Adobe Make It is an event series designed to bring together diverse groups of talented artists and challenge them to create with Adobe's latest and greatest tools. We hosted our first-ever virtual Make It workshop with the beta of Illustrator on the iPad on August 6-7, 2020.
We invited 24 artists from around the world to join us in virtual space to get inspired by amazing keynote speakers, learn how to use Illustrator on the iPad from the people behind the product, and collaborate on a final piece that utilizes all they've learned over the course of the two days. They represented a variety of styles and specialities, from hand-lettering and illustration to graphic design.
Below you'll find some snapshots of the event, with a collection of what these artists made in less than 48 hours.
Our amazing roster of artists
Senior director of design Eric Snowden kicked off the event by sharing his vision for Illustrator on the iPad and his excitement for the artists to test out the beta.
On Day 1, we had guest speaker Thaddeus Coates (aka HippyPotter) talk about his work and his philosophy as an artist. His talk was inspiring, beautiful, and gave us much-needed energy.
Principal Creative Cloud evangelist Paul Trani and lead designer Gabriel Campbell gave a rundown of Illustrator on the iPad, revealing the latest features and teaching tips and tricks to making beautiful designs.
To get our attendees introduced to each other in a unique, personal, and vulnerable way, we brought in facilitator and designer Kat Vellos to lead a guided experience called "The Invisible Artist." She led us through an offscreen auditory experience that asked important questions of our inner artists, and invited us to share our answers.
At the end of Day 1, we gave the artists the creative brief below. We encouraged them to use their voice to make a poster design that speaks to the moment and what they care about most during this incredible point in history.
On Day 2, we had Design Army co-founder Pum Lefebure share her personal work and a behind-the-scenes look at a few of her stunning campaigns.
After our artists worked alongside their designated Adobe TAs, they came back together to present their final work. The results were remarkable and deeply heartfelt.
Click on each piece below to see a close-up; all of these pieces were made with Illustrator on the iPad, with a few instances of Adobe Fresco and Adobe Capture integrated as well.
Artwork credit from top left to bottom right: Aurélia Durand, Broklin Onjei, Carlos Bocai, Carra Sykes, Edinah Chewe, Eso Tolson, freshcake, Jaclyn Caris, Jessica Hische (all nine iterations), Kei Meguro, Kervin Brisseaux, Kladi Vergine (plus four "virtual galleries" that featured her and her team's work), Lindsey Rem, Maya Ealey, Rocky Roark, Rob Zilla, Sarah Kuehnle, Scott Martin, Sophia Yeshi, Spencer Nugent, Jordan Coon.
Thank you to all our amazing attendees, staff, and special guests. Stay tuned for the next Make It workshop! Learn more about about Illustrator on the iPad here.
