Sessions

Three Minutes Max: Illustrator

This crowd favorite is back! Don’t miss this fun-filled, action-packed, highly educational, and mind-blowing session: Three Minutes Max!

Each of our instructors will have no more than three minutes to share their favorite Illustrator tip—then you get to vote for your favorite!

In past years, some of the best tips have been held for this session… so you don’t want to miss it!

Making Illustrator Artwork Look Organic

We all know and recognize the clean, crisp lines created with Illustrator. But what if you want something that looks more… organic? Learn how to create trendy, handmade illustrations, replicas of traditional printing techniques, dirty grunge styles, or your own unique artistic style—all while maintaining the edibility and scalability we love in vector graphics.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Apply your personal drawing style
  • Replace boring, uniform lines
  • Embrace and exploit randomness
  • Combine pixels and paths with grungy textures
  • Maximize and maintain editability
  • Create and apply organic graphic styles

Illustrator Under the Bonnet

If your Illustrator graphics still look like stick figure drawings, it’s time to take things up a notch! Unlocking the secrets of “unseen Illustrator” could transform your art from basic to breathtaking! See how to deconstruct Illustrator art to understand how it was created. Learn the steps to replicate the techniques of master illustrators in your own projects. Join Tony for this fast-paced, in-depth session to see powerful techniques broken down step-by-step.

Topics include:

  • Through the Illustrator looking glass
  • Using X-ray vision in Illustrator
  • How Illustrator works behind the scenes
  • The key panels you need to keep an eye on

The Latest and Greatest in Illustrator

The latest releases of Illustrator have introduced some game-changing features, but do you know what they are and how to get the most out of them? Laura Coyle does, and she’s here to share.

Topics include:

  • Unraveling the secrets of Intertwine
  • Add dimension to your work with 3D effects
  • The new History panel, plus bullets and numbering
  • Exchange content between Illustrator and Adobe Express with libraries
  • Collaborate and share Illustrator documents

Using Illustrator to Explain Everything

If you’ve ever tried to build an explainer graphic, infographic, or other editorial image, you know that telling a story through visual design is not as straightforward as it might seem! Join international superstar Tony Harmer as he shows what you need to know.

Topics include:

  • Deconstructed examples
  • Demonstrations of key techniques
  • Useful plug-ins and extensions to accelerate drawing

10 Essential Illustrator Tips

Sometimes, a single Illustrator tip is all it takes to rock your world—and in this session, you’ll learn TEN! How many do you know? Find out in this fun and fast-paced session with Illustrator guru, Laura Coyle.

Topics include:

  • Get inspired to use Recolor Artwork
  • Shape Builder pro tips
  • The iPad Pencil tool: Can it replace the Pen tool?
  • Work faster with Symbols
  • Use Image Trace to the fullest
  • Laura’s workflow life-savers

Powerful Add-Ons to Boost Illustrator

At one time or another, every Illustrator user has said, “Why is this so hard?!” or, “The one feature I really need doesn’t exist!” Dave Clayton wants you to know that he feels your pain—and he’s here to help! In this jam-packed session, you’ll discover powerful third-party tools and plug-ins (free and paid) to fill the gaps in Illustrator’s feature set. With great stuff from Astute Graphics, Fontself, Logo Package Express, and more, you’ll have loads of options you can add to your creative arsenal.

You’ll learn:

  • Where to find plug-ins
  • How to install and add them to Illustrator
  • How they can improve your workflow and creativity
  • How to use them to save time and increase your earning power!

Watch a special Sneak Peek of this session:

PS + ID + AI: The Trifecta

We all have our favorite Adobe apps, but to really get the most out of them and maximize our efficiency, it’s crucial to understand how they work together!

Topics include:

  • How to properly set up Photoshop and Illustrator files for InDesign
  • Choosing between layers and artboards
  • CC Libraries: the secret back door conduit
  • Using cloud documents and setting up collaborations
  • When to link, copy, or embed artwork

Spectacular (and Easy) Type Effects

Typography can send a powerful message. In this session we’ll look at a number of easy-yet-impactful type effects you can create using Illustrator and Photoshop that will enhance your ability to capture eyeballs and attention.

CreativePro Partner Panel: Finding Solutions

These days, the only way to be truly efficient and productive is to think “outside the box” and look at the ecosystem of services, resources, and third-party tools that are available to you.

Join us for a far-reaching discussion, including a look at the future of publishing, with David Blatner, Marcus Radich (PageProof.com), and Mark Hilton (santacruzsoftware.com).