Graphic designing is more than a socially valuable skill set. It’s a powerful necessity for creative marketing, digital marketing, advertising, web designing, etc.
The go-to software for graphics designing is Adobe Illustrator for most professionals and amateurs, although there are other graphic designing apps an expert should typically add to their repertoire.
But, Adobe Illustrator expertise is the minimum benchmark, and pro-grade, actionable Adobe Illustrator tutorials are few and far between.
In this post, we have listed a few Adobe Illustrator tutorials that can help you jump-start your graphic designing journey, irrespective of where you stand.
Check out the best Illustrator tutorials now segmentized according to base expertise.
How to Use Adobe Illustrator?
Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics designing software used by designers and online content creators to design custom graphics, logos, and marketing content.
A vector graphic designer creates vector graphics that can be scaled, unlike pixel-based graphics.
Vector graphics are widely used for creating mesmerizing patterns, logos, and custom designs which can be used as an icon as well as on the billboard.
Just so, demand for vector graphic designers is at an all-time high. Adobe Illustrator is the go-to platform for vector graphic designing.
You can start using Illustrator for a trial period of 7 days. But, after that, you need to sign up for an Adobe Illustrator subscription.
Their subscription plans vary from $20.99 per month for an annual plan to $239.88 per year for a prepaid plan.
Upskilling on Illustrator before taking the trial period offer is recommended unless you’re an Illustrator expert already.
How to get Adobe Illustrator for Cheap?
Even though you can’t get a lifetime copy of Adobe Illustrator and have to subscribe to one of their plans to use it, you can make the most of available discounts.
- Tutor Discounts – Illustrator tutors can get over 60% discount when they subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud. Get more details on their website.
- Seasonal discounts – Adobe provides attractive seasonal discounts. Keep a tab of such promotions from their website.
- Regional discount – Adobe runs promotional discounts and offers worldwide at different times of the year. Make the most of regional discounts.
- Other Illustrator alternatives – Adobe Illustrator is a top-end paid software. But you can check out other paid or free Adobe Illustrator alternatives to get the job done.
How to use Illustrator?
Once you start your Adobe Illustrator trial or subscription, log into their website with your Adobe ID. You can use the browser-based version or download the desktop version of the application, available on Windows and Mac.
Check out these curated Adobe Illustrator tutorials before you do either!
9 Handy Adobe Illustrator Tutorials
Beginner Adobe Illustrator Tutorial
1. How to Draw in Illustrator: Create and Edit Shapes
This is a basic Adobe Illustrator tutorial, the right stepping stone when you are just getting started with vector designing.
In this tutorial, you can learn how to create basic shapes, create, edit and re-shape lines and combine various shapes using the Combine Shapes tool.
As you read through you can learn about tracing existing artwork and importing those traced objects in your design.
In the tutorial, you can also find sample project files that you can import for your practice.
2. How to Create Isometric Text Effects using Adobe Illustrator?
Isometric designs give your text the 3D illusion and are widely used for infographics, attractive ad campaigns, floating ads, etc.
Firstly, you would learn about 3D Extrude & Bevel effect, popular outsourced Adobe Illustrator graphic design skills.
You will be using this technique to create isometric letters. Next, you would use different shapes with similar attributes and learn to turn them into compound paths.
As a final step, this tutorial will guide you on how to style and organize isometric letters. And how to add shadow to isometric text using Adobe Illustrator.
The tutorial will also provide you with the entire alphabet set, so you can put together the isometric letters and build your own text in a jiffy.
3. How to Create a Custom Gradient Background using Adobe Illustrator?
Pastel gradient effects add a soothing effect to your design. Such gradients are used in website designing, ad templates, billboard backgrounds, and more.
This free Adobe Illustrator tutorial will help you learn to select the right gradient balance, RGB setting, and add gradient effects on stock images.
Intermediate Adobe Illustrator Tutorial
4. How to create 3D text art using Adobe Illustrator?
This tutorial would teach you how to take a piece of text and use the 3D rotate effect to create 3D text using Adobe Illustrator.
