Customer Reviews

Adobe(R) Master Class: Illustrator(R) Illuminated (Master Class (Adobe))

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm a big fan of the WOW! computer graphics books, but after quickly glancing at Illustrator Illuminated at my local book store, I decided to try it. I've read almost all of it, and am disappointed in its content. The WOW! books are extemely detailed in the instruction they give regarding a particular procedure; this book gives very general instruction, skipping steps and leaving many questions unanswered. Perhaps the artists didn't want to divulge ALL of their creative secrets, or there just wasn't enough room. Some of the screen shots are small enough to need a magnifying glass, which renders them relatively useless. The book has the feeling that it was thrown together hastily; the introduction mentions the tight deadline they had to get the book to print. It's obvious. It isn't terribly thought-out, there are typos and the text tends to be repititious. One interesting feature: each artist describes something they would like Illustrator to include. I appreciated the more fanciful responses!

If you are looking for an Illustrator book in the WOW! sense of things...this one is NOT for you. This is not a how-to book. It's more of profiles of people who utilized Adobe Illustrator for their work. The people profiled talk about a few projects they worked on, how they did certain parts of that work but really, the book is focused more on how the selected designers use Illustrator as a way to communicate their art ideas and so forth. This is recommended for those who consider using Adobe Illustrator for their design and want to learn how other professionals have utilized the software for their projects.

I recall that when I was first starting to use Illustrator some 4 odd years ago, this book was very helpful. Not because it is a how-to book per se, but because it shows you what is possible to accomplish in Illustrator. It showcases illustrators and has a tutorial on a technique the artist uses.
And after all that time, this is the only Illustrator book I would still pick up, especially since most of the other Illustrator books I've seen sadly rehash the same tutorials over and over.