesson 4: Using Shapes to Create Artwork

• Creating a new document
• Working with basic shapes
• Creating and editing rectangles
• Rounding corners
• Working with the Rounded Rectangle tool
• Creating and editing an ellipse
• Creating and editing a circle
• Creating a polygon
• Editing a polygon
• Changing stroke width and alignment
• Drawing lines
• Creating a star
• Working with the Shaper tool
• Drawing shapes with the Shaper tool
• Editing shapes with the Shaper tool
• Punching shapes with the Shaper tool
• Combining shapes with the Shaper tool
• Working with drawing modes
• Working with Draw Behind mode
• Using the Draw Inside mode
• Using Image Trace

Lesson 5: Editing and Combining Shapes and Paths

• Editing paths and shapes
• Cutting with the Scissors tool
• Joining paths
• Cutting with the Knife tool
• Using the Eraser tool
• Combining shapes
• Working with the Shape Builder tool
• Working with the Pathfinder panel
• Creating a compound path
• Using the Width tool
• Outlining strokes
• Finishing up the illustration

Lesson 6: Transforming Artwork

• Working with artboards
• Adding artboards to the document
• Editing artboards
• Renaming artboards
• Reordering artboards
• Working with rulers and guides
• Creating guides
• Editing the ruler origin
• Transforming content
• Positioning artwork using the Transform panel
• Positioning artwork using Smart Guides
• Scaling objects
• Reflecting objects
• Rotating objects
• Distorting objects with effects
• Shearing objects
• Transforming with the Free Transform tool
• Creating a PDF

Lesson 7: Creating with Drawing Tools

• An intro to drawing with the Pen tool
• Selecting paths
• Drawing straight lines with the Pen tool
• Introducing curved paths
• Drawing a curve with the Pen tool
• Drawing a series of curves with the Pen tool
• Converting smooth points to corner points
• Combining curves and straight lines
• Creating artwork with the Pen tool
• Drawing a coffee cup
• Drawing with the Curvature tool
• Editing curves
• Reflecting the spoon shape
• Rounding corner points
• Editing paths and points
• Deleting and adding anchor points
• Converting between smooth points and corner points
• Working with the Anchor Point tool
• Creating a dashed line
• Adding arrowheads to a path
• Working with the Pencil tool
• Drawing freeform paths with the Pencil tool
• Drawing straight segments with the Pencil tool
• Joining with the Join tool

Lesson 8: Using Color

• Exploring color modes
• Working with color
• Applying an existing color
• Creating a custom color using the Color panel
• Saving a color as a swatch
• Creating a copy of a swatch
• Editing a swatch
• Creating and editing a global swatch
• Using the Color Picker to create color
• Using Illustrator swatch libraries
• Adding a spot color
• Creating and saving a tint of a color
• Converting colors
• Copying appearance attributes
• Creating a color group
• Creative inspiration with the Color Guide panel
• Editing a color group in the Edit Colors dialog box
• Editing colors in artwork
• Assigning colors to your artwork
• Working with Live Paint
• Creating a Live Paint group
• Painting with the Live Paint Bucket tool
• Modifying a Live Paint group

Lesson 9: Adding Type

• Adding text at a point
• Adding area type
• Working with Auto Sizing
• Converting between area and point type
• Importing a plain-text file
• Threading text
• Formatting type
• Changing font family and font style
• Fixing missing fonts
• Changing font size
• Changing font color
• Changing additional character formatting
• Working with Glyphs
• Changing paragraph formatting
• Modifying text with the Touch Type tool
• Resizing and reshaping type objects
• Creating columns of text
• Creating and applying text styles
• Creating and applying a paragraph style
• Editing a paragraph style
• Creating and applying a character style
• Editing a character style
• Sampling text formatting
• Wrapping text
• Warping text
• Reshaping text with a preset envelope warp
• Editing the envelope warp
• Working with type on a path
• Creating type on a path
• Creating type on a closed path
• Creating text outlines

Lesson 10: Organizing Your Artwork with Layers

• Understanding layers
• Creating layers and sublayers
• Creating new layers
• Creating sublayers
• Editing layers and objects
• Locating layers
• Moving content between layers
• Viewing layers
• Reordering layers
• Collecting into a new layer
• Duplicating layer content
• Pasting layers
• Changing layer order
• Applying appearance attributes to layers
• Creating a clipping mask

Lesson 11: Gradient, Blends, and Patterns

• Working with gradients
• Applying a linear gradient to a fill
• Editing a gradient
• Saving a gradient
• Adjusting a linear gradient fill
• Applying a linear gradient to a stroke
• Editing a gradient on a stroke
• Applying a radial gradient to artwork
• Editing the colors in the radial gradient
• Adjusting the radial gradient
• Applying gradients to multiple objects
• Adding transparency to gradients
• Working with blended objects
• Creating a blend with specified steps
• Modifying a blend
• Creating and editing a smooth color blend
• Painting with patterns
• Applying an existing pattern
• Creating your own pattern
• Applying your pattern
• Editing your pattern

Lesson 12: Using Brushes

• Working with brushes
• Using Calligraphic brushes
• Applying a Calligraphic brush to artwork
• Drawing with the Paintbrush tool
• Editing paths with the Paintbrush tool
• Editing a brush
• Removing a brush stroke
• Using Art brushes
• Applying an existing Art brush
• Creating an Art brush using a raster image
• Editing an Art brush
• Using Bristle brushes
• Changing Bristle brush options
• Painting with a Bristle brush
• Using Pattern brushes
• Creating a Pattern brush
• Applying a Pattern brush
• Editing the Pattern brush
• Working with the Blob Brush tool
• Drawing with the Blob Brush tool
• Merging paths with the Blob Brush tool
• Editing with the Eraser tool

Lesson 13: Create Your Own

• Create your own based on instructor’s directive