Some logo help please!

Okay, here's a little favor I'm asking from you all. I've never created vector format logos in Illustrator, so I don't know my way around it too much.

But I'm in need of creating a logo now, so I need some guidance. I've opened up Illustrator and I've tried.

This project is for a group of juniors ages 12-14 who are in several churches in our area. We take the kids camping, offer conferences throughout the year to help make positive choices.

The theme this year is "A CALL TO BATTLE" and we're looking to create a little warrior guy. Somewhat cartoonish yet a bit serious. We want to build confidence and raise self-esteem in these guys so we want to reflect that while they're in a battle of changes in life, they can make it.

So the warrior guy would need a shield, arrows, or something. We'd like to go with something that's not super modern, but not too ancient either. But maybe something like an old Roman soldier or something.

I've looked at clip art and some stuff, but haven't found anything, as from what I read you can get the picture and then create paths over it? From there I don't really know where to go next, do you convert to outlines?

Anyhow, if someone could point me in the right direction as for tutorials, or pics that may already be in vector format, or something that could help me I'd really appreciate it. Thanks for your help, I look forward to some replies.

Cheers!

I guess I'm not sure how to help you with this one, Zerimar. You sound kinda like you want to ask someone to make the logo for you--but then you sound kinda like you want to do it yourself...

If you want help making it, ask, and post the picture you want to base it off. If you want me to type "Illustrator" and "Tutorial" into Google for you, I can do that. If that's the case, I'd check out Mihai's tutorial on TPS here >>> http://www.teamphotoshop.com/tut_illustrator/il_tut.php

Illustrator isn't that different from photoshop, if you know how to use photoshop it takes like 1 hour to understand how to use illustrator.
Maybe someone else can help you if you are looking for someone to make the logo, I have enough of client work to start making free work right now :P

[QUOTE=malibu]I guess I'm not sure how to help you with this one, Zerimar. You sound kinda like you want to ask someone to make the logo for you--but then you sound kinda like you want to do it yourself...

If you want help making it, ask, and post the picture you want to base it off. If you want me to type "Illustrator" and "Tutorial" into Google for you, I can do that. If that's the case, I'd check out Mihai's tutorial on TPS here >>> http://www.teamphotoshop.com/tut_illustrator/il_tut.php[/QUOTE]

malibu, thanks for your reply. I'm not looking for someone to do the work for me, I just wanted someone to point me in the right direction. I'm in search of a picture that I can manipulate in photoshop, and then put it in illustrator and start using the pen tool to make the outlines.

From there I have no clue as to how to make the actual lines which in photoshop would be to stroke them after converting the path to a selection.

I'm willing to do it myself, but I do need step by step instructions. And while Mihai's tutorial is awesome, I still have difficulty, and I also need to color it which is the second part of Mihai's tutorial still waiting to be published.

I've Googles Illustrator tutorials but have found very little that are of no use to me. There are tons of photoshop tutorials but in camparison to the Illustrator ones they're pretty limited.

3jorn, thanks for responding. I'm sure you have tons of work but I'm really looking to learn this myself. I know enough of photoshop to work on pics and do layouts but for some reason, I don't see the similarity in Illustrator. I'll keep looking on my own, I just needed some direction. Thanks for your time hope you all have a great day.

Cheers!

Great answer, Zerimar! When I started learning Illus. I picked up a book similar to what Mihai mentioned @ the end of his tutorial. You should be able to find something reasonable on Amazon. Post your progress in the appropriate forum and we'll help when we can.

In Illustrator, you don't stroke the path; the object remains a path. You then adjust the 'fill' of that path with the little tiles @ the lower portion of the tools pallete on the left. Outline, Solid Fill, Gradient are all there--similar to the color tiles in PS, except you have more options.

Make sense?

Yeah, I think I'm going to have to grab a book. The thing is I have a friend who knows Illustrator inside out, but he's real busy to show me. Any free time he has he spends it with family and doesn't want to be on the computer so it's hard to have him sit and show me.

I watch him from time to time but he moves too fast and asking him questions tends to slow him down and interrupt the design process, so I just watch as much as I can.

But thanks for info on the path and how to make it an outline. It does make sense somewhat, but I'm sure once I fire up Illustrator and get to playing around with it I'll know more of what you mean.

Cheers!

and I also need to color it which is the second part of Mihai's tutorial still waiting to be published.

It's in
http://www.teamphotoshop.com/tut_illustrator/il_tut.php
and I'm working on a logo tutorial should be done real soon

Mihai,

Thanks for posting, this is something that will definitely help me understand more about Illustrator. Your time dedicated to these tutorials is highly appreciated.

Cheers!

*let's hear it for Mihai* "Hip Hip Hoooray!!!"

thank you zerimar it's always nice to be appreciated...
aaand ...I finished the logo tutorial so - you need to bug Pank to put it online hihi

Mihai,

I've been reading your tutorials on illustrator over and over, and probably need to re-read them again. You definitely have alot of knowledge about this, not to mention color theory. It's good stuff, to say the least. I've been playing in illustrator. I have an image and am trying to use the pen tool to duplicate that image. It's currently in a .jpg format, but big enough to see. So that's how I'm practicing right now.

How's that logo tutorial coming along? I really would like to see/read what you have because I've always wanted to learn how to make nice clean logos in illustrator. Thanks for the help with your tuts, I'll be reading them again later on.

Cheers!