Create a Stylish, Vector Hair Typography Illustration

I love creating portraits in vector but what I love even more, is doing wild and crazy hair styles. It was suggested to me recently to try crossing over the techniques of creating hair into typography and I just had to rise to that challenge!

So in today’s tutorial, I’m going to show you how I created this stylish piece of hair typography in Adobe Illustrator CS5. I’ve also finished it off with a quick aged coloring giving it a vintage design feel. So let’s get stuck in…

When the concept was first suggested to me to create a piece of typography with hair, I straight away considered what sort of style to do it in. Whichever I decided on, it would influence what style of typeface I was going to use. I opted for long flowing locks, therefore a script/cursive typeface would be the best.

The next thing to consider is what sort of word to use. If you think about how hair behaves, it’s not the sort of material which can create sharp angles of say the letters: M, N, V, W or Z. How exactly would you illustrate letters with dots, such as an “i” or “j”? So the requirements would need to be a word which was full of loops and curves and if possible, linked to hair and possibly vector art?

There was the possibility of “Brush”, which would tick all the boxes however a capital “B” would have a slight problem with a sharp angle. It’s then decided… the word “Style”. The hunt for a lovely basic script typeface begins with my very basic collection!

I opted for “Edwardian Script ITC” as I rather liked the way the “S” coiled. This would look great in hair. I used the Type Tool (T) to add the text to my canvas and changed the Font Size to 300pt. I then adjusted the Tracking to 100 (the space between the letters). Without adding space between the letters, it wouldn’t give much space for the hair.

I’ve reduced the Opacity of the text to 10% and used it as a template to begin drawing the base shapes for the hair. I’m going to draw the strokes in the way I’d actually write out the letters, then I’ll know later on how the hair would be over and under lapping each other. I’ve used a 10pt Stroke Weight and Profile “Width Profile 1?.

If you’re not using AI CS5, you can create the same shapes as Art Brushes via this tutorial. For all the strands of hair, I used the Paintbrush Tool (B), however I do use a graphics tablet (Wacom Bamboo A5). If you’re doing all this with a mouse, I do recommend doing the strands with the Pen Tool (P) as you’ll have a lot more control over the curves.

After you’ve drawn the initial strokes, build upon it with further strokes. Keep the strokes flowing in the same direction. Allow the strokes around the corners to fray and separate to give more of a free flowing style and to give the impression that it is hair.

Select All of the stokes (Command + A) and go to Object > Expand Appearance to change the strokes to shapes with a fill. Then select Unite in the Pathfinder panel. You’ll notice you may have several shapes rather than just the one. If this happens you’ll need to create a Compound Path by Selecting All of your shapes (Command + A) and then going to Object > Compound Path > Make (Command + 8).

As much as we’d love our hair to be nice and smooth, in reality it isn’t. So I’m going to add some fly away hairs from the letters at a smaller stroke weight of 3pt. I’ll also Expand these lines and Unite them to the base. In addition, change the fill color to a medium gray-brown (C=55, M=60, Y=65, K=40).

Now back to remembering how I wrote the letters and which direction the strokes flowed. From this I can work out which areas will overlap where. I’ve represented this with arrows below:

Using the base color brown (C=55, M=60, Y=65, K=40), I created a transparent linear gradient and drew shapes to show the shadow cast from the overlapping hair. These are then set at Blending Mode Multiply with Opacity 100%. Once done, Group up all the gradient shapes (Command + G).

Duplicate the “style” base shape and then use this with the gradient group to create a Clipping Mask (Command + 7). I’ve also dragged and dropped the original base shape below the gradients to keep them all in one group.

This is where the fun begins and that’s beginning to build up on the shading by drawing the strands of hair one by one. First of all, draw strands all over the bases, remembering to go with the grain of the hair. Use a lighter shade of brown as the stroke color (C=50, M=50, Y=60, K=25) with Width Profile 1, 3pt Stroke Weight set to Blending Mode Multiply, and Opacity 30%. Once done, Group the strands (Command + G) and drag and drop into the Clipping Mask group.

Don’t worry if some of the strokes overlap each other. Due to the Blending Mode and Opacity, it will create more natural looking darker areas of the hair, which you can later use for placing highlights and hair in shade. With this in mind, let’s talk highlights in the next step.

