Illustrator/Vector Tutorial Part One

HOLY CELESTIA'S MOTHER OF GIGANTIC TUTORIALS, BATMAN

Sorry the tutorial is so long, but that's just how I make 'em! Hopefully it'll be useful to you all.

Part Two: [link]

Edit: Somebody told me there is a sweet tool in Illustrator CS5 called the Width Tool. It lets you change the width of lines at specific points without having to convert strokes to outlines! I suggest you use that. Check out this tutorial: [link]
All you need to do is add a width point at the end of the stroke, double-click it, and change the total width to zero.

Edit two: I was informed of the "Draw Inside" tool also found in CS5. This tool automates the usage of clipping masks and makes them much easier to use. Check out a video here!

Here is the finished vector: [link]

And you can download the SVG here, layers and everything: [link]

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm here to help.
If you find any errors, please tell me so I can fix them.