CA 43B - Mastering Illustrator 1, Online

West Valley College
Instructor: Dundurs
Phone: (408) 741-2414
karina_dundurs@westvalley.edu

This course offers the basic principles of using vector-based software to produce graphics for Web sites. It is a course designed for the new Illustrator user. This course can be completed entirely online. You will use WebCT, which is an online course management tool used by many institutions for professional training. You may complete all assignments at home or at work. You will never need to come to campus to complete this course. Directions for all assignments will be given online or via e-mail. Your assignments, quizzes and final exam will be submitted online. You will communicate with your instructor via e-mail or telephone. Credit/No Credit course.

E-mail address: karina_dundurs@westvalley.edu. If you have questions or need assistance, you may e-mail me any time.

Important: Enrolled students must e-mail me before beginning the course. I will also not drop students. It is also your responsibility to drop the course.

Hi, welcome to the Illustrator online class. I look forward to working with you and hope you have an enjoyable online experience. I will guide your learning and assist you in understanding the basic principles of producing Illustrator graphics. This course is designed for the novice Illustrator user. However, it is essential that you have some experience using e-mail and Internet browsers in order to successfully complete this course. I hope you enjoy this course and develop the basic skills to create your own graphics for personal and business use.

Be prepared to spend at least 6 hours per week using and studying course materials and participating in online activities. The dates on the calendar are guidelines for completing the assignments by the end of the quarter. Each assignment is due as stated in the WebCT Calendar. Most of these are either Mondays or Fridays and remember they are guidelines to ensure that you complete the course by the end of the quarter. If you choose to work ahead of those dates, you may. Some information though may not be posted to WebCT until closer to the calendar dates.

You will successfully complete this course if you work daily or weekly in WebCT, and complete all course assignments and quizzes by the due dates. Please remember, all assignments and tests must be completed with a minimum accuracy grade of 70%.

Whenever you have questions about the course or a particular exercise or assignment, please contact me. Use the Angel e-mail address. It will be the fastest way to communicate with me. I usually respond to all e-mail within 24 hours. If you prefer, you can call me and leave a message. I am usually in and out of my office, so I will return your call as soon as possible.

If you experience any technical problems while trying to logon to our WebCT site or when you are using WebCT, please contact me as soon as possible. I will assist you with your technical problems.

2. Be prepared to spend at least 6 hours per week using and studying course materials and participating in online activities.

4. E-mail me no later than the first Saturday of the beginning of the semester, introducing yourself and indicating which browser you will be using for your course. Please do this using your personal email address and send it to karina_dundurs@westvalley.edu. This gives me a backup in case WebCt is down.

1. You must have access to an IBM/PC or Mac compatible computer with an Internet connection and a CD/ROM drive.

3. Your Internet browser must be Internet Explorer. Use the following link to make sure you are using the right version of the browser and that you have your computer configured properly for Angel use:

I suggest you create a folder on your desktop called Illustrator Online Course. Copy each Lesson folders into this folder from your CD-ROM. Save your Lesson work in the respective Lesson folder. This way you'll be able to quickly find the assignment files you want to submit.

If you have any problems logging on to your Angel account, completing your assignments, or submitting your work, please contact me immediately.

As you go through the steps in this book, I highly recommend that you read each step before performing the operation. I have found that it gives you a clearer picture of what you will be doing before you start working. Otherwise, if you don’t read ahead you will just be going through the procedures, but not quite understand what the goal of the step or process is to be. Also always check the figure illustrations that show you how a step should look at the end of the process. I have found that helpful when trying to understand what the step may be trying to explain. If you close a lesson and reopen it, some palettes may pop-up that weren’t there previously. Close the palettes you aren’t using so far in the lesson. Always keep the Toolbox open though.

Remember to always save your work in the Lesson folder of the chapter in the book. As a suggestion, you may want to keep your Illustrator folder on your Desktop. You will always have the original artwork to refer back to, as well as creating your lesson’s graphic. I have sectioned this online course two ways. First, you will see a "Few Thoughts Before Starting" section. This section will explain some more concepts that you will need to understand the lesson. Second, if a section needs more explanation I have titled that section corresponding to the lesson’s subsection.

Important Note: Prior to each lesson the book refers to restoring the default preferences. You will NOT be resetting the preferences. Skip this portion in the lessons. The only time you need to worry about Illustrator defaults are if you were to send this work out for print or to be handed over to another graphic designer to work on it. These defaults may then affect the printing.

Below are other recommended Illustrator books. Remember, resource books aren’t written all the same. Go to a bookstore and look and find the ones that best meet your needs.

All course work will be assigned and submitted as indicated through the Angel course site.