I am sort of a late bloomer when it comes to Adobe Illustrator. I have been fascinated with vector graphics since 1997, when I started working with a design house called Pyroglyphics. It's defunct now, but I still talk to two of the designers that I used to work with closely. I was the drawing guy, the guy who could still do awesome line art, and they were the vector guys, giving flyers, ads, and CD covers the professional edge. We made some cool material, but I always wanted to learn more about the programs. They actually used to discourage me from learning, saying that once I went digital, I would stop drawing, and stunt my development as an illustrator, which is what happened to them. It was inevitable that I'd go digital, though, since the industry was demanding a much more tech-savvy skill set as time passed.

I started in Photoshop, and pretty much learned most of what I know on my own, though with tips and pointers by the Pyro guys. I eventually got work with other companies, drawing concepts on paper, working in Photoshop, and even began learning about vector work. I was actually pushed into Photoshop at Silver Moon Concepts, having to pick up various techniques on the fly. My friend Zon from Pyroglyphics was also working there at the time, so I would learn more from him, but a bulk of what I know now, came from hands-on experience, sometimes with a great deal of trial-and-error. By the end of my five years, I was actually teaching techniques to people that worked in the department before me. I started poking around in Illustrator, but many functions and even the pen tool seemed to behave differently. This frustrated me, and i remained intimidated and aggravated for years.

Now, the internet is fatter than ever with helpful content, from tutorial blogs with RSS feeds to online schools offering video courses, to random tutorial videos on video sites like Youtube. Being self-taught for most of my career as an illustrator and a designer, I find that there is no reason you can't learn more. Even if you can't afford courses, there are ways to attain the knowledge as long as you look for it.

Now I love Illustrator, and am fascinated with how art is made in such a program. I'm still a novice, and I still get frustrated, but I'm learning again, and it feels good. Hopefully I will be sharing some of what I have created here soon.

♥
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