Illustrator?

[JenniferGentle]

Hey everyone on here who uses Illustrator and Photoshop.

This will probably come off as sounding COMPLETELY imbecilic and ignorant, but I am debating whether to get Illustrator or Photoshop...

I do a lot of paintings, drawings, pen and ink, physical things on paper and canvas and have never really delved into any form of digital art, but I was watching someone in the photo lab play with Illustrator and I was completely fascinated.

I have done some doodles and such in Photoshop, and use it at the lab at my college to edit my photographs, but do not have it at home.

So I am trying to figure out, for digital drawings and paintings, whether I should invest in Illustrator, or Photoshop... I suppose what I am really asking is Illustrator extremely difficult to feel out and try for someone who has never taken a class in it?

Thanks for any suggestions

 

[Lord Foul]

If you are designing artwork for print/web purposes I'd say Illustrator, though I think it is harder to learn. I think in general most artists who work in a digital medium to produce "paintings" would use Photoshop.

 

[DreamNeonBlack]

Yeah, I agree with Lord Foul for digital paintings and photo manipulations Photoshop is the way to go.

For stuff like Logos and packaging designs I always use Illustrator. You can always import from one program to the other, which works out really well if you want to add a certain look or effect.

It does somewhat depend on A: what exactly you want to do and B: just your overall preference.

 

[JenniferGentle]

Thanks gentlemen... I am pretty sure I am going to go with Photoshop, just because I'd really like to be able to work on my photos for work and such... in my own house! Instead of having to do all the work at school. And I do pen and ink, I think I'll stick to paper. Haha.

 

[Dead_Lioness]

Get both.
A lot of people would probably say Photoshop can create vector shapes as well, but Illustrator is a wonderful software that allows you to create, and manipulate easily any vector.
Plus: if you add text to your work: Illustrator is the best software to use text with ( I despise text in photoshop...)
The best thing about the entire Creative suite though, is the amazing abilty to copy something from Photoshop for example, and PASTE IT into Illustrator...
It may sound like nothing, but you have no idea how wonderful that feature is...

 

[JenniferGentle]

Yeah I can imagine. If I had unlimited funds I would definitely purchase both, but I can't afford that perhaps I should wait, I'm in the middle of buying a new car, and have to do a paint haul soon.

 

[Dead_Lioness]

How much is photoshop alone VS the whole Creative suite? and are you getting the CS3?
(CS2 should be REALLY cheap and easy to find hacked online I would assume)

 

[JenniferGentle]

Hmm, that's very true. I was looking into CS3. I did have a hacked version of photoshop for the longest time, but it stopped working properly, and I haven't been able to get a good copy.

Actually.. anyone on here know where to find one? HA!

 

[DreamNeonBlack]

Get both.
A lot of people would probably say Photoshop can create vector shapes as well, but Illustrator is a wonderful software that allows you to create, and manipulate easily any vector.
Plus: if you add text to your work: Illustrator is the best software to use text with ( I despise text in photoshop...)
The best thing about the entire Creative suite though, is the amazing abilty to copy something from Photoshop for example, and PASTE IT into Illustrator...
It may sound like nothing, but you have no idea how wonderful that feature is...

Agreed! I can't STAND TEXT IN PHOTOSHOP. I always do my text in Illustrator then bring it into Photoshop if I need to. It just looks better to me.

Plus, with the money your going to have to spend, just get the whole Creative Suite and be done with it.

 

[Dead_Lioness]

Yeah not only do I hate text in photoshop, but I honestly don't get people/ designers who use it for text.... (or vectors...)
The creative suite has InDesign as well whick I *adore*
It is a wonderful software for page layout... (if you need it... I use it almost daily)

I recently got the CS3 Creative Suite (I have CS2 allso) and it comes with Dreamweaver and Flash!

 

[Shpongled]

I was really excited to participate in this thread, but everything I wanted to say has already been said.

Just save your duckets and get the whole Creative Suite... you'll be glad you did!

 

[JenniferGentle]

Thanks again peoples

 

[Dead_Lioness]

I was really excited to participate in this thread, but everything I wanted to say has already been said.

Sowwy


Jennifer: now that CS3 is out, I would assume the CS2 Creative Suite would be fairly easy to "get" (and by "get" I do mean the hacked version)

 

[JenniferGentle]

That's true, I have tried so many times to obtain it, and it never seems to work. Does anyone have a hacked version that they can direct me to?

 

[Lord Foul]

Mac or PC?

 

[Narmoth]

I prefer photoshop, mostly because I got it first, and use imager as a "photoshop light" when I have trouble with photoshop. Illustrator has some nice gfeatures not included in photoshop though, so I'd download a pirate copy of both

 

[JenniferGentle]

PC

 

[Lord Foul]

PM sent

 

[Dead_Lioness]

UM help 101

Another pleased customer, Jennifer Gentle, NY State