1. What did you learn?
I finally understand how to use the pen tool properly! I know the key shortcuts to help make lines smoother. It took awhile for me to understand this tool but finally having a good grasp of it made this project much more enjoyable.
2. What was easy?
Making a pattern was interesting and uncomplicated. It was a creative way to add color and details. I was able to look at smaller detail and overall design since creating a pattern is much easier than making many unique coffee beans.
3. What was challenging?
Creating the cup was difficult. I do not often draw using vectors so trying to make something look hand drawn but also professional was difficult since I do not have a lot of experience with it. I drew many different shapes and circles, I looked at hundreds of drawings to finally create the coffee cup that I was proud of.
4. How could your submission be improved?
I wish I had more inspiration to look at. I often need to look at many examples before I can feel confident in my work. Often looking at how other students performed this project can help form different ideas in my head. After sometime I compost my own idea using the amalgamation of other students’ works.
5. How could the professor improve the assignment for the next class?
I found the most difficult part was how quickly Professor Dunkel went through the last lab since that is where we had to remake the label. When teaching us how to retrace labels, take a little more time at each step. I felt like I was behind because of some minor mistake I made which made it difficult to follow.
6. How might you apply your knowledge in future assignments or work scenarios?
Being able to successfully use the pen tool is already one of the best things I can do for any future project. It helps with image tracing and more importantly, I can finally recreate all my ideas in my head into illustrator. I have found that I really enjoy making logos and the pen tool makes the process much easier and the final product much more clean.
7. How did a specific reading or video inspire or help you?
https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/how-to/use-pen-tool.html
This tutorial by adobe really helped understand the pen tool on a more fundamental level.