60 Adobe Illustrator Tutorials Collection

by AndrewG

Adobe Illustrator is a vector-based drawing program developed and marketed by Adobe Systems. It is a very popular editor among professional artists and designers. To master the complexity of an artwork and improve your designing skills you can always use the advanced tools and option of Illustrator. In this collection we present you 60 informative and useful Adobe Illustrator tutorials that might inspire you to start working with it or to improve the skills you already have.

“Lady Luck” T-Shirt Illustration

Hey Go Media faithful readers! Time for a sweet new tutorial! I always feel like it’s been WAY too long since I’ve written one of these tutorials. Unfortunately, my schedule doesn’t leave much room for writing these lengthy t-shirt design tutorials. But when my good friend, client, photographer, and all-around great guy Paul Davis from Black Ace Clothing said he was ready to move forward on his “Lady Luck” t-shirt design, I KNEW I just had to document the creation of this design.

3D spinning top toy in Illustrator CS5

In this tutorial we are going to create a colourful 3D spinning top toy. We are going to use the Width tool, the Draw inside mode, the Shape Builder tool, the Revolve effect, Pathfinder and Recolor artwork. Enjoy!

Add depth to your art with expert shading techniques

With all the tools and effects that Adobe Illustrator has to offer, it can sometimes be hard to achieve a sense of depth and atmosphere within your images. Often they can come out looking flat and very two-dimensional. In this tutorial, Bristol-based artist Ben Steers will show you how he uses gradient effects and opacity masks to overcome this, as he takes you through how he created his piece, Gone Karting.

An Illustrator’s Project From Start to Finish

In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through the steps of how to create an illustration art piece so that you can witness what goes behind a digital illustrator’s work, as well as gain some new insights for your own projects’ workflow. We’ll go through conceptualization and idea gathering, creating illustrations in Illustrator, and then finishing the piece in Photoshop.

Beautiful Vector Illustration in Illustrator and Photoshop by Carol Rivello

Hey guys! For this tutorial/making of I created a fun illustration for my sister Stella’s blog. In her blog she writes about funny daily situations and I thought that it would be nice to develop an illustration that expressed that somehow. I hope that this step by step help the new designers and illustrators.

Create a “Circular Fragments” Vector Shape in Illustrator

This is an Illustrator tutorial that covers the process of drawing some unique circular fragments similar to the one found in my previous tutorial, Create a Scene with Retrofuturistic-Inspired Light Effects. We will be working exclusively in Illustrator and we’ll construct everything from scratch! This tutorial aims to show you basic drawing techniques as well as highlight Illustrator’s ability to produce fascinating objects that you can use (and reuse) flexibly in your design projects.

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Create a 3D Shipping Package Box Icon in Illustrator

This icon design tutorial will discuss how to create a shipping box/parcel box icon from scratch using Adobe Illustrator. We will use the 3D Extrude & Bevel effect, the Pen Tool for drawing simple shapes, several panels like the Transparency Panel and the Gradient Panel, and other fundamental Illustrator features. We’ll detail our icon with a red shipping stamp (that we will draw ourselves), packing tape, and shadows/highlights.

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Create a Bright Vector Snowboard Design in Illustrator

Follow this Adobe Illustrator tutorial to create a cool snowboard illustration. We’ll build up the design with an array of bright shapes, trendy lines and patterns to produce a bright and funky vector composition. The final design will then be mocked up on a handy snowboard deck template to show off the design in all its glory.

Create a Classic, Sailing Ship in Illustrator CS5

In this tutorial I will show how to create a sailing ship illustration with a story book style, using the Gradient Mesh to make the cloth of the boat’s sails. I will also use the Gradient Mesh to colorize the wooden parts of the boat. Then, the Scribble filter and the Brushes application will be used to create the sea. Finally, I will show you how to use a mask to create a fog effect around the illustration.

Create a Furry Calligram in Illustrator

In this tutorial I will walk you through creating your own calligram inspired by a dog named Poppy. You’ll learn how to manipulate a typeface through to rendering fur, adding doggy features, and various details.

Create a Green Viscous Text Effect

In the following tutorial expand an existing font, use illustrator’s 3D tools to add dimension, and then add a green viscous text effect. If you want to add a fun, vector text effect to your portfolio, then get started now.

Create a Hellboy Poster in Illustrator

Lately, we received many requests for more illustration tutorials, so for this week we decided to show you how to make this cool hellboy poster in illustrator.

Create a Owl using Dynamic Gradient Techniques

Many works that look complicated are really made from simple elements. In this tutorial, Russian artist Alexandra Zutto shows how to build up complex, beautiful images by patiently layering and building up small, straightforward segments, always varying them to prevent monotony.

