Learn Graphic Designing with Free Lessons & Tips

Open a New Document

1. Launch Illustrator, press Ctrl + N to create a New document. Select Pixels from the Units drop down menu, enter 1180 in the width box and 930 in the height box then click on the  Advanced  button. Select RGB, Screen (72ppi) and make sure that the Align New Objects to Pixel Grid box is unchecked before you click OK.

Create the Desk

2. For starters, we will begin with the desk. Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create two rectanlges with dimensions: 730 by 284px and 678 by 300px. Select two newly created rectangles, open the Align palette (Window > Align) and click on the Horizontal Align Center button then click on the Vertical Align Top button. Next reselect the red rectangle and move it 11px down. Now select two newly created rectangles again and open the Pathfinder palette (Window > Pathfinder) and click on the Minus Front button. Make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of the resulting object and then replace the existing stroke color of the copy with blue. With the Direct Selection Tool (A) and the Shift, select two anchor points highlighted with red of the blue object and then click on the “Cut Path at Selected Anchor Points button from the Properties bar. This make the blue object becomes two paths. Select the smaller path and remove it.

3. With the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 758 by 18px rectangle and then place this rectangle in position shown below. Now select the newly created rectangle and the black object created in step 2, fill them with R=255, G=255, B=255 and remove their strokes. Next select the blue object and change the stroke weight to 5px; replace the existing stroke color with R=65, G=64, B=66.

4. Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create two rectanlges with dimensions: 161 by 55px and 82 by 10px. Select two newly created rectangle;  open the Align palette (Window > Align)and click the Horizontal Align Center button then click the Vertical Align Top button. Select the bottom-right anchor point of the red rectangle and move it 5px to the left. Then select the bottom-left anchor point and move it 5px to the right. Select the blue rectangle and fill it with R=255, G=255, B=255 and add a 5px stroke (R=65, G=64, B=66) for it. Next select the red object created in this step, fill it with R=65, G=64, B=66 and add a 5px stroke (R=255, G=255, B=255) for it. Now select and group (Ctrl +G) two shapes created in this step. Finally make three copies of the newly created group and then place these copies in positions shown in the last image.

5. The desk is ready and looks like this:

Create the Bookshelf

6. Next step will be creating the bookshelf. Pick the Pen Tool (P) and create some paths like you see in the first and the second image. Once your paths are drawn, reselect them and change the stroke weight to 9px and replace the existing stroke color with R=255, G=255, B=255. Finally select and group (Ctrl +G) all paths created in this step. We are done with the bookshelf for the moment.

Create the Window

7.  This tutorial would not be complete without the window. So let’s make ’em. Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create two rectanlges with dimensions: 347 by 486px and 300 by 442px. Select two newly created rectangles, open the Align palette (Window > Align) and click the Horizontal Align Center button then click the Vertical Align Center button. Keep working with the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a 312 by 17px rectangle; make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of this rectangle. Next place these two newly created rectangles in positions shown in the second image. Before you continue, select the blue rectangle and copy it. Keep this copy selected, hold Shift and click the black rectangle. Open the Pathfinder palette (Window > Pathfinder) and click the Exclude button. Make sure that the resulting object is still selected, hold Shift and click two red rectangles then click the Unite button from the Pathfinder palette. Finally fill the resulting object with R=239, G=236, B=232 and remove its stroke.

8. Make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of the white shape created in step 7 then replace the existing color of the copy with R=136, G=155, B=145. Make sure that the new shape is still selected. Move it 2px down and 2px to the right using the arrow buttons from your keyboard. Hide this shape behind the white shape created in step 7. With the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 312 by 17px rectangle and place it in position like you see in the third image. Fill the newly created rectangle with R=241, G=242, B=242 and add a 2px stroke (R=147, G=149, B=152) then hide it behind the first shape created in this step. Now select the blue rectangle created in step 7; remove its stroke then fill it with R=88, G=128, B=128 and reduce the Opacity to 10%. Keep the resulting rectangle selected and copy it. Bring the copy to front (Ctrl +Shift +Right Square Bracket) and finally change the Opacity of the newly created rectangle to 100% then replace the existing color with R=187, G=255, B=255.

