http://manypossibilities.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/mesh_diagram.png
In this lab, you'll recreate the network diagram shown above. You'll learn some more basic Illustrator skills (in particular, the line tool), and you'll learn to use some of the powerful color tools. You'll also learn some more design principles.
Step 1:
Create a model layer
The first step may be getting familiar by now...
a. Open Illustrator, select "Web Document" from the list of new file options. (For a reminder of how to create a new file in Illustrator, watch this video)
b. Go to this page. Right click on the image and copy it to your clipboard (or select Edit->Copy), then Paste image (Edit->paste) into Illustrator. If it doesn't fit on your artboard, select the artboard tool 
, and double click on the graphic - the artboard will resize to just accommodate the graphic (or you can resize it manually).
c. Name the layer "model" and lock it (rewatch this video if you'd like reminders about working with layers)
d. Create a new layer called "platform" above the model layer to work in (to do this, click on the "new layer" button 
at the bottom of the Layers panel)
e. Save this file as "Network.ai"
Step 2:
b. Select the pen tool. Choose a blank fill and black line 
. (If you don't see these color selection options in the bar at the top of the page, it means you currently have something selected that doesn't have a stroke and fill).
c. Outline the pink platform that the houses sit on. You can watch this video to see how I did this (the video also shows how I correct the color which is step d & e below).
d. When you're finished with the shape, move it aside to reveal the model underneath and use the eyedropper tool to make it pink (remember to select the shape first, then choose the eyedropper, then click on the pink in the model).
e. This gives you a pink fill. To get the dark pink outline, select the shape again (if it isn't already), choose the eyedropper tool (if you haven't already), hold down the shift key and click on the dark pink:
f. Now change the stroke weight to match the model. The final result should look like this (when you hide the model layer):
Step 3: Use grouping and copying to create the antennae
a. Lock the "platform" layer and create an "antenna" layer.
b. Use the ellipse tool and the line tool to copy the antenna image. Here's what mine looks like:
c. Group these elements (select them all and choose Object -> Group)
d. Now you need to make 8 copies. The instructions below teach you a useful trick for making copies (and here's a short video version):
- unselect the antenna
- press and hold the 'alt' key, then use your mouse and click on the antenna and drag - you'll find you've created a new version and the old version is still in its original location
e. When you move the antennae into place, you'll find that in the model, the antennae are slightly different sizes. The easiest way to tweak the size is with the free transform tool: 
Step 4: Create the dashed transmission lines
a. Lock the "antenna" layer and create a "transmission" layer
Creating these transmission lines is another good chance to practice using the pen tool.
b. Be sure nothing is selected and change your fill color to none and your stroke color to any dark color (so it's easy to see over the orange model).
c. Use the pen tool to draw the lines. (Here's the pen tool video if you want a refresher). [NOTE: One challenge that you'll probably run into, is that the lines start and end close to each other and Illustrator may think you're trying to join them. If this happens, just end or start the line well away from its intended end point, then use the direct select tool 
to select the end point and nudge it to the correct location.]
Once you've created all of your transmission lines, they'll look something like this:
d. Making them orange is easy enough - just use the eyedropper tool to copy the model color.
e. To make them dashed, open the "Stroke panel". Click on the "Dashed Line" checkbox;
And enter values for the length of the gaps and dashes (just guess initially, then tweak it until it looks correct).
Step 5: Draw the buildings
a. Lock the "transmissions" layer.
b. Hide all of the layers except for your model to keep them out of the way.
c. Create a layer called "houses."
d. Use the pen tool to draw a house - this involves a lot of detail work. It helps to zoom in close (though if you go too close they get so pixilated that you'll find you sometimes need to zoom out to see more clearly). You'll run into challenges with having objects obscure each other so you'll want to do a lot of arranging (bringing things to the front and sending them back). Check out this video to see how I do this.
Use this drawing exercise as an opportunity to practice all of these things. It's not worth getting frustrated over so if it starts to seem too irritating and tedious, give your self a break and make a simpler house and call it good (but don't give yourself too much of a break, a little frustration is inevitable while you're learning).
e. Once you've come up with a house that you're satisfied with, select all of the elements and group them. Then you can use the same trick you used with the antennae to make copies (REMINDER: unselect the original then hold down the alt key and click and drag away from the original).
f. With the houses in place, resize them. Your final result will look something like this:
Step 6: Draw the Globe & line with arrows
a. Lock the houses layer.
b. Create a layer called "globe".
c. Use the ellipse tool to draw the globe circle, then use the pen tool to draw the longitude/latitude lines (*BE SURE that you have a line and no fill when you're drawing these) - some of these can be created with one curve, others take 2.
d. Use the pen tool to draw the line emerging from the globe.
e. Use the pen tool again to make the arrowheads - you'll want to zoom in close to get this detail.
Here's what my result looks like:
If you hide the model layer and show all your other layers, you should now see something like this:
Step 7: Text
Take a break from drawing for a moment to work on the text...
a. Create a layer called "text."
b. Select the text tool 
, click near the title, and type "Seed Area"
c. Click on the select tool 
- you find the text you just type has been selected.
d. Now go to Type-> Size and experiment until your type is approximately the same size as the title type:
e. Now go to Type->Font and look for a font that is as close to the title as possible (don't seek perfection - instead, focus on learning to see the differences between fonts).
f. Open the character panel by going to Window->Type->Character. Now tweak the font size to get it more precisely correct - in addition to using the up/down arrows, you can type in any value:
g. Use the eyedropper tool to get the color right.
h. Go through the same process to replicate the other text. One tricky bit is the copyright symbol. To create that, go to Type-> Glyphs and click on the symbol.
Here is what my finished text layer looks like:
Step 7: Finishing up
a. All that remains are the two labeled circles ('A' & 'B') and the green buildings. Go ahead and create layers for those, choose reasonable names and draw them.
Here is what my version of those final elements looks like:
b. Now make all of your layers visible. You may find you need to change the order to ensure that elements overlap properly (in particular, the antennae layer needs to be above the houses and buildings layer).
You're done!
FIRST FINAL PRODUCT: Network.ai
SUMMARY
pen tool: video
make copies with the alt key: video
copy stroke/fill colors: video
dashed lines (stroke panel)
