Nicole's Classes

Do you know the difference between a vector image and a jpeg?  Don't feel bad if you don't, but once you do you may just become obsessed with vector images.  Jpeg images, as I'm sure you've seen, are made up of little squares (pixels) of color.  You have probably found this out when trying to size an image to large and it starts to look horrible.  When Vector images are made of areas of color, like your paint program when you use that handy paint bucket to fill in an area.  So when you enlarge a vector graphic you can go as big (or small) as you want and never get those awful pixels! Didn't know it was so simple did you.  Well they sound simple, but creating them is actually more tricky than this self-taught everything girl imagined.  After many failed attempts at figuring it out myself I decided to take an online course, enter Nicole's Classes: Illustrator 101. 

I started the four week course knowing nothing, this is a 101 course, the basics.  The class uses Adobe Illustrator, which you can download a free trial up that will last the duration of the course (that's what I had to do).  I must admit I am now lusting over AI, but you can use Inskape, a free program, to continue using your skills once you get used to the differences in programs.  If you know of another comparable program please chime in, I'd love to check it out.

Each week Alma (the instructor for the Illustrator course) teaches you new techniques then gives you an assignment you can turn in for feedback and tips.  There is also a chat time that you can attend if you need to ask the instructor questions.  Everyone at Nicole's Classes was so friendly that it was easy to get answers for anything you wanted to know (or resolve any technical issues you may have). Here are some examples of my homework from the course.

Fun right! I had the best time taking the course and am dying to take others they offer.  Online you can take courses in Photography, Photoshop, Babies Toddlers and Kids (how to photograph them), Photoshop Elements, not to mention the new crash courses they are adding.  I highly recommend checking out any of Nicole's Classes next time you want to learn a new skill!