1. Survival Techniques& File Types The Corresponding structural elements of art are line, shape, value, texture, and color. In art the artist is not only the contractor but also the architect; he or she has the vision, which is given shape by the way the elements are brought together. - Art Fundamentals, Theory and Practice

2. Use your Brain as the Tool of Choice

Illustrator a tool

Autotrace adds unnecessary points and shapes, creates really weird colors and can make detailed areas to simple.

Stick to the pen tool and use your eye to judge where points should go, rather than relying on a computer to do your work for you.

Draw, Sketch, Doodle.

3. The Creative Process Dont be a Tooler be a Thinker

Communication

Research

Concepts

• During this step the only computer you should turn on is your Brain

Refinement

Fresh Eyes

Execution

Comps

Final Art Delivery

Achieving

Closer

4. Communication

After All this is called Communication Arts

Learn to discuss, request information, and quote projects.

You can never have to much information.

The designer knows what directions are appropriate and what are not and the client knows the scope of what will be done.

Write out a contract every time.

5. Research

Study anatomy, illustrations, or other concepts before embarking on your design.

You can never have to little reference.

Artists block??? Go to the Internet, your portfolio of sketches, See what the competition is doing.

NEVER COPY OR TRACE OVER ANY WORK THAT ISNT YOURS WITHOUT PERMISSION!!!

6. Concepts

Sketch, Doodle, Draw!!!

Keep all your research and assignment information on hand. Stay on Target!!!

This process can take days of refining ideas.

Keep a sketch book with you at all times and keep thumbnails of old projects.

7. Refinement

Pick the greatest ideas from your thumbnail sketches and start the refining process.

Archive your ideas whether they have been used or not.

Sketch it out, erase, redraw and repeat until your concept art is exactly the way you want it.

Leave little or NO guess work.

One more step before entering the Digital Realm

8. Fresh Eyes

You are looking to produce a finalized sketch that you can simply use to build your art from.

Know exactly where your headed both conceptually and aesthetically.

9. Execution

If you havent done the proper prep work and you skip to this step you will be Executing your creative process literally.

The computer is a tool.

Scan it in or use your Graphics Tablet to stencil in your artwork.

Build it.

10. Comps

Make sure you are going in the right direction with you client.

Give them progress reports.

Write out a description that is clear and distinct relaying your thoughts and reasoning behind each design approach.

Dont leave your client guessing.

11. Final Art Delivery

Use appropriate file formats discussed with you client before hand.

CMYK for printing and RGB for web.

Always build clean files, name layers, no hidden layers or loose points, close objects. KEEP IT CLEAN!

12. Archiving

Digital Environment and its ever changing design applications

• Keep an .eps file of your Illustrator work

You never know when you might need to reopen the file. Especially when your in school.

13. Closer

Always follow up with a client

Ask them if its ok to add them you your promo list.

• Building a list of potential clients.

14. File Types

.eps ~ saves points and curves. Transfers to other programs. Older version of Illustrator can open in Newer version of Illustrator.

.pdf ~ maintains bitmap as well as vector images. Secure. Use when showing client progress of a project.

.png ~ is a bitmap image format. Designed to replace .gif. Uses only RGB designed for the web. Employs Lossless Data Compression (like zip files)

.jpeg ~ bitmap image format for photographs. Employs Lossy Data Compression

.ai ~ an Illustrator file