Assignment 1: Pattern Studies

1. Set up a new document in Adobe Illustrator that is 20 inches wide by 14 inches tall.

2. Using RECTANGLES, ELIPSES, POLYGONS, AND STARS ONLY, create 6 pattern studies.

3. Your pattern studies should be 4 inches by 4 inches using only Black and White Stroke and Fills.

4. Keep an even 2 inch border around each pattern study.

5. Make 6 BLACK AND WHITE pattern studies based on the following concepts:

6. Before you start, make a simple "super unit" form to build into a pattern using repetition:

Units and Super-Unit forms

Wucious Wong defines a Super-Unit form as a complex form composed of a group of simple geometric figures.  These figures are called “units”. 

• #1 experiment with GRID STRUCTURES to create patterns (NO use of Illustrator's Repeat Cmd.)
  Reference reading
• #2 experiment with ROTATION to create patterns (NO use of Illustrator's Repeat Cmd.)
• #3 experiment with SCALE CHANGES to create patterns (NO use of Illustrator's Repeat Cmd.T)
• #4 experiment with GRID STRUCTURES to create patterns (WITH use of Illustrator's Repeat Cmd.)
• #5 experiment with QUANTITY(WITH OR WITHOUT Illustrator's Repeat Cmd.)
• #6 experiment with EXPERIMENT WITH YOUR OWN PATTERN (No restrictions)

6. You can use White Rectangles to create borders around your patterns.

7. Save your file named firstname_lastname_shapes.ai

*see example below for some ideas

** all 6 pattern studies will be on the same document (20 x 14 inches)

Parameters:

No Effects, Transparency, Filters, Brushes, Variable Stroke Widths, Gradients, Color etc.

Keep shapes as primitive geometric shapes (ellipses, squares, stars, polygons)

No shapes other than primitive shapes

Objectives: Adobe Illustrator

A. Document Set Up, Guides, Grids, Workspace

1. Select tool

2. Primitive Shape tools

3. Rotate tool

4. Transform tool, Transform panel

5. Stroke and Fill

6. Stroke and Fill color

7. Constraints

8. Repeating

9. Align tool

Criteria For Grading and Evaluation:

What to Turn in:

1. name your AI file:

firstname_lastname_shapes.ai

2. Submit your file to SIU Desire to Learn > HERE

-Log into your D2L Account (Click on the Drop Boxes Module and follow the instructions)

Assignment 2: Pen Tool Primer

Guidelines:

Download and open the following AI file.

Pen Tool Primer file

Parameters:

• Using the PEN TOOL ONLY, trace the simple outlines.
• Use the recommended number of anchor points.
• Make your lines curve smoothly and accurately according to the sample.
• Use rulers and guides if necessary.

Objectives: Adobe Illustrator

• Pen Tool
• Select Tool
• Direct Select Tool
• Anchor Point Tools

Fun Practice Game

The Bezier Game

Criteria For Grading and Evaluation:

What to Turn in:

1. name your AI file:

firstname_lastname_primer.ai

2. Submit your file to SIU Desire to Learn > HERE

-Log into your D2L Account (Click on the Drop Boxes Module and follow the instructions)

Assignment 3: Animal

From Adobe Stock, download a digital photograph (bitmap) of an animal, reptile, or insect, you are to remake the image with layered shapes in Illustrator as a vector illustration. Images must be real photographs from Adobe Stock, not AI generated or previous Illustrations.

Animal Selection:

• Choose an animal that has a strong, directional light source. Low light and diffuse light that doesn't provide shadows won't work well
• Choose an animal with short fur, no fur, or smooth skin.
• Choose an animal with some type of form to its body (butterflies and many birds won't work)
• Choose an animal that has light colored features (an all black animal will not work well)
• Choose an animal image that is framed well (the animal takes up the frame and we can see its whole body) and has some type of natural background (not on white or on transparent)
• Choose an animal image that has a sharp focus for the whole image.
• Choose an image with a high resolution (1200 px width or height at the very minimum). All photographs should be from Adobe Stock.

Getting Started

• Pay special attention to the image as shapes rather than textures and lines.
• When looking at the image, break it down from the largest shapes to smallest shapes. (don't start with the feathers, spots, hair, bumps, etc.)
• Think of creating your animal as if it's a stack of cut pieces of colored paper.
• Think of creating your animal like a topographic map (topology). The biggest pieces will be at the bottom of the stack.
• Use the topology of your animal by breaking your shapes down based on cross-contour lines.
  (you won't be drawing the lines in your file, but visualize them as you look at your animal)

Guidelines:

• File size should be 7.5 inches by 10 inches.
• Original image must be placed and embedded into the Illustrator file for tracing.
• Color palette limited to 5 BASE COLORS. You can add tints (white) and shades (black) to each of these BASE COLORS.
• No Stroke Colors, Filters, Effects, Brushes, or Gradient, or Transparency are to be used.
• NO OPEN PATHS OR LINES
• Solid Color Only. ALL OF YOUR SHAPES WILL BE CLOSED PATHS (NO LINES)
• Save your file and name it firstname_lastname_animal.ai
• As an option, you may use a maximum of 3 shapes with a feathered edge.