Create a Painterly Apple with Illustrator CS5’s new Bristle Brush

The new Bristle Brush in Illustrator CS5 gives you the best of both worlds: The painterly effects of real media and the control and flexibility of a vector drawing. We’ll use another new feature in CS5, the “Draw Inside” drawing mode, which will let us do what every artist likes to do — color outside the lines. Let’s get started!

Create a Painterly Landscape with the Blob Brush Tool

Illustrator’s Blob Brush is an intuitive and versatile tool. When used with a graphics tablet, you can create loose, painterly images that venture far from the sharp, clean lines usually associated with vector graphics. These files retain all the benefits of vector files, however, allowing you to experiment and be flexible with scale, color and composition. Let’s get started!

Create a Realistic, Burning Sparkler Using Adobe Illustrator

In this tutorial we will create a photorealistic image of a sparkler. We will learn how to create vector textures using the standard bitmap filters. We’ll create complex lighting from two light sources using gradient fills, Blending Modes, and Clipping Masks.

Create a Vibrant and Spicy Vodka Bottle Composition

For this design tutorial, I will show you how to use Illustrator and Photoshop together to design a colorful piece that can be used as an ad layout or desktop wallpaper. Our centerpiece will be a bottle of Absolut Vodka, but most of the work will be on developing a colorful and vibrant pattern that consists of pepper vector objects and retouching the bottle to make it look seamless with the background.

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Create An Editable Stitched Label Type Treatment

If you found the previous Letterpress, Sketchy, and Metal type treatment tutorials useful, then you are going to like this Stitched Label Type tutorial. Like the previous tutorials, this one relies heavily on the Appearance panel, making it easy to edit the text and apply the treatment to other fonts and vector elements.

Create an Elegant Patterned Vector Owl in Illustrator

Follow this step by step Adobe Illustrator tutorial to create a stylized vector owl illustration with simple shapes and patterns. We’ll start by building the basic owl character with various vector shapes, then begin bringing it to life with colour, shading and pattern fills.

Create interlocking motifs in Illustrator

In this tutorial I’ll demonstrate how to rough out and plan your artwork before transferring it into Illustrator (CS3 or later) using the most important feature for creating vector graphics, the Pen tool.

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Create quirky repeating patterns

In this tutorial, Imakethings (known to his mum as Andrew Groves) shows you how to make a repeat pattern based on map-like imagery. He uses simple shapes and icons to illustrate geographical features from a bird’s-eye point of view similar to those used in OS maps.

Create summery poster artwork using Illustrator CS5

In this tutorial, Ben guides you through some of Illustrator CS5’s biggest new tools. There’s the new – and very smooth – Variable Stroke-Width tool, the tidied-up dashed-line functions, the improved shape-building tools, and most excitingly of all, the new perspective tools.

Creating a Maneater Vector Girl through Collaboration

n this tutorial you’ll see a collaboration between two vector artists. Ashley S. Benson will be responsible for the initial composition layout and coloring while Sharon Milne (me) will be refining and adding further detailing to the collaboration. You’ll learn techniques from both artists and learn some helpful collaboration tips.

Creating a Toaster-Popping Illustration

With this tutorial, learn how to apply some effects not often used in Illustrator, like the Chrome effect, which is used to create metallic look with a realistic aspect. Also, notable in this tutorial is the use of Texturizer to create toast texture. We will also use 3D effect and the Mesh tool, which bring depth to the this illustration.

Creating an Illustrative Monogram

Monograms are an interesting way to go about making an identity. By nature they can be straight forward or extremely ornamental and illustrative. In this tutorial I’m going to walk you through the steps I (Chris Comella, designer at Go Media, hi!) took to making Go Media’s own Heather Mariano (formerly Heather Tropp) a monogram for her business card.
What follows is a series of animated GIFs. Each show the steps I took toward executing my concept. They all loop, so if you miss something the first time, don’t sweat it. It’ll be back in a few seconds. Also, below each animation you’ll see the corresponding notes.

Design Process How to Draw the Super-Villain Megamind in Illustrator

In this tutorial we will create a vector drawing of the super-villain Megamind. Along with this, you will learn how to observe the “hidden” technical details a design needs to alter the audience’s reaction the way YOU want.

Draw a Realistic Pineapple Using 3D Illustrator Effects

Learn how to easily draw a vector pineapple using the 3D Revolve effect, how to create the realistic texture and apply it with the Map Art option. This tutorial could also by a great way for you to practice your Pen Tool skills by drawing all the different leaves.

Draw a Spilled Paint Bucket in Illustrator

This vector illustration tutorial will explain how to make a glossy and stylized paint bucket with spilled paint in front of it, using Illustrator. We will take advantage of many excellent features in Illustrator, such as the 3D Extrude & Bevel command, Blend command, drawing shapes with the Pen Tool and Pencil Tool, using Pathfinder commands to combine and create shapes, and more. The resulting product is a scalable vector drawing.

