Provides users with a complete process for creating vector illustrations in Flash using step-by-step tutorials. Beginning with a tour of the basics, including learning to use flash drawing tools to create impressive effects interfaces, the book then progresses to using Flash to draw in colour.

Macromedia Flash has evolved into the perfect tool to create innovative vector graphics and animation for the Web, due mainly to its simple-to-use features, high-quality output, and relatively low cost. Illustrating With Macromedia Flash™ MX 2004 provides users with a complete process for creating vector illustrations in Flash using step-by-step tutorials. Beginning with a tour of the basics, including learning to use Flash drawing tools to create impressive effects and interfaces, the book then progresses to using Flash to draw in a variety of different styles—cartoon, anime, and photorealistic. The book concludes by teaching users how to create a photorealistic optimized vector graphic in Flash that takes up a very small amount of file space. This is the only guide users need to master Flash illustration techniques.

KEY FEATURES
* Includes drawing tool techniques and illustrating concepts on how to create professional looking graphics with Macromedia Flash MX 2004
* Covers a variety of illustration styles including: solid fill art, cartoon, manga, photorealistic, and experimental
* Discusses the Flash development environment to improve your efficiency at graphic creation
* Answers the question of "raster versus vector" when illustrating with Flash
* Includes a companion CD-ROM with tryout version of Flash and bonus tutorials not covered in the book
* Selected Topics: Design, animation and game graphic techniques covering: logos, user interfaces, looping animations, special effects, optimized game graphics and character animations; includes vector effect techniques such as blur, highlights, drop shadows, glows, textures, and drawing perspectives

Good information and techniques, but exercises inconsistent and difficult
This book provides plenty of information and techniques on illustrating within Flash MX 2004. It also includes background information on web and graphic design principles within Flash. A general overview of Flash’s tools and interface is also provided in the early chapters. However, the main emphasis is on creating optimized vector graphics. Most of this is demonstrated through step-by-step exercises including a chapter dedicated to tutorials. The book also includes a companion CD with all the exercise graphics and a frame by frame break down of the steps involved in creating them.

By reading the material and working through the exercises I acquired a better understanding on how various effects are created in Flash. I also learned plenty about the drawing tools that I didn’t know or just hadn’t utilized before. But of course, there is some material that I found as just a review as well. Nevertheless, the main technique utilized in this book is the proper use of the line tool and gradients to create detailed optimized graphics. Some of the most detailed graphics on the CD like the steel pan and fruit only exported out to about 2-3 KB in size. So the graphics are definitely optimized and yet still very detailed.

This book does have quite a few flaws though. Overall, most of the exercises were inconsistent and just difficult to follow. Certain exercises provided plenty of detail and were simple to follow. But, other exercises were just the opposite, with vaguer details and generally harder instructions. At times, it was even difficult determining whether a certain section was meant to be read or followed. It didn’t help that many of the exercises, mainly in the later chapters, were overly complex to start. Creating some of these graphics proved a bit too difficult even with all the figures demonstrating the steps. One of the most difficult and time consuming aspects was trying to create the complex gradient outlines required for these graphic (Especially based on colorless images). The break down of the graphics on the CD does help at times. A final problem was the excess use of shortcuts without actually providing the key strokes or even the original menu location.

If optimized vector graphics are necessary and there is ample time to create them, then this book can be a great help. However, many of these graphics would be quicker and easier to create in other programs (although larger is size). I did feel that too many exercises were overly complex and even hard to follow. In spite of this I was still able to improve by illustrating abilities in Flash.

Not for neophytes
Beware, if you are not familiar with the tools and commands of this program, this book is not for you. The author, particularly in the early portions of the book, skips steps and gives incorrect information.

For example, in the directions for creating a "honeycomb graphic," the author says to create a "five-sided polygon" (p. 32). Without seeing that Figure 2.21 shows a six-sided polygon, a new person will create this polygon according to directions and be totally frustrated with the fact that the sides are slanted and in no way will create the object needed for this exercise. After creating the correct polygon, the author says to connect the 26 corner points. However, without being able to see the majority of these corner points due to lack of directions (a person familiar with the program would probably know the right steps to take here), there is no way to complete this exercise.

This is just one example; there are many such problems in this book. Not only are there missing steps in exercises, there are missing words in sentences which makes it hard to follow.

I would not recommend this book for someone just starting out in Flash MX 2004. On the other hand, if you are familiar with the program or a mind reader, you can overlook some of these problems. The whining about what was wrong with the program didn’t help either.

A unique flash book for aspiring illustrators
I am a flash developer and like most advanced flash users they tend to get caught up all doing actionscripted effects and can forget about Flash’s amazing creative vector drawing tools.

From what I’ve read so far the book has a focus of creating highly optimized quality vector graphics and focuses on how you can use all the tools to your advantage.

This book reintroduced me to flash’s vector drawing tools and made me fall in love with them.

However I was abit dissapointed towards the end that the book became more like a wad of tutorials, it says chapter 10 is tutorials but it seems more tutorially in chapter 5 and onward.

I was hoping to have more illustration ideas/tricks in chapter 5. I really like the perspective stuff this book has.

In conclusion this book is great for beginners and good/okay for experienced users, this book applies to Flash MX as well (so you dont need 2004).
Everyone could benefit from the techniques presented in the book.

GREAT BOOK TO HAVE
GREAT for the beginners - easy to follow directions, great graphics and drawings. For those wanting to improve their skills - it is great! MUST HAVE!

AWESOME BOOK TO HAVE
GREAT for ALL skill levels: for the beginner, as well as for someone wanting to improve their illustrations. Step by step, easy to follow directions, with tons of graphics and drawings to help illustrate and explain the procedures. MUST HAVE!

Well done!
I found this how-to book to be very easy to read with many clearly written tutorials. It starts off with a good foundational explanation of illustrating with vector graphics, then a comparative explanation of the other comparable illustration programs, it then gives an explanation of MX 2004’s newest features. The many tutorials take the reader through various illustration basics as they apply to this latest version of Flash MX. The step-by-step tutorials, along with the suggested illustration techniques, are the highlight of this book. The included tutorial CD complements the contents of the book and allows the reader to "test-drive" their newly learned illustration skills with a trial copy of the software. Overall, an excellent resource for those who want to develop or expand their illustration skills using Macromedia’s Flash MX 2004!

The only one of it’s kind!
This book is highly informative,very easy to follow and privides many helpful graphics that help in the instruction of the book. I have noticed a vast improvement in my illustrating skills. This book is for anyone who wants to improve their illustrating skills in flash and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book. I have not found a book that even compares to this one and it is definitely worth every cent!