[janmc]

I'm a pretty experienced photoshop user but know diddly-squat about Illustrator. Any ideas about where would be a good place to start? Any user guides on the web? Any decent books?

Thanks all

[art_director]

Originally posted by janmc:
I'm a pretty experienced photoshop user but know diddly-squat about Illustrator. Any ideas about where would be a good place to start? Any user guides on the web? Any decent books?

Thanks all

find a complicated vector graphic and try to recreate it. learn by doing. that's always the best bet.

the adobe forums are quite good with help, tips and tricks. also, i would post here with questions.

[godzookie2k]

once again, quick start guide. Even an older version one will be fine, AI hasn't changed its core. I've got an old Ill 6 Quickstart guide lying around here somewhere I think. If I find it I'll let you know, you can have it.

[arclight]

Yeah, those Quickstart guides from PeachPit Press are great. Illustrator hasn't changed much over the years and the keyboard shortcuts are nearly identical in all their apps.

If you can master the bezier tool then your well on your way to knowing the basics of Illustrator. That tool is the only one that really threw me for a loop. Any of the WOW books can show you some great style tips and tricks too. It's a very easy app to learn-

[Camali]

Best way is to just use it and/or try to recreate something you know was created using vector graphic based program.

Of course the hardest part is getting use to the pen tool, it always gave me problems (I knew nothing of Illustrator) until a friend came over and asked if I could recreate the a business card that had a silhoutte of a person and for the first time my hand gave me no problem using the pen tool...and now its one of my favorite tools in Photoshop (for selections) and for using Illustrator!