Once that is out of the way, you would learn how to use the 3D Extrude and Bevel effects and add masking and blending techniques to improve the 3D effect even further.
The tutorial provides a step-by-step walkthrough and also contains YouTube demos in case you want to check out the process of 3D text created using Illustrator.
5. How to Make a Logo using Adobe Illustrator?
This is a really exciting tutorial that will teach you how to come up with your own custom vector logo designs.
This lesson will walk you through the creative process of logo creation. Here they take the example of a Pizza parlor and how a designer can come up with a cool logo.
Apart from defining the creative thinking process the tutorial also provides basic walkthroughs of various Illustrator tools that would be needed for creating your logo.
The tutorial also contains sample project files that can help you get some hands-on experience
6. How to Create Patterns using Illustrator
To create vector patterns, you have to select a shape, customize it, and add the right amount of repetition to generate a cool unique vector pattern. However, it’s easier said than done.
In this tutorial, you would learn how to use the pattern tool in Adobe Illustrator, fill it with the right color, and ensure that the pattern sticks to your core theme.
Advanced Adobe Illustrator Tutorial
7. How to Create a Multi-Exposure Image using Illustrator
This tutorial will walk you through the creative process behind designing a multi-exposure image.
This Adobe Illustrator tutorial will however require a few other designing tools like Adobe Photoshop, & Adobe Stock.
First, you will learn how to create a clear silhouette from a stock image. Then, how to refine and sharpen the image till you can create a proper mask, add brush effects for a multi-exposure image.
8. How to warp, pose and sculpt your custom artwork?
As a graphic designer, you will often be required to warp your design for a custom banner or make your custom design character pose.
This Adobe Illustrator tutorial will teach you how to sculpt your existing design using Adobe Illustrator.
You can take this concept even further and make multiple smooth adjustments to your design to create a GIF or a cool animation sequence.
The tutorial also consists of sample practice files so that you can try out the tricks on your own.
9. How to Create 3D dots and Glowing Fiber Effects?
3D dots and glowing fiber effects are quite popular in ad banners and invitation flyers. The same technique can also be leveraged to create cool animation and GIFs.
This YouTube tutorial will walk you through the finer details of creating 3D dots and how you can use trace along with other animation tools to create fiber effects.
This tutorial goes deep into creating and tracing basic shapes and can provide you good exposure to the advanced usages of Adobe Illustrator.
Other Paid/ Free Adobe Illustrator Tutorials/Courses
Apart from the tutorials listen above here are a few highly rated Adobe Illustrator tutorials that you should check out –
i. Free Illustrator Tutorial
This free YouTube tutorial will walk you through the basics of Adobe Illustrator and teach you tracing techniques, coloring methods, and finally exporting it for print.
A good tutorial that has most of the basics of Illustrator covered.
ii. LinkedIn Learning Illustrator Courses
This collection of Adobe Illustrator courses gives you a first-hand look into experts handling creative designing projects. This is an Illustrator tutorial goldmine in terms of the quality of content.
iii. Skillshare Adobe Illustrator Courses
This set of two courses from Skillshare can cater to your Illustrator Essential and Advanced training. The courses
Adobe Illustrator CC – Essentials Training
Advanced
The above courses have been opted by over 90 thousand students in total. Be sure to check out their preview and content details.
iv. Udemy Adobe Illustrator courses
This course would walk you through Adobe Illustrator from scratch. A well-rounded tutorial, decently priced and subscribed by over 30 thousand students.
Conclusion
Graphic designing is a sought-after profession and can be a fruitful side hustle worth exploring. Adobe Illustrator is the market standard and can add a lot of value to your portfolio but will require a subscription and dedication.
In this post, we have curated the 9 best Adobe Illustrator tutorials that can help you get used to Adobe Illustrator in no time.
We have also listed a few advanced Adobe Illustrator tutorials that can help you create advanced graphic designs and help you earn a few designing gigs.
In case you don’t want to pay subscription charges, you can check out other free Adobe Illustrator alternatives too.
These tutorials and designing steps even though are specific to Adobe Illustrator can also be used for other designing tools too.