9. The buildings will be created next. This will make our illustration more natural and believable. With the Rectangle Tool (M), create four rectangles and place them in positions shown in the third image. Keep working with the Rectangle Tool (M); add some details like you see in the fourth image. Finally select the last rectangle created in step 8 and all shapes created in this step then send them to back (Ctrl +Shift +Left Square Bracket).

10. Now let us make some highlights with our window! With the Pen Tool (P), create six red objects as shown below. Once your objects are drawn, reselect them, remove their strokes and fill them with R=255, G=255, B=255 then reduce the Opacity of the resulting shapes to 20%. Next pick the Rectangle Tool (M and create a white rectangle of 389 by 23px size and place it in position like you see in the last image.

11. We’re done with the window. It’s time for the blinds now. With the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 311 by 9px rectangle and then place it in position shown below. Fill the newly created rectangle with R=108, G=174, B=183 and add a 1px stroke (R=64, G=123, B=131) for this rectangle. Keep working with the Rectangle Tool (M) and create two white rectangles then place them in positions like you see in the second image. Now select and group (Ctrl +G) three rectangles created in this step then reduce the Opacity of this group to 60%. Make sure that the newly created group is still selected and go to Object > Transform > Move. Enter 3px in the Vertical box and click Copy. Press Ctrl +D some times to get the results as shown in the fourth image.

12. Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create two rectanlges with dimensions: 324 by 13px and 324 by 4px. Place these rectangles in positions shown below. Fill the black rectangle with R=109, G=167, B=175 and fill the red rectangle with R=61, G=120, B=128 and remove the strokes of these rectangles. Continue with the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a 324 by 37pxrectangle then place in position like you see in the fourth image. Fill the newly created rectangle with the linear gradient as shown in the last image. Finally hide it behind the two smaller rectangles created in this step.

13. Before you continue, select and group (Ctrl +G) all objects created from step 11. Pick the Pen Tool (P) and create two objects as shown below. Once drawn, reselect the red path and add a 2px stroke (R=255, G=255, B=255). Next select the blue object and fill it with R=255, G=255, B=255. Reselect two objects created in this step and hide them behind the group created in this step. Now select and group (Ctrl +G) all objects created from step 7 to this time and place this group in position like you see in the last image.

Create the LCD Monitor

14. Pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool from the Tool palette. Click on your artboard and enter the data as shown below then click OK. Make a copy (Ctrl +C, Ctrl +F) of the newly created rectangle and then replace the existing stroke color of the copy with  read less

Photoshop is one of the most powerful applications around. When it comes to working with photos, there’s almost nothing it can’t do. Even the name “Photoshop” is a byword for image editing.

Since it launched more than 25 years ago, however, Photoshop’s picked up loads of new features that let it do even more. Adobe has developed the Creative Cloud into a suite of overlapping apps. Some of the tools from programs like Illustrator have made their way into Photoshop and vice versa. Photoshop can now do a lot more than just edit photos.

Let’s look at some of the ways you can make use of my favorite program, Photoshop.

1. Editing Photos:

Editing Photos is Photoshop’s original use, it’s in the name after all. Even after a quarter of a century of competition, Photoshop is the most powerful image editor out there. You can modify any pixel in an image pretty much any way you’d like.

• If you just want to enhance the colors, add some contrast, or crop the image, you can.

• If you want to do a full magazine style retouch, you can.

• If you want to make an old photo from your grandparents’ wedding look like it was printed yesterday, you can.

• If you want to create a photo of you being hit on the head with a hammer by a killer doll, you can.

Basically, if there’s any conceivable way to edit an image, you can do it with Photoshop. It’s used by tens of thousands of people every day. There might be some competitors out there but it’s still the industry standard and no app really beats it on features. Photoshop, first and foremost, is always going to be an image editor.

