ARTICLES AND VIDEOS
Important note:
Studying the tutorials you have to practice at the same time. Keep the program (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, etc.) open; stop a tutorial every minute or so, and repeat the actions in the program. That is the only way you can learn quickly and remember.
InDesign For Beginners
Document Setup | Page Size, Margins and Bleed – detailed explanation
Custom Workspace in Adobe InDesign
Adding pages to your document
Parent (Master) pages
Parent (Master) pages Advanced
Page numbering
Page re-numbering
Fonts in InDesign; fonts installation
InDesign create outlines
Formatting Text in InDesign, Character and Paragraph Panels
Paragraph formatting
InDesign layers
Lock and unlock objects
Alignment Panel in InDesign
Vertical Alignment
Align to Key Object in InDesign
Preflight
Removing Automatic Hyphenation in InDesign
InDesign drop cap
Working with images
Placing Images, Scale, Rotation, Resolution & Custom Shapes
Masking an image inside text (just cool)
Text wrap around shapes and objects
Wrapping text around images
Create a stylized book cover - Wrap Text
Wrap Text Around Image Edges
Subject Aware Text Wrap
Packaging Files in InDesign 2020
Interactive InDesign and Simple Animation
Interactivity
Interactive PDF
Three interactive features in Adobe InDesign that still work for PDF
Interactive image slider
InDesign Animation
Loop Animated Sequence
Animated Christmas e-card
Publish Online
Publish Online short video
More InDesignTutorials
Tools panel chart
The selection tools
Basic shapes (creating with measurements, fill, stroke
Basic shapes (with shortcuts)
Anchor points and paths in Illustrator
How to Add Ruler Guides in Illustrator
TYPE
How to work with text in Illustrator
Touch tool
Type on a path
How to Use The Stroke Panel in Illustrator
Blend tool 1
Blend tool 2
Blend tool 3
Don’t forget to Object>Expend when needed
Transform again 1
Transform again 2
And bonus: Transform effects video tutorial
Layers and groups
How to Use The Layers Panel in Adobe Illustrator
Blend tool
Pathfinder Advanced
Pathfinder - Linking Rings Strokes
How To Add Multiple Strokes to Anything
Selecting colors (do not click on the links under "See also")
Gradients in Illustrator
Gradients (advanced)
Pen tool
Tracing your artwork with the Pen tool
5 Essential Techniques for Drawing with the Pen Tool
More Illustrator Tutorials
Adobe Photoshop Tutorials
FREE IMAGES
8 Days (the list is a little down the page)
9 Resources for High-Quality Images
Yandex.ru (Russian, English)
FREE FONTS
https://fonts.google.com
https://www.1001fonts.com
https://www.fontsquirrel.com/
Or just google free fonts
Variable fonts:
https://fonts.google.com/variablefonts
https://fontesk.com/tag/variable
ADDITIONAL READINGS
- Textbook "A Type Primer" by John Kane
- History of Books
- Illuminated Manuscripts (with a good video)
- How to Be an Artist, According to Wassily Kandinsky (How to deal with lines, shapes and colors)
TYPOGRAPHICAL GAMES
Please play these games, it is fun way to learn typography:
Game 1: Type Anatomy Game
First, take a look at the cheat sheet and try to remember the names
https://ilovetypography.com/font-anatomy-cheat-sheet/
Then play the game, trying not to look at the cheat sheet
https://ilovetypography.com/2020/06/30/font-anatomy-game/
Game 2: Kern type
https://type.method.ac/
Kerning (the space between letters) greatly influences readability and aesthetics, and is an important typography skill to know. This online game lets you practice kerning and then compares your work to a typographer’s solution.
Just drag the letters (except the first and the last) so the distance between each one would look approximately equal. Then Click Done button. (You can refresh the browser to work on the same word again.
It is not easy at the beginning, but we have to train our eyes.
Game 3: Reshape a latter to make it beautiful
https://shape.method.ac/
An essential skill that type designers must have is the ability to draw letters and characters using vector shapes. In this online game, you will shape letters by moving vector anchor points to the correct location.
DESIGNER'S GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
Importance of sketchbook for designers
- It is your personal space, you can do whatever you want within those pages, no client expectations.
- You can keep a collection of visuals that inspire you
- Helps with your creativity: the more you fill the pages of your sketchbook and flex your creativity muscles, the easier your ideas and imagination will flow.
- It is a great way to keep my drawing skills sharp
- Working on sketches strengthens your focus and strategic thinking.
And much more
Inside the sketchbook – working with logos
16 Famous Designers Show Us Their Favorite Notebooks
Video Importance of sketchbook for designers
Thumbnail sketching is a vital step in the creative process, which is especially true in graphic design. Thumbnailing is a necessity that you cannot ignore; every design project starts with this step that:
- Expresses your ideas
- Allows quick iteration over unique ideas
- Forces you to think about what you’re creating
- Gives freedom to design without worrying about technique
- Helps you to avoid artist block
- Saves you a lot of time later
Thumbnail sketching, example 1
Thumbnail sketching, example 2
Read more about thumbnails
Video Thumbnail sketching (2 min)
Art Nouveau - an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts, it was most popular between 1890 and 1910. It was characterized by the ornamental style of art, with its organic, asymmetrical, intricate and flowing lines.
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4
Bauhaus was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts. This style emphasized boldness and abstract, yet structured creativity
Example 1
Example 2
Art Deco was about finding beauty in geometric simplicity, combined with elongated letters and vertical decorative line details. First appearing in the 1920s and 30s, Art Deco made a comeback in the 1970s and 80s as well.
Almost by definition, Art Deco meant sans serif type. (for ex. Avant Garde, Futura, Kabel)
Example 1
Example 2