We know where there will be shadows and that’s around the areas where the hair is overlapping. Typically with hair, where it bends is where the shine is at its most intense. I’m going to create a light brown transparent radial gradient (C=25, M=25, Y=40, K=0) and use it as a fill with the Ellipse Tool (L) to draw several circles on the bends of the hair as shown below. The circles will be set to Blending Mode Overlay and Opacity 15%. Then group them Grouped up (Command + G) and placed in the Clipping Mask group.

I’m now going to add some strands with the Paintbrush Tool (B) on the bends of the hair to help highlight it. This will be with Width Profile 1 brush, at 2pt Stroke Weight, with a light brown stroke color (C=40, M=45, Y=50, K=5) set to Blending Mode Screen and Opacity 20%.

I focused the strokes on the bends where the gradients were, however I’ve also placed some strokes in areas where I think there needs to be a bit more variety in the hair colors.

I’m going to add further highlighting strokes with the same settings, yet with Blending Mode Color Dodge and Opacity 20%. Once done, Group all the strokes (Command + G) and drag and drop them into the Clipping Mask group.

Highlights have been added, now it’s time for more shadow and darker strands. I’m going to use a different Profile, this time “Width Profile 5? with the larger end at the beginning of the stroke. The strokes have a medium brown color (C=50, M=50, Y=60, K=25) and have a 3pt Stroke Weight. I’ve set them to Blending Mode Color Burn and Opacity 30%.

I drew them first of all coming from and along where there are overlaps in the hair. I’ve then worked the strokes gradually along the grain of the hair. Finally, I Grouped them (Command + G) and placed them in the Clipping Mask group.

I’m going to use a brush I created from my jellyfish tutorial, the circular blend brush, for the next step. I’m using this as another way to add shine to the corners of the hair. These will have a medium brown stroke color (C=40, M=45, Y=5), with a 5pt Stroke Weight, set to Blending Mode Color Dodge and Opacity 30%.

I’m going to use the same color and brush again, this time with a Stroke Weight of 1pt to add thinner highlights throughout the hair. These will be set to Blending Mode Lighten and Opacity 20%. Once done, Group all the strokes (Command + G) and drag and drop them into the Clipping Mask group.

I’m feeling the hair is looking a little washed out and pale, so I’m going to overlap some color to bring it out more. I’ve drawn a Rectangle (M) across the text and then placed it in the Clipping Mask group. This is going to be a dark golden brown (C=50, M=70, Y=80, K=70) and I’m going to set it to Blending Mode Soft Light with Opacity 100%.

Of course, now it would be a great time to change the color to something more radical, depending on your taste. If you want your hair say pink or blue, change the fill of the Rectangle (M) to any shade you’d like. Then change the Blending Mode to Overlay and play around with the Opacity of the shape to get your perfect saturation.

Now to add some additional stray hairs around the base. You’ll need to place these hairs below the Clipping Mask group, so they don’t overlap onto the shading of the hair. I’m going to use a medium golden brown shade (C=40, M=70, Y=100, K=50) and this time use the Width Profile 4 brush. It will have a Stroke Weight of 2pt.

I’m going to do a couple modifications to what I have already, as I feel some of it is a bit too messy, so I want to tidy it up. The first thing I want to do is cover some of the gaps in the base, to make it more smooth.

There are several ways you could do this… for one you could draw shapes with the Pen Tool (P) and place them behind the Clipping Mask group. However what I’m going to do is draw strands of medium brown hair (C=40, M=50, Y=60, K=35) with a 10pt Stroke Weight and use the Pen Tool (P) with Width Profile 1, to add more precise curves around the text to cover the gaps. These will be placed behind the Clipping Mask group.

The next modification I’m going to make is to define the “L” more clearly by creating more of a loop shape. Now I can do this very easily by removing a shape from the Compound Path, which is used to create the Clipping Mask group, with Pathfinder > Minus Front.

Now to add a drop shadow effect. So first to duplicate the Compound Path you’ve just modified from the Clipping Mask group and then drag and drop it below all the hairs you’ve created.

In the Appearance panel, I’ve created four strokes with a black stroke and set them to Blending Mode Multiply with Opacity 5%. The strokes have a Rounded Cap and Round Joint. It also has a black fill set to Blending Mode Multiply with Opacity 30%. Then use the arrow keys on your keyboard to just nudge your shape to the right and downwards to create a drop shadow which is 100% vector.