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Fresh corporative web template with Photoshop and Illustrator

Hello folks, welcome to a great new tutorial. Today we will guide you across the making of a beautiful and elegant template, ideal for all your business and company applications; we will take a look over every single element that is part of this template and will fully explain it, from gradient properties to the effects, you will find all the necessary information to complete this great template, we suggest you to prepare a lot of coffee and gather many bags of chips, also prepare all your favorite artists tracks to pass the time. OK now that we are all set it’s time to begin, so please open your Photoshop.

How To Create a Jeweled Butterfly In Inkscape

Today we’ll create a sparkling jeweled butterfly that will shine without using any gradients. We’ll use various path operations and the powerful extension “pattern along path” to reproduce shimmering gold. If you’re an Inkscape user, then follow along with this tutorial.

How to Create a Shiny, Vector Laptop

In this tutorial I’ll show you how to create a laptop in Illustrator using basic tools like the Rectangle Tool, Ellipse Tool, Pen Tool and others. We’ll construct the overall shape, keyboard, laptop monitor, and more.

How to Create a Stack of Vector Poker Chips in Illustrator

In this vector illustration tutorial, you’ll be learning how to draw a colorful stack of poker chips in Adobe Illustrator CS4 using intermediate-level techniques. Follow along the tutorial to learn how to utilize basic shapes to draw a stack of poker chips from scratch in vector format.

How to Create a Stylish Wireless Phone

In this tutorial you will learn how to make a great looking Wireless Phone. You will be using Offset Path and various gradients to create a three dimensional phone with realistic highlights and reflections.

How to Create an Artistic Watercolor Ad with Photoshop and Illustrator

Today we will create a colorful artistic ad using Photoshop and Illustrator. Following this tutorial will not only improve your Photoshop skills, but you will also learn how to create compositions that are easily absorbed by your audience.

How to Create an Entangled Lettering Illustration – Part 1

In this two part tutorial, we’re going to look at how to create a brief typographic message from scratch. In part one we’ll go over the basics of constructing the letterforms.

How to Create Candy Cane Typography with Photoshop and Illustrator

In this tutorial we will create a superb candy cane type design using Illustrator and Photoshop. Apply this effect to your own text and create cool and unique Christmas cards!

How to create funny swirls in Illustrator

Swirls are a common element in graphic design. I will show you how easy it is to create them. The problem (always the same) is the ability to combine these elements with other images with a correct use of colors.

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How to Draw a Fall Leaf Using Adobe Illustrator

During this tutorial we will learn to create a vector autumn leaf and the universal texture of a leaf. You will learn to use the following techniques in practice: Live Trace, Art Brush, Mesh and many others. The tutorial contains lots of practical advice and recommendations. The seamless leaf texture can be used in your future works as an element of a design.

How to Draw a Vector Geisha in Illustrator – Speed Drawing

We want to show the process our vectors go through before they get to you, the designer. So we’ve made a screencast of one of our artists while drawing a vector geisha. This will stand proof that our vectors are truly hand-made and original and not some cheap paper live trace.
This geisha vector is only a small part of the Japanese mega pack we are currently working on. So make sure you stick around for updates. Subscribe to our RSS to be the first to know about it!
Enjoy!

How to Illustrate Dynamic Hair Using Adobe Illustrator’s Paintbrush Tool

This tutorial will show you how to create a dynamic hairstyle from a reference image. You will use the Paintbrush Tool, basic skin shading and transparent gradients.

How to Make a Detailed Printer Icon Using Illustrator

In this icon design tutorial, we will construct a desktop printer icon that is rich in detail. We will use the industry-standard vector illustration tool: Adobe Illustrator.

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How to Make an Attractive Vector Butterfly

In this tutorial I will show you how to make a vector butterfly using the blending mode from transparency box and the gradient mesh. The techniques shown in this tutorial will help you make shades on objects and liquid transition of colors. Believe me it is very easy.

How to Turn Glasses into a Great Geek Icon

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to make a cool, or should we say geeky, glasses icon. You should be versed in Adobe Illustrator’s tools to complete this tutorial. You’ll learn how to take creative license and create an illustration that uses a photo reference, but differs a bit in the final design.

Illustrator Tutorial Draw realistic liquids in vector art

Creating convincing liquid effects in vector illustration can be a tricky business. Luckily, Jing Zhang has provided us with this tutorial that shows you how to make a real splash with your art.

You’ll learn numerous Illustrator techniques to create vector liquid, by playing around with Illustrator’s Mesh tool, Warp tool and layer blending properties.

Illustrator Tutorial Waving Flag of the USA

Drawing a waving flag in illustrator can be a tricky and challenging process for a new beginner. In this adobe illustrator tutorial, we will learn how to draw a vector waving flag effect of the United States of America. You will first need to create the 2D flag using Transform tools and we will move on to create the wave effect using 3D Distort Tools.