Objectives: Adobe Illustrator

• Paths and Shapes (pen tool)
• Color Panel, Swatches Panel, Color Guide Panel
• Layers
• Composition
• Pen Tool
• Hand-Eye Coordination

Requirements:

• A minimum of 3 layers (all layers must be labeled)
• All paths must be closed.
• All colors in artwork must be saved in the Swatches Panel
• Simple background to describe the animal's environment.
• File named correctly and put into the Drop folder
• As mentioned in class, original source file must be embedded.

Criteria For Grading and Evaluation:

What to Turn in:

1. name your AI file:
2. firstname_lastname_animal.ai
3. Submit your file to SIU Desire to Learn > HERE

Assignment 4: Postage Stamp

Using your illustration of an animal completed for assignment 3, compose and set a mockup for a Postage Stamp following these guidelines:

Objectives: Adobe Illustrator

• Type tools
• Pathfinder tools
• Alignment tools
• Art board tool
• Color Modes
• Scale Tools - (scale strokes and effects preference)
• Stroke Tools
• Drop Shadow and Effects
• Appearance Panel

Stamp Requirements: Focus

• Animal Illustration - include your complete illustration from Assignment 3.
• Create a serrated border with Stroke and Drop Shadow (really examine the stroke width and appropriate size for the serrated edge of a real stamp) that creates the illusion of a real stamp.
• Use the Pathfinder Tool to cut your serrated border into the stamp shape to make a single shape for the stamp's "paper"
  
• Add Text for the following elements:
  • Animal Name
  • Country
  • Year
  • Monetary Value and Currency
• Convert all text to Outlines
• Label all layers.
• Two versions of your stamp (see below) saved and submitted as Illustrator files.

Presentation Requirements:

• Art board size = 7.5 inches by 10 inches (landscape orientation)
• 2 versions of stamp - large and small

• Small version size:

• Overall Size = longest side will be 2.0 inches.

• Large Version Size:

• Overall Size = longest side will be 6.5 inches.
• Title - (Bottom Right Corner in 8 pt type):
  • Postage Stamp Mock-up
  • AD 219 Spring 2025
  • First Name Last Name
• Save your file and name it firstname_lastname_stamp.ai

Parameters:

• No Photoshop Effects, SVG Filters, gradients,
• No Illustrator Brushes or added Appearances

Criteria For Grading and Evaluation:

What to Turn in:

• Name your AI file: firstname_lastname_stamp.ai
• Submit your file to MyCourses > HERE
• Log into your MyCourses Account (Click on the Drop Boxes Module and follow the instructions)

Assignment 5 - Appliance

Starting with a black-and-white image of a house-hold appliance or hand-held power tool, you are to recreate the image in Illustrator using shapes, gradients, and tracing. Your Image will be "placed" in Illustrator as a template to trace. Final illustrations should be very representational of the original and use gradient fill colors to recreate the original light source, textures, surfaces, and form. Pay close attention to shadows, highlights, and perspective.

Objectives: Adobe Illustrator

• paths and shapes
• gradients - linear, radial, freeform,
• layers
• transparency
• pen/pencil tool, blob brush,
• perspective
• shadows and highlights
• other tools in illustrator - free transform, puppet warp, blend, warp, mesh, distort, etc.

Parameters:

• No Brushes, Filters, or Effects.

• Edge Feather ONLY may be used on a maximum of 4 paths
• No colors...grayscale only
• No Image Trace, live paint
• Minimum of 5 layers (labeled)
• Placed file should be embedded in your document

Presentation:

• Art board should be 7.5 inches by 10 inches.
• Title - (typed at the bottome right of artboard in 8 pt type)
  • Appliance Illustration
  • AD 219 Spring 2025
  • First Name Last Name
• Save files and name them firstname_lastname_appliance.ai

Criteria For Grading and Evaluation:

What to Turn in:

• Name your AI file: firstname_lastname_appliance.ai
• Submit your file to SIU Desire to Learn > HERE
• Log into your D2L Account (Click on the Drop Boxes Module and follow the instructions)