I’m going to create a quick vintage effect by adding a light gray background (C=5, M=1, Y=5, K=9) with a vector noise texture on top, then a vignette gradient to discolor the corners.

I’ve then added some white, 40pt Stroke Weight “Chalk – Scribble” strokes over the top, which are set to Blending Mode Screen with Opacity 10%. From time to time you’ll have a dirty monitor and you’ll see a slight discoloration or distortion of light on a white surface… this quick effect produces a similar effect you’ll find!

Finally, I’m going to add a golden brown Rectangle (M) and brown vignette over the top of the entire image to give another subtle aged effect.

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s tutorial on creating a stylish hair typography illustration. Why not try a variety of colors? You could even try adding braids to the hair to add further detailing perhaps?

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Tai Chi - Stages of Development

In general terms, there are three stages of development of your tai chi practice.

Stage One- practice your external movements so that they are done with correct posture, pacing, and direction of vision.

Stage Two- practice how force is stored and delivered in each form.

Stage Three- practice moving your qi to where you are delivering force.

Let's start with Stage One.

It is important to practice your form at this stage until the movements and postures are automatic. This is the easiest stage to learn, but it can be very frustrating for beginners. Everyone else, teachers, videos, etc., seem so fluid and graceful. It takes time to get past the negative self image and learn to enjoy the movement.

Most teachers and videos do a pretty good job of explaining the movements of a tai chi form or set. However, there are many subtleties that can only be learned from a teacher. If you have access to a good teacher, great. Enjoy it and learn lots.

If you do not, do the best you can with videos, books, and other resources. Choose a common form so that you can find an occasional workshop. I recommend either the Yang 24 (Beijing) forms or the Tai Chi for Arthritis from Dr. Paul Lam Tai Chi for Health Community. There are many good weekend workshops available.

There are a few simple things that you should know as you begin your practice. Take your time and learn methodically. Learning faster is not necessarily better. Work through learning the forms at a steady pace and take your time in understanding the details. It's better to learn a few forms or sets well than lots of them carelessly. Plan on learning only 1 or 2 new forms each week.

Remember the 70% rule. Estimate your greatest ability to perform an exercise. Practice at only 70% of that level.This is not a competition. If it hurts, stop immediately. Apply this rule to everything in tai chi, from how far you stretch, to how many repetitions, and to how long you practice. As you become more familiar with the forms and with your own body, you can gradually increase this.

A good first principle at this stage is to learn control of your movements so they are slow, smooth, and continuous. You should move as though there is a gentle resistance. Think of your qi flow as a river. As it flows downhill, it gathers strength. Keep your movements slow, smooth, and continuous to smooth the progress of the qi flow.

Another way to think about controlling your movements is to work on body alignment. Being upright is very important, but it is not as simple as it seems. A way to approach it is to think of your spine as a string. Imagine gently stretching the string from both ends. Being upright provides the internal organs with more space. An upright body also strengthens the internal deep stabilizer muscles. Try to keep your body upright and supple throughout all the movements. Be especially aware of this when you start bending your knees because your alignment can change. When you bend your knees, imagine that you are sitting down in a straight chair (not the Lazy Boy!) and keep your back fairly straight. Use a mirror or video camera to check yourself while practicing.

Practice a little each day. Ten minutes of practice each day will bring you better results than practicing for an hour at a time once a week. You will find that tai chi is more challenging than it looks. If you need a break, take one. Frequently, take time to review what you have learned.

Summary of Stage One

Work on your form and posture. Start to learn the essential principles of tai chi. Read Yang Chen Fu's Ten Essential Principles and start to incorporate them into your practice. Most of them won't make much sense yet, but that's OK. Keep returning to them and it will become more clear in time.

Stage Two

In stage two, study each form in detail and understand the details. Most of my experience in is Yang style, so this explanation will follow that experience.

Even the simplest forms have several (many) parts to learn and master. It is a big oversimplification, but we can say that the six things to focus on at this point are 1) what your feet are doing, 2) what your hands are doing, 3) what your waist (body) is doing, 4) what your eyes are doing, 5) opening, and 6) closing.

