Biby Reyes Blog

  Blog Post 3 - Design One of the most important things I’m learning about design is that creativity comes from  doing , not just watching tutorials. While working hands-on in Adobe Illustrator, I’ve been experimenting with basic tools like the Pen Tool, Shape Builder, and color swatches to explore how simple shapes can turn into strong designs. Instead of trying to make something perfect, I focused on creating quickly and testing ideas. This helped me understand how  balance, contrast, and hierarchy  work in real designs. For example, adjusting scale and spacing made my artwork feel more organized, while limiting my color palette made the design stronger and more intentional. Working directly in Illustrator also taught me that mistakes are part of the process. When anchor points weren’t placed correctly or colors didn’t work together, fixing those problems helped me better understand the tools and design principles at the same time. Each project teaches me that good...

  Blog Post 3 - Creativity  Recently I tried a hands on creativity exercise from Adobe’s own  Adobe Learn  tutorials called  “Practice your conceptual skills.” The exercise isn’t just about clicking tools  it encouraged me to: think about  concept development  before drawing, consider  who my audience is  and what the design is communicating, reflect on  inclusivity and diversity  in visuals, and finally  generate original visual ideas  rather than just replicate shapes.  It’s framed as a design thinking prompt rather than a step by step technical tutorial, which is great for creative growth because it forces you to think before you draw. Here’s what the exercise helped me understand: Starting with a concept makes decisions easier.  Before thinking about whether to use a gradient tool or a certain brush, having a clear idea of the message helped me stay focused. Audience matters.  Even in simple exercis...

  Blog Post 2 - Design As a beginning design student, learning the  Pen Tool  in Adobe Illustrator has been one of the most challenging but important parts of my design process. At first, the tool felt confusing because it doesn’t work like drawing with a pencil. Instead, it uses  anchor points and paths  to create clean, scalable vector shapes. While practicing, I learned that fewer anchor points create smoother and more professional-looking designs. I also started to understand how curves are controlled by direction handles, which helped me create cleaner lines and better shapes. Even simple exercises, like tracing basic objects, improved my accuracy and patience.

  Blog Post 2 Creativity. For this creativity exercise, I used an Adobe Learn activity called  “Create with the Pen Tool.” The exercise focused on practicing the   Pen Tool   by tracing simple shapes and creating smooth curves. I followed along with the tutorial and then tried drawing my own simple object using curved and straight paths.  As a beginning student, this exercise helped me understand how anchor points and handles control lines and curves. The Pen Tool felt difficult at first, but practicing with a creative exercise made it less intimidating.

  I wanted to use project 1 and give meaning to a Christian camp.  Adobe Illustrator has many tools which helped me develop my idea.

As a beginning student using  Adobe Illustrator 2026 , I’m learning that design is more than just making things look good it’s about  shapes, balance, color, and experimentation . Illustrator has helped me understand how designs are built from simple elements and how small changes can make a big difference. I’m also learning how important  color and spacing  are in design. Changing colors, adjusting alignment, and using tools like the Align panel made designs look more organized and intentional.  Learning Adobe Illustrator 2026 has shown me that design is a process. Making mistakes and experimenting is part of learning. As a beginner, I’m gaining confidence by practicing the basics and exploring the tools one step at a time.

  Exercise:  Shape Remix For this exercise, I created one simple shape in Adobe Illustrator and duplicated it several times. I changed the size, color, rotation, and stroke of each copy to create different versions. I also experimented with gradients and effects to see how one shape could turn into many unique designs. What I Learned: This exercise showed me that creativity doesn’t have to be complicated. Small changes can completely transform a design. By experimenting without pressure