Monday 3 March 2014

Mothering Sunday



I am back in the studio, OK so I am back in my front room that has my mac, books, paper and paints in. After 4 years of study, designing to spec and meeting briefs and targets, it is rather enjoyable to be practicing and learning at my own pace.

This month's task that I have beset myself is to use Illustrator with confidence.  I have used it since I was 19 but have never mastered it, simply using the tools I felt comfortable with and fudging around with the pen tool.

So I am currently practicing my bezier curves and getting to grips with the pathfinder options, knocking out paths, making compound paths, clipping masks etc.

I have been practicing these methods on a design for a Mothers Day card. Terribly basic, but by applying the theory from Ted Alspach's Illustrator CS4 for Dummies (I know! I bought it a long time ago and can't bring myself to by a newer version having never read it) with the hands on practice, I hope to get to grips with the paths and all that they will allow me to do.