According to the classics of tai chi, "Internal force is rooted in the feet, developed by the legs, governed by the waist, and expressed in the hands." This internal force is a spiral force generated at the feet that causes the waist to rotate, which leads the hands in the various tai chi forms. Spiral force is beyond the scope of this article, but the comments about the feet, waist, and hands are important at this point in your learning.

1) What is your stance? What are your feet doing? There are many stationary stances, from horse stance with equal weighting on each foot (wu ji); to bow stance, with the 70/30 weight ratio (brush knee); to empty stance, where essentially all your weight is on one leg (playing lute); and T stance during transitions (fair lady works shuttles). In addition, you should become familiar with dropping stance (snake creeps down) and independent stance (golden rooster stands on one leg). Other forms have stances that I am not familiar with, such as sitting stance, pan knee stance, and cross stance. The stance is important in delivering force (power) during each form.

2) Your hands should be in certain places during the movements of the form. Your hands deliver force during each form. Understand this and be aware of it during each form. There are many specific hand positions and shapes for different forms. I'll write about that someday.

3) The waist is the part of the body above the hip bones and below the diaphragm. The waist can be moved independently of the hips in some forms. In general, most forms have turning movements. The waist should lead the movement of the arms and the rest of the body. This increases/improves the delivery of force.

4) During most forms, your eyes should follow your hand(s) during movement. When your hands are moving separately, your eyes should follow the dominant hand. The dominant hand is the one that is delivering force. This is usually the higher hand or the one that is the most forward. For example, during brush knee, the hand that pushes forward is dominant and should be followed with your eyes. The hand that brushes the knee is not dominant. However, this statement is a little misleading. Your eyes really should be looking "through" your hand at a point beyond the hands to where you want your force to be delivered.

5) Every form has an open. This is the part of the form where power is developed and stored. Think of it as a bow and arrow. Pulling on the bowstring is opening and storing energy. For example, during brush knee, one hand goes back while the other one is placed somewhere near your elbow. This is the opening where you are storing energy.

In general, you should inhale sometime during opening movements. Chen Jin, a Chen-style tai chi master, wrote that when you are opening, you are solid outside and soft inside. You can feel your body soften as you inhale and expand your abdomen.

6) Every form has a close. This is the part of the form where power is delivered. Again, think of it as a bow and arrow. Releasing the bow string is closing and delivering energy. For example, during brush knee, one hand goes forward while the other one brushes past your knee. This is the closing where you are delivering energy.

In general, you should exhale sometime during closing movements. Chen Jin, a Chen-style tai chi master, wrote that when you are closing, you are soft outside and solid inside. You can feel your inside harden, or become more solid, when you are delivering force as you contract your abdomen.

Summary of Stage 2

Continue to learn the essential principles of tai chi. Read Yang Chen Fu's Ten Essential Principles and start to incorporate them into your practice. They should be starting to make more sense now. Keep returning to them and it will become more clear in time.

Stage Three

In stage three, you begin to learn to use your intent to direct the flow of qi through your body. Mental focus is essential to this step.

Circulating Your Qi

The next phase of understanding open and close (see Stage 2 for more information) is to start moving your qi as you open and close. When you open (inhale), move your qi from your dan tien, through your perineum, and up your yang meridian (along your spine) toward the bai hui point at the crown of your head. When you close (exhale), move your qi down your yin meridian (the front center of your body) to the lower dan tien.

Keep your mouth gently closed with your tongue touching your upper palate. It may take a long time (years) to become comfortable with this. It is important that you do not force your breathing here. If you are not sure where to be inhaling and exhaling or you get tired, just allow your body to breathe naturally.

Intent

There is a statement in the tai chi classics that says something like, "The mind (intent) moves the internal energy and the internal energy moves the body." This is an important principle, but it is difficult to learn. It is important to practice your way through the three stages of development before you can really understand intent.

From http://tedknecht.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html

"Whenever the "use of intent" is mentioned with regard to the practice of Taijiquan, most Taijiquan practitioners think 'the mind is the primary controller and the body is the follower.This is illustrated in Yang Cheng Fu's Ten Essential Principles of Taijiquanas "use intent, not muscular strength.'

