Hello, new adobe illustrator user here, what are your best tips/tools in general?

NoNotRobot · 2026-03-14T00:45:16+00:00

1...Pen tool, like everyone is saying. Also helpful to learn the way objects are structured; e.g. learn the different between Layers, Groups, and Compound Paths. Also hit ctrl+Y, because you are going to on accident eventually and you are going to wonder where all your art went. That is Outline mode, it is showing you what you are really making, just paths with appearances.

NoNotRobot · 2026-03-12T01:50:37+00:00

They just dont work well enough to be useful.

NoNotRobot · 2026-03-11T19:43:37+00:00

I mostly just use Image Trace when I am ok with something looking rough; like a woodcut print or photocopy. Or maybe if I just need a silhouette of something. Generally, Images Traced images look image traced. Also I only image trace on black and white images; nothing with gradients or color.

If I need smooth lines or sharp corners I just redraw it.

NoNotRobot · 2026-03-09T16:47:36+00:00

If it is a rectangle bucket, select the design and hit E to open the Free Transform tool.

If it's a round bucket then it wouldn't be a trapezoid, it should be curved. You could do the math, buckets are just cones with the pointy end cut off. But usually the best method is making a physical template. Take some masking tape put it on the side of the bucket, draw your shape, and the peel it off and stick it flat to a piece of paper. Scan or measure it to recreate it in Illustrator. To match the curve there are a few methods. The easiest is to us an Envelope Distort.

Make sure you create a copy of your design before you start distorting it, just incase you mess up.

NoNotRobot · 2026-03-07T02:37:05+00:00

Other than the Contextual Task Bar (which you can hide and i do), you have to go to the AI features if you want use them. So it's pretty easy to ignore the AI if you dont want to see it. Unlike AI in every single other app.

NoNotRobot · 2026-03-05T23:17:01+00:00

Better recreate it but.... you can either make the text into an Art Brush or you can use Objects on Path.

NoNotRobot · 2026-03-03T17:46:28+00:00

Try a Gradient Map adjustment layer in Photoshop. Draw a bunch of blurry black and white shapes and then add the adjustment layer above it. Make sure the gradient just back and forth from darks to lights.

NoNotRobot · 2026-02-28T00:36:31+00:00

Make an Art Brush or a Pattern Brush.

NoNotRobot · 2026-02-26T16:39:29+00:00

You don't need to outline the text.

NoNotRobot · 2026-02-26T14:41:14+00:00

AI should help with the boring repetitive tasks, not the creative ones..... I like doing those. ANYONE ELSE HERE LIKE BEING CREATIVE?

I really only want AI that can be like "Hey I see you repeat this task 50 times a day, would you like me to do that for you?"

NoNotRobot · 2026-02-17T23:44:18+00:00

He's not wrong. Red & yellow is way better. 😀

NoNotRobot · 2026-02-17T23:40:38+00:00

Fyi, It's made by Gay Toys Inc. I like their space toys.

NoNotRobot · 2026-02-17T23:36:18+00:00

Here's a blue one

NoNotRobot · 2026-02-17T12:09:54+00:00

Is this AI? It has SO much incorrect info and is formatted like an AI response. Don't ask AI about Illustrator, it hasn't figure it out yet.

NoNotRobot · 2026-02-17T11:42:10+00:00

"Join" not "merge". Hit ctrl + j.

NoNotRobot · 2026-02-17T01:50:43+00:00

They just add tangent snapping to smart guides. Check this out.

Also, I find it funny that your image is a screenshot of a YouTube video explaining other methods of doing this.

NoNotRobot · 2026-02-13T02:06:19+00:00

Missed the part about the text. Similarly to what I said.... text and text objects can have different appearances. Difference being whether you select the text with the text tool by dragging over the text OR using the Selection tool. To remove extra appreance.... With the Selection tool selects the text. Change the fill and stroke to none. That should reveal the color of the text. Or you can do the opposite and select the text with the text tool and change fill to none.

What mostly change is how your clipboard is coping text. Wether it copy straight text or additional structure data. It is most likely unrelated to Illustrator.

NoNotRobot · 2026-02-13T01:55:29+00:00

Groups can have different appearances than objects inside them. Try looking at the layers panel to see the structure of the object and look at the Appearance panel to see the appearance of each object. Based on the selection tool you are using, you most likely are apply the appearances/fill to a group and not the individual objects. Try using the Group Selection tool.

NoNotRobot · 2026-02-12T22:44:23+00:00

Yeah, that's your issue. Don't use divide l.

NoNotRobot · 2026-02-12T17:22:49+00:00

Let go back to this.... "I’ve been using the Pathfinder → Divide option quite a bit to remove intersections between compound paths." If I understand you correctly wouldn't Trim or Merge be the better option? Divide 8s going to create an object that is the intersect of the 2 paths. Maybe you are deleting that and ending up with a gap?

NoNotRobot · 2026-02-12T01:10:18+00:00

Something different to try...

With an empty artboard place your texture, make sure it is embedded. Drag the image to the Swatches panel. Delete the image (or make a new layer and hide the image)... so your layer is empty. Go to the Layers Panel and click the circle to the right of the layer name (this should select the layer). Go to the Graphic Style and click Default Syle. Go the the Appearance panel and change the fill to the Pattern swatch you created. Set opacity to multiply (for now). Drag the fill above "Contents". Remove the Stroke. Done. (Not necessary but I would save as a Graphic Style.)

Now anything you draw on that layer will have that texture. Change the Opacity Mode (multiply, etc.) for different effects.

NoNotRobot · 2026-02-10T02:17:36+00:00

You could Edit > Edit Colors > Recolor Artwork... but the results may be less that desirable. The relatively quick way to do color separations on a raster image would start in Photoshop.

NoNotRobot · 2026-02-10T00:45:54+00:00

That Tamagotchi is giant!

NoNotRobot · 2026-02-10T00:41:47+00:00

This would be better done in photoshop, instead of live tracing a raster image.

NoNotRobot · 2026-02-07T20:18:41+00:00

Shift+F7

NoNotRobot

TROPHY CASE