Illustrator Skills

Below are documented skills that I have learnt throughout the "Where I Live" module in Vis Com. 

Shapes

Speed Camera - This was simply created by using simple shapes such as Rounded Rectangle, Oval (but when drawn press Shift and this creates a perfect circle) alongside the line tool. Using the arrange option to bring things to front so that the yellow background was featured at send to back.

Pencils - The pencils were created after the Speed Camera task and I found that it was quite simple to create them. Gaussian Blur effect and rotation of the circle was used to create the white on the top of the pencil tip.

Bouncing Ball - Once again this involved using a Oval + Shift, as well as the same effect on the top of the pencil for the reflection. The shadow on the bottom is also the same process as the top of the pencil but a smaller oval shape and bigger blur effect. 

Blending

Smooth Colour - Blending involves creating two shapes that have two different colours as the fill. Then you go to Object -> Blend -> Blending options and the first step I did was Smooth Colour. Once pressed Make, this will appear on the screen the smooth transition of the tones between each shapes.

Specified Steps - This involves the same process but instead select Specified Steps and you can enter in how many steps of tone you would like to see between each of the originally drawn shapes. This example there are 4 tones between each starting shape.

Specified Distance - Once again this requires the same process as mentioned above but you can enter how much distance you want between each tone in cm. This example there is 0.3cm which is hard to see on the image. If a larger distance was created it would start to look like Specified Steps.

Web Icons

Speaker - Web Icons are the quick and easy option to use, however, you wouldn't use them if you were doing high-paid professional work. This speaker example involved me ungrouping the elements in the icon, then changing the colour of the lines and also removing the middle speaker line to create a simple low and high volume resemblance.

Website Button - The original website button (black) involved the same process as the Speaker but what I did extra was to add a shadow underneath the arrow. This was done by using the skills I had picked up from the previous Pencil and Bouncing Ball activity and then going to Object -> Arrange -> Send to Back for it to be underneath the main coloured arrow.