There are usually three meanings of intent when discussed in Taijiquan. The first meaning is 'to pay attention to one's internal strength." The second meaning of intent is the same as the term "internal energy' or qi. For example, 'the movement of the intent' or 'the intention (qi) must change with vigor while remaining circular and smooth.' The third meaning of intent is 'expectations' or 'thoughts.' "

The emphasis on intent is important in tai chi because the use of strength is very different than other martial arts. Tai chi uses slow, soft force to deflect or divert an opponent's energy instead of meeting force with force. This allows time for your mind to contemplate the movement and imagine the movement in your mind before your muscles actually move.

When you are practicing tai chi, move slowly and continuously and use intent to move beyond the physical part of the form. This helps to develop a strong mind-body connection. Qi gets stronger as it continues to flow, just like the force of water gets stronger as it flows downhill. If you stop moving during the forms, your qi also stops moving.

Intent also involves the use of your eyes. In the tai chi classics, it says something like, "The eyes and the hands must follow each other." However, this does not mean that your eyes must exactly follow the movement of your hands. It means that your eyes and hands must arrive at the same point at the same time.

Don't forget that tai chi is an internal art. This means that the movements begin in your mind. Your intention leads the movements of your energy. And from that energy, you create an internal force. As you move, think about applying a soft gentle force to your movements. Use that to lead your movements. Eventually, you will begin to feel the internal energy move within you. The key is to practice regularly.

Dr. Paul Lam, the developer of the Tai Chi for Arthritis form, uses a slightly different description. He divides the stages of development as follows:

Movement:

1. Make the movements slow and continuous, developing control of your muscles.

2. Move as though there is a gentle resistance, as if you have to move through water. This helps cultivate internal force.

Body:

3. Be aware of weight transfers. Control your balance, alignment, and posture.

4. Be aware of body alignment, keeping your body in an upright posture.

Internal:

5. Song - loosen the joints. Stretch and loosen the joints. Be aware of this as you practice.

6. Mental focus - try to keep your mind from wandering. This helps to integrate the internal and external.

© 2010 Eric Borreson
http://eric-taichi.blogspot.com

29 Exciting New Business Card Themes

The corporate world has been rapidly advancing along with numerous design schemes. Individuals are able to network like never before and it has created a heavy demand for local business. Thus business cards are still vitally important for sharing your information and building a respectable client base. Check out these 29 card themes and you may even come up with a fantastic idea of your own. Similarly you can share fresh business cards and concepts in the discussion area below.

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Adobe Illustrator CS3 Basics Tutorial

This tutorial will go over the basic aspects of Adobe Illustrator. Within the immediate viewing area of the user a list of buttons and features are available to use on your Adobe Illustrator document. I will be going over the basic uses of these features and how you can implement them.

The first Adobe Illustrator tutorial is the Selection Tool. The Selection Tool is used to select projects on the screen that you may be working on. Usually, a large amount of these can start to form when you are managing a project. You can move the files around to be easily viewed. However, there are limitations to this tool. Adobe has come up with two other Selection Tools that will solve these space issues.

The second Adobe Illustrator tutorials are bundled. They are related to the Selection Tool in terms of operation. They are the Direct Selection Tool and the Group Selection Tool. The Direct Selection Tool is used to reshape an object or image by using its anchor points. It can change the width and height of a segment of an object or change the way it shaped by moving anchor points in a certain direction. The Group Selection Tool allows you to select one object on the first click and if you select again it will target all of the objects that are within its field. This tool helps to organized all the objects so you can select them easily.

Next up is the Adobe Illustrator Magic Wand Tool. The Magic Wand Tool lets you select objects that are similar in stature. You can do this by just selecting one of the targets and the Magic Wand Tool will attach to the others that are similar. You can make the tool look for anything that you can think of within each object to connect the two.

The Lasso Tool is the next feature within Adobe Illustrator's long list of incredible features. The Lasso Tool allows you to select objects by drawing around them. You don't have to complete the connection all the way around the objects. Adobe Illustrator will make an educated guess of what you were thinking if you did not finish. Sometimes this is a better way than using the other tools to select objects.

