Adobe Illustrator Tutorials - A Collection of Written and Video Tutorials
Free Adobe Illustrator tutorials, both in video and writing, can be easily found online. In fact there are so many Photoshop and Illustrator tutorials that it can be very time consuming finding the worthwhile ones. So we've found a few for you. Here are some handy tips and tricks for learning Adobe Illustrator. Either view the video tutorials on this page using the player below, or click on the relevant links to written articles beneath.
Create a Windows Vista Icon - all Vector! Illustrator Tutorial A long but thorough Adobe Illustrator tutorial. This takes you step-by-step through the process of creating a Windows Vista icon. This is useful not because you'll end up with a Vista icon, but because it is a good example of how to go about creating good looking illustrations. It covers various tasks such as creating soft shadows, a reflective surface and realistic 3D product illustrations. [Click here to see video tutorial on YouTube.com or view the video above]
Create a Gear In Adobe Illustrator An Adobe Illustrator tutorial demonstrating how to use the pathfinder tools. Adding and subtracting simple shapes can create more complex ones. This is an example of how messing around with shapes and tools can result in interesting and useful effects. [Click here to see video tutorial on YouTube.com or view the video above]
A Speed Illustration of a Pickup in Illustrator This fine piece of work is not so much an Illustrator tutorial as it is an example of what can be achieved with talent and patience. It goes to show that our world is made up of simple shapes, gradients and keen observation! [Click here to see video tutorial on YouTube.com or view the video above]
The Golden Section - A Divine Proportion We added this video because the Golden Section has been good to me. It's a great place to start for practically any layout - it's a fascinating concept. The video doesn't really explain why, it just shows how you create one. Click here to find out more about the Golden Section or Golden Ratio. [Click here to see video tutorial on layersmagazine.com]
Adobe Illustrator Tutorials (Written tutorials)
How to Create Competent Line Art Using Adobe Illustrator How to create great looking line artwork in Adobe Illustrator - even if you have no artistic skill whatsoever! Remember tracing paper? It's the same principle but better. [Click here to read tutorial]
Illustrator How-To: No More Boring Graphs EVER Creating graphs in Illustrator can be as creative a process as you want to make it. Don't just stick with dull blocky bar charts. The link below takes you to an article which explains how to use your own graphics in charts. [Click here to read tutorial on creativepro.com]
Imitating A Scanner Darkly - Beautifully vectorized photos Using Illustrator's pencil tool and shapes of solid color, you can imitate the graphic novel styling of A Scanner Darkly. An animator from the film shows how. [Click here to read tutorial on illustratortechniques.com]
How to Create a Custom Adobe Illustrator Gradient If you need to create a custom Adobe Illustrator gradient to replicate one you've seen in another graphic, or if you want to make one from scratch, here's the way to do it. [Click here to read tutorial]
Use Live Trace to Create Line Art in Adobe Illustrator Live Trace in Adobe Illustrator used to be a standalone product called Adobe Streamline. Illustrator's line art tracing tools were pretty basic. Then Live Trace was built into CS2, great for line art. [Click here to read tutorial]
