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Vector Basic Training: A Systematic Creative Process for Building Precision Vector Artwork (Voices That Matter) [Paperback]

Von R. Glitschka
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)

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Book Description

January 1, 2011 0321749596 978-0321749598 1
Listen up, designers, and wipe those grins off your faces! It’s time to get serious about your design work. For too long you’ve allowed yourself to go soft, relying on your software to do all of your creative work for you. This book will NOT show you how to use every tool and feature in Adobe Illustrator. This book WILL, however, teach you the importance of drawing out your ideas, analyzing the shapes, and then methodically building them precisely in vector form using the techniques explained in this book.
 
In Vector Basic Training, acclaimed illustrative designer Von Glitschka takes you through his systematic process for creating the kind of precise vector graphics that separate the pros from the mere toolers. Along the way, he’ll whip your drawing skills into shape and show you how to create elegant curves and precise anchor points for your designs. Between the book and the video tutorials on the included DVD, you’ll be ready for active creative duty in zero hundred hours or less.  
 
 
In Vector Basic Training, you’ll learn:

  • The tools and shortcuts that make up a design pro’s creative armament
  • How to use “The Clockwork Method” to create accurate curves every time
  • When and where to set just the right number of anchor points for any design
  • How to build shapes quickly using basic Illustrator tools and plug-ins
  • Techniques for art directing yourself so that your work gets the response you desire
  • Why symmetry is your friend and how to use it effectively in your designs
To get the most out of this book it is recommended that you have Adobe Illustrator CS4 or higher.

On the DVD-ROM: Von Glitschka reports for duty in over four hours’ worth of video tutorials that walk you through all of the techniques explained in the book. Also included: downloadable art files you can use to follow along on your own and deconstruct samples shown in the book.

Frequently Bought Together

Vector Basic Training: A Systematic Creative Process for Building Precision Vector Artwork (Voices That Matter) + Creative Workshop: 80 Challenges to Sharpen Your Design Skills + Logo Design Love: A Guide to Creating Iconic Brand Identities
Price for all three: $74.64

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

With over 23 years of experience in design and illustration, Von Glitschka is the head of Glitschka Studios, a multi-disciplinary creative agency with clients that include Adobe, HGTV, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Major League Baseball, Microsoft, Pepsi, Disney, Ogilvy & Mather, Landor Associates, and LPK. He is also a respected teacher and lecturer, speaking regularly at a variety of conferences, design schools, and colleges.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: New Riders; 1 edition (January 1, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0321749596
  • ISBN-13: 978-0321749598
  • Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a creative hired gun doing the full-tilt creative boogie out of my home studio in the land of Bigfoot.

Customer Reviews

Buy the book and learn something real. Rick Yaeger  |  21 reviewers made a similar statement
The book is well written, fun to read and easy to understand. buildyo  |  16 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
34 of 35 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A textbook in the truest sense of the word. January 10, 2011
By Sean
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is not a how-to book. You will not learn how to draw an awesome tiger or a sweet ninja in the Vonster style. You will not find any magical buttons in Adobe Illustrator that autodraw your work.

On the other hand, this is definitely a how-to book. You will learn how to think, follow a creative process and you will learn how to construct vector artwork.

As a designer, creating quality, polished vector art can often be the hardest part of the job. Frequently, the construction methodology and the 'Why?' takes a backseat to other things while you're in school; it takes time to learn these once you're working in the field. Von generously pulls back the curtain and gives everyone a long, detailed look at the steps his creative process takes, but also the reasoning behind everything he does. It's rare to have such an in-depth, practical look at creative methodology and this book offers exactly that.

I cannot recommend this book enough. If you're a pro or if you're a student, it doesn't matter. If you're in design school you need to own this book. I promise that your portfolios will be better for it when you graduate. I followed Von's blog for years, learning lessons where I could to enhance my own skill set. It's wonderful to see his process in this richly deconstructed view and understand that you too can produce quality vector artwork if you'll apply the theories and practices he puts forth. It's a little like taking a digital illustration course from the man himself, only you don't have to commute or wake up on time for class.

Good reading!
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Vonster is the Master March 10, 2011
Format:Paperback
Most books in the computer graphics section of a book store will teach you which tools do what, where to find which menus and how to cut corners to make artwork that is good enough to get by. If that's what you're looking for, buy a different book. Von Glitschka uses Adobe Illustrator to create one-of-a-kind works of art, not cookie cutter effects that can be followed step-by-step to achieve the same results regardless of talent or experience.

This really is basic training; it's boot camp. Von is gonna make you work.

When was the last time you bought a computer graphics book that had an area designate specifically for doodling and insisted on the reader going out and investing in a good sketchbook--not an iPad, an actual sketchbook...with pages and binding!? I'll help jog your memory: that answer is never--it never happened...until now.

You've got big dreams? You want to be a vector artist? Well, artistic chops cost. And right here is where you start paying ... in graphite.

Von is your man. Buy the book and learn something real.
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The missing link January 7, 2011
Format:Paperback
I've been doing vector illustration for years and one of the hardest things to master is the bezier tool. Google search after search has turned up only remedial information about this topic and now this book has brought it home! I'm so happy to have bezier best practice and theory broken down with great visual representations and a multimedia disc to boot. Von is an exceptional author who knows his craft well and isn't afraid to share!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Van is incredible!
This is a fantastic book! The teaching approach of hand work, dissecting an image and learning what makes it work, is the new paradigm for teaching computer programs. Read more
Published 17 hours ago by Kirk Van Gilder
4.0 out of 5 stars Easy learning
Saw this guy on Lynda.com and he was one of few people who decomposed how to use the pen tool. Even my course at EDMC Art Institute didn't do that for me!
Published 23 days ago by Ex professor
5.0 out of 5 stars Vector Basic Training
If your a beginner or a professional, this book will get your creative juices flowing. Have your pencil and sketchbook ready when you open this book because you are going to want... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Liz Wolfe
2.0 out of 5 stars Pretty well written
But when you get to about chapter 3 the author suggests you buy a plug-in 'tool box' for working with the curves, and everything from that point on is based off of using the $160... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Grant D. Thome
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide, but there's a big hidden cost...
Simply put, this book is great. Von Glitschka really knows his stuff and lays down his methods for vector illustration in a way that is easy to understand and follow. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Love_Island_Life
5.0 out of 5 stars Superstar illustrator tries to make Illustrator easy
Great book if you own Adobe Illustrator. If you use another program, don't buy this book. The reason is that the most valuable part of the book is the video disc. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Kevin Brinkley
5.0 out of 5 stars Great method
VG is a true master of vector construction. Furthermore, his sketching approach is really practical for conception and approval processes.
Published 5 months ago by Danilo Cruz
4.0 out of 5 stars Finally gave me a reason to use Illustrator
Some time ago I read "Illustrator Classroom in a Book" where I used almost every tool in Illustrator through dozens of lessons and experiments; kind of like a drawing lab monkey or... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Toby R. Fuller
5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it - I did and I'm glad
This was a great book, filled with concrete examples. As stated in other reviews, it is not a how-to book. It explains a complete process for organizing your workflow. Read more
Published 7 months ago by james
5.0 out of 5 stars I trusted other reviews
Hi,
Today I'm glad to write some review about my first vector book. I have not read any vector books other than this, so I can't compare. Read more
Published 10 months ago by TL
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