The features listed next are within the Pen Tool family. Most of them are Point Tools that help you manipulate objects. The Pen Tool is probably the most important tool that Adobe Illustrator CS3 has to offer. Anchor Points are used to define the way an object is and can be shaped. You can make very artistic shapes with this single tool. Many professional swear by it. The Add Anchor Point Tool allows you to add anchor points to an existing object. This feature will change the shape of the object indefinitely. It gives you more choices in the way you will your object to look. The Delete Anchor Point Tool deletes any anchor points on an object. This will also drastically change the way the object looks when displayed. The Convert Anchor Point Tool helps you shape objects very cleanly and precisely, so that you can get the most accurate shapes and transformations when you use anchor points.

The Type Tool has a wide assortment of features. The Type Tool makes different types and formats to put them in. You are able to edit these however you like. The Area Type Tool allows you to open up paths that were once areas you could type in to edit it yourself. The Type on a Path Tool allows you to manipulate the path in which the text will take. You can often use it to type around an object. I am sure you have seen typing that is in a spiral shape. The Vertical Type Tool makes it possible for you to type vertically. It is just like what you saw when you watched the matrix. Except those weren't real language characters. The Vertical Area Type Tool changes paths that were closed to vertical type. You are also given the freedom to edit the type as well. The Vertical Type on a Path Tool makes the path that you chose for the text write in a vertical fashion rather than making the text lay on the line as normal.

The next set of tools provides the user with the ability to make lines in all types of fashions. The Line Segment Tool lets you draw a simple straight line. The Arc Tool is pretty self-explanatory within itself. The Spiral Tool allows you to draw spiral shapes near perfectly and manipulate by using its preset anchor points. It can be a handy tool if you have a reason to make a spiral. The Rectangular Grid Tool allows you to make what looks like a spreadsheet. Like the Rectangular Grid Tool the Polar Grid Tool gives you the ability to make a grid; however, this grid is circular in shape. It is fully configurable using the anchor points.

The next tools are one of my favorites in of the Adobe CS3 Series. These tools are the shape tools. They allow me to make shapes easily and without much attention to detail. I have saved many hours of headache by resorting to these tools. The first one is the Rectangle Tool, which makes a box shape or a rectangle shape. You can manipulate the width and height of the box to your liking. The Rounded Rectangle Tool allows you to make the edges of the box like structure rounded for a more smooth feeling. If you look at my website you can see that I used them a lot. I believe it adds a bit of flavor to the website. Of course, I am always trying new things. When you check again you may find that my website looks totally different. The Ellipse Tool allows you to make seemingly perfect circles. If you have ever tried to freehand draw a perfect circle you know the headaches that I have gotten trying to do it myself. The Polygon Tool lets you make a six-sided object that is configurable for the user. The Star Tool does exactly what it says. It makes stars! The Flare Tool makes objects that look like they have blown up or if you saw a supernova in the sky. So you will see a circle with a lot of lines poking out of it and it will be bright in the center. It is a pretty cool effect to use in many situations.

The Paintbrush Tool is a very old tool in the Adobe and Macromedia line of products. In reality, it is probably one of the first features in the first paint program ever made. It is very simple to use and only does what it says. It paints like a brush in different sizes and tones.

The Pencil Tool like the Paintbrush Tool only does what it says it does. It writes like a pencil in different sizes and tones. The Smooth Tool allows you to straighten out kinks in your drawings by erasing extra anchor points that may be messing up the path that an object would regularly make. If you use the Path Eraser Tool you can erase part of an object by erasing part of its path. If you just erased an anchor point with the Delete Anchor Point tool the object would just reshape into another form; however, with the Path Eraser Tool the object will act like that section doesn't exist anymore and it will seem as if somebody erased it with an actual eraser!

The Rotate Tool is a simple feature that allows you to rotate any object on the Adobe Illustrator field. Many another Adobe design products have this feature as well. I believe even Macromedia products had it as well. The Reflect Tool allows you to copy the reflection of an object and move it however you like.

The Scaling Tool makes an object increase or decrease in size along the x and y axis. The Shear Tool allows you move an object around on its x and y axis. Like if you set a point in the center of an object and spun the object around it like it was a compact disc. The Reshape Tool allows you to move certain anchor points while keeping the overall integrity of the object.

