When you create printed marketing materials, your designs are little like Alice from Alice in Wonderland. Alice is constantly shrinking or growing as she explores different parts of Wonderland. Likewise, you’ll often need your design elements to shrink or grow, depending on what the situation calls for. That’s why learning how to create scalable vector illustrations in Adobe Illustrator is absolutely essential.
Adobe Illustrator can be a tricky program to learn, but if you’ve used some of the best Photoshop tutorials, you’re already one step ahead of the curve. To help you get a little closer to mastering the Adobe suite, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite Illustrator tutorials.
Basic Illustrator Tutorials for Beginners
Whether you’re just starting out with Adobe Illustrator or need a refresher on the essentials, these tutorials are full of helpful tips, tricks and secrets to get the most from the program. From instructional lessons on how to use different tools to more advanced tips for adding texture, depth and brand cohesion to your design, we guarantee that you’ll learn at least one new thing you didn’t know about Illustrator.
1. How To Get Started with Adobe Illustrator CS6 – 10 Things Beginners Want To Know How To Do
2. Add Depth and Texture in Illustrator
3. Easy Shape Building in Illustrator
4. Illustrator’s Pen Tool: The Comprehensive Guide
5. How to Create a Retro Logo Design
6. Playing Keepaway with Logos and Small Type
7. Tips for Working with the Gradient Mesh Tool In Illustrator
8. How to Reduce EPS File Size
9. Build Experiments Into Your Workflow (No longer available)
10. How to Create Outstanding Modern Infographics
11. How To Create A Negative Space Logo
12. How to Create an Identity Package in Illustrator
Illustrator Text Tutorials
We’ve provided you with some amazing text tutorials for Photoshop that can help you enhance the text in your designsóbut if you really want to make an impression, try hand-crafting your own vector text art in Illustrator. These text tutorials will help you build truly unique word art and typography from the ground up.
13. Create a Vibrant 3D Pixel Type Treatment
14. Learn to Create a Variety of Script Lettering
15. Blueprint-Style Text in Adobe Illustrator
16. Creating an Environmentally Friendly Green Type Treatment
17. Create a Variety of 3D Lettering Effects for Poster Design
18. How to Use Typography to Create a 3D Text Effect
19. Create a Retro Folded Text Effect in Illustrator (No longer available)
20. Create a Custom Paint Marker Typo using the Blob Brush in Illustrator (No longer available)
21. Create a Polished Raised Type Treatment
22. Design a Headline Typeface (No longer available)
23. Create a Grimy Text Treatment with a Pen Tablet
Illustrator 3D Tutorials
Apart from scalability, one of the of the best reasons to use vector art is its ability to give your design elements a sense of dimension. Illustrator’s capacity for 3D design allows you to draw realistic looking objects and add visual interest to text, icons and graphs.
24. Creating 3D Cylinder Graphic in Illustrator
25. How to Create Advertising Billboard Using 3D Effects
26. Create Cool 3D Infographics
27. How To Map Artwork onto 3D Objects with Illustrator (No longer available)
28. Create Isometric Grid-Based 3D Lettering in Illustrator
29. Create a Professional 3D Twitter Icon in Illustrator (No longer available)
30. Combine 3D Effects With Blends in Adobe Illustrator
31. Video Tutorial: Use Illustrator’s 3D Capabilities (No longer available)
32. Turn a Boring Bar Graph into a 3D Masterpiece
Illustrator Logo Tutorials
It’s basically impossible to make a good logo design as a raster image because it’s destined to become distorted and grainy once you try to resize it. These tutorials will help you learn how to create scalable vector logos from concept to finished pieceóa must-have skill for any professional print designer.
33. Illustrator Type Technique Using Shapes
34. Create An Editable Stitched Label Type Treatment
35. Vintage Badge in Illustrator and Photoshop
36. Create a Cool Ribbon Style Logo Graphic in Illustrator
37. How To Create a Cubist Style Logo Design in Illustrator
38. How To Create a Colorful Logo Style Icon in Illustrator
39. Create a Badge using Free Resources
40. Creating a Crazy Cool Logo
41. Create a Colorful Sliced Sphere to use as a Logo Design
42. Geometric Flower Effect Logo in Illustrator
Illustrator Pen Tool Tutorials
The name of the program says it allóIllustrator was made for illustration. These tutorials will help you create colorful, vibrant images, even if you’re not that good at drawing. You’ll learn the basics, like how to convert a raster image into a scalable vector illustrator, as well as advanced illustrative tutorials that will transform you from designer to da Vinci.
43. From Sketch to Vector Illustration
44. Tracing a Vector Face From a Reference Photo
45. 5 Tips for Drawing in Adobe Illustrator CS5
46. Create a Sketchy Hand-Drawn Camera Illustration in Illustrator
47. How To Create a Simple Landscape Scene in Illustrator
48. Create an Elegant Graphic Illustration (No longer available)
49. Drawing City Portrait Using Adobe Illustrator Tutorial (No longer available)
50. Create a Drip-Effect Portrait in Illustrator
51. Merge Vectors with Photographic Imagery
52. Design Retro Isometric Illustrations
Illustrator Pattern Tutorials
Sometimes it’s the little things that can elevate a print design to the next levelósuch as a cool textured background or a funky abstract pattern that draws the eye. These pattern tutorials for Illustrator demonstrate that you don’t have to be good at actual illustration to create a design that’s a true work of art. All you need are a few simple tools and the know-how to use them.
53. Create a Repeating Pattern in Illustrator
54. How To Create Seamless Patterns Using Illustrator CS6
55. Create a Retro Triangular Pattern Design in Illustrator
56. Create a Vibrant Abstract Vector Design Illustrator
57. How to Create Perfect Radial Shapes in Illustrator
58. Simple Organic Shapes the Illustrator Way
59. Adding Texture to Your Vector Illustrations
60. Illustrator Full Spectrum Spirograph
61. Trendy Geometric Lines Design Tutorial
62. How to Use Effects to Create a Cool Design
Conclusion
Here’s the bottom line: the more you know about design, the more valuable you are as a designer. If you haven’t gotten to know Adobe Illustrator before now, then take this as a sign that it’s time to buckle down and learn something new.
Do you have any tips for working with Illustrator? Got a favorite tutorial that belongs on our list? We want to hear from you, so leave your comments below!
Wow, what a great collection of illustrator tutorials! Seriously… I have about a third of these open in new browser tabs ready to bookmark and try out. Thanks for a great roundup!
http://www.dezignhd.com/2012/06/20-awesome-adobe-illustrator-cs6.html
the smooth tool is the best tool for me, especially when wanting organic lines and cleaning up rough drawings.
I am trying submit designs for a t-shirt organization, however whenever i submit the design it gets rejected due to pixel, cos they cannot print it due to pixel..I use adobe photoshopt cs 3..wanted to know which one is better adobe or illustrator and which version.Please assist me with my question
This post may help: https://www.companyfolders.com/blog/adobe-illustrator-vs-photoshop-vs-indesign-print-design-guide
Can you be more specific about your problem? Is the issue that the image is too small and will print pixelated when it’s expanded?
Why are some of these unavailable?
Some of the original tutorials included in the post have since been taken down.
Informative tutorials! I’m a graphic designer and these tutorials are very helpful for me. Thanks for sharing.