Chabot College
Fall 2007
Course Outline for Digital Media 32A
ILLUSTRATOR I
Catalog Description:
32A - Illustrator I
1.5 units
Introduction to the use of Adobe Illustrator software for digital illustration. Emphasis on the use of
vector-based tools for artistic and technical drawing. Enhancement of illustrations through the addition
of text, gradients, patterns, transparency, and effects. 1 hour lecture, 2 hours laboratory.
[Typical contact hours: lecture 17.5, laboratory 35]
Prerequisite Skills: None
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:
1. use basic operating system features, including navigation of the desktop, saving and moving files
to various storage media, and adjusting system preferences;
2. launch Illustrator, navigate and customize its interface, use the tools available on its toolbars and
palettes, and apply commands by means of menus and keyboard shortcuts;
3. create and save a document in a file format appropriate to its intended use;
4. describe the differences between raster (bitmapped) and vector (object-oriented) images;
5. draw Bézier curves with the pen tool, and modify curves by manipulating their anchor points and
control handles;
6. create paths with a variety of tools such as the pencil tool, rectangle tool, ellipse tool, polygon
tool, star tool, line segment tool, arc tool, and spiral tool;
7. change the weight and color of strokes and fills;
8. join and divide paths by means of the Pathfinder palette and various menu commands;
9. add text to a document (including point type, area type, and type on a path), and format that text
in various ways;
10. change the size and appearance of the artboard, including the use of grids and guides;
11. select colors using swatches, the color palette, and the color picker, and apply principles of color
theory;
12. use and modify gradients, patterns, brushes, and symbols;
13. place bitmapped images in a document by means of embedding or linking;
14. use the Layers palette to create and customize layers, and to control the visibility and stacking
order of objects.
Course Content:
1. Basic operating system features, including navigation of the desktop, saving and moving files to
various storage media, and adjusting system preferences
2. Launching Illustrator, navigating and customizing its interface, using the tools available on its
toolbars and palettes, and applying commands by means of menus and keyboard shortcuts
3. Creating and saving a document in a file format appropriate to its intended use
4. Describing the differences between raster (bitmapped) and vector (object-oriented) images
5. Drawing Bézier curves with the pen tool, and modifying curves by manipulating their anchor
points and control handles
Chabot College
Course Outline for Digital Media 32A, page 2
Fall 2007
6. Creating paths with a variety of tools such as the pencil tool, rectangle tool, ellipse tool, polygon
tool, star tool, line segment tool, arc tool, and spiral tool
7. Changing the weight and color of strokes and fills
8. Joining and dividing paths by means of the Pathfinder palette and various menu commands
9. Adding text to a document (including point type, area type, and type on a path), and formatting
that text in various ways
10. Changing the size and appearance of the artboard, including the use of grids and guides
11. Selecting colors using swatches, the color palette, and the color picker, and applying principles of
color theory
12. Using and modifying gradients, patterns, brushes, and symbols
13. Placing bitmapped images in a document by means of embedding or linking
14. Using the Layers palette to create and customize layers, and to control the visibility and stacking
order of objects
Methods of Presentation:
1. Computer demonstrations
2. Lecture with whiteboard
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1. Typical Assignments
a. Create a drawing file in black and white demonstrating an ability to create straight, curved,
open, closed, and compound paths
b. Create a drawing file that includes custom colors and patterns, and varying levels of
transparency
c. Create a drawing file that integrates text with vector objects
d. Create a final project using a majority of the drawing tools studied in this course.
2. Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
a. Homework assignments
b. Quizzes and exams, including a final exam
Textbook(s) (Typical):
Adobe Illustrator CS2 Classroom in a Book, Adobe Creative Team, Adobe Press, June 17, 2005
Special Student Materials:
Portable file-storage device, such as a USB flash drive
MS:\CurriculumF2007\DM32A
Revised: 4/25/06
Chabot College
Course Outline for Digital Media 32A, page 3
Fall 2007