Make a Headphones Icon Using Adobe Illustrator

In this tutorial you will learn how to create a realistic image of headphones using simple and understandable techniques. It turns out that to get a good result there is no need to do it in a complex way. This tutorial is easy for any beginner to complete.

Make Artistic and Elegant Vector Artwork with Illustrator

In this tutorial, I will share the techniques that I use for creating artistic vector artwork with Illustrator. We will go over a few different ways that we can compose vector drawings together using reference images, how to use layer transparencies, and how to give our vector artwork a color-washed look with the use of Live Paint and color gradients. We will then finish off our work in Photoshop.

Control the number of colors in Illustrator

Getting your design ready for print can sometimes be a challenging task. Clients usually demand a limited number of colors for their vectors and there are designers that have trouble cleaning up their work and find those tiny hair-sized strokes that add one more color.

How To Create a Simple Sticker Text Effect

In the following tutorial you will learn how to use text and the Round Any Corner script to create a simple sticker effect. This effect can be applied to a variety of graphics, including shapes and symbols.

How to Create a Smooth Navigation Menu in Adobe Illustrator

In the following tutorial you will learn to create a nice navigation menu. This is particularly useful for people who want to make perfectly aligned rollover states for websites and applications.

How to make a Golden Curled Corner using Adobe Illustrator

n this tutorial you will learn how to create a decorative curled edge using some easy illustrator techniques and a custom Adobe Illustrator Script.

Make a Cut Out Gift Tag with Adobe Illustrator & InDesign

This is a fun little project for beginner Illustrator users who are just finding their way with the Pen Tool and feel much more comfortable using shapes and lines. This Candy Cane tag is made using an Ellipse, the Pathfinder Tools, and a custom made brush. You will learn how to make some cute looking Gift Tags with a retro texture finish and how to use InDesign as a tool for PDF output so you can print your tags at either your local print shop or offset printing service.

Realistic video projector vector with illustrator

When you’re starting to learn how to create realistic objects in Illustrator you usually take a real life picture for inspiration and begin drawing it. On this tutorial we will offer a better solution for you to practice your skills in Illustrator. Throughout the whole post we will learn how to make a real object with Adobe Illustrator, in this case, we have selected an old film projector, such as the early 20th century. Get ready because it’s time to start, open your Illustrator and let’s go.

Smoothly Shift Winter Colors, While Creating an Icy, Vector Landscape

Handle color changes and variations with ease by following this intermediate level tutorial. This is a special tutorial sponsored by Astute Graphics that incorporates the use of their high-quality Phantasm CS range Illustrator Pugins. We’ll work with Phantasm’s color shifting tools: Hue/Saturation and and Shift to Color, while we learn to contrast shapes when composing natural, vector scenes!

Stylish text effect tutorial using Illustrator

On this tutorial you’re about to learn how to create a beautiful text effect with a subtle vintage look that’s going to be applied to an specific typeface, just to help you get an idea, we will try to generate an old school text that can be implemented on modern web designs.

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Tron Legacy Tutorial

Since the very first time I saw the trailer of Tron Legacy I decided that I would have to try to do something inspired on that, all those light effects were exactly what I always love to do in Photoshop. Then I saw the James White design inspired by Tron and I was damn it, James nailed it. So I postponed my little experiment, however this week I decided that the time had come and so, I decided to recreate the logo effect we see in the trailer.

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Type Illustration Project Experimental Digital Workflow

In this Adobe Illustrator tutorial, I will walk you through my process of creating an illustrated type artwork. The focus of this tutorial is to demonstrate how it is possible to draft, develop, and refine a whole piece all within a design program like Adobe Illustrator from start to finish. I will show you that working with the tools available in Illustrator allow you to work in an organic way that enables you to realize and problem-solve an entire design. No more pencil on paper or sketching!

Vector “Guarantee” badge tutorial

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Vector button set and keyboard with illustrator

Hello friends, on today’s tutorial we’re going to learn how to make a fabulous pair of GUI elements using Adobe Illustrator, you probably remember a previous tutorial where we showed you another element of this GUI set, in that case it was the slider. Well, now we are about to study how to develop a fancy keyboard along with a nice volume/track control button.

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Vector robot character icon with illustrator

Hello guys, on today’s tutorial, we are going to learn how to develop an original robot character using Adobe Illustrator. We are going to need a bit of inspiration, some basic Illustrator tools and most of all, the willing of have fun and enjoy the design process. It ain’t going to be a realistic robot illustration but a cartoon-like one, OK, open up your Illustrator and let’s begin.

Tags | Abode, Collection, design, Illustrator, tips, Tutorial