The Warp Tool allows you to shape objects with your freehand abilities by moving pixels around independently. The Twirl Tool makes an object perform a swirling motion within itself. The Pucker Tool makes it seem that the object is getting the air poked out of it. I would say it's like the object is imploding on itself. You can do this by simply using the cursor around the edges of the object. The Bloat Tool increases the air in an object and makes it looks like it will explode. The Scallop Tool makes the object looks like it is becoming spiky in nature. If you have seen a blowfish before its transformation from skinny fish to prickly prey is a good interpretation of this. The Crystallize Tool does the same thing as the scallop tool, except it only does it too the outside of the object. The Wrinkle Tool makes an object look like it is wrinkled. You can easily see this if you are using a grid or a line that is straight in nature to start.

The Free Transform Tool is used if you want change the shape of an object freehand. It is pretty simple and it reminds me of a couple other features I have used.

The Symbol Sprayer Tool lies under the symbolism options section of Adobe Illustrator. It has a series of options that you can pick from. The Symbol Sprayer Tool places a series of objects on the screen. The Symbol Shifter Tool is able to move symbol objects around. The Symbol Scruncher Tool moves objects closer to each other or further apart as a group. The Symbol Sizer Tool is able to change the size of the symbol objects. The Symbol Spinner Tool is able to move the symbol object around in a circular fashion. The Symbol Stainer Tool is able to change the color of each individual symbol object. The Symbol Screener Tool gives the symbol object the additional effect of a change in opacity that you are able to control. The Symbol Styler Tool is able to change the style that the object is shown in.

The next sets of tools are graph tools. The Column Graph Tool is just like your standard graph, which has vertical graphs. The Stack Column Graph Tool is similar to the Column Graph Tool except the fact that it can show similarities in certain things by stacking the graphs upon each other. The Bar Graph Tool makes graphs that are horizontal in direction. The Stack Bar Graph Tool is like the other stacked graph except it is horizontal in position. The Line Graph Tool uses a simple line over a period of some type of measurement to show progress. The Area Graph Tool is similar to the Line Graph Tool except fills in the area below it until it reaches the outline of another calculation. The Scatter Graph Tool is a graph that only uses the dots to show pivotal changes in the graph at regular intervals. The Pie Graph Tool is a very popular graph. It is a circular graph that shows the different options in different colors. The Radar Graph Tool makes graphs that take different graph sets and puts them categories that are displayed in a circular fashion.

The Mesh Tool makes meshes and allows you to edit them accordingly.

The Gradient Tool allows you to fully customize the start and ending spots of each gradient that you use.

The Eyedropper Tool is able to take color from one area from an image or an object and apply it somewhere else. The Measure Tool is able to see the length between two objects.

The Blend Tool makes one object into a series of objects. It also makes it look like they are transforming into something else. It is a pretty cool feature that can have some uses with my website now that I think about it.

The Live Paint Bucket Tool is similar to the regular Paint Bucket. The difference is you can fill in areas with the memory from other similar areas.

The Live Paint Selection Tool lets you paint, but it also lets you fill in live areas that are grouped together. The different options are great for painting.

The Crop Area Tool simply lets you cut out and area of an object with fine detail. The Slice Tool allows you to cut images into different sections so they can be put back together on the web. This helps with web downloads most of the time. The Slice Selection Tool allows you to select the slices that you have cut for the web.

The Eraser Tool is exactly what it says it is. It erases everything that it touches. The Scissor Tool will make cuts in an image and allow you to pull that section out. Then you are able to do whatever with the new anchor points that it makes on the object and the cut segment of the object. The Knife Tool cuts object as if you cut them with a knife. Once you do this you are able to pull the objects apart and reform them.

The Hand Tool allows you to move the window that the objects are stored in with the Adobe Illustrator CS3 program. The Page Tool allows you to change how the printed version of the output looks by manipulating the viewing screen.

The Zoom Tool allows you to zoom in on objects within the program.

I hope that you have learned the basics of the Adobe Illustrator CS3 program with this short tutorial. In the near future, I will have picture illustrations of the uses of each option so that you will further grasp what you can do with the program. Of course, this is only a few of the things that you can possibly do with the program. It takes a lot of imagination and hard work to get your thoughts on paper. If you visit my webpage you will be able to see this tutorial with appropriate pictures added. Remember that you can be an Adobe Guru if you try!

Dwight Norris - Former AST Website Owner and CPR Website Owner

Adobe Software Tutorials has been turned off due to economic reason. You can ask me questions through my other website listed below.

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