2. Digital Painting:

Most paintings, cartoons, book covers, and other art that you see online isn’t created with a paintbrush, paints, and a canvas. It might not look like it but most of them are now “painted” using a computer. Photoshop is one of the most popular apps for doing just that.

Digital painting uses technology to emulate old school, brush-in-hand, beret-on-head painting. With a Waccom graphics tablet you can draw or paint without having to use a mouse, or god-forbid, a touchpad. This means you can work with a far more natural tool for the job. When you paint, different colors will combine to create new colors just as you’d expect acrylics or oils to do. You can get the effects of everything from a felt marker to a can of spray paint all while staying within Photoshop. There’s a reason so many artists use it over more analog tools.

Creating digital art has a steeper learning curve than editing photos. Luckily, Christian’s put together this great list of Digital Art courses if you want somewhere to get started.

3. Graphic Design:

Although Adobe also has graphic design specific apps like InDesign and Illustrator in the Creative Cloud, many of their tools have been incorporated into Photoshop as well. For example, the Pen Tool is a staple in almost all Adobe’s apps.

While Photoshop isn’t the best graphic design app out there, it is entirely competent. Something more specialized will make your life easier but there is very little you can’t do. If you’re going to do regular design work, investing time in learning one of the other apps is worth it, but if you just occasionally want to create a Christmas card, design your t-shirt, mock up a quick logo for your business, or even create a business card, Photoshop is perfect.

4. Web Design:

One of the most important steps in web design is creating a mock up: a finished design made in an app like Photoshop. It’s something that amateurs often skip. I know that when I first started designing websites, I jumped straight into coding rather than taking the time to plan out what I wanted the site to really look like. All I had was a rough vision in my head.

As you can imagine, this led to all sorts of problems. Designs took a huge amount of tweaking and going back and forth to make things look right. I’d spend an hour changing something with code that would take 30 seconds in Photoshop.

There’s a reason professional web designers start in Photoshop. It’s far easier to resize objects, move things around the page, and just try ideas out. Once you start working with HTML, one tiny tweak can start breaking all the work you’d done before. Anyone planning to design a website should start in Photoshop.

5. Editing Video:

This last use might be a surprise to you but it’s entirely possible to edit video in Photoshop. You’re not going to cut together a Hollywood blockbuster, or even a short film, but for editing small clips it can be really convenient.

The best thing about editing videos in Photoshop is that you get to use adjustment layers just as if you were editing a photo. If you want to convert a regular video you shot on your iPhone into a high contrast, black and white, film noir style clip, you can do it with just three layers.

If you know how to edit photos but don’t know how to use apps like Premiere Pro and After Effects, Photoshop can be a great alternative. All the tools you’re familiar with are there. Another awesome feature of using Photoshop to edit videos is you can also create GIFs!

6. Whatever You Want:

Photoshop is an incredible app with an awesome array of tools. While it was originally meant for editing photos, it can do a whole lot more. In fact, there’s almost nothing you can’t do. It might be a bit time consuming but if you wanted to create a spreadsheet or write an essay, you could actually do it with Photoshop’s tools.

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How can I develop my graphic design skills, I am fluent with the tools, but I can't do design or creative logos, is there any way to improve my design skills? read less

Hey Nishanth, don’t worry at all. A few of my students also face the issue sometimes. What you have to do is get some inspiration. You could take some references from already build designs/logos and try to create something similar if not exactly the same. If you do this regularly, in no time you will be able to create your own unique stuff. read less

Graphic Designing has a very broad scope. And with time, the scope is rapidly increasing. You can work in various industries after learning graphic designing, such as photography, advertising, film making, print media, web development, mobile UI/UX development, etc. Learning graphic designing requires one to be creative yet patient. As learning software tools is easy, but using them well requires some artistic sense. Good Luck ! read less

I am currently working as a faculty in graphics & web design. Can anyone tell me about scope in teaching field as a graphics designer. What is the highest salary I can get in future as I wish to continue in this field. read less

How to find the correct colors to use in design? (i.e, colors for nature, Engineering, Automobiles etc) is there any rules for that? read less