[Nuke]

i thought it was time to add a new graphics program to my list of skills. can anyone reccomend some online tutorials?

[Rictor]

I would advise against using Illustrator to make textures. Since its a vector program, its usefullness in making textures is limited. I'de suggest you go either for Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro. Photoshop is more or less the industry standard image editor, and you can't really go wrong.

[Nuke]

ive mastered photoshop, i need to know something new. of game developers use ilustrator for textures. id like to be able to, but i havent a clue where to start.

[KARMA]

I use photoshop's vectors for 80-90% of my textures, so I suppose that making a vector mask in a vector dedicated program and then import it into photoshop could be faster, but I'm too lazy to do so, and it never is a good idea to transfer things from a prog to another prog since usually they get screwed, and for my needs photoshop's vectors are more than enough.
Or maybe I could just make the vector part of the texture in a vector program and then open it in photoshop to add scratches and the like, but I'd miss all the fancy blending options I have in photoshop, and often I use vectors in a mix with other functions of photoshop, so again it would be a lost more than a gain.
BTW I'm sure it is plenty of tutorials around the web for illustrator, just search em;)
and you will _never_ master photoshop, no matter how much time you spend on it or how many tutorials you have read

[Nuke]

actually those are the tecniques i use too. and its true, such a powerfull program can never be fully mastered. the cool thing about ilustrator is thatyou can export in a dxf format, then import that into truespace or max. allowing one to assemble models by cross-sectioning.