Expand your vector knowledge with these Adobe Illustrator
tutorials, covering everything from retro graphics to logo design.
Since its release, Adobe's Illustrator has grown to become the designer's right hand man when it comes to creating premier vector graphics and elements. There's so much you can do with the tool that it can be difficult to know where to start.
Here, we round up some of the best Adobe Illustrator tutorials, covering everything from illustration to logo design, adding depth to your typography and much more. With so many to choose from, you're sure to find a project to inspire you!
Click on the image to head to the video tutorial...
In this video tutorial presented by Angie Taylor you'll
learn how to set up a new Illustrator document. She looks at options in
the New Document dialog box like Width and Height, Color Mode, and
Transparency Grid.
This tutorial explores the various options for selecting
items in Illustrator, including the Selection and Direct Selection
tools, the Select Similar options, and the Layers panel.
The Pen and Pencil tools are very useful but require a
little practice to get comfortable with. This video tutorial explains
how to start using the Pen tool to create clouds and the Pencil tool to
create hills.
In this video tutorial you'll see how to use Illustrator's
shape tools to create primitive shapes that you can use as the basis for
objects. You'll also learn how to use the Shape Builder tool to combine
shapes.
In this video, artist Mordy Golding explains five tips to
make drawing easier in Adobe Illustrator CS5. These are great tips for
beginners as well as experienced users that are new to CS5.
As enjoyable as it might be, choosing a colour palette for a
new brand or design can prove time-consuming. In this Illustrator
tutorial, Lee Barnes demonstrates how you can use the Live Color tool to
create a colour group for a logo or brand mark.
The warp tools, also known as the liquify tools, are not
dissimilar to Photoshop's Liquify tool but instead are set out into
seven different categories. Master their art with this Illustrator
tutorial.
If you're unfamiliar with the process of creating graphs in
Adobe Illustrator, this article will help in giving you some insight
into the work-flow. You'll be a pro in no time!
This quick video tutorial will show how you to use a basic
gradient as an opacity mask over text. Once you know this method, you
can utilise it in different ways to benefit your designs - as an
easy-to-use alternative to a clipping mask, for example.
Using Illustrator with finesse and perfecting the finer
details can take practice. This tutorial looks at a selection of
transparency and gradient tools and uses them to create a lifelike but
contemporary animal study. The techniques covered can be applied to any
subject matter that requires a striking dynamic look or an elegant
subtle shine.
Adding extra depth to an image can be a quick process that
utilises some simple tools. In this Illustrator tutorial, Jeffrey Bowman
explains how to use grids, gradients and textures to add depth to
illustrations.
This Illustrator tutorial shows you how to create a leather
texture of different colours. This is a basic tutorial to follow and
will take around 30 minutes to complete.
Adding texture to your vector is a great way to give it more
dimension and perspective. In this easy to follow video, Illustrator
expert Alexandra Cecilio explains how to get the most out of textures. Bring out your inner child with this cute sponge effect
Today designers and illustrators strive to add that
retro/vintage style to their work with textures. This Illustrator
tutorial covers the process of creating a cute kids-style illustration
complete with a vector sponge stamp effect.
In this Illustrator tutorial you will learn how to create
random vector sand and pebble textures that could come in handy. It's a
pretty simple process that shouldn't take longer than an hour.
Create detailed illustrations
Start off with basic vector shapes to get a detailed effect
In this Illustrator tutorial, you start with a bunch of
concentric circles and some basic vector shape building techniques. Once
you create the starting shapes you’ll continue with some Pathfinder
options, several Warp and Gaussian Blur effects plus some basic masking
techniques.
In the following Adobe Illustrator tutorial you will learn
how to create a detailed scanner illustration. You’ll start with a bunch
of simple shapes, some basic vector shape building techniques and a
host of effects.
Here, you will learn how to create a detailed printer
illustration using simple rectangle shapes. Some basic vector shape
building techniques will come in handy for this one.
This Illustrator tutorial is less focused on drawing skills
and more into the tools, so this shouldn't be that hard for beginners.
You execute it using a mouse or even a track pad.
In this 15-minute Illustrator tutorial, Andy Buckle explains
how to use the new pattern-creation tools to create a seamlessly
repeating design for use in your websites.
This quick tip utilises how you can use the pattern feature
in order to construct seamless vector patterns. This Illustrator
tutorial is a great starting point for gaining an understanding of how
the new pattern tool feature works.
Follow this step by step Illustrator tutorial to create the
popular retro style pattern design made up of lots of colourful squares
and triangles. The process is quite simple, making this a good tutorial
for newcomers.
Create this softer, cuter image of the hit series with this
simple Illustrator tutorial. You'll be using the pencil and pen tool as
well as ellipse tool for this creation.
Follow this step-by-step Illustrator tutorial to create a
cool vector Yeti character. You'll use as many basic shapes as possible
to achieve that quirky style of illustration, then bring the character
to life with a palette of cold colours.
This tutorial is half a case-study and half a tutorial, so
you may notice some fast pacing on some parts. But if you're used to
Marcos Torres' illustration tutorials, you'll be fine! You'll be using the pen tool and ellipse tool to create this cute snail
Here, you'll learn how to draw a snail using tools such as
the Pen Tool, Selection Tool, Direct Selection Tool, Ellipse Tool and
Gradient Tool. Some shapes will be created with the help of the
Pathfinder panel.
For this Illustrator tutorial (whose title is
self-explanatory), Marcos Torres recommend that you install the San
Locisco, The Black Bureau and Ghetto Wolves fonts. You can get them at Legacy of Defeat.
This retro fox illustration is a great Illustrator project for beginners
Use basic shapes, stylish colours and the Warp Effect tool
to create this adorable fox illustration in Illustrator. This retro
illustration tutorial's a great project for beginners.
Follow this in-depth look at the process of designing type
for a vintage style postcard. This Adobe Illustrator tutorial delves
into clipping masks, using bitmap images, working with layers and type
effects.
In this Illustrator tutorial you'll discover how to
customise a typeface and then use Photoshop to create a stunning vintage
detailed typographic design.
Here, you'll learn how to create volume in vector
illustrations using a few colours per object. Bring a sketch of a
beautiful tropical bird to life using vectors and a handy colouring
process. Summer is officially here, so celebrate with this colourful
tutorial.
This tutorial focuses on creating a vibrant, poppy portrait
in Adobe Illustrator, using bright colours, transparent gradients, and a
sense of whimsy, you'll be constructing facial features and candy hair
in no time.
Use Illustrator's Appearance panel to draw this fabulous colourful peacock
In this tutorial you will get to know one of the most useful
Adobe Illustrator features – the Appearance panel – and draw a fabulous
colourful peacock with the help of various effects. The Appearance
panel helps us to add as many fills and strokes as we need, applying
various effects and arranging them in the necessary order, all applied
to one object.
This is a useful Illustrator tutorial for any graphic
designer, as you'll be suing some advanced techniques to get an amazing
drawing portrait. Not to worry though, you'll only be using basic tools.
Get gamey with Mario and Sonic
Create some of your favourite game characters with these tutorials
This is a more advanced Illustrator tutorial, so a previous
knowledge of the software (and the character) will be helpful. It can
all be crafted using a mouse, although using a tablet will make the
process quicker.
This Illustrator tutorial is for beginners but it's a great
way to practise your skills in the software. You'll be creating the
Mario face using some simple and easy to create shapes.
This Illustrator tutorial takes a look at how to create a
T-shirt graphic (pictured above) with a cool, retro feel. There's only a
few simple steps. Form simple vector shapes with the Pen tool and then
add textures to create that retro aesthetic.
Learn how to use halftone patterns and to add a retro,
hand-printed effect in this Illustrator tutorial. You'll be one step
closer to mastering the Illustrator Brush libraries.
See how you can strip a concept back to basics and create
versatile graphic shapes that work in different contexts. This
Illustrator tutorial will help you improve your skills with the Pen and
Pathfinder tools. It will also show you how best to work with bold,
simple colour palettes.
Create abstract illustrations
Create an elaborate, eye-catching and abstract illustration
This is one of the more effective Illustrator tutorials
we've come across. Focusing on the Ellipse and Lasso tools, see how you
can create a sense of depth in your designs by using drop shadows. The
result? An elaborate, eye-catching and abstract illustration.
Learn how to import textures into Illustrator; use custom
presets in Live Trace; and successfully apply textured effects to vector
images. You'll, be pleased with the results.
Ever tried a digital collage or 'digicollage'? Today is as
good a day as any. Follow BECHA as she walks through a process for
developing a distinct aesthetic that combines textures, photos
and elements.
If you've ever wanted to create your own set of emoticons,
this is the perfect place to start! The Illustrator tutorial is for
beginners to intermediate and it will work for CS3 and up.
This easy step by step Illustrator tutorial by Ryan of Vectips shows you how to create a retro television icon just with some basic shapes and gradients.
If you're already familiar with the 3D effects in
Illustrator, then this is a great way to test those skills and take them
up a notch. Here, you'll learn how transparencies can make all the
difference.
Here you'll learn how to create a neat icon of Fireworks
Rockets. 3D Effect is a convenient tool for creating this kind of
illustration, but we have to be aware of the fact that 3D effects can
mess up our illustration. This tutorial will show you how to avoid that.
Here you'll draw sketchy weather icons on a paper note with a
clip. First you'll illustrate a background with the Appearance panel
and then you'll create weather symbols and a paper note with a clip
before finishing it off with some text.
Give your graphics some edge
Get a kaleidoscope effect in Photoshop and Illustrator
This is a Photoshop and Illustrator tutorial double-header.
Join Spanish illustrator Marti Sati as he shows you how to how to add a
sense of motion to your work by combining vector illustrations with
Photoshop's Pen tool. By the end you'll have a head-turning
kaleidoscopic effect.
Luke O'Neill demonstrates how you can quickly and easily add
a layer of gloss to various graphic elements. Think slick, shiny
graphic buttons and icons...
In another one of our favourite Illustrator tutorials,
Ruslan Khasanov shows you how to manipulate vector line work and
gradients to bring an unusual sense of movement to your work.
Follow this tutorial by Iaroslav Lazunov and by controlling
the transparency of gradient meshes with the help of blending modes, and
by adjusting color transition between mesh points and changing its
opacity, you'll make a brush that you can use to create an impressive
pearl necklace in seconds!
Brought to you by Lynda.com,
you'll get to grips with some of the new tools in Adobe Illustrator
CS6. The video will show you how to apply a gradient swatch to a stroke
that is surrounding an object.
Here, you'll learn how to master artwork techniques in the
new realms of CS6. This handy video tutorial is easy to follow and uses
processes that are simple enough for beginners.
Another great Illustrator tutorial brought to you by Lynda.com, which shows you how to create repeatable patterns in different styles and configurations using the new Pattern Options tool.
This is makes a great weekend project. Follow along as
Steven Bonner works through the process of building a grid that will
form the basis of your design. He then shows you how to draw, colour and
light your letters to create an amazing 3D architectural scene.
We've got more Illustrator tutorials than you can shake a
vector stick at and we're adding new ones all the time. In this one,
Junichi Tsuneoka explains how to create a unique character, build up its
background and incorporating custom type to make a stunning
composition.
In this Illustrator tutorial, you'll learn how to create a
bending 3D text effect that will make any design stand out. There's
plenty of skills to soak up here!
Sweeten up your design with this tasty text effect. You'll
need to be at an intermediate level as you will be using the Blend Tool;
effects like Roughen and Chrome; different Blending modes and also the
3D Extrude and Bevel effect to create perfect chocolate squares.
Get creative with this cute Illustrator tutorial. It
involves intermediate vector shape building skills so make sure you've
got those down before you go any further!
Inspired by BBC1's mosaic idents - recently given a 2014
refresh - this tutorial by Andrei Marius shows you how to create a
colourful text effect made up of lots of little pieces.
Do you ever wish that you could work faster? In this
Illustrator tutorial, Jonny Wan shows you how he created a promotional
poster for Ford. See how the Pathfinder panel played a key part in
speeding up his workflow, ultimately giving him more time to incorporate
client feedback and amendments.
Graphic designer Andy Cooke explains how to make full use of
Illustrator's artboards to easily construct and edit a range of printed
branding material for a company.
Experimentation is key to remaining creative (and sane).
Find out how to create artwork that has a solid foundation, yet still
enables you to mess around along the way. This process might even speed
up your workflow and help you get better results in the other
Illustrator tutorials.
William Beachy shows you how his company created this comic
book style flyer. Starting with a pencil sketch and then imported into
Illustrator, you should be a dab hand at drawing.
Heinritzh Sales explains the process of creating a complex
style drawing in Illustrator. It will consist of a number of layers and a
fair few steps, so you'll need to be at an intermediate level for this
one.
Many images that look complicated are really made using
simple effects. Get to grips with gradients by layering and building up
small, straightforward segments, always varying them to prevent
monotony.
Texturise your vectors
Creating a unique typeface can help define a brand
Whether it's for an ad campaign, product, publication or
identity, a unique typeface can help define a brand, message and tone of
voice - giving the client something unique. In this Illustrator
tutorial we'll look at the creative process of designing a new display
typeface.
Used sparingly, raster effects can help you achieve results
in your Illustrator vectors that you'd normally have to cross over to
Photoshop to get. If you experiment with them, they can add a dramatic
difference and new dimension to your images.
In this Illustrator tutorial, see how Amy Martino designs a
fashion illustration (using a vector drawing created in Illustrator)
that's editable as a Smart Object in Photoshop. As a bonus, she also
explains how to create and apply textures to Photoshop images to add
character.
The right colour palette can turn a good image into a great
image, but it isn't always easy to select the best combination for your
work. Learn how to get the most out of Adobe's Kuler, a web-hosted
community-based colour scheme editor.
Whether it's vector experimentation in Illustrator,
manipulation in Photoshop or tinkering around with a 3D application, if
you make something interesting then make sure that you categorise it and
keep it. You might be able to reuse it (or elements of it) in other
projects. Here Anthony Neil Dart demonstrates a practical way to utilise
your graphic asset library.
Steven Bonner has done some cracking Illustrator tutorials
for our friends at Computer Arts. In this one, he shows you how to layer
an image for a realistic 3D effect and how your use of colour can
increase relevance and impact.
In another one of our favourite Illustrator tutorials, learn
how to use the Liquify tool creatively; how to combine stock imagery
with custom marks; and to create an illustration from type.
In this typography tutorial, Designer Chandler Van De Water
shows you how to use Adobe Illustrator CS5 to creatively manipulate
letterforms in combination with unique shapes and negative space. The
result? A solid, recognisable logo mark.
A monogram is a symbol made by combining and overlapping two
or more letters; it can be straightforward and functional or a lot more
ornamental in appearance. Here Chris Comella demonstrates how he made a
monogram for his colleague's business card.
Alex Gill walks through how to combine Illustrator's 3D
capabilities with Photoshop work. Learn how to manage layers more
efficiently and the best ways to add subtle lighting techniques.
Learn how to combine photos and custom artwork with style.
This tutorial walks you through using your digital camera and scanner,
how to introduce Smart Object/Smart Filter workflow, and playing with
Illustrator's Warp tools.
Make your text leap off the page – in the style of Marvel's
logo for The Avengers – by creating a path in Illustrator, then
importing it to Photoshop and applying effects and texture.
Branding and bristle brush techniques
Manipulate the glyphs from a font to create a striking logo letterform
Sebastin Litmanovich tells you how to create a set of vector
icons using a logo as a starting point. You'll learn how to combine and
rearrange the shapes of an existing logo or typeface into new forms.
Steven Bonner looks at how to use Illustrator's Blend tool
to create smooth and curved blends, blend by specific distances and to
blend different transparencies and shapes. Keep regularly checking back for more updated tutorials
and don't forget to let us know your thoughts